name	We Are the World
cover	We Are the World alternative cover.jpg
border	yes
alt	An album cover with "We Are the World" spelled out across the left and bottom in papier-mâché-style. To the top right of the cover is "USA for Africa" in blue text, under which names are listed against a white background.
artist	USA for Africa
album	We Are the World
released	March 7, 1985
format	7", 12"
recorded	January 28, 1985A&M; Recording Studios(Los Angeles, California)
genre	Pop
length	6:24 (7" Version)7:09 (12" Version)
label	Columbia
writer	Michael JacksonLionel Richie
producer	Quincy JonesMichael Omartian
certification	4× Platinum (RIAA)
misc	}}

"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album ''We Are the World''. With sales in excess of 20 million copies, it is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.

Following Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" project in the UK, an idea for the creation of an American benefit single for African famine relief came from activist Harry Belafonte, who, along with fundraiser Ken Kragen, was instrumental in bringing the vision to reality. Several musicians were contacted by the pair, before Jackson and Richie were assigned the task of writing the song. Following several months of working together, the duo completed the writing of "We Are the World" one night before the song's first recording session, in early 1985. The last recording session for the song was held on January 28, 1985. The historic event brought together some of the most famous artists in the music industry at the time.

The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the only single from the album. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The first ever single to be certified multi-platinum, "We Are the World" received a Quadruple Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. However, the song garnered mixed reviews from journalists, music critics, and the public. Fans enjoyed hearing racially and musically diverse recording artists singing together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying "We Are the World", knowing that the money was going to charity. Other individuals, including many commentators in the rock press, were disappointed that the song did not challenge listeners as to why famines occur in the first place, and felt that the lyrics were self-aggrandizing.

Awarded numerous honors—including three Grammy Awards, one American Music Award, and a People's Choice Award—the song was promoted with a critically received music video, a home video, a special edition magazine, a simulcast, and several books, posters, and shirts. The promotion and merchandise aided the success of "We Are the World" and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US.

Following the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.0 M_w earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, a remake of the song by another all-star cast of singers was recorded on February 1, 2010. Entitled "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", it was released as a single on February 12, 2010, and proceeds from the record will supposedly aid survivors in the impoverished country. "We Are the World" has demonstrated that diverse musicians can productively work together, and has further influenced the movement within pop music to create songs that address humane concerns.

Background and writing [link]

Before the writing of "We Are the World", American entertainer and social activist Harry Belafonte had sought for some time to have a song recorded by the most famous artists in the music industry at the time. He planned to have the proceeds donated to a new organization called United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa). The non-profit foundation would then feed and relieve starving people in Africa, specifically Ethiopia, where around one million people died during the country's 1984–1985 famine. The idea followed Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" project in the UK, which Belafonte had heard about. In the activist's plans, money would also be set aside to help eliminate hunger in the United States of America. Entertainment manager and fellow fundraiser Ken Kragen was contacted by Belafonte, who asked for singers Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers—Kragen's clients—to participate in Belafonte's musical endeavor. Kragen and the two musicians agreed to help with Belafonte's mission, and in turn, enlisted the cooperation of Stevie Wonder, to add more "name value" to their project. Quincy Jones was drafted to co-produce the song, taking time out from his work on ''The Color Purple''. Richie also telephoned Michael Jackson, who had just released the commercially successful ''Thriller'' album and had concluded a tour with his brothers.

Jackson revealed to Richie that he not only wanted to sing the song, but to participate in its writing as well. To begin with, "We Are the World" was to be written by Jackson, Richie, and Wonder. As Wonder had limited time to work on the project, Jackson and Richie proceeded to write "We Are the World" themselves. They began work on the song's creation at Hayvenhurst, the Encino home of Jackson and his family. For a week, the two spent every night working on lyrics and melodies in the singer's bedroom. They knew that they wanted a song that would be easy to sing and memorable. The pair wanted to create an anthem. Jackson's older sister La Toya watched the two work on the song, and later contended that Richie only wrote a few lines for the track. She stated that her younger brother wrote 99 percent of the lyrics, "but he's never felt it necessary to say that". La Toya further commented on the song's creation in an interview with the American celebrity news magazine ''People''. "I'd go into the room while they were writing and it would be very quiet, which is odd, since Michael's usually very cheery when he works. It was very emotional for them."

Richie had recorded two melodies for "We Are the World", which Jackson took, adding music and words to the song in the same day. Jackson stated, "I love working quickly. I went ahead without even Lionel knowing, I couldn't wait. I went in and came out the same night with the song completed—drums, piano, strings, and words to the chorus." Jackson then presented his demo to Richie and Jones, who were both shocked; they did not expect the pop star to see the structure of the song so quickly. The next meetings between Jackson and Richie were unfruitful; the pair did not produce any additional vocals and got no work done. It was not until the night of January 21, 1985, that Richie and Jackson completed the lyrics and melody of "We Are the World" within two and a half hours, one night before the song's first recording session.

Recording sessions [link]

The first night of recording, January 22, 1985, had tight security on hand, as Richie, Jackson, Wonder, and Jones started work on "We Are the World" at Kenny Rogers' Lion Share Recording Studio. The studio, on Beverly Boulevard in California, was filled with musicians, technicians, video crews, retinues, assistants, and organizers as the four musicians entered. To begin the night, a "vocal guide" of "We Are the World" was recorded by Richie and Jackson and duplicated on tape for each of the invited performers. The guide was recorded on the sixth take, as Quincy Jones felt that there was too much "thought" in the previous versions.

Following their work on the vocal guide, Jackson and Jones began thinking of alternatives for the line "There's a chance we're taking, we're taking our own lives": the pair was concerned that the latter part of the line would be considered a reference to suicide. As the group listened to a playback of the chorus, Richie declared that the last part of the line should be changed to "We're 'saving' our own lives", which his fellow musicians agreed with. Producer Jones also suggested altering the former part of the line. "One thing we don't want to do, especially with this group, is look like we're patting ourselves on the back. So it's really, 'There's a ''choice'' we're making.'" Around 1:30 am, the four musicians ended the night by finishing a chorus of melodic vocalizations, including the sound "sha-lum sha-lin-gay". Jones told the group that they were not to add anything else to the tape. "If we get too good, someone's gonna start playing it on the radio," he announced.

On January 24, 1985, after a day of rest, Jones shipped Richie and Jackson's vocal guide to all of the artists who would be involved in "We Are the World"'s recording. Enclosed in the package was a letter from Jones, addressed to "My Fellow Artists":

The cassettes are numbered, and I can't express how important it is not to let this material out of your hands. Please do not make copies, and return this cassette the night of the 28th. In the years to come, when your children ask, 'What did mommy and daddy do for the war against world famine?', you can say proudly, ''this'' was your contribution.

Ken Kragen chaired a production meeting at a bungalow off Sunset Boulevard on January 25, 1985. There, Kragen and his team addressed where the song would be completed by the supergroup of musicians. He stated, "The single most damaging piece of information is where we're doing this. If that shows up anywhere, we've got a chaotic situation that could totally destroy the project. The moment a Prince, a Michael Jackson, a Bob Dylan—I guarantee you!—drives up and sees a mob around that studio, he will never come in." On the same night, Quincy Jones' associate producer and vocal arranger, Tom Bahler, was given the task of matching each solo line with the right voice. Bahler stated, "It's like vocal arranging in a perfect world." Jones disagreed, stating that the task was like "putting a watermelon in a Coke bottle". The following evening, Lionel Richie held a "choreography" session at his home, where it was decided who would stand where.

