Jamie King (born in 1972)^[2] is a creative director and choreographer whose work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over two billion dollars.^[3] King started his career in entertainment as a dancer. He went on tour with Michael Jackson on his Dangerous World Tour in 1992.^[1] Afterward he worked as a director and choreographer in Prince's Glam Slam West nightclub in Los Angeles, CA.^[1] While at Grand Slam West, King created a new show every week using songs that Prince was unable to commercially release due to legal obligations to Warner Bros. Records. It was during this time that King learned staging.^[1] After seeing a performance by Prince at the 1993 American Music Awards that King directed and choreographed, Madonna called him to talk about the two of them working together.^[1] The first time they worked together was when he choreographed her 1995 video "Human Nature".^[2]

In 2004 King teamed up with Nike to create the Nike Rockstar Workout for use in Crunch Fitness gyms across the United States.^[4] In 2007 he released his Rock Your Body fintess DVD which sold 100,000 copies.^[4] King will produce the Latin themed entertainment show Q'Viva! The Chosen with Simon Fuller, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez. The show will be King's first experience working in television rather than stage. It is scheduled to premiere in 2012.^[5] King recently directed and choreographed Madonna's performance during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.^[6]

Tours[link]

King was the director for all of the following tours.^[3]

• 1999/2000: Livin' la Vida Loca Tour – Ricky Martin
• 2000/2001: Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour – Britney Spears
• 2001: Drowned World Tour – Madonna
• 2003: Stripped World Tour – Christina Aguilera^[1]
• 2004: Re-Invention World Tour – Madonna
• 2006: Confessions Tour – Madonna
• 2006/2007: RAIN'S COMING World Tour – Rain
• 2006/2007: Back to Basics Tour – Christina Aguilera
• 2007: Ricky Martin Live: Black & White Tour – Ricky Martin
• 2007/2008: Return of the Spice Girls – Spice Girls
• 2008: The Best Damn Tour – Avril Lavigne
• 2008/2009: Taking Chances Tour – Celine Dion
• 2008: Hard Candy Promo Tour – Madonna
• 2008/2009: Sticky & Sweet Tour – Madonna
• 2009: The Circus Starring Britney Spears^[7] – Britney Spears
• 2010: Last Girl on Earth Tour – Rihanna
• 2011: Loud Tour – Rihanna
• 2011: Femme Fatale Tour – Britney Spears
• 2011: Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour^[8] – Cirque du Soleil
• 2012: Q'Viva! The Chosen – Realty Show: Los Angeles, Las Vegas & Tour of Latin America
• 2012: Madonna's Halftime show – Superbowl XLVI Giants Vs Patriots
• 2012: "Dance Again World Tour"
• 2012: "Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez in Concert"

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jamie King at the Internet Movie Database

This article about a performing arts director is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Romeo Miller
Miller in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Percy Romeo Miller, Jr.[1]
Also known as	Lil' Romeo, Rome, Romeo
Born	(1989-08-19) August 19, 1989 (age 22)[1] New Orleans, Louisiana, United States[1]
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper Model Basketball player Entrepreneur Actor
Years active	2001–present
Labels	No Limit (2001–2002) Priority (2001–2002) The New No Limit (2002–2004) Universal (2002–2003) E1 (2004–2005) Guttar Music (2005–2006) Take A Stand (2007–present) The Next Generation (CEO) (2010–present) No Limit Forever (CEO) (2010–present)
Website	romeoforever.com

Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. (born August 19, 1989),^[2] better known by his stage name Romeo (previously Lil' Romeo), is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. As a rap musician, Miller has released three studio albums and two compilation albums.

Early life[link]

Romeo Miller was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of singer Cymphonique. Romeo was signed to No Limit at the age of 5 after he wrote a rap to his dad.

Music career[link]

[edit] Lil' Romeo (2001)

He then released his debut album 7 years later titled after his original alias Lil' Romeo. This offering contained the hit single "My Baby" that charted No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-hop Singles. The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums,selling more than 500,000 copies the first week out making it certified Gold. The album is now certified certified Platinum by the RIAA for the sales of 1,300,000. Also in 2001 he was featured on his uncle Silkk the Shocker's remix single of "That's Kool", which was also featured on his own album.

[edit] Game Time (2002–2003)

In 2002, a year later after his debut album, Miller put out his second studio album, Game Time. It peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums selling close to a 110,000 copies the first week .^[1] It spawned the billboard charting single "2-Way" that charted to No. 66 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It also spawned the album second single "True Love" which charted at No. 16 under the Hot 100 Singles. Though not as successful on the charts as Miller's debut album It still was successful in sales certified 2x Platinum, selling 2,430,785 copies making this Miller's highest selling album.

