child sexual abuse allegations and
several other charges after the jury
found him not guilty on all counts.
While preparing for his comeback
concert series titled This Is It,
Jackson died of
acute propofol and benzodiazepine int
oxication on June 25, 2009, after
suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los
Angeles County Coroner ruled his
death a homicide, and his personal
physician, Conrad Murray, was
convicted ofinvoluntary
manslaughter. Jackson's death
triggered a global outpouring of grief,
and a live broadcast of his public
memorial service was viewed around
the world. Forbes currently ranks
Jackson as the top-earning dead
celebrity, a title held for a fifth
consecutive year, with $140 million in
earnings.
Jackson's childhood home in Gary,
Indiana, showing floral tributes after
his death.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on
August 29, 1958. He was the eighth of
ten children in an African-American
working-class family who lived in a
two-bedroom house in Gary, Indiana,
an industrial city and a part of
the Chicago metropolitan area. His
mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was
a devout Jehovah's Witness. She once
aspired to be a country and western
performer who played clarinet and
piano, but worked part-time
at Sears to help support the
family. His father, Joseph, a former
boxer, was a steelworker at U.S.
Steel. Joe also performed on guitar
with a local rhythm and blues band
called the Falcons to supplement the
family's household income. Michael
grew up with three sisters (Rebbie, La
Toya, and Janet) and five brothers
(Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon,
andRandy). A sixth brother, Marlon's
elder twin Brandon, died shortly after
birth.
Jackson had a troubled relationship
with his father, Joe. In 2003, Joe
acknowledged that he regularly
whipped Jackson as a boy. Joe was
also said to have verbally abused his
son, often saying that he had a "fat
nose". Jackson stated that he was
physically and emotionally abused
during incessant rehearsals, though he
credited his father's strict discipline
with playing a large role in his
success. Speaking openly about his
childhood in an interview with Oprah
Winfrey, broadcast in February 1993,
Jackson acknowledged that his youth
had been lonely and
isolating. Jackson's deep