MICHAEL JACKSON - JACKSON 'TRANSFORMED' BLACK MUSIC

JACKSON 'TRANSFORMED' BLACK MUSIC

MICHAEL JACKSON still reigns as one of the most prominent figures in African-American music, nearly four decades after launching his career.
Jackson stormed the charts at the age of 11 with his band of brothers, the Jackson 5, before securing his reign as the King of Pop.
And despite having spent years away from the studio after a decades-long career, the star is still being credited as one of the world's most leading influences on African-American culture.
Tariq Muhammad, Director of news website BlackVoices.com, says: "Michael Jackson has inspired and transformed music over the last three decades. His influence is evident in today's artists such as Justin Timberlake, Usher and Chris Brown from their music to their videos and choreography."
Publicist Susan Blond adds: "Ron Alexenburg, the president of Epic/CBS Records, knew when he signed the Jackson 5 they were capable of a lot more than hit single after hit single. I remember in the beginning of Michael's solo career, some magazines would not give him a cover because they didn't think he was their audience; he was just so, so ahead of his time.
"During the release of Off the Wall, he was still supported primarily by African-American audiences. By the release of Thriller, he crossed over to a global audience and we got the covers of Time and Newsweek the same week; he was the biggest star in the world.
"We threw a huge party at The Museum of Natural History celebrating his sales of 35 million, which has never been eclipsed. There is no one that could write, sing and entertain the way Michael did. He is the greatest performer of our time."