[edit] Romeoland (2004–2007)

In 2004, miller released his third studio album Romeoland, which was not as successful as his last two albums selling 50,000 the first week, but still managed to be certified Gold selling over 459,000 copies in the United States.^[1] It was also the last studio album to feature Miller billed as Lil' Romeo. In 2005 Romeo along with his brother Valentino Miller who was known as Young V at that time and their three cousins C-Los, Lil' D & Willie J formed the group Rich Boyz & released their debut album Young Ballers: The Hood Been Good to Us. In 2006 Miller released a compilation album entitled Greatest Hits the album featured all of his hit songs when Miller was billed as Lil' Romeo. In 2006 Romeo released the two albums Lottery & God's Gift on the new label owned by himself and his father Master P, entitled Guttar Music. Lottery served as Millers first independent release while God's Gift served as a soundtrack to a movie with the same name. God's Gift was also Miller's first album to use the name Romeo and to have explicit language.^[1] The two albums were also known for containing Miller's single "U Can't Shine Like Me" which was a direct response to Bow Wow, who fans thought dissed Miller in his song "Fresh Azimiz". In 2007 Miller released a collaboration album with his father Master P titled Hip Hop History it sold 32,000 records worldwide.

[edit] Intelligent Hoodlum (2008–present)

In 2008 Miller stated he was working on his fourth studio album entitled Gumbo Station.^[3] On June 17, 2008 Miller released the first single from the album which was "Get Low wit It" which featured Akon & his brother Valentino Miller it failed to gain success on the Billboard charts.^[4]

On March 3, 2009 Romeo released a compilation entitled Get Low LP that contained songs that were supposed to be on Gumbo Station. It debuted at No. 149 on the Billboard 200 and as of May 5, 2009 it has sold over 20,000 copies. In 2010 Romeo confirmed that he was still working on his fourth studio album but he changed the name of the album to The College Boy. Romeo then announced that the title of the album was going to be I Am No Limit.

On January 19, 2010 Romeo released the first promotional single for the album entitled "Tell Me A Million Times" that featured Tempo.^[5] Then on January 26, 2010 Romeo released the second promotional single for the album entitled "Ice Cream Man Jr." which was a tribute to his dad Master P.^[6] On February 16, 2010 Miller released his debut mixtape Patience Is A Virtue to promote the album.^[7] Then on March 2, 2010 Romeo released two EPs to promote the album which were the Famous Girl & Monster/Practice.^[8][9] Also In 2010 Miller debuted his newly founded record label The Next Generation Entertainment with his new group the College Boyys.^[10] They released a collaboration album on May 25, 2010 entitled Spring Break which sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.^{[11][dead link]} Miller also on this day released three singles which were "You" that featured D'Anna & Lil Twist, "She Bad" that featured Millers cousins Lil' D & Black Don & "They Dont Know" but all of the singles failed to reach the charts.^[12][13][14] Romeo also performed at the 2010 Hip Hop Honors along with his brother Valentino Miller, his cousins Lil' D & Black Don, & his uncle Silkk The Shocker, along with Trina, Gucci Mane & Mystikal to honor his dad Master P & No Limit Records.^[15] In late 2010 Romeo relaunched No Limit as No Limit Forever Romeo also confirmed that he has changed the name of the album from I Am No Limit to Intelligent Hoodlum.^[16]

In 2011 It was confirmed that Romeo is going on a new tour with his dad Master P & his uncle Silkk the Shocker the tour is entitled ”No Limit Forever International".^[17] On January 11, 2011 Romeo released his EP Dont Push Me.^[18] On May 3, 2011 Romeo released the first official single from Intelligent Hoodlum which is "Famous Girl (Remix)" which is really the mastered version of the original it still features appearances from Sean Kingston & Miller's cousin Black Don.^[19] On August 19, 2011 Romeo released his I Am No Limit mixtape which was originally supposed to be his fourth studio album before it got changed but Miller just decided it would be best to just release it as a mixtape for his fans.^[20][21][22]

In 2012 Romeo formed a new group called RESQ3 they released their first single "The Only One" & supposed to be releasing a album in some time.^[23] Even though Romeo has created his new group he is still working & planning on releasing his fourth studio album Intelligent Hoodlum. On April 12, 2012 he released his first single from the album entitled "Hug Me Forever" which features his brother Valentino & his artist Kyros & has already shot the official music video for it.^[24] On May 19, 2012 Romeo released the music video for "Hug Me Forever" it was directed by Corey Molina of Creative Dream Productions.^[25]

Other ventures[link]

Acting career[link]

Miller started his acting career with a cameo appearance in the 2001 film Max Keeble's Big Move, as himself.^[26] He later co-starred with Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer and Zachary Isaiah Williams in the film Honey (2003). In Honey, his character was Benny, a young boy looking for a break.^[27] Also in 2003, he voiced himself on an episode of the animated series, Static Shock, to which he had performed the theme song.^[28] He co-starred with his dad in a movie called Uncle P in 2005.^{[citation needed]} He also starred in another movie with Zachary Isaiah Williams, God's Gift, which came out in 2006. Recently, he made a cameo appearance, as himself, in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide as a rapping coach for the teachers. Then in 2007 he starred in film ASL as himself, Rome, alongside Forrest Lipton and Zachary Isaiah Williams who played the young Romeo; Lil Romey and had also previously starred with Romeo in Honey and Nickelodeon's Romeo!. He guest-starred as a rapper accused of murder in the 2010 CBS series, The Defenders and acted in the highly successful film, Jumping the Broom, released in May 2011. In 2011, he also starred in TV commercials for McDonald's & ICDC Colleges.

