Patrick County High School - Archive Yearbook (Stuart, VA)

Page 32 text:

Michael, Jermaine, Jackson Family, “Thriller” Video Set Fashion, Music, Dance Styles There are many music groups that are popular today. Only a few, though, have actu¬ ally made it to the top and stayed there for a long period of time. When mentioning this, the names that pop into mind are usually the Beatles and Elvis Presley. In 1969, as the 11 year old lead singer of The Jackson Five, Michael Jackson, began making history, sooner than anyone thought possible, his name was added to the list of famous musicians and singers. Selling over 35 million copies of one album, “Thriller”, Mi¬ chael Jackson doubled the sales of his competitors. Coming from a large family, Michael has five brothers and three sisters. Although some of the family members are more well-known than others, all of them are equally talent¬ ed. The oldest brother, Jackie Jackson, 33, was the heart throb of young girls during the early days of his career. Jack¬ ie’s speciality is choreography. He is now married and has two children. Tito Jackson, 30, is the