The final night of recording was held on January 28, 1985, at A&M; Recording Studios in Hollywood. Michael Jackson arrived at 9 pm, earlier than the other artists, to record his solo section and record a vocal chorus by himself. He was subsequently joined in the recording studio by the remaining USA for Africa artists, which included Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen and Smokey Robinson. Also in attendance were five of Jackson's siblings: Jackie, La Toya, Marlon, Randy and Tito. Many of the participants came straight from an American Music Award ceremony, which had been held that same night. Invited musician Prince, who would have had a part in which he and Michael Jackson sang to each other, did not attend the recording session. The reason given for his absence has varied. One newspaper claimed that the singer did not want to record with other acts. Another report, from the time of "We Are the World"'s recording, suggested that the musician did not want to partake in the session because organizer Bob Geldof called him a "creep". Prince did, however, donate an exclusive track, "4 The Tears In Your Eyes", for the ''We Are the World'' album. In all, more than 45 of America's top musicians participated in the recording, and another 50 had to be turned away. Upon entering the recording studio, the musicians were greeted by a sign pinned to the door which read, "Please check your egos at the door." They were also greeted by Stevie Wonder, who proclaimed that if the recording was not completed in one take, he and Ray Charles, two blind men, would drive everybody home.

Each of the performers took his or her position at around 10:30 pm and began to sing. Several hours passed before Stevie Wonder announced that he would like to substitute the "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound for a line in Swahili. At this point, Waylon Jennings left the recording studio and never returned; he allegedly felt that no "good ole boy" ever sang in Swahili. A heated debate ensued, in which several artists rejected the suggestion. The "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound ran into opposition as well and was subsequently removed from the song. The participants eventually decided to sing something meaningful in English. They chose to sing the new line "One world, Our children", which most of the participants enjoyed.

In the early hours of the morning, two Ethiopian women, guests of Stevie Wonder, were brought into the recording studio—it had been decided that a portion of the proceeds raised would be used to bring aid to those affected by the recent famine in Ethiopia. They thanked the singers on behalf of their country, bringing several artists to tears, before being led from the room. Wonder attempted to lighten the mood, by joking that the recording session gave him a chance to "see" fellow blind musician Ray Charles. "We just sort of bumped into each other!" The solo parts of the song were recorded without any problems. The final version of "We Are the World" was completed at 8 am.

In October, 1984, Ken Kragen and his production executive Ken Yates approached Howard G. Malley and Craig B. Golin and asked if they could produce a video for Famine in Africa for $200,000. Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie (both Kragen clients) were going to put up the money for the project. Rogers donated his Lionshare Recording Studios for the pre/post audio recording sessions.

Malley and Golin told Kragen that they would get everything donated; technical and lighting labor; video equipment; lighting equipment; projection screens to put in the Charlie Chaplin Stage at A&M; to hold the various entourages and to keep the studio free to make the recording. They asked April Lee Grebb to be the Production Supervisor and she readily agreed. Everything was donated and not one penny was spent on the video. Additionally Kragen asked Malley and Golin to produce a 1 Hour HBO Special and a 30 Minute Home Video. Kragen arranged for Jane Fonda to host the shows.

This project took four months from start to finish. All of the editing, sound recording, and graphics were supplied at no cost.

Music and vocal arrangements [link]

"We Are the World" is sung from a first person viewpoint, allowing the audience to "internalize" the message by singing the word ''we'' together. It has been described as "an appeal to human compassion". The first lines in the song's repetitive chorus proclaim, "We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving". "We Are the World" opens with Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner and Billy Joel singing the first verse. Michael Jackson and Diana Ross follow, completing the first chorus together. Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson and Al Jarreau sing the second verse, before Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry and Daryl Hall go through the second chorus. Co-writer Jackson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper and Kim Carnes follow with the song's bridge. This structuring of the song is said to "create a sense of continuous surprise and emotional buildup". The song was the only one released from the ''We Are the World'' album and became a chart success around the world. In the US, it was a number one hit on the R&B; singles chart, the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it remained for a month. The single had initially debuted at number 21 on the Hot 100, the highest entry since Michael Jackson's "Thriller" entered the charts at number 20 the year before. It took four weeks for the song to claim the number one spot—half the time a single would normally have taken to reach its charting peak. "We Are the World" might have reached the top of the Hot 100 chart sooner, if it were not for the success of Phil Collins' "One More Night", which received a significant level of support from both pop and rock listeners.

The single was also a commercial success; the initial shipment of 800,000 "We Are the World" records sold out within three days of release. The record became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. At one Tower Records store on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, 1,000 copies of the song were sold in two days. Store worker Richard Petitpas commented, "A number one single sells about 100 to 125 copies a week. This is absolutely unheard of." By the end of 1985, "We Are the World" had become the best selling single of the year. Five years later it was revealed that the song had become the biggest single of the 1980s. "We Are the World" was eventually cited as the biggest selling single in both US and pop music history.|group="nb"}} The song became the first ever single to be certified multi-platinum; it received a 4× certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. The estimated global sales of "We Are the World" are said to be 20 million.

Following its release, "We Are the World" received mixed reviews from journalists, music critics and the public. American journalist Greil Marcus felt that the song sounded like a Pepsi jingle. He wrote, "... the constant repetition of 'There's a choice we're making' conflates with Pepsi's trademarked 'The choice of a new generation' in a way that, on the part of Pepsi-contracted song writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, is certainly not intentional, and even more certainly beyond the realm of serendipity." Marcus added, "In the realm of contextualization, 'We Are the World' says less about Ethiopia than it does about Pepsi—and the true result will likely be less that certain Ethiopian individuals will live, or anyway live a bit longer than they otherwise would have, than that Pepsi will get the catch phrase of its advertising campaign sung for free by Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and all the rest." Author Reebee Garofalo agreed, and expressed the opinion that the line "We're saving our own lives" was a "distasteful element of self-indulgence". He asserted that the artists of USA for Africa were proclaiming "their own salvation for singing about an issue they will never experience on behalf of a people most of them will never encounter".

In contrast, Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' praised the phrase "There's a choice we're making, We're saving our own lives".}}

The song proved popular with both young and old listeners. The public enjoyed hearing a supergroup of musicians singing together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying the record, knowing that the money would go towards a good cause. People reported they bought more than one copy of the single, some buying up to five copies of the record. One mother from Columbia, Missouri purchased two copies of "We Are the World", stating, "The record is excellent whether it's for a cause or not. It's fun trying to identify the different artists. It was a good feeling knowing that I was helping someone in need."

According to music critic and Bruce Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh, "We Are the World" was not widely accepted within the rock music community. The author revealed that the song was "despised" for what it was not: "a rock record, a critique of the political policies that created the famine, a way of finding out how and why famines occur, an all-inclusive representation of the entire worldwide spectrum of post-Presley popular music". Marsh revealed that he felt some of the criticisms were right, while others were silly. He claimed that despite the sentimentality of the song, "We Are the World" was a large scale pop event with serious political overtones.

"We Are the World" was recognized with several awards following its release. At the 1986 Grammy Awards, the song and its accompanying music video won four awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Music Video, Short Form. The music video was awarded two honors at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards. It collected the awards for Best Group Video and Viewer's Choice. People's Choice Awards recognized "We Are the World" with the Favorite New Song award in 1986. In the same year, the American Music Awards named "We Are the World" "Song of the Year", and honored organizer Harry Belafonte with the Award of Appreciation. Collecting his award, Belafonte thanked Ken Kragen, Quincy Jones, and "the two artists who, without their great gift would not have inspired us in quite the same way as we were inspired, Mr. Lionel Richie and Mr. Michael Jackson". Following the speech, the majority of USA for Africa reunited on stage, closing the ceremony with "We Are the World".

Track listing[link]

Vinyl Single: # "We Are the World" – 7:09 VHS Video Event 1: # "We Are the World" – 7:09 # "Dancin' in the Street" VHS Video Event Special Edition: # "MusicVision Logo/We Are the World" – 7:27 # "We Are the World: Behind the Scenes" # "Michael Jackson's We Are the World Demo at the Studio"

Marketing and promotion [link]

"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a video cassette, and several other items made available to the public, including books, posters, shirts and buttons. All proceeds from the sale of official USA for Africa merchandise went directly to the famine relief fund. All of the merchandise sold well; the video cassette—entitled ''We Are the World: The Video Event''—documented the making of the song, and became the ninth best-selling home video of 1985. All of the video elements were produced by Howard G. Malley and Craig B. Golin along with April Lee Grebb as the production supervisor.