Fashion designer[link]

On July 24, 2010 Romeo launched his own clothing line titled "College Boyys", which has also been promoted by Miller & his new group the College Boyys. It has also been promoted by artists such as Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush & Jaden Smith.^[29] Romeo stated

Basketball career[link]

Percy Miller, Jr.
College	USC
Conference	Pac-10
Sport	Basketball
Position	Point guard
Jersey #	15
Nickname	Romeo, Prince P
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Nationality	American
Born	(1989-08-19) August 19, 1989 (age 22) New Orleans, Louisiana
High school	Beverly Hills High School
Tournaments
2009 NCAA Tournament

Romeo was invited, in the summer of 2006, to the Reebok-sponsored ABCD Camp, which is considered the premier basketball camp in the United States. The Teaneck, New Jersey-based ABCD Camp is an invitation-only basketball showcase previously attended by high-profile players including Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Surrounded by future NBA players such as O. J. Mayo, Derrick Rose, and Kevin Love, Miller looked out of place and averaged less than 2 points a game throughout the camp. The Wall Street Journal made an article on March 8, entitled "A Hot Prospect," cites Sonny Vaccaro, the longtime director of the ABCD Camp, as explaining, "he invited Romeo Miller to the 2006 camp, primarily as a favor to Percy Miller, whom he knew from the club basketball circuit." In the article, Vaccaro indicated, "If you're looking for the profile of an athlete who plays basketball at USC, he's not it."^[30]

On April 13, 2007, Miller verbally committed to the University of Southern California (USC) and signed a letter of intent on November 19, 2007.

Miller, a 5'11" point guard, was a four year starter at Beverly Hills High School. As a junior during the 2005–2006 high school season he averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 assists per game.^[31][32] As a senior during the 2006–2007 high school season he averaged 8.6 points and 9.0 assists per game.^[30][31]

According to The Wall Street Journal, it appears the decision to grant Miller a full scholarship at USC was largely driven by his relationship with friend and teammate Demar DeRozan, the 6-foot-6 All-American forward who was rated as the number five prospect in the country on Scout.com. The Wall Street Journal reported Coach Tim Floyd as saying, "Last April...Percy Miller called while driving both players from a tournament in Fayetteville, Ark...Percy Miller said 'Demar and Romeo are ready to make their decision, and would you like to have them both on scholarship?'...'I said absolutely.'"^[30] Miller and DeRozan began playing in the 2008–2009 season.

Modeling career[link]

On December 27 Romeo modeled for a new 2011 calendar.^[33] On April 10, 2011 Miller modeled for the April issue of TROIX magazine.^[34] On April 12, 2011 Miller modeled again for some new pictures.^[35] He also modeled with the singer-songwriter Chynna Terrell.

Dancing with the Stars[link]

After originally withdrawing from season two of Dancing with the Stars due to an injury,^[36] Romeo competed in season twelve.^[37] He was partnered with professional dancer, Chelsie Hightower. They were eliminated from the show on May 10, 2011 and finished in the Top 5, one week before the semi-final.

• In week 7, Donnie Burns was the guest judge and scored the dances.

Personal life[link]

Miller attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California. Romeo sponsors "Loco Tonic", an energy drink he mentions in his newer songs. In 2008, Romeo was ranked No. 18 in the most fit men in the world. Miller was born on Aug. 19, 1989 in New Orleans, La. He is the oldest of seven children from parents Percy, Sr. and Sonya Miller. His father is a business entrepreneur and musician. His father also shares a passion for the game of basketball and signed contracts with the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors. Percy wears the No. 15 because that is the number his father wore in high school. Miller also believes in giving back to the community and is involved in a variety for charity endeavors and in 2008 along with his father received the key to the city in Memphis in recognition of their "Let the Kids Grow" educational program.

