First published 2009
Michael Jackson harbors dreams that seem impossible: to float free from gravity's pull, to inhabit his own Neverland, to earn love from millions worldwide. These fantasies transform into fundamental needs for the Gary, Indiana boy who possesses something special from his earliest days. His extraordinary life unfolds in stunning peaks and devastating valleys, cut short at just fifty years when a triumphant comeback might have awaited. The world watches him radiate joy as a child with the Jackson 5, his falsetto pouring from radios across America. He reinvents himself as the planet's biggest pop star, with "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" blasting from boom boxes everywhere. Like Sinatra, Elvis, and the Beatles, Michael becomes more than an entertainer. He reshapes culture itself, altering how people look and behave. This commemorative volume captures his complete journey through words and photographs, including exclusive images from his private California sanctuary and never-before-seen pictures revealing unguarded moments. The story celebrates a life that was simultaneously ours and his own.
Genres: 20th-century, african-american, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, rise-and-fall
Setting: Gary, Indiana, California
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
80 pages · Hardcover · TIMEI