The music video showed the recording of "We Are the World", and drew criticism from some. Michael Jackson joked before filming, "People will know it's me as soon as they see the socks. Try taking footage of Bruce Springsteen's socks and see if anyone knows who they belong to." Jackson was also criticized for filming and recording his solo piece privately, away from the other artists. The singer's supporters reasoned that Jackson was a perfectionist; recording in front of other big name artists would leave him awestruck and unable to perform at his best. He was also known for his shy nature, and the idea of singing solo in front of 44 other famous artists probably sounded terrifying to him.

The song was also promoted with a special edition of the American magazine ''Life''. The publication had been the only media outlet permitted inside A&M; Recording Studios on the night of January 28, 1985. All other press organizations were barred from reporting the events leading up to and during "We Are the World"'s recording. ''Life'' ran a cover story of the recording session in its April 1985 edition of the monthly magazine. Seven members of USA for Africa were pictured on the cover: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Willie Nelson. Inside the magazine were photographs of the "We Are the World" participants working and taking breaks.

On the morning of April 5, 1985 (Good Friday of that year), "We Are the World" received worldwide coverage. At 10:25 am, over 8000 radio stations simultaneously broadcast the song around the world. They played it to show their support for the relief of famine in Ethiopia. The song was also broadcast by Muzak, a company which pipes background music into 110,000 stores and businesses in the US. It was the second time Muzak had played the sound of "human voice", the first being an announcement on the release of American hostages in Iran in 1981. As the song was broadcast, hundreds of people sang along on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The simultaneous radio broadcast of "We Are the World" was repeated again the following Good Friday.

"We Are the World" gained further promotion and coverage on May 25, 1986, when it was played during a major benefit event held throughout the US. Hands Across America—USA for Africa's follow-up project—was an event in which millions of people formed a human chain across the US. The event was held to draw attention to hunger and homelessness in the United States. "We Are the World"'s co-writer, Michael Jackson, had wanted his song to be the official theme for the event. The other board members of USA for Africa outvoted the singer, and it was instead decided that a new song would be created and released for the event, titled "Hands Across America". When released, the new song did not achieve the level of success that "We Are the World" did, and the decision to use it as the official theme for the event led to Jackson—who co-owned the publishing rights to "We Are the World"—resigning from the board of directors of USA for Africa.

Humanitarian aid [link]

Four months after the release of "We Are the World", USA for Africa had taken in almost $10.8 million. The majority of the money came from record sales within the US. Harry Belafonte, representing the USA for Africa musicians, visited Sudan in the same month. The trip was his last stop on a four nation tour of Africa. Tanzanian Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim greeted and praised Belafonte, telling him, "I personally and the people of Tanzania are moved by this tremendous example of human solidarity."

One year after the release of "We Are the World", organizers noted that $44.5 million had been raised for USA for Africa's humanitarian fund. They stated that they were confident that they would reach an initial set target of $50 million. By October 1986, it was revealed that their $50 million target had been met and exceeded; CBS Records gave USA for Africa a check for $2.5 million, drawing the total amount of money to $51.2 million. USA for Africa's Hands Across America event had also raised a significant amount of money—approximately $24.5 million for the hungry in the US. Ninety percent of the money was pledged to African relief, both long and short term. The long term initiative included efforts in birth control and food production. Harry Belafonte and Lionel Richie made surprise appearances for the live rendition of the song. Michael Jackson would have joined the artists, but was "working around the clock in the studio on a project that he's made a major commitment to", according to his press agent, Norman Winter.

An inaugural celebration was held for US President-elect Bill Clinton in January 1993. The event was staged by Clinton's Hollywood friends at the Lincoln Memorial and drew hundreds of thousands of people. Said Jones, "I've never seen so many great performers come together with so much love and selflessness." The celebration included a performance of "We Are the World", which involved Clinton, his daughter Chelsea, and his wife Hillary singing the song along with USA for Africa's Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson died in June 2009, after suffering a cardiac arrest. His memorial service was held several days later on July 7, and was reported to have been viewed by more than one billion people. The finale of the event featured group renditions of the Jackson anthems "We Are the World" and "Heal the World". The singalong of "We Are the World" was led by Darryl Phinnessee, who had worked with Jackson since the late 1980s. It also featured co-writer Lionel Richie, Jackson's family and the late singer's children.

25 for Haiti [link]

''Main articles: We Are the World 25 for Haiti; and We Are the World 25 for Haiti (YouTube Edition); and Somos El Mundo.

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. Over 230,000 civilians have been confirmed dead by the Haitian government because of the disaster and around 300,000 have been injured. Approximately 1.2 million people are homeless and it has been reported that the lack of temporary shelter may lead to the outbreak of disease.

To raise money for earthquake victims, a new celebrity version of "We Are the World" was recorded on February 1, 2010 and released on February 12, 2010. Over 75 musicians were involved in the remake, which was recorded in the same studio as the 1985 original. Michael Jackson's younger sister Janet duets with her late brother on the track, as per a request from their mother Katherine. In the video and on the track, archive material of Michael Jackson is used from the original 1985 recording.

On February 20, 2010, a non-celebrity remake, "We Are the World 25 for Haiti (YouTube Edition)", was posted to the video sharing website YouTube. Internet personality and singer-songwriter Lisa Lavie conceived and organized the Internet collaboration of 57 unsigned or independent YouTube musicians geographically distributed around the world. Lavie's 2010 YouTube version, a cover of the 1985 original, excludes the rap segment and minimizes the Auto-tune that characterizes the 2010 celebrity remake. Another 2010 remake of the original is the Spanish-language "Somos El Mundo". It was written by Emilio Estefan and his wife Gloria Estefan, and produced by Emilio, Quincy Jones and Univision Communications, the company that funded the project.

Legacy [link]

"We Are the World" has been recognized as a politically important song, which "affected an international focus on Africa that was simply unprecedented". It has been credited with creating a climate in which musicians from around the world felt inclined to follow. According to ''The New York Times''' Stephen Holden, since the release of "We Are the World", it has been noted that movement has been made within popular music to create songs that address humanitarian concerns. "We Are the World" was also influential in subverting the way music and meaning were produced, showing that musically and racially diverse musicians could work together both productively and creatively. ''Ebony'' described the January 28 recording session, in which Quincy Jones brought together a multi-racial group, as being "a major moment in world music that showed we can change the world". "We Are the World", along with Live Aid and Farm Aid, demonstrated that rock music had become more than entertainment, but a political and social movement. Journalist Robert Palmer noted that such songs and events had the ability to reach people around the world, send them a message, and then get results.

Since the release of "We Are the World", numerous songs have been recorded in a similar fashion, with the intent to aid famine victims throughout the world. One such example involved a supergroup of Latin musicians billed as "Hermanos del Tercer Mundo", or "Brothers of the Third World". Among the supergroup of 62 recording artists were Julio Iglesias, José Feliciano and Sérgio Mendes. Their famine relief song was recorded in the same studio as "We Are the World". Half of the profits raised from the charity single was pledged to USA for Africa. The rest of the money was to be used for impoverished Latin American countries.

The 20th anniversary of "We Are the World" was celebrated in 2005. Radio stations around the world paid homage to Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and USA for Africa's creation by simultaneously broadcasting the charity song. In addition to the simulcast, the milestone was marked by the release of a two-disc DVD called ''We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song''. Ken Kragen asserted that the reason behind the simulcast and DVD release was not for USA for Africa to praise themselves for doing a good job, but to "use it to do some more good [for the original charity]. That's all we care about accomplishing."

Charts[link]

Chart (1985)	Peakposition
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See also[link]

The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song (1979)

Chiquitita, 1979 ABBA song from the above concert, which still earns contributions for UNICEF in the 21st century.