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Felipe Solis is schedule to appear in Romeo's new reality show Romeo & Juliet

Awards and nominations[link]

• Billboard Music Awards
  • 2001, Rap Artist of the Year (Winner)
  • 2001, Music Videos: My Baby (Winner)
  • 2002, R&B/Hip-Hop: My Baby (Winner)
• Kids Choice Awards
  • 2004, Favorite Television Actor – Male for: Romeo! (Nominated)
  • 2005, Favorite Television Actor – Male for: Romeo! (Winner)
  • 2006, Favorite Television Actor – Male for: Romeo! (Nominated)
• Teen Choice Awards
  • 2004, Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male for: Honey (Nominated)
• Black Reel Awards
  • 2004, Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male for: Honey (Nominated)
• Young Artist Awards
  • 2005, Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actor: Romeo! (Nominated)
• NAMIC Vision Awards
  • 2005, Best Comedic Performance: Romeo! (Nominated)
• Image Awards
  • 2005, Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Program – Series or Special: Romeo! (Nominated)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Romeo Miller

• Official website
• USC Athletics Player Biography: No. 15 Percy Miller
• Romeo Miller's channel on YouTube
• Romeo on Myspace
• Romeo Miller on Twitter
• Romeo at the Internet Movie Database
• Photos from Shrink-A-Bulls

Jaime King
King at the San Diego Comic-Con International, July 2008.
Born	(1979-04-23) April 23, 1979 (age 33) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Other names	James King Jamie King
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1993–present
Spouse	Kyle Newman (2007–present)

Jaime King (born April 23, 1979) is an American actress and model. In her modeling career and early film roles, she used the names Jamie King and James King, which was a childhood nickname given to King by her parents,^[1] because her agency already represented another Jaime — the older, then more famous model Jaime Rishar.^[2]

King appeared in Vogue, Mademoiselle, and Harper's Bazaar, among other fashion magazines. Afterwards, she began taking small film roles. Her first major role was in Pearl Harbor (2001). Her first starring movie role was in Bulletproof Monk (2003). She has appeared as a lead in other films, gaining more note after Sin City (2005).

Early life and family[link]

King was born in the suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Nancy King, a former beauty queen, and Robert King. She has an older sister, Sandi and a younger brother, Barry.^[3] King was named after Lindsay Wagner's character, Jaime Sommers, of the 1970s television series The Bionic Woman.^[4][5] King's parents separated in 1994.^[2] King had attended Nancy Bounds' Studios, a modeling school, and in 1995 dropped out of Westside High School in order to pursue a modeling career in New York. She later enrolled in a home-study program run by the University of Nebraska.^[2][6]

Modeling career[link]

She was discovered in November 1993, at age fourteen,^[7] while attending Nancy Bounds' Studios. After being spotted at her graduation fashion show by model agent Michael Flutie, King was invited to New York City to begin modeling professionally.^[3][8] She joined Company Management, which already represented Jaime Rishar, a more established model. To avoid confusion, King opted to use her childhood nickname, James, for the duration of her modeling career and later, at the beginning of her film career. In March 1994 she traveled to New York for test pictures and received enthusiastic responses, however, she did not return to New York until July 1994, after gaining a successful advertisement for Abercrombie & Fitch. Much of fall and spring 1994 were spent commuting between Omaha and New York.

King had a successful early career as a fashion model, and by age fifteen she had been featured in the fashion magazines Vogue, Mademoiselle, Allure, and Seventeen. At sixteen, King had graced the pages of Glamour and Harper's Bazaar. She was featured in the cover story of the New York Times Magazine published on February 4, 1996^[9][10] and had walked the runway for Chanel and Christian Dior. In 1998, she began co-hosting MTV's fashion series, House of Style, with fellow model turned actress Rebecca Romijn. Despite her success, King noted that she "remember[s] the times where I was so alone" and thought she was "never gonna be able to be a kid."^[2]

In 2004, King, along with Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, and Eva Mendes was chosen as a spokesmodel for a high profile ad campaign for Revlon. The advertisements were featured in print, television, theatrical, outdoor and Internet venues,^[11] banking on their spokeswomen's "collective star power" to sell the cosmetics products.^[12] In 2006, King was chosen by Rocawear CEO Jay-Z to become the new face of the line; her advertisements were featured for the winter 2006 season.^[13]

Acting career[link]

Early work, 1998–2004[link]

In 1999, King began her acting career and made her debut in the Daniel Waters' comedy Happy Campers, as Pixel. Happy Campers was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, and in 2003, King was nominated for Best Actress at the DVD Exclusive Awards.^[14] Filmed in 1999, she also appeared in Filter's music video for "Take a Picture". Following her debut acting roles, King appeared briefly in the film Blow, portraying the adult Kristina Jung, daughter of cocaine smuggler George Jung (portrayed by Johnny Depp).^[15]

King, interviewed at the Hawaiian premiere of Pearl Harbor, May 2001

King made her first appearance in a large Hollywood production with her role as the seventeen year old nurse, Betty, in the World War II epic romance Pearl Harbor (2001). Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine commented that King "has a lively minute or two" in the film, but her part was small and the "young cast is mostly pinup packaging".^[16] King went on to be featured in the Incubus music video "Wish You Were Here".^[17] The roles King took part in during 2001 garnered her the "New Stylemaker" title at the Young Hollywood Awards.^[18]

