5 things to remember about Michael Jackson

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Wednesday June 25, 2014, made exactly five years that the world woke up to the shocking news of the death of pop star, Michael Jackson — a man whose musical career was so legendary that his public perception was bearing on immortality.

Here are five things to remember about him: 

His childhood was difficult

As a child, Jackson suffered verbal and physical abuse from his father, who was extremely strict with him and his brothers, and was harsh during rehearsals. In his adult years, Jackson admitted that his relationship with his father, Joe, was “troubled”. Joe himself admitted that he “regularly whipped” Jackson and abused him for having a “fat nose”.

In February 1993, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson described his youth as “lonely and isolating”, saying his deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, and his tendency to remain childlike throughout his adult life were consistent with the effects of the maltreatment he endured as a child. However, he would later acknowledge that his father’s strict discipline played a big role in his career success.