Notes [link]

References [link]

; Bibliography

Breskin, David (2004). ''We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song'' booklet. Image Entertainment, Inc.

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

External links [link]

Official website of USA for Africa

Official website for "We Are the World 25 for Haiti"

Official music video of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" at Youtube.com

}}

Category:1985 singles Category:All-star recordings Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Category:Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles Category:Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:Number-one singles in Australia Category:Number-one singles in Belgium Category:Number-one singles in Denmark Category:Number-one singles in France Category:Number-one singles in Italy Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand Category:Number-one singles in Norway Category:Number-one singles in Sweden Category:Number-one singles in Switzerland Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles Category:Grammy Award for Record of the Year Category:Grammy Award for Song of the Year Category:Singles certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America Category:Singles certified platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique Category:Songs against racism and xenophobia Category:Songs written by Lionel Richie Category:Songs written by Michael Jackson Category:Michael Jackson songs Category:Charity singles Category:Debut singles Category:1980s ballads Category:Pop ballads Category:Songs produced by Quincy Jones Category:RPM Adult Contemporary number-one singles Category:Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video Category:Songs produced by Michael Omartian

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World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, ''worldwide'', i.e. anywhere on Earth.

In a philosophical context it may refer to: (1) the whole of the physical Universe, or (2) an ontological world (''see world disclosure''). In a theological context, ''world'' usually refers to the material or the profane sphere, as opposed to the celestial, spiritual, transcendent or sacred. The "end of the world" refers to scenarios of the final end of human history, often in religious contexts.

World history is commonly understood as spanning the major geopolitical developments of about five millennia, from the first civilizations to the present.

World population is the sum of all human populations at any time; similarly, world economy is the sum of the economies of all societies (all countries), especially in the context of globalization. Terms like world championship, gross world product, world flags etc. also imply the sum or combination of all current-day sovereign states.

In terms such as world religion, world language, and world war, ''world'' suggests international or intercontinental scope without necessarily implying participation of the entire world.

In terms such as world map and world climate, ''world'' is used in the sense detached from human culture or civilization, referring to the planet Earth physically.

Etymology and usage[link]

The English word ''world'' comes from the Old English ''weorold (-uld), weorld, worold (-uld, -eld)'', a compound of ''wer'' "man" and ''eld'' "age," which thus means roughly "Age of Man." The Old English is a reflex of the Common Germanic ''*wira-alđiz'', also reflected in Old Saxon ''werold'', Old High German ''weralt'', Old Frisian ''warld'' and Old Norse ''verǫld'' (whence the Icelandic ''veröld'').

The corresponding word in Latin is ''mundus'', literally "clean, elegant", itself a loan translation of Greek ''cosmos'' "orderly arrangement." While the Germanic word thus reflects a mythological notion of a "domain of Man" (compare Midgard), presumably as opposed to the divine sphere on the one hand and the chthonic sphere of the underworld on the other, the Greco-Latin term expresses a notion of creation as an act of establishing order out of chaos.

'World' distinguishes the entire planet or population from any particular country or region: ''world affairs'' pertain not just to one place but to the whole world, and ''world history'' is a field of history that examines events from a global (rather than a national or a regional) perspective. ''Earth'', on the other hand, refers to the planet as a physical entity, and distinguishes it from other planets and physical objects.

'''World''' can also be used attributively, to mean 'global', 'relating to the whole world', forming usages such as world community or world canonical texts.

By extension, a '''world''' may refer to any planet or heavenly body, especially when it is thought of as inhabited, especially in the context of science fiction or futurology.

'''World''', in original sense, when qualified, can also refer to a particular domain of human experience.

The ''world of work'' describes paid work and the pursuit of career, in all its social aspects, to distinguish it from home life and academic study.

The ''fashion world'' describes the environment of the designers, fashion houses and consumers that make up the fashion industry.

historically, the ''New World'' vs. the ''Old World'', referring to the parts of the world colonized in the wake of the age of discovery. Now mostly used in zoology and botany, as New World monkey.

Philosophy[link]

In philosophy, the term world has several possible meanings. In some contexts, it refers to everything that makes up reality or the physical universe. In others, it can mean have a specific ontological sense (see world disclosure). While clarifying the concept of world has arguably always been among the basic tasks of Western philosophy, this theme appears to have been raised explicitly only at the start of the twentieth century and has been the subject of continuous debate. The question of what the world is has by no means been settled.

;Parmenides The traditional interpretation of Parmenides' work is that he argued that the every-day perception of reality of the physical world (as described in doxa) is mistaken, and that the reality of the world is 'One Being' (as described in aletheia): an unchanging, ungenerated, indestructible whole.

;Plato In his Allegory of the Cave, Plato distingues between forms and ideas and imagines two distinct worlds : the sensible world and the intelligible world.

;Hegel In Hegel's philosophy of history, the expression ''Weltgeschichte ist Weltgericht'' (World History is a tribunal that judges the World) is used to assert the view that History is what judges men, their actions and their opinions. Science is born from the desire to transform the World in relation to Man; its final end is technical application.

;Schopenhauer ''The World as Will and Representation'' is the central work of Arthur Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer saw the human will as our one window to the world behind the representation; the Kantian thing-in-itself. He believed, therefore, that we could gain knowledge about the thing-in-itself, something Kant said was impossible, since the rest of the relationship between representation and thing-in-itself could be understood by analogy to the relationship between human will and human body.

;Wittgenstein Two definitions that were both put forward in the 1920s, however, suggest the range of available opinion. "The world is everything that is the case," wrote Ludwig Wittgenstein in his influential ''Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus'', first published in 1922. This definition would serve as the basis of logical positivism, with its assumption that there is exactly one world, consisting of the totality of facts, regardless of the interpretations that individual people may make of them.

;Heidegger Martin Heidegger, meanwhile, argued that "the surrounding world is different for each of us, and notwithstanding that we move about in a common world". The world, for Heidegger, was that into which we are always already "thrown" and with which we, as beings-in-the-world, must come to terms. His conception of "world disclosure" was most notably elaborated in his 1927 work ''Being and Time''.

;Freud In response, Freud proposed that we do not move about in a common world, but a common thought process. He believed that all the actions of a person are motivated by one thing: lust. This led to numerous theories about reactionary consciousness.

;Other Some philosophers, often inspired by David Lewis, argue that metaphysical concepts such as possibility, probability and necessity are best analyzed by comparing ''the'' world to a range of possible worlds; a view commonly known as modal realism.

Religion and mythology[link]

Mythological cosmologies often depict the world as centered around an axis mundi and delimited by a boundary such as a world ocean, a world serpent or similar.

See also[link]

Globe

List of sovereign states

Universe

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:Earth

ar:عالَم arc:ܥܠܡܐ (ܐܪܥܐ) ay:Pacha zh-min-nan:Sè-kài bi:Wol bg:Свят ca:Món ceb:Kalibotan cs:Svět da:Verden de:Welt dv:ދުނިޔެ es:Mundo eo:Mondo ext:Mundu eu:Mundu fa:جهان fr:Monde (univers) ko:세계 hi:जगत hr:Svijet io:Mondo it:Mondo he:עולם ka:მსოფლიო kk:Дүние жүзі ht:Lemonn ku:Cîhan lv:Pasaule lt:Pasaulis lmo:Mond ml:ലോകം mt:Dinja mr:जग xmf:საგებიო mwl:Mundo mn:Ертөнц nl:Wereld (Aarde) ne:विश्व new:हलिम ja:世界 nap:Munno nn:Verd uz:Dunyo pnb:دنیا ps:نړۍ km:ពិភពលោក tpi:Wol pt:Mundo qu:Kay pacha ru:Мир (Земля) sco:Warld stq:Waareld sq:Bota scn:Munnu simple:World ss:Úmhlâba sk:Svet sh:Svijet sv:Världen tl:Mundo te:ప్రపంచము tg:Ҷаҳон uk:Світ ur:دُنیا vi:Thế giới vo:Vol wo:Àdduna yi:וועלט yo:Àgbáyé bat-smg:Sviets zh:世界

name	Tina Turner
background	solo_singer
birth name	Anna Mae Bullock
alias	Tina Turner
birth date	November 26, 1939
birth place	Nutbush, Tennessee, U.S.A
occupation	Singer, dancer, author, actress
genre	Rock, soul, R&B;, pop
instrument	Vocals
years active	1958–present
label	EMI, United Artists, Capitol, Parlophone, Virgin
associated acts	The Ike & Tina Turner Revue }}

Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll". Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Success followed with a string of hits including "River Deep, Mountain High" and the 1971 hit "Proud Mary". With the publication of her autobiography ''I, Tina'' (1986), Turner revealed severe instances of spousal abuse against her by Ike Turner prior to their 1976 split and subsequent 1978 divorce. After virtually disappearing from the music scene for several years following her divorce from Ike Turner, she rebuilt her career, launching a string of hits beginning in 1983 with the single "Let's Stay Together" and the 1984 release of her fifth solo album ''Private Dancer''.

