Albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller cemented the former child star's talents as an adult performer.

Born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana, Jackson was the seventh child of the Jackson family.

Along with his brothers, he made up The Jackson 5 and launched a highly successful solo career in 1971.

Jackson was known for his trademark dance moves, particularly the moonwalk.

He enjoyed success with numerous music videos including Billie Jean, Beat it and Thriller.

In the late 1980s, Jackson was labelled "Wacko Jacko" due to his growing eccentricities.

He underwent major plastic surgery to change his appearance, his skin lightened amid rumours of bleaching and he surrounded himself with children in Neverland mansion.

In the early 90s, Jackson gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey and accused his father of childhood abuse.

In 1993, Jackson was accused of child sex abuse by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.

Police investigated the allegations and searched Neverland but were unable to take the investigation further after Jackson settled with the Chandler family for a reported $22 million civil lawsuit in 1994.

In the same year he married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, and two years later they divorced.

In 1996, Jackson married Deborah Rowe in Sydney while on tour in Australia.

The couple had two children, son Prince Michael and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, before divorcing in 1999.

Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, nicknamed Blanket was born in 2002, however the identity of his mother is not known.

In the same year Jackson caused outrage in Berlin dangling his child over a hotel balcony.

In 2005 Jackson was accused of the sexual abuse of a 13 year-old boy at Neverland. He denied all counts and in June the jury found Jackson not guilty on all charges.