Michael Jackson remains the most famous entertainer of the modern era. You instantly recognize his single white glove and the Moonwalk, but his life was far stranger than fiction. He shattered racial barriers on MTV and set records that musicians still chase today. However, immense fame brought isolation and bizarre rumors that he sometimes started himself. He lived in a private amusement park and dreamed of playing Spider-Man. Let’s explore the life of the man in the mirror.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson invented and patented a special pair of shoes. Specifically, the heels locked into pegs on the stage to allow the gravity-defying lean in the Smooth Criminal video.
He wanted to buy Marvel Comics in the late 1990s. Reportedly, he planned to acquire the company specifically because he wanted to star as Spider-Man in a movie.
His famous skin condition was real, not cosmetic. An autopsy confirmed that he suffered from vitiligo. Consequently, this disease destroyed the pigment in his skin and left white patches.
He suffered severe burns during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. Pyrotechnics exploded too early and set his hair on fire. Tragically, this injury led to a lifelong struggle with painkillers.
Elizabeth Taylor gave him the nickname “King of Pop.” She introduced him with this title at an awards show in 1989. Afterward, the name stuck with him for the rest of his career.
He owned a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles. Surprisingly, the chimp slept in a crib, ate at the dinner table, and even used the toilet like a human.
MTV initially refused to play the music video for Billie Jean. However, the president of CBS Records threatened to pull all their artists. Thus, the network finally aired it.
He holds the record for the best-selling album of all time. Thriller has sold over 70 million copies worldwide. Therefore, it remains the benchmark for commercial success in music.
He voiced a character on The Simpsons under a fake name. He played a mental patient who thought he was Michael Jackson. Legally, he could not sing, so a soundalike sang the songs.
He slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for a photo. Deliberately, he leaked the picture to the press himself. He thought the bizarre rumor would generate mystery and interest.
He bought the publishing rights to the Beatles’ music catalog. Smartly, he outbid his friend Paul McCartney. Unfortunately, this business move effectively ended their friendship.
He missed a meeting at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Fortunately, he overslept that morning because he stayed up late talking to his mother on the phone.
He wore wigs for the last two decades of his life. The burns from the Pepsi accident caused permanent hair loss. Therefore, he used hairpieces to hide the scarring on his scalp.
He supported more charities than any other pop star. Guinness World Records recognized him for supporting 39 different organizations. He donated hundreds of millions of dollars during his life.
He leased his own private amusement park called Neverland Ranch. The property featured a zoo, a Ferris wheel, and a roller coaster. He claimed he built it to reclaim the childhood he never had.