Her musical career led to film roles, beginning with a prominent role as The Acid Queen in the 1975 film ''Tommy'', and an appearance in ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. She starred opposite Mel Gibson as Aunty Entity in ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' for which she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, and her version of the film's theme, "We Don't Need Another Hero", was a hit single. She appeared in the 1993 film ''Last Action Hero''.

One of the world's most popular entertainers, Turner has been called the most successful female rock artist and was named "one of the greatest singers of all time" by ''Rolling Stone''. Her combined album and single sales total approximately 180 million copies worldwide. She is known for her energetic stage presence, powerful vocals, career longevity, and widespread appeal. In 2008, Turner left semi-retirement to embark on her ''Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour''. Turner's tour became one of the highest selling ticketed shows of 2008–2009. Turner was raised a Baptist, but converted to Buddhism and credits the spiritual chants with giving her the strength that she needed to get through the rough times. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked her at 63 on their 100 greatest artists of all time and considers her the "Queen of Rock and Roll".

Early life[link]

Anna Mae Bullock was born in Nutbush, an unincorporated area in Haywood County, Tennessee, on November 26, 1939, the daughter of Zelma Bullock (née Currie), a factory worker, and Floyd Richard Bullock, a Baptist deacon, farm overseer, and factory worker. She long believed her mother had significant Native American ancestry, specifically Navajo and Cherokee; however, a DNA test showed her to be 66% African American, 33% European and 1% Native American. She attended Flag Grove School in Haywood County, Tennessee (the land for the school was sold below market value to the school trustees by her great great-uncle in 1889). Anna Mae's older sister is named (Ruby) Alline. For a time during World War II, their parents relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee to do factory work. By the time of their return to Nutbush, they separated and later divorced following an abusive marriage. Zelma Bullock later relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. Floyd Bullock moved to Detroit and later settled in California.

Anna Mae Bullock and her sister relocated to Brownsville where they were raised by their grandmother. She recalled in her early years working with her parents at a farm as sharecroppers. She performed on several talent shows as a child and sang at her church choir. She was raised Baptist and lived most of her childhood as a tomboy participating in her high school's basketball team. When she was 14, she began work as a domestic for a family in Ripley. This continued until she was sixteen when her half-sister Evelyn was killed in a car crash followed by the death of her grandmother around the same time. After her mother returned from St. Louis to attend her funeral, she invited her daughter to move with her in St. Louis, where Anna and her sister reunited. In St. Louis, she attended Sumner High School. She eventually graduated from the school in 1958 and, following graduation, took work as a nurse aide at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Ike & Tina Turner[link]

Origins[link]

Anna Bullock became enthralled by St. Louis's thriving nightlife, and her sister often took her out to clubs, much to their mother's chagrin. Anna was introduced to Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm band at Club Manhattan, where Alline served as a barmaid and was then dating a Kings of Rhythm member. Anna pursued Ike Turner for months asking him to let her sing with his band. When she was seventeen, she sang during a band intermission to a B. B. King song which impressed Ike, who was playing keyboards at the time. Eventually Ike allowed her to join the band as a background vocalist. Ike gave Anna her first stage name, Little Ann, during this time and included her in his record, "Box Top", which was a local hit in St. Louis. In November 1959, when vocalist Art Lassiter failed to show up for a recording session for Ike's composition, "A Fool in Love" (a key song in Ike's transition from blues to soul), Anna was told to lay down a guide vocal. Ike intended to eventually have Lassiter record over Anna's take, for the final production.

Ike Turner met with Sue Records president Juggy Murray in New York, and played the demo for him. Upon hearing it, Murray insisted Turner keep Anna's vocals, and gave Ike a $25,000 advance, convinced the song would become a hit single. In response to this, Ike Turner decided to form a duo around him and Anna Bullock. In the process, he changed her name from Little Ann to Tina Turner, stating he got the name because he felt it "sounded good". Despite the early romanticized version of their story in the biopic, ''What's Love Got to Do with It'', Ike Turner and Anna Bullock were not romantically involved until around the release of "A Fool in Love", which by then had been released under the billing Ike & Tina Turner, effectively starting the duo and launching Anna into show business. Ike Turner claimed that he helped mold and shape Tina Turner's style and image.

Early success[link]

"A Fool in Love" was released in the spring of 1960 and by late summer the song had reached number two on the R&B; chart and crossed over to number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 later going on to sell a million copies. After Ike and Tina Turner made their television debut performing the song on ''American Bandstand'' in October 1960, she gave birth to Ike's child, Ronald. Turner and Bullock had started dating after the release of "A Fool in Love" and their relationship beforehand had been previously platonic. Anna later alleged she felt forced into the relationship, Ike Turner later alleged that their first sexual encounter felt incestuous as they described their relationship as sibling-like, noting he was drunk when they first had sex. Ike Turner himself was not immediately smitten with her, once saying she was "too skinny" to be his girlfriend. The duo had a R&B; hit in 1961 with "I Idolize You" and then had another crossover pop hit with "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", which surpassed "A Fool in Love" on the pop charts at number fourteen and later won the duo a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock & Roll Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. In 1962, they followed these successes with "Tra La La" and "Poor Fool" and had milder success with "You Shoulda Treated Me Right".

Influenced by Ray Charles, Ike Turner assembled a girl group he called The Ikettes and included them on the venue with Ike and Tina, eventually starting what became The Ike & Tina Turner Revue helping to pave the way for several soul music revues in the decade including revues held by crossover R&B; labels Motown and Stax. Ike and Tina Turner's success also occurred around the same time of the modern civil rights movement in the United States where Ike and Tina refused to perform in front of segregated audiences becoming one of the first Black artists to perform in front of racially mixed audiences. This helped the duo, who began struggling with chart success after the arrival of The British Invasion in late 1963, become a phenomenal success. In 1962, Anna Bullock married Turner in Tijuana, Mexico. Following this, she began raising Turner's previous sons, Ike Turner, Jr. and Michael, while her eldest son Craig Bullock (born from her earlier relationship with Raymond Hill, a saxophone player in Ike's band), adopted Turner's last name after Ike adopted him as his own. Tina raised them and her only child with Ike, Ronald. The Turners' relationship with Sue Records ended in 1964. Between that year and 1969, Ike and Tina Turner recorded for a various number of labels, in part to Ike Turner's demand for money and finding lucrative deals. They recorded over a dozen albums including several live recordings during that period and kept themselves in the public eye during the mid-1960s by appearing on shows such as ''American Bandstand'', ''Hollywood A Go-Go'', ''Shindig!'', ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' and ''The Andy Williams Show'' where their brand of entertainment was given both critical and artistic raves.

