Jackson's musical career began in 1967 as lead singer of The Jackson 5, when the group made their first recording with a local label before signing up with Motown Records in 1968. He made his first solo recordings in 1971 while still a member of the group. But it was Off the Wall (1979) which marked the start of his full-fledged solo career, and he formally parted with his siblings in 1984. In his solo career, Jackson recorded and co-produced the best-selling album of all time, Thriller (with worldwide sales over 100 million), received thirteen Grammy awards and charted thirteen #1 singles in the U.S. Throughout his four-decade career, Michael Jackson has been awarded numerous honors, including the World Music Awards Best-selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium. He is also a double-inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997, and in 2002 as a solo artist. He is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s, TIME magazine described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley". He has had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world while also tearing down racial barriers and paving the way for modern pop music.
From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, on which he built an amusement park and private zoo for the enjoyment of economically disadvantaged and terminally ill children. In 1993 and 2003, separate accusations of child molestation that allegedly occurred in Neverland were made against Jackson, which drew intensely negative media coverage. While he was never charged for the first case, Jackson was tried and vindicated in 2005 of the latter allegation, but moved out of the US shortly thereafter. He later returned to Las Vegas in early 2007.
In the years following his acquittal, (2005-2009) Jackson made numerous public appearances including MTV Japan's VMA awards where he accepted the legends award; the World Music Awards where he accepted the Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records; James Brown's funeral where he paid tribute and delivered a sermon; and a fan appreciation event in Tokyo, Japan, where he greeted troops at US Army base Camp Zama. In early 2008, Jackson issued Thriller 25th Anniversary, a critical and commercial success that was the second-biggest selling album of 2008 with over 2.1 million copies sold worldwide.
On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles, California. The cause of death is currently believed to be cardiac arrest. At the time of his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. During a press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.
In the hours following Jackson's death, his record sales increased dramatically. His seminal album Thriller climbed to number one on the American iTunes music chart, while another eight made it into the top 40. In the UK, where Jackson would have performed less than three weeks after his death, fifteen of his albums occupied the top 15 spots on the Amazon music chart. Social music network website Last.fm also saw a dramatic increase in Michael Jackson plays per hour after the announcement of his death.
On December 10, 2010, a compilation album of previously unreleased material, simply entitled Michael, was released posthumously. Featuring guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz, the album was certified Platinum in 18 countries but received mixed reviews from most critics. This was followed in November 2011 by Immortal, a remix album; in September 2012 by Bad 25, a 25th anniversary reissue of Jackson's 1987 hit album Bad; and by Xscape, a second compilation album released in May 2014.
Official Website: http://www.michaeljackson.com
A Cappella
Michael Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We both found what we were looking for.
With a friend to call my own,
I'll never be alone, and you, my friend, will see,
You've got a friend in me.
Ben, you're always running here and there,
You feel you're not wanted anywhere.
If you ever look behind and don't like what you find
I used to say I and me, now it's us, now it's we.
I used to say I and me, now it's us, now it's we.
Ben most people would turn you away;
I don't listen to a word they say.
They don't see you as I do;
I wish they would try to'
I'm sure they'd think again if they had a friend like Ben,
A friend like Ben
(Like Ben)
Like Ben
The song "Ben" by Michael Jackson appears to be about a friendship between two people who have been trying to find someone to connect with in their lives. Lyrics like "Ben, the two of us need look no more, we both found what we were looking for" suggest that they have found that in each other. The chorus "With a friend to call my own, I'll never be alone, and you, my friend, will see, you've got a friend in me" reinforces this idea of their deep friendship.
The second verse speaks to the insecurities that the friend named Ben may have. Often feeling like he is not wanted anywhere and constantly on the move. The line "If you ever look behind and don't like what you find, there's something you should know, you've got a place to go" seems to suggest that despite Ben's insecurities, he has a loyal friend in the singer who will always welcome him with open arms. The bridge "I used to say I and me, now it's us, now it's we" highlights the growth of their relationship from individualism to a sense of unitedness.
Overall, "Ben" is a touching tribute to the importance of friendship and connection in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Ben, the two of us need look no more,
We don't need to keep searching, because we've found what we were looking for.
We both found what we were looking for.
We both have found a friend in each other.
With a friend to call my own,
Having a friend that is mine and mine alone,
I'll never be alone, and you, my friend, will see,
Having a friend means I'll never be by myself, and you'll see how valuable our friendship is.
You've got a friend in me.
I'll always be here for you, as a friend.
Ben, you're always running here and there,
You're always busy and moving around, never staying in one place.
You feel you're not wanted anywhere.
You don't feel like you belong anywhere or that you're not welcome.
If you ever look behind and don't like what you find
If you take a look at your past and you're unhappy with it.
There's something you should know, you've got a place to go.
You can always come to me if you need someone to talk to or if you need a place to go.
I used to say I and me, now it's us, now it's we.
Before I had a friend, I was always thinking about myself. But now that we're friends, it's about us and we.
Ben most people would turn you away;
Most people would reject you or ignore you.
I don't listen to a word they say.
I don't pay attention to their opinions about you because I know you better than they do.
They don't see you as I do;
They don't value you like I do, or they don't understand you like I do.
I wish they would try to'.
I wish they would attempt to understand you and appreciate you the way I do.
I'm sure they'd think again if they had a friend like Ben,
If they had a friend like you, they would think differently about you and appreciate you more.
A friend like Ben.
Having a friend like you is special and valuable to me, and I am grateful for our friendship.
(Like Ben)
Like you, Ben, our friendship is meaningful and important to me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Scharf, Walter / Black, Don
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@francisrodrick6148
That beatbox was insane.
@buffalobillswin187
Absolutely magic.
@Nou-oh5lr
I really can beatbox
@justasoulexistingonearth3796
It’s Michael Jackson King of Pop what do you expect?
@juniorjr8609
Totally!
@martinsanhueza2208
hey this is michael and this is a big shoutout to swissbeatbox and my friend pepouni
xdxd
@pitbullshark1
This displays how he truly used his voice as an instrument
@sangha0619
More than one instrument.
@HeaTXtm
it’s crazy to see that even Michael struggled when asked to sing something being one of the best hahaha
I don’t know, is like asking to Jim Carrey to make a joke and he started to think as he doesn’t have nothing prepared hahaha
@maxineconsingh9272
@Pablo TM mj is rlly shy lols as powerful his voice may be 😂