ABOUT THE BOOK Michael Jackson, aptly nicknamed the King of Pop, was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958 to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. From the very beginning of his life, Michael was groomed to be a performer. His father was a guitarist, but had been forced to give it up to provide for his family. But, believing his sons had talent, he molded them into a musical group in the early 1960s (Biography, Michael Jackson Biography). Originally dubbed The Jackson Brothers, the band consisted of Michaels older brothers Jackie, Jermaine, and Tito. By the time Michael was five years old, he displayed remarkable range and depth as a singer and performer and, impressing audiences with his ability to convey complex emotions, he became the family bands new lead singer (Biography, Michael Jackson Biography). Another of Michaels older brothers, Marlon, also joined the group and in 1964, the band became known as The Jackson 5. MEET THE AUTHOR Charles Limley is a native of Colorado. After earning bachelors degrees in both English Literature and Humanities from the University of ColoradoBoulder, he entered the world of professional writing. He began his work with Hyperink during the fall of 2011. In addition to writing, Limley is an avid reader. He also loves bicycles, and has completed several long-distance bicycle tours. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Ben was Michaels first significant success as a solo artist. Recorded in 1972 as part of the soundtrack for a movie called Ben, the song was written by Don Black and Walter Scharf. The movie is about a boy who befriends a rat named Ben, and after writing the song, Black said: When it came to writing about a rat, I said, You cant write about a rat. I mean, Im not going to use words like cheese. I thought the best thing to do is write about friendship (Song Facts, Ben by Michael Jackson). Along with appearing on the soundtrack, this song was also the featured on Michaels second solo album, also titled Ben. The song hit the number one spot on Billboards Hot 100 chart and remained in that position for a week. Ben is an important song in helping Michael become a mainstay of the R&B and pop industries. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on the Best Michael Jackson Songs + An Introduction To The King Of Pop + Song Lyrics: The Top 10 Songs + Michael Jackson Trivia + Conclusion + ...and much more The Best Michael Jackson Songs