Mainstream success[link]

After several years touring the chitlin' circuit and Las Vegas, Ike and Tina Turner began reaching the pinnacle of their success after the release of the pop-oriented ballad, "River Deep - Mountain High". While the song's initial release flopped at the time of its release in 1966, it led to modest international success in Europe. Upon hearing the track and another UK hit the group recorded, which was a cover of the Motown ballad, "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)"; Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones asked the couple to open for them on their 1966 UK tour, which they obliged. The success of their UK/Europe opening for The Stones led to the group's commercial breakthrough both overseas and in their native United States even without the presence of a US hit single. The single became a bigger success in the UK, in 1969, around the time Eric Burdon recorded a cover version there reviving the success of the original. Around this time, the group released their second release for Blue Thumb Records, ''The Hunter'', which spawned the hits, "Bold Soul Sister" (which later helped Tina win a solo Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance) and a heavily sexualized cover of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long", which Tina later said she hated doing. Due to this success, the duo was lauded by other celebrities who attended their shows including David Bowie, Sly Stone, Janis Joplin, Cher, James Brown, Ray Charles, Elton John and Elvis Presley.

This exposure also led to Tina Turner and Ike Turner being on the cover of the rock magazine, ''Rolling Stone'' three times between 1967 and 1971. In 1970, the group scored their first top 40 US hit in years with their cover of Sly & The Family Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher" and appeared on the ''Ed Sullivan Show'', the ''Dick Cavett Show'' and the ''Mike Douglas Show''. This success led to an extended run in Vegas and also more opportunities to perform for bigger venues though the couple still frequented black theaters including The Apollo Theater. In 1970, they signed with Liberty Records and recorded the ''Workin' Together'' album, which led to their biggest hit single, a frenzied cover of "Proud Mary", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1971, two months after it was released. The song later won the duo a Grammy for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group. By 1972, the group had even made headlines by performing at Carnegie Hall, which was documented for a double live album. That year, they switched to United Artists Records and released seven albums between 1972 and 1978 (two albums were released posthumously following the duo's infamous 1976 split). In 1973, the group released their final hit with "Nutbush City Limits", culminating in the duo's full embrace of funk rock rhythms and which was written by Tina. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the Hot 100 and number four in the UK. In 1974, the Turners released several albums including ''The Gospel According to Ike & Tina'', which later won the duo another Grammy Award nomination for Best Soul Gospel Performance, and Tina's first solo album, ''Tina Turns the Country On'', which won Tina Turner another Grammy nod for Best R&B; Female Vocal Performance.

Decline in popularity[link]

By the mid-1970s, Tina's personal life and marriage had fallen apart. Ike's growing cocaine use led to increasingly erratic and physically abusive behavior. Ike Turner also played a hand in their professional career hitting the doldrums for refusing to accept any outside management and using all the money he earned to maintain his cocaine habit. This led to low ticket sales and lower record sales. By 1975, Ike Turner was so addicted to cocaine that he couldn't make it to rehearsals for scheduled TV appearances leading Tina Turner to be onstage without her partner. That year, Tina accepted an offer to appear in The Who's rock opera, ''Tommy''. Tina's role in the film as the Acid Queen proved to be successful as critics raved of her appearance on the film.

Ike Turner responded by releasing Tina's second solo album, ''Acid Queen'', which in turn became the last Ike & Tina associated album to be released and featured the duo's last charted single, "Baby Get It On". A non-album single, "Delilah's Power", was also released during the same time. Tina's increasing independence led to increasing fights between the couple. In July 1976, Tina and Ike had a violent fight before an appearance at the Dallas Statler Hilton, where Tina alleged that this is when she hit Ike back "for the first time". After arriving at the hotel, Tina left Ike, fleeing with nothing more than thirty-six cents and a Mobil gas station credit card in her possession. She spent the next few months hiding from Ike while staying with various friends. Following this, Tina filed for divorce on July 27 after fourteen years of marriage, ending the Ike & Tina Turner Revue for good.

Tina would later credit her new-found Nichiren Buddhist faith with giving her the courage to strike out on her own. By walking out on Ike in the middle of a tour, she learned she was legally responsible to tour promoters for the canceled tour. Needing to earn a living, she became a solo performer, supplementing her income with TV appearances on shows such as ''The Hollywood Squares'', ''Donny and Marie'', ''The Sonny & Cher Show'' and ''The Brady Bunch Hour''. After a year in court, their divorce was made final on March 29, 1978. In the divorce, she completely parted ways with him retaining only her stage name and assuming responsibility for the debts incurred by the canceled tour as well as a significant IRS lien.

Life after the Revue[link]

After lying low for a year following her separation from Ike Turner, Tina Turner went back on the road in 1977 supporting herself with a cabaret act in Las Vegas. In 1978, Tina released her third solo album (and her first album since her separation from Ike) entitled ''Rough'' on EMI Records. The album was considered a departure from the blues rock sound of Ike & Tina. Choosing to focus on "happier music" and strong readings of hard rock songs, the album would yield four singles, none of which charted. In 1979, Turner released the disco-infused ''Love Explosion'' album, but it also failed to chart.

Due to the albums' performances, United Artists and EMI Records dropped Turner from her contract after her obligations ended with the companies. Turner supported herself by touring constantly, starting her first solo tour with ''The Wild Lady of Rock 'n' Roll'' in 1978. Following the end of the tour in 1979, she was invited to perform on Olivia Newton-John's musical variety show in Australia, where she met Newton-John's manager Roger Davies and pursued him to manage her career. Davies accepted Turner's offer after seeing her perform in San Francisco in 1980 and advised Turner to revamp her stage act. Despite her career downturn, Turner remained popular as a stage performer.

Return to prominence[link]

In 1981, Turner made headlines when she performed at the Ritz Theater in New York, leading to Turner performing with Rod Stewart, first on ''Saturday Night Live'' and then on his televised Los Angeles concert tour. That same year, Turner appeared onstage with her old 1960s acquaintances The Rolling Stones. In 1982, Turner teamed up with B.E.F. for a remake of the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion". The song became a hit in European dance clubs. Following this success, the producers asked her to incorporate a cover of Al Green's classic, "Let's Stay Together". Released in November 1983, just days before Turner's 44th birthday, the song became a hit single in the UK reaching number six on their charts and also became a hit in several other European countries. The success of "Let's Stay Together" in Europe convinced Turner's new company Capitol Records to release the song in the US in early 1984, with the song reaching number twenty six on the Billboard Hot 100 while also peaking at the top five of the R&B; and dance charts.

Following its success, Capitol quickly gave Turner a new three-album contract and had them do an album, with Turner later staging what ''Ebony'' magazine called an "amazing comeback". Done in two months, the album ''Private Dancer'', was released in June 1984. That same month, Turner issued the album's second single, "What's Love Got to Do with It". It quickly reached the top ten within a month and in September had reached number one on the Hot 100 in the US, making it the first time in Turner's career that she had reached that position. ''Private Dancer'' peaked at the top five of the Billboard album charts later selling five million copies in the US and a total of eleven million copies worldwide, though some sources stated the album has sold over twenty million making it her most successful album. ''Private Dancer'' also featured two more top ten singles, the rock-oriented "Better Be Good to Me" and the seductive title track while another US single, "Show Some Respect", became a modest top forty hit. Turner's comeback was culminated in early 1985 when she won four Grammy Awards including Record of the Year for "What's Love Got to Do with It". In February of that year, she embarked on her second world tour supporting the ''Private Dancer'' album, where she toured to huge crowds. One show, filmed at Birmingham, England's NEC Arena, was later released on home video. During this time she also contributed on vocals to the USA for Africa benefit song, "We Are the World".

