1958- . US rock singer and songwriter, known
for his androgenous appearance and his single
sequinned glove used during his meticulously
choreographed performances. His first solo
hit was `Got to Be There' 1971, but worldwide
popularity was achieved with the albums
Thriller 1982 and Bad 1987. He turned
professional in 1969 as the youngest member
of the Jackson Five, who had several hits on
Motown Records beginning with first single,
`I Want You Back'. The group left Motown in
1975 and changed its name to the Jacksons.
Michael was the lead singer, but soon
surpassed his brothers in popularity as a
solo performer. His 1980s albums, produced by
Quincy Jones (1933-), yielded an
unprecedented number of hit singles, among
them `Billie Jean' 1983.