In 2002, she appeared in the teen comedy Slackers as Angela Patton, Four Faces of God as Sam, and the crime comedy Lone Star State of Mind as Baby. Slackers received negative responses from critics, including one who found that the characters "are not so strikingly original as to elevate the slack material",^[19] while Four Faces of God and Lone Star State of Mind did not have wide theatrical releases. 2003 saw King in the film Bulletproof Monk, alongside Chow Yun-fat and Seann William Scott, an adaptation of a comic book by Michael Avon Oeming. After five auditions, a screen test, and a physical test, she landed the role of Jade,^[20] a character skilled in martial arts. This was King's first leading action film role. Bulletproof Monk received mostly negative reviews from critics, who cited that the fight scenes were not as well choreographed or directed as those other genre films, and that the alternating comedic and action scenes were jarring.^[21] Regardless, Bulletproof Monk was nominated for Choice Movie in a Drama/Action Adventure award at the Teen Choice Awards. In late 2003, King appeared in the music video for the Robbie Williams song, "Sexed Up", and on the cover artwork for the single's release.^[17] In 2004, she appeared in the comedy White Chicks, playing Heather Vandergeld, with actress Brittany Daniel as her sister Megan Vandergeld, a parody on socialites Paris and Nicky Hilton. White Chicks was negatively reviewed by critics, receiving five nominations at the Razzie Awards in the categories for Worst Actress, Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Screenplay. However, White Chicks received Outstanding Directing for a Box Office Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Box Office Movie at the BET Comedy Awards.^[22]

Breakthrough, 2005–2008[link]

King attending a Q & A at the Sin City premiere in Austin, Texas, March 2005. Photograph by Brian Miller.

In 2005, King appeared in a variety of film and television roles. She first appeared in the independent black comedy and satire Pretty Persuasion, playing a small role as Kathy Joyce, the stepmother of Evan Rachel Wood's character. King landed dual roles (as twins) in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel Sin City. She had met with director Robert Rodriguez, who was a fan of her work, and at the time King was unaware that Rodriguez wanted her involved in the film. Eventually, "we started reading [the Sin City graphic novel], and it was really fun".^[4] King portrayed Goldie and Wendy, the twin prostitutes in charge of the girls of Old Town, in the segment The Hard Goodbye opposite Mickey Rourke. Sin City featured a large ensemble cast of well-known actors which included Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba, with whom King "kinda grew up together" in New York.^[4]

Sin City had opened to wide critical and commercial success, gathering particular recognition for the film's unique coloring process, which rendered most of the film in black and white but retained coloring for select objects; King was one of the few in the black and white film to have color, that being, red lips and blonde hair when acting as Goldie. The film was screened at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in-competition and won the Technical Grand Prize for the film's "visual shaping."^[23] The family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen 2 featured King as Anne Murtaugh in another large ensemble cast. She also acted in the Al Pacino drama Two for the Money as Alexandria. Both films had negative critical and box office reception.

On television, she had a guest appearance on the teen drama The O.C. and a recurring role on the short-lived situation comedy Kitchen Confidential. King was featured in the Zach Braff-directed music video for Gavin Degraw's "Chariot".^[17]

In 2006, King appeared with a small role as Heather in the comedy The Alibi and a starring role in the thriller True True Lie. Her largest role that year was in the David Arquette horror film The Tripper as Samantha. King had a recurring role on the short lived comedy The Class, which ended its run on television after an announcement in May 2007. The Class had been nominated for an Emmy Award in 2007, and it won the People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy.^[24]

In 2007, King filmed They Wait, a horror-thriller film inspired by true events, with Terry Chen as her husband and Regan Oey as their son.^[25] She stars as a mother attempting to find the truth and save her son when threatened by spirits during the Chinese tradition of Ghost Month. It was featured in the 2007 Toronto Film Festival, but has not yet had a wide theatrical release. In 2008, King appeared as Lorelei Rox in The Spirit, a live-action film adaptation based on the 1940s newspaper strip The Spirit created by Will Eisner. The role reunited King with Sin City writer Frank Miller, who wrote and directed the film.^[26]

Film and television roles, 2009–present[link]

King was cast as Sarah Palmer in the horror remake of My Bloody Valentine 3D, which opened in January 2009. She appeared in the Star Wars-themed comedy Fanboys, which had a release date pushed first to January 2008 when director Kyle Newman received additional funding to shoot new scenes, but the busy schedule of the actors postponed filming.^[27] Still delayed, the filmmakers and its distributor, the Weinstein Company, are involved in a dispute over which version to release.^[28] In May 2008, King featured in another Newman-directed film, Act I of The Cube, the beginning of an online movie-making contest.^[28]

The Pardon, a film based on the true life story of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman to be electrocuted by Louisiana, stars King in the lead role. The Jim Kouf comedy, A Fork in the Road, has King portraying April Rogers, alongside Daniel Roebuck. King will reprise her role as twins Goldie and Wendy in the part sequel and part prequel of the Miller written and co-directed film Sin City 2.

