Michael Jackson Dies Aged 50

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh child of a musically gifted family. He was 11 when he made his debut as a member of The Jackson 5, with older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon.

His solo career began in 1971 with the single “Got to Be There.” His first No. 1 single came in 1971 — “Ben,” the title song from a film about a rat.

In 1979, at 21, he came out with “Off the Wall,” an album that produced four hit singles, according to the Hall of Fame.

“Thriller,” his 1982 album, and especially the 14-minute music video made for the title song and released a year later, propelled Jackson into the upper echelon of pop stardom. It topped the album charts for 37 weeks in 1983, according to the Hall of Fame.

“Billie Jean,” the second single from the album, led the charts for another seven weeks. It was with that song that Jackson introduced his famous and much-imitated “moonwalk” dance move.

His 1987 album, “Bad,” produced seven more hit singles, including the title song.

He performed at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII in 1993.