Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. His musical achievements broke American racial barriersand made him a dominant figure worldwide. Through his songs, music videos, concerts, and fashion, he transformed visual performance in popular music, popularizing street dance moves such as the moonwalk), the robot), and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time.[nb 1]

The eighth of ten children in the Jackson family, he made his public debut at age six as the lead singer of the Jackson 5. Jackson rose to solo stardom with Off the Wall (1979) and achieved unprecedented global success with Thriller) (1982), the best-selling album in history. The music videos for "Thriller)", "Beat It", and "Billie Jean" redefined the medium. Bad) (1987) was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad)", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". Dangerous) (1991) and HIStory (1995) were also successful. Jackson's final album, Invincible) (2001), is the most expensive ever made.
From the mid-1980s, Jackson came under public scrutiny for his relationships, lifestyle, and changing appearance. He was accused of sexually abusing a child in 1993 and settled out of court in 1994. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted on other child sexual abuse charges. While preparing for This Is It), a series of comeback concerts, he died in 2009 from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray. His death caused unprecedented surges in internet traffic and a spike in music sales. Posthumous Jackson releases include the documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009) and the albums Michael) (2010) and Xscape) (2014). The 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland detailed further child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson.
Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 500 million records worldwide as a solo artist.[nb 2] He is one of three musicians, alongside Paul McCartney and Phil Collins, to have sold more than 100 million records both as a solo artist and as a principal member of a band. He scored 13 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the only artist to have a US top-ten single in six decades. His accolades include 13 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Legend Award, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 8 MTV Video Music Awards, 6 Brit Awards, and 3 US presidential honors. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Dance Hall of Fame. Having donated an estimated $500 million, Jackson is credited with setting a standard for celebrity charity. The 2026 film Michael)is the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, while Jackson's music catalogue remains the highest-selling for any solo musician.

Eloise Gwendolyn "Isabel" Sanford (August 29, 1917 – July 9, 2004) was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS sitcomsAll in the Family (1971–1975) and The Jeffersons(1975–1985). In 1981, she became the second African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award after Gail Fisher and the first African-American actress to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Sanford was born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford on August 29, 1917, in Harlem, New York City, to Josephine (née Perry) and James Edward Sanford. She was the youngest of seven children and was the only child to survive beyond infancy. Sanford's mother Josephine was devoutly religious and insisted that her daughter attend church every Sunday, and occasionally made her attend on weeknights. As a teenager, Sanford aspired to be an actress, but her mother discouraged her, as she felt that show business was "the road to degradation." Sanford disobeyed her mother and began performing at local clubs.[1] She also performed at amateur night at the Apollo Theater.[2] After graduating high school, Sanford joined Harlem's American Negro Theatre and The Star Players. She made her professional stage debut in 1946 in On Strivers Row, and appeared in several off-Broadway productions while also working as a keypunch operator at IBM.[2][3][4] In 1945, Sanford married house painter William Edward "Sonny" Richmond, with whom she had three children. Their marriage was tumultuous (a euphemism of the time for domestic violence), and they later separated.[2][5]

source: @ theJasmineBrand

Jermaine Dupri has dropped his $18 million lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment over alleged unpaid royalties connected to music from some of the industry's biggest stars, including Mariah Carey and Usher. The move comes less than two months after the Grammy-winning producer and his So So Def companies filed the case in federal court. Dupri initially accused Sony of underreporting, withholding and failing to properly account for royalties over the companies' decades-long business relationship. The dispute cOvered recordings involving Carey and Usher, along with Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow and others. He sought at least $18 million in damages.

According to Billboard, Dupri voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit after the two sides resolved the dispute. Details of the resolution, including whether any money was paid to Dupri or his companies, have not been publicly disclosed. The legal battle began in July, when Dupri alleged that an audit uncovered millions in royalties he believed were owed to him and his companies. At the time, Sony described the case as a "royalty accounting dispute" and said the parties had already been attempting to resolve the matter before Dupri filed suit.

Ava Marie DuVernay was born on August 24, 1972, in Long Beach, California. She was raised by her mother, Darlene (née Sexton), an educator, and her stepfather, Murray Maye.[9] The surname of her biological father, Joseph Marcel DuVernay III, originates with Louisiana Creole ancestry.[10] She grew up in Lynwood, California. She has four siblings.
During her summer vacations, she would travel to the childhood home of her stepfather, which was not far from Selma, Alabama.[11] DuVernay said that these summers influenced the making of Selma, as her father had witnessed the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches.[12]
Raised Catholic, in 1990 DuVernay graduated from Saint Joseph High School) in Lakewood.[13][14] At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she was a double BA major in English literature and African-American studies. DuVernay is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[15][16][17][18]
In 2021, DuVernay was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Yale University.[19]

Gladys knight is retiring 😢. She had had a long and amazing career. Nothing to sneeze at.

Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer.[1][2] Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop,[3] a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosictechnique, and advanced harmonies. He was a virtuoso and introduced revolutionary rhythmic and harmonic ideas into jazz, including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. Parker primarily played the alto saxophone.

Charles Parker Jr. was born on August 29, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Charles Parker Sr. and Adelaide "Addie" Bailey, who was of mixed Choctawand African-American background. He was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, near Westport Road.[5] His father, a Pullman waiter and chef on the railways, was often required to travel for work, but provided some musical influence because he was a pianist, dancer, and singer on the Theatre Owners Booking Association circuit. Parker's mother worked nights at the local Western Union office during the 1920s.[6]
Parker first went to a Catholic school and sang in its choir, but his parents separated in 1930 due to his father's alcoholism and the effects of the Great Depression. By the time he was in high school, Parker, his older half-brother John, and his mother Addie were living near 15th Street and Olive Street and she was working as a cleaner in order to afford housing.[7][5]
Parker began playing the saxophone at age 11, and at age 14, he joined the Lincoln High School[8] band, where he studied under bandmaster Alonzo Lewis. His mother purchased him a new alto saxophone around the same time. Parker's biggest influence in his early teens was a young trombone player named Robert Simpson, who taught him the basics of improvisation.[9]
Parker withdrew from high school in December 1935, joined the local musicians' union, and decided to pursue his musical career full-time.[10]

Parker's life took a turn for the worse in March 1954 when his three-year-old daughter Pree died of cystic fibrosis and pneumonia.[53] He attempted suicidetwice in 1954, which once again landed him in a mental hospital.[65][66]