Coordinates: 34°44′43.516″N 120°5′17.750″W / 34.74542111°N 120.0882639°W / 34.74542111; -120.0882639
Neverland Valley Ranch (formerly the Sycamore Valley Ranch) is a developed property in Santa Barbara County, California, most famous for being a home of American entertainer Michael Jackson from 1988 to 2005. Jackson named the property after Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up. The ranch is located about five miles (8 km) north of unincorporated Los Olivos, and about eight miles (13 km) north of the town of Santa Ynez.
The Chamberlin Ranch is to the west, and the rugged La Laguna Ranch, where the Zaca Fire began, is to the north. The Santa Barbara County Assessor's office says the ranch is approximately 3000 acres (1214 hectares). It is currently owned by the Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC.
Jackson purchased the property from golf course entrepreneur William Bone in 1988 for a sum variously reported to be $16.5 to $30 million. It was Jackson's home and private amusement park and contained, among other things, a floral clock, numerous statues of children, and a petting zoo. The amusement park included two railroads: one 36" gauge with a steam locomotive (Crown 4-4-0, built 1973, with two coaches) and the other a 24-inch gauge amusement train ride-type); and a Ferris wheel, Carousel, Zipper, Octopus, Pirate Ship, Wave Swinger, Super Slide, dragon wagon kiddie roller coaster and bumper cars, and an amusement arcade. Michael Jackson was also an avid art collector. According to Yves Gautier in the book, “Michael Jackson, Backdoor to Neverland”: “Though few know about it, Michael Jackson is a voracious reader and there is a 10,000-volume library in the Neverland Ranch, that focuses on art, psychology and poetry.”
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. 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.
Jermaine LaJuane Jackson (also known as Mohammad Abdul Aziz) (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5 and occasional film director. He also produced and recorded duets with American singer Whitney Houston in her early years as a recording artist and was also a producer for Bobby DeBarge's band Switch.
Jackson is the fourth child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, born in Gary, Indiana after his brother Tito Jackson. His brothers and sisters are Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy and Janet. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his devout mother (though he later converted to Islam in 1989 after a trip to Bahrain). Jermaine was the original lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Jackson Brothers—an earlier incarnation of The Jackson Five—until 1968, when younger brother Michael began assisting with lead vocals. He remained the lead vocalist with Michael for many years. Jackson graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California in 1973.
Paris Jackson (born July 24, 1980) is a professional Canadian football slotback for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted sixth overall by the Lions in the 2003 CFL Draft and signed with the team on August 30, 2003. He played college football for the Utah Utes from 2001 to 2002.
Jackson was team captain at Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver. In his senior year, he set the school's single-game record for most rushing yards and touchdowns, and accumulated 2,138 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.
Jackson attended Butte College in California in 2000, where he was an All-Conference player, recording 35 receptions for 899 yards and 8 touchdowns. He then transferred to the University of Utah, where he majored in sociology. In 2002, he caught 43 passes in 11 games, finishing second on the team in receiving with 553 yards, and third in scoring with 6 touchdowns. He received an honourable mention for Conference All-Star.
Jackson was selected in the first round, 6th overall in the 2003 CFL Draft by his hometown team, the BC Lions. He signed with the Lions midway through the 2003 season. As a backup wide receiver in 2003 and 2004, he caught 16 passes for 223 yards, and played in the 2004 Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts.