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
Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Updated: Thursday Jun 24, 2010 | 06:20 AM EDT By: Serena Kappes, Aaron Parsley, Brian Orloff and Cara Shultz
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CHILD'S PLAY
Despite his ever-present smile in photos (like this one circa 1970), life at home in the Jackson household was anything but happy. Jackson spoke out about the childhood abuse he endured at the hands of his father during a lengthy 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. And in the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson, the singer told interviewer Martin Bashir that during Jackson 5 rehearsals, father Joe "sat in the chair and he had this belt in his hand. If you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you."