She plays Beth in Darren Lynn Bousman's remake of Mother's Day and narrated the movie on Scream Award 2009.^[29] King hosts the reality show Scream Queens 2, directed by Biagio Messina on VH1.^[30] She appeared in the music video for the song "Bury Me Alive" by the band We Are The Fallen with her husband Kyle Newman.

King worked in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.^[31] She played the role of Aurra Sing in the series Season 1 finale episode "Hostage Crisis" and later the final three episodes of Season 2: "Death Trap", "R2 Come Home", and "Lethal Trackdown". Although her character was supposedly killed in the season finale, King is confirmed to return as Aurra Sing as a recurring character in Season 3. She played three other characters in addition to Aurra Sing in series. In the episode "Lightsaber Lost", she voices Cassie Cryar and Muk Muk Monkey. She voices a ticket droid in the episode "Lethal Trackdown".

King appeared in the ABC documentary-style dramedy television series My Generation, which premiered on September 23, 2010. After initial low ratings, ABC pulled the program from broadcast after two episodes.^[32]

King also appeared in the video of The Fray hit single Never Say Never.

King plays Lemon Breeland in the new CW show Hart of Dixie, which premiered on September 26, 2011.

Personal life[link]

During her first job modeling, King began using heroin and had an addiction to the drug from age fourteen to nineteen. In 1997, her boyfriend, 20 year old fashion photographer Davide Sorrenti, had died from what was thought to be a kidney ailment brought on by excessive heroin use.^[3] Following his death, King became sober,^[8] and went to rehabilitation at age nineteen for her addictions to both heroin and alcohol.^[33] In 2006, she commented that her past reputation as a "party girl" is "like another lifetime," and she now thinks of herself as a different person.^[4]

In January 2005, while working on the set of Fanboys, she met future husband Kyle Newman, the film's director. Within three months of dating, the two moved in together.^[34] Newman proposed in Spring 2007, and the two married on November 23, 2007^[35] in an "intimate and relaxed" ceremony in Los Angeles at Greystone Park and Manor, where Newman had proposed.^[36] King told InStyle magazine, "I want at least three children."^[34]

In an interview published in 1996, King, after retiring from modeling, suggested her plans to be a writer or a photographer.^[2] She resides in Los Angeles.^[37]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jaime King at the Internet Movie Database
• King at the Fashion Model Directory

Christopher Warren (born May 16, 1968 on Long Island, New York) is an American musician who has performed in numerous bands. He is currently the singer in Bro-Kin. He is best known for being the lead singer in The DX Band (sometimes referred to as The Chris Warren Band), a group who performed the entrance theme of professional wrestling stable D-Generation X called "Break It Down".

Career[link]

World Wrestling Federation (Entertainment)[link]

Warren is known to many as the voice behind the DX entrance music, and after this Jim Johnston (head of WWE music) became so impressed with Warren, that he offered him further vocal work. Over the course of the next four years, Warren recorded several songs for the WWF(E). In 1998, Warren made his television debut at WrestleMania XIV, performing a screeching version of "America The Beautiful" and the National Anthem, for which he was booed heavily, as the fans and national media in attendance considered disrespectful. However, it was revealed in 2002 that this disrespect was a WWE-instructed work meant to generate further heat on the DX stable.^{[citation needed]}. Warren and the band also performed the DX ring entrance music later the same night as DX came to the ring, and again five months later at the 1998 SummerSlam. In 1999, Warren may have recorded parts of the music but not the vocals for "No Chance in Hell," which was used for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (and would later become Mr. McMahon's theme song in various versions). The "No Chance In Hell" vocal track was done by Peter Bursuker at the studio of Jim Johnston in Stamford, CT WWE HQ. However, Warren does sing in the background of "No Chance In Hell"'s chorus. Later that year Warren recorded the vocals for Triple H's theme "My Time". This song was featured on the platinum album WWF The Music, Vol. 4. He also recorded the Superstars theme from 1997. His last appearance was a cameo on the Run-D.M.C. "The Kings" music video, directed by David Sahadi. Warren, along with Bro-Kin, recorded an unreleased song for WWE's Tough Enough II which never made it onto the show.

Total Nonstop Action wrestling[link]

In July 2007, Warren and Bro-Kin signed an agreement with Total Nonstop Action wrestling (TNA), which involved use of the band's music on TNA's TV shows (such as iMPACT!), PPVs and DVDs worldwide. Their song "Low" was used as the theme for No Surrender 2007, "Separate" for Genesis 2007 and "For The Vein" for Final Resolution 2008. Further cuts of other songs appeared (and continue to do so) on various TNA video packages.

