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Goodybe, Michael Jackson’s life story seemed to unfold much like the story line of a best-selling novel. Born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana in 1958, according to MTV.com, Jackson was the seventh child of nine children. It is well known that his career spans over four decades and continues to touch countless generations. Jackson had an untouchable effect as few artists can reach the same level of stardom at such an early age. He made his first national television appearance at eleven years old as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 with his brothers. Since that time, he released 12 studio albums, one live album, and numerous compilations. His major success came in the 1980s as he became the first African-American to have a major following on MTV.
Although he was successful, he experienced a considerable amount of controversy. Sadly, Jackson was ridiculed by the public almost as much as he was praised. He was sued and accused of sexual misconduct numerous times. Much like a protagonist of a novel, Jackson fought against adversity to succeed, but some argue that it was a combination of his success and his grief that caused him to reach a level of what seemed to be insanity. As there are many speculations of what caused his death, many are looking into the mystery of the man that some affectionately call, MJ, but also looking into the mystery of those surrounding him. As the saga continues, there is plenty of room for questions, but possibly even more room for reflection. Given the legacy of Michael Jackson, it can be concluded that as we live our lives, maybe we should think about the things we can learn from his life. He worked tirelessly even in the midst of adversity to reach the pinnacle of greatness. He indeed came from humble beginnings and many can argue that in many ways, his family was a lot like the families around him at that time.
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As many celebrate what will be Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday on Aug. 29, it is clear that we should reflect on the accomplishments of a man that some called untouchable, magnificent, and even magical. Jackson, the King of Pop, enjoyed a level of success that few are ever able to achieve and he faced a level of public scrutiny that few can fathom. Along with the fame, he was also labeled a sex offender by some while others called him “troubled.” Whatever the case may be, few can argue that he was possibly the best entertainer to ever live. 
Many also credit him with making music videos into a major art form, particularly with the video, “Thriller.” The album “Thriller,” according to many sources, continues to be the best-selling record of all time. Jackson was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice and featured in the Guinness Book of World Records several times including, “The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time” and “The Most Grammy Awards won in one year.” Over the course of his career, Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and sold over 700 million records. Even with his commercial success, Jackson was a notable philanthropist and humanitarian as he donated millions of dollars to charities including his own Heal the World Foundation. 
One lesson we can learn from MJ is that we should work hard to achieve our goals. Regardless of the adversity that he faced, he continued to push on. As students or simply in our individual day to day tasks, we should consider people such as Jackson, who dared to do so much even though he started with so little. 
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