Turner's success continued in 1985 when she appeared in her first acting role in ten years in the film, ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'', playing Aunty Entity, the ruler of Bartertown. Upon its release, the film grossed $36 million. Turner later received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress for her role in the film and also contributed songs to the film's soundtrack, two of which, "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "One of the Living", became hits, with "One of the Living" later winning Turner a Grammy for Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In July, Turner performed at Live Aid alongside Mick Jagger. Encouraged by a performance together during Tina's filmed solo concert in England, singer Bryan Adams released their duet single together, "It's Only Love", later resulting in a Grammy nod for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Subsequent releases[link]

Turner returned with her next solo album, ''Break Every Rule'', in 1986. The album quickly became platinum launching several hit singles including "Typical Male", "Two People" and "What You Get Is What You See" going on to sell two million copies in the United States and four million together worldwide. That same year, Turner published her autobiography, ''I, Tina'', which she talked about her early life and volatile marriage to Ike Turner. She later received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that summer. Turner's European ''Break Every Rule Tour'', which culminated in March 1987 in Munich, contributed to record breaking sales and concert attendances. In January 1988, Turner made history alongside Paul McCartney when she performed in front of the largest paying audience (approximately 184,000) to see a solo performer in Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil earning her a Guinness World Record. The success of Turner's two live tours led to the recording of ''Tina Live in Europe'', which was released that April. Turner lay low following the end of her ''Break Every Rule Tour'' emerging once again with ''Foreign Affair'', which included one of Turner's signature singles, "The Best". She later embarked on an European-only tour to promote the album. While ''Foreign Affair'' would go gold in the United States, with its singles "The Best" and "Steamy Windows" becoming top forty hits there, it wasn't as successful as Turner's previous offerings, though it was hugely successful in Europe, where Turner had personally relocated.

In 1991, Ike and Tina Turner were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Phil Spector later accepted on their behalf. That same year, the ex-couple signed away their rights to have their lives dramatized in the semi-autobiographical film, ''What's Love Got to Do with It'', later released in 1993 and starring Angela Bassett as Tina and Laurence Fishburne as Ike, with the actors later winning Best Actress and Best Actor Academy Award nominations for their portrayals of the former husband-and-wife team. Turner contributed to the soundtrack for ''What's Love Got to Do with It'', re-recording songs from her Ike and Tina days and recording several newer songs including what turned out to be her last top ten US hit, "I Don't Wanna Fight". Other than helping Bassett with her wardrobe and teaching her dance steps as well as providing songs for the soundtrack, she refused to be involved fully in the film, telling an interviewer "Why would I want to see Ike Turner beat me up again? I haven't dwelled on it; it's all in the past where it belongs." Following the film's and soundtrack's release, Turner embarked on her first US tour in seven years. Following the tour's end, Turner moved to Switzerland and took a year off from the road at the end of the tour.

Turner returned in 1995 with the U2 composition, "GoldenEye" for the James Bond film of the same name. Its huge success in Europe and modest success in her formerly native United States led Turner to record a new album, releasing the ''Wildest Dreams'' album in 1996. Though the album itself was not as hugely successful in the United States, thanks to a world tour and a much played Hanes hosiery commercial, the album went gold in the United States. The album reached platinum success in Europe where Turner had hits with "Whatever You Want", "Missing You", which briefly charted in the US, "Something Beautiful Remains", and the sensual Barry White duet "In Your Wildest Dreams". Following the tour's end in 1997, Turner took another break before re-emerging again in 1999 appearing on the VH-1 special ''Divas Live '99''. In 1998 the duet with Italian superstar Eros Ramazzotti in "Cose della Vita" that became a European hit. Before celebrating her 60th birthday, Turner released the dance-infused song, "When the Heartache Is Over" and its parent album, ''Twenty Four Seven'' the following month in Europe, releasing both the song and the album in North America in early 2000. The success of "When the Heartache is Over" and Turner's tour supporting the album once again helped in the album going gold in the U.S. The ''Twenty Four Seven Tour'' became her most successful concert tour to date and became the highest-grossing tour of 2000 according to Pollstar grossing over $100 million. Later, Guinness World Records announced that Turner had sold more concert tickets than any other solo concert performer in music history. Afterwards Turner announced a semi-retirement.

Recent years[link]

In 2002, Tennessee State Route 19 between Brownsville and Nutbush was named "Tina Turner Highway". In 2003, she teamed up with Phil Collins to record the song "Great Spirits" for the Disney film ''Brother Bear''.

In 2004, Turner released a new compilation, ''All the Best'', and released the single "Open Arms". The song became a modestly successful European hit and a modest R&B; hit in America. In 2005, Turner briefly performed on shows such as ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and ''The View''. ''All the Best'' became Turner's first album to go platinum in the U.S. in over eleven years.

At the end of the year, Turner was recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and was elected to join an elite group of entertainers. President Bush commented on Turner's "natural skill, the energy and sensuality", and referred to her legs as "the most famous in show business". Several artists paid tribute to her that night including Oprah Winfrey, Melissa Etheridge (who performed "River Deep - Mountain High", Queen Latifah (who performed "What's Love Got to Do with It"), Beyoncé (who performed "Proud Mary"), and the Reverend Al Green (who performed "Let's Stay Together"). Winfrey stated, "We don't need another hero. We need more heroines like you, Tina. You make me proud to spell my name w-o-m-a-n," and "Tina Turner didn't just survive, she triumphed." In November, Turner released ''All the Best - Live Collection'' and it was certified platinum by the RIAA.

In early 2006, the ''All the Invisible Children'' soundtrack was released. Turner sang "Teach Me Again" from the ''All the Invisible Children'' soundtrack with Elisa charted at No. 1 in Italy. In May 2007, Turner returned to the stage to headline a benefit concert for the Cauldwell Children's Charity at London's Natural History Museum. This was her first full show in seven years. Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock released an album paying tribute to singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, entitled ''River: The Joni Letters'' on September 25, 2007, on which Turner contributed her vocals to a version of "Edith and The Kingpin". On October 16, 2007, Carlos Santana released an album entitled ''Ultimate Santana'' which featured Turner singing "The Game of Love", a song originally intended for her to sing, but which was instead released by Santana with Michelle Branch due to demands from the recording label.

On December 12, 2007, Turner issued a brief statement through a spokesperson regarding the death of her former husband Ike Turner: "Tina hasn't had any contact with Ike in more than 30 years. No further comment will be made."

Turner performed with Beyoncé at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2008. It was Turner's first major public performance since her record-breaking Twenty-Four Seven Tour. In addition, she picked up a Grammy as a featured artist on ''River: The Joni Letters''. On May 5, 2008, she performed in a televised concert and interview for the Oprah show at Caesar's Place in Las Vegas with long time friend Cher.

Turner embarked on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour on October 1, 2008, which began on in Kansas City, Missouri at the Sprint Center. The album, ''Tina!: Her Greatest Hits'', was released in support of the tour.

In 2009, Turner participated in the ''Beyond'' singing project with fellow musicians Regula Curti, Seda Bagcan and Dechen Shak Dagsay. This CD combined Buddhist chants and Christian choral music along with a spiritual message read by Turner. The album was released only in Germany and a handful of other countries. It peaked at No. 7 in Switzerland. In 2011, ''Children Beyond'' followed and charted again in Switzerland.

A new live album was released by Parlophone in September 2009 entitled ''Tina Live''. The double disc set included the full concert recorded in the Netherlands as part of her 50th Anniversary Tour on DVD and selected tracks on CD. It is only Turner's second live album with the first, ''Tina Live in Europe'', being released twenty years previously in 1988.

In April 2010, Turner once again had a hit with her 1989 single ''The Best''. It peaked at No.9 in the UK Singles Chart after an internet campaign by supporters of Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Personal life[link]

Tina Turner had two sisters, Alline Selico and Evelyn Currie, both of whom are deceased. She was close to both sisters growing up and later credited Alline with introducing her to Ike Turner after taking her to Club Manhattan which Turner frequented. Tina's accounts of her life with Ike Turner differ from his accounts: whereas Turner alleged in her memoirs, ''I, Tina'' that Ike Turner was verbally, emotionally and physically abusive towards her, Ike Turner alleged that he never beat her but did admit to "slapping her a few times" and "punching her to the ground without thinking" in his own memoirs, ''Taking Back My Name''. In 1976, after years of alleged abuse, Tina left him after suffering a beating by Ike's hands while in Dallas. Ike Turner pursued her for half a year stopping his pursuits in 1977. Tina filed for divorce and left most of the monetary assets in Ike Turner's care while retaining the use of her stage name as a means to perform. Ike Turner later alleged that their marriage was illegal, and that Turner took his last name to discourage a former lover's attempt to reconcile with her, resulting in her full stage name of Tina Turner.