Bro-Kin[link]

On March 5, 2009, Warren announced via Bro-Kin's website that the band had released their album "La Violencia" on iTunes, Amazon and Napster which is now available to purchase.

Return to World Wrestling Entertainment[link]

Warren returned to WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut in August 2009 to record vocals to a new DX theme, coinciding with the return of the D-Generation X stable consisting of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, to active WWE competition. The recording session saw Warren re-united in the studio with WWE music composer Jim Johnston for the first time in over 7 years.

Personal life[link]

Chris is now living in Rockland County, New York.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• WWF The Music, Vol. 3 (December 29, 1998)
• WWF The Music, Vol. 4 (November 2, 1999)
• WWF Aggression (March 21, 2000)
• WWE Anthology (November 12, 2002)
• RAW Greatest Hits: The Music (December 18, 2007)
• La Violencia - Bro-Kin (March 6, 2009)

Interviews[link]

• Chris Warren Radio Interview (Part 1 of 4) courtesy of The Squared Circle radio show
• Chris Warren Radio Interview (Part 2 of 4) courtesy of The Squared Circle radio show
• Chris Warren Radio Interview (Part 3 of 4) courtesy of The Squared Circle radio show
• Chris Warren Radio Interview (Part 4 of 4) courtesy of The Squared Circle radio show

External links[link]

• Bro-Kin at MySpace
• TNA Genesis 07 Highlights Package Feat. Bro-Kin
• TNA No Surrender 07 Highlights Package Feat. Bro-Kin

Michael Jackson
Jackson at the White House in 1984
Background information
Birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson[1]
Also known as	King of Pop, MJ
Born	(1958-08-29)August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Died	June 25, 2009(2009-06-25) (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1964–2009
Labels	Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions
Associated acts	The Jackson 5 Michael Jackson's Signature
Website	www.michaeljackson.com

Michael Joseph Jackson^[1] (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,^[2] 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. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. 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.^[3] He was also one of the world's most prominent humanitarians and philanthropists; personally, and through his Heal the World Foundation, he donated more than $300 million in charity, and held the Guinness World Record for having supported the most charities out of any pop star.^[4][5]

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 a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.^[6]

Life and career[link]

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

Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, showing floral tributes after his death

Jackson (center) as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1972

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,^[7] 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.^[8] A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.^[9]

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.^[10][11][12] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a boy.^[12] Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, though he also credited his father's strict discipline with playing a large role in his success.^[10] Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in February 1993. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and he would vomit on the sight of his father. Jackson's father was also said to have verbally abused Jackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasions.^[13] In fact, Michael Jackson's deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant especially with his father, and to remain child-like throughout his adult life are in many ways consistent with the effects of this chronic maltreatment he endured as a young child.^[14]

In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, but was nonetheless a "genius", as he admitted his father's strict discipline played a huge role in his success. When Bashir dismissed the positive remark and continued asking about beatings, Jackson put his hand over his face and objected to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".^[15][16]

In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing. When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.^[8] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.^[17]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown Records in 1968.^[8] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."^[18] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.^[8] Between 1972 and 1975, Michael released four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin".

The Jackson 5 "became a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists... five working-class black boys with afros and bell bottoms, and they really didn't have to trade any of that stuff in order to become mainstream stars."^[19]

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.^[20]

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

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records^[20] and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career.^[21] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Michael was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel", and "Can You Feel It".^[17] In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz, a box-office disaster. It was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.^[22] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.^[23]

Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall album together. Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first solo album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".^[24][25] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.^[26] 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".^[27][28] 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".^[24] Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.^[29] 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.^[30] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.^[31]

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

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.^[32][33] These awards were thanks to the Thriller album, released in late 1982, which was 1983's best-selling album worldwide^[34][35] and became the best-selling album of all time in the United States,^[36] as well as the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 110 million copies so far.^[37] 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'".^[38] 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.^[39] Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of his recordings. The videocassette of the documentary The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.^[40] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple."^[41] In 1985, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Longform.^[32] In December 2009, the music video for "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, "Thriller" is the first music video ever to be inducted.^[42][43][44]

Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".^[40] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".^[45]

On March 25th 1983, Michael Jackson reunited with his brothers for a legendary live performance which was taped for a Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. The show aired on May 16, 1983, to an audience of 47 million viewers, and featured the Jacksons and a number of other Motown stars. It is best remembered for Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean". 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.^[46] 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."^[47]

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

Jackson with a Knott's Berry Farm Snoopy mascot in April 1984

On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen by executive Phil Dusenberry,^[48] 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.^[23] Jackson never recovered from this injury. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center" in honor of his donation.^[49] Dusenberry later recounted the episode in his memoir, Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and Accidents from a Hall of Fame Career in Advertising.

