Michael Jackson, talented but also controversial, will never be forgotten. He will live on in his music and his videos.

And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance.

On Thursday, June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson passed from this life to the next. He had been rehearsing for his 50 concert tour, already sold out, when a suspected heart attack claimed him. What did he leave behind?

In legal and financial terms - a mess.

In music and video - a legacy. Like his monster hit, Thriller, the video version of which is shown below from YouTube.

The reactions to his performances over the years were spectacular. Just consider the ticket sales on his announced 50 show tour. After all these years, and after all the controversy, Michael Jackson could still bring them in.

The Examiner | The New York Times | Variety | LA Times

Michael Jackson married rock, pop, R & B, and dance music in order to smash radio formats and racial barriers in the media. He influenced many artists, including his sister Janet, as well as Whitney Houston, Weird Al Yankovic, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Black-Eyed Peas, and Chris Brown.

Michael was one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He received 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and the sale of 750 million albums worldwide.

He also raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundations.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana to a working-class family on August 29, 1958. He was the 7th of 9 siblings, the other 8 being Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy, and Janet.

Michael Jackson - King Of Pop

Michael got his musical start in a group formed of himself and 4 of his brothers. A musical prodigy, his singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of "The Jackson 5."

Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 80s he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, "Thriller" in 1982.

Michael's Story | Michael on IMDB | Michael's Interviews | Michael's Charities

Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons. The truth will win this marathon in court.