Turner was introduced to Buddhism by a friend of hers and Ike's in 1972. Turner wrote in her autobiography that she first used Buddhist chants (mainly nam myoho renge kyo) before performing at a recording session at Ike's Bolic Sounds studio and it resulted in Ike sending her money to go shopping, showing Buddhism as both a source of strength and a means of getting what she wanted. Two years later, she converted to Nichiren Buddhism and later credited the religion for getting her through the rough times especially during her post-Ike/Revue life and career. In 1985, she met her current companion, German-based music executive Erwin Bach, while at a record label party in London. They began dating a year later and have remained together since. Turner has been living in a lakehouse called Chateau Algonquin in Zurich since moving there in 1994. She also has had residences in London, Cologne and on the French Riviera.

Tina is mother to four sons. By saxophone player Raymond Hill she had her first child in 1958, son Craig. In 1960 she gave birth to son Ronnie by Ike Turner. When marrying Ike Turner she adopted Turners two children from earlier relationships, sons Ike Jr., and Michael.

Awards and accolades[link]

Turner was listed on ''Rolling Stone'''s list "The Immortals — The Greatest Artists of All Time". Turner is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and three of her recordings, "River Deep - Mountain High" (1999), "Proud Mary" (2003) and "What's Love Got To Do With It" (2012) are in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Turner has won 8 Grammy Awards.

Bryan Adams, who toured with her on the Private Dancer Tour, praised Turner's live performances, saying, "I never saw Tina walk through a performance, she always put on a great show, and was gracious and grateful to her audience."

Her legs were noted specifically as she was honored by President George W. Bush.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

''Tina Turns the Country On!'' (1974)

''Acid Queen'' (1975)

''Rough'' (1978)

''Love Explosion'' (1979)

''Private Dancer'' (1984)

''Break Every Rule'' (1986)

''Foreign Affair'' (1989)

''Wildest Dreams'' (1996)

''Twenty Four Seven'' (1999)

Other albums[link]

Soundtracks

''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985)

''What's Love Got to Do With It'' (1993)

Live albums

''Tina Live in Europe'' (1988)

''VH1 Divas Live '99'' (1999)

''Tina Live'' (2009)

Compilation albums

''Simply the Best'' (1991)

''The Collected Recordings'' (1994)

''All the Best'' (2004)

''Tina!'' (2008)

''The Platinum Collection'' (2009)

Tours[link]

1978–1979: Wild Lady of Rock Tour

1980–1981: Various Shows

1982–1984: Nice 'n' Rough Tour

1985: Private Dancer Tour

1987–1988: Break Every Rule Tour

1990: Foreign Affair Tour

1993: What's Love? Tour

1996–1997: Wildest Dreams Tour

2000: Twenty Four Seven Tour

2008–2009: Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour

Filmography[link]

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1970		Herself	Documentary
1971		Herself
1975		The Acid Queen
1976	''All This and World War II''	Herself	Documentary
1978		Our Guests at Heartland
1979	''John Denver and the Ladies''	Herself	Variety Show
1985	''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome''	Auntie Entity	Won (1986) - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
		Herself	Singing voice for Angela Bassett, also archive footage
''Last Action Hero''	The Mayor
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1966	''The Big T.N.T. Show''	Herself	Documentary
1970	''It's Your Thing''	Herself	Documentary
1971	''Soul to Soul''	Herself	Documentary
2000	''Ally McBeal''	Herself	cameo appearance one episode: "The Oddball Parade"

References[link]

External links[link]

Tina Turner's Entry on the St. Louis Walk of Fame

Category:1939 births Category:Actors from Missouri Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:African American dancers Category:African American female singers Category:African American rock musicians Category:American Buddhists Category:American expatriates in France Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:American expatriates in Switzerland Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American people of European descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rock singers Category:American soul singers Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Converts to Buddhism Category:Female rock singers Category:Former Baptists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ike & Tina Turner members Category:Living people Category:Music of St. Louis, Missouri Category:Musicians from Missouri Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Haywood County, Tennessee Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Virgin Records artists

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alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	King of Pop, MJ, Michael Joe Jackson
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions
associated acts	The Jackson 5 150pxMichael Jackson's Signature
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	}}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. With videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" he continued to be highly visible on MTV in the 1990s, and also began to forge a reputation as a touring artist. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled ''This Is It'', Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed the largest music contract with Jackson's estate of $250 million deal to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.

Life and career[link]

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)[link]

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.

The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.

Move to Epic and ''Off the Wall'' (1975–81)[link]

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever'' (1982–83)[link]

left|thumb|250px|Michael Jackson's revolutionary music video [[Michael Jackson's Thriller|Thriller gained worldwide attention from TV networks such as MTV and VH1.]]In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Wearing a distinctive black sequin jacket and golf glove decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years before. The Jacksons' performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and The Beatles' appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. Anna Kisselgoff of ''The New York Times'' later wrote, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."

Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)[link]

On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen by executive Phil Dusenberry, from ad agency BBDO and Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, Alan Pottasch at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. The memorial service was one of the most watched events in online streaming history. The U.S. audience was estimated by Nielsen to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated that watched the 2004 burial of former president Ronald Reagan, and the estimated Americans who watched the 1997 funeral for Princess Diana.

Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the event. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read "We had him", a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou. The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway." Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him ... so much." Reverend Lucious Smith provided a closing prayer. On August 24, several news outlets quoted anonymous sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; this was later confirmed by the coroner on August 28. Jackson also became the first artist in history to have four of the top 20 best selling albums in a single year in the United States. Following this surge in sales, Sony announced that they had extended their relationship with his material. The distribution rights held by Sony Music were due to expire in 2015. On March 16, 2010, Sony Music Entertainment, in a move spearheaded by its Columbia/Epic Label Group division, signed a new deal with the Jackson estate to extend their distribution rights to his back catalogue until at least 2017, as well as to obtain permission to release ten new albums with previously unreleased material and new collections of released work. On November 4, 2010 Sony announced the release of ''Michael'', the first posthumous album set to be released on December 14, with the promotional single released to the radios on November 8, titled "Breaking News". The deal was unprecedented in the music industry as it is the most expensive music contract pertaining to a single artist in history; it reportedly involved Sony Music paying for the deal, with the Jackson estate getting the full sum as well as its share of royalties for all works released. Video game developer Ubisoft announced it would release a new dancing-and-singing game featuring Michael Jackson for the 2010 holiday season. The game titled ''Michael Jackson: The Experience'' will be among the first to use Kinect and PlayStation Move, the respective motion-detecting camera systems for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 due out later that year.

Michael Jackson was reported to be one of the largest owners of property on the moon. In 2005, he bought a 1,200 acre plot in the Lake of Dreams and owned a smaller parcel in the Sea of Vapours. After his death, a crater on the moon was renamed Michael Joseph Jackson by The Lunar Republic Society in Jackson's honor. The crater was previously named Posidonius J and is located on an area of the moon known as the Lake of Dreams, or Lacus Somniorum. The crater is 22 kilometers across and is situated near Jackson's owned land. A spokesman for the society said: "The official designation of a Lunar crater is a singular honour bestowed upon only a select few luminaries. "Among those receiving this rare tribute over the past century are Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Sir Isaac Newton, Julius Caesar and Jules Verne."

On November 3, 2010, the theatrical performing company Cirque du Soleil announced that it would launch "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" in October 2011 in Montreal, while a permanent show will reside in Las Vegas. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

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