On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.^[50] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated all the funds (around $8 million) raised from the Victory Tour to charity.^[51] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 30 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief. In 1986, "We Are the World" won four Grammys (one for Jackson for Song of the Year). American Music Award directors removed the charity song from the competition because they felt it would be inappropriate, but recognized it with two special honors (one for the creation of the song and one for the USA for Africa idea). They are the only AMAs that Jackson won as non-solo artist.^{[52][53][54][55]}

Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984

In 1984, ATV Music Publishing, which had the copyrights to nearly 4000 songs, including the Northern Songs catalog that contained the majority of the Lennon–McCartney compositions recorded by The Beatles, was put up for sale by Robert Holmes à Court.^[56] Jackson had become interested in owning music catalogs after working with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s: Jackson had learned McCartney made approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs.^[57] In 1981,^[58] McCartney was offered the ATV music catalog for £20 million ($40 million).^[57][59] According to McCartney, he contacted Yoko Ono about making a joint purchase by splitting the cost equally at £10 million each, but Ono thought they could buy it for £5 million each.^[57][59] When they were unable to make the joint purchase, McCartney let the offer fall through, not wanting to be the sole owner of the Beatles' songs.^[58][59]

According to a negotiator for Holmes à Court in the 1984 sale, "We had given Paul McCartney first right of refusal but Paul didn't want it at that time."^[60] Also, an attorney for McCartney assured Jackson's attorney, John Branca, that McCartney was not interested in bidding: McCartney reportedly said "It's too pricey".^[57][58] But there were several other companies and investors bidding. In September 1984, Jackson was first informed about the sale by Branca and sent a bid of $46 million on November 20, 1984.^[56] Jackson's agents thought they had a deal several times, but encountered new bidders or new areas of debate.^[56] In May 1985, Jackson's team walked away from talks after having spent over $1 million on four months of due diligence and on the negotiations.^[56]

In June 1985, Jackson and Branca learned that Charles Koppelman's and Marty Bandier's The Entertainment Co. had made a tentative agreement with Holmes à Court to buy ATV Music for $50 million.^[56] But in early August, Holmes à Court's team contacted Jackson and talks resumed. Jackson raised his bid to $47.5 million and it was accepted because he could close the deal more quickly, having already completed due diligence of ATV Music.^[56] He also agreed to visit Holmes à Court in Australia, where he would appear on the Channel Seven Perth Telethon.^[56][60] Jackson's purchase of ATV Music was finalized August 10, 1985.^[56]

[edit] Appearance, tabloids, Bad, films, autobiography and Neverland (1986–90)

Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the mid 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he might be bleaching his skin.^[61] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.^[62] Jackson was also diagnosed with vitiligo in his autopsy.^[63] By the mid 1990s several surgeons speculated that he had undergone various nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery—although Jackson denied this and insisted that he only had surgery on his nose.^[64] Jackson claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and no other surgery on his face, although at one point he mentioned having a dimple created in his chin.^[65] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".^[65] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.^[66]

During the course of his treatment, Jackson made two close friends: his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, and Klein's nurse Debbie Rowe. Rowe eventually became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his two eldest children. Long before becoming romantically involved with her, Jackson relied heavily on Rowe for emotional support. He also relied heavily on Klein, for medical and business advice.^[67]

Jackson became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, according to tabloid reports that are widely cited, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.^[68][69] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, he was reported to be increasingly detached from reality.^[70] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man") and although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.^[68][69] Although initially he saw these stories as opportunities for publicity, he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became more sensational. Consequently the media began making up their own stories.^[69][71][72] These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson came to despise.^[73] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to Taraborrelli:

Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars? Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."^[74]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era

Jackson collaborated with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute 3-D film Captain EO, which debuted in September 1986 at both the original Disneyland and at EPCOT in Florida, and in March 1987 at Tokyo Disneyland. The $30 million movie was a popular attraction at all three parks. A Captain EO attraction was later featured at Euro Disneyland after that park opened in 1992. All four parks' Captain EO installations stayed open well into the 1990s: Paris' installation was the last one to close, in 1998.^[75] The attraction would later return to Disneyland in 2010 after Jackson's death.^[76]

In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.^[77] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.^[78] It did not top Thriller as a commercial or artistic triumph, but Bad was still a substantial success in its own right.

The Bad album spawned seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This was a record for most number one Hot 100 singles from any one album, including Thriller.^[79] Although the title track's video was arguably derivative of the video for the earlier single "Beat It", the "Bad" video still proved to be one of Jackson's iconic moments. It was a gritty but colorful epic set against the backdrop of the New York City Subway system, with costuming and choreography inspired by West Side Story. As of 2012, the album sold between 30 and 45 million copies worldwide.^{[80][81][82][83][84][85][86]} 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.^[32][39] In the same year, Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards because Bad is the first album ever to generate five number one singles in the US, the first album to top in 25 countries and the best-selling album worldwide in 1987 and in 1988.^{[87][88][89][90]} In 1988, "Bad" won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.^[91]