by Annie H. Liko

Created on: July 04, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2009

As glowing tributes continue to pour in from around the world on the tragic passing of Michael Jackson at the age of 50, many remembered him as an afro-haired boy singing alongside his four older brothers in a group called the Jackson Five. The group clinched their first record deal when Michael was only eleven. Through hits like ABC and I'll Be There, the Jackson Five became the first group in pop history to top the US pop charts. Michael eventually went solo as the group broke up.

Michael Jackson collaborated with producer Quincy Jones for his first solo album, Off the Wall, which was released in 1979. Off the Wall sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, producing four hit singles - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Rock With You, Off The Wall and She's Out Of My Life. But it was the phenomenal success of Thriller which was released in 1982 that really set the stage for Michael in the world of entertainment. Thriller went on to sell more than 100 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling album of all time.

Famous for his suave and lithe moon-walking as well as crotch-grabbing dance moves, Michael Jackson continued to carve his name in the entertainment industry with the release of four more albums; Bad - 1987, Dangerous - 1991, History - 1995 while his last album, Invincible was released in 2001. Fans snapped up tickets to his concerts worldwide and became hysterical at the mere sight of the pop icon.

In a humanitarian effort to help the famine relief charities in Africa, Michael wrote We Are The World with Lionel Richie in 1985. The charity single, which saw the involvement of 45 big names in the musical industry contributing their voices to the cause, became one of the fastest selling singles during that time.

Born on August 29, 1958 to an African-American working-class family, Michael Jackson reportedly suffered constant physical and verbal abuse from his father, Joseph Jackson, who dominantly molded Michael and his brothers into a musical group. His traumatic childhood life led Michael to relive his childhood dreams through Neverland Ranch. The loss of his childhood experience could explain why Michael preferred younger companions, the kind of company which he was not able to have during his childhood; this probably innocent preference for children's companionship could have been taken advantage of by some unscrupulous parties.

Scores of child molestation charges were thrown against Michael in 1993 and 2003 that resulted in a trial

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