Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Michael Jackson Remembered

How the child superstar grew into an icon beloved by the world – and the eccentricities that later defined him

  • AN ECCENTRIC STAR:  ANIMAL INSTINCT photo | Michael Jackson

Credit: GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty

Updated: Thursday Jun 25, 2009 | 11:00 PM EDT By: Serena Kappes, Aaron Parsley, Brian Orloff and Cara Shultz

AN ECCENTRIC STAR:
ANIMAL INSTINCT

"My chimp Bubbles is a constant delight," Jackson wrote in his autobiography, Moonwalk, published in 1998. The chimp was just one of the animals – don't forget Louis the llama and Jabbar the giraffe – the singer had when he moved into his Neverland Ranch, which contained a zoo. But Bubbles – who wore clothes, used a toilet and reportedly learned to moonwalk – had "a special relationship with Jackson," animal trainer Bob Dunn told PEOPLE. "He spoils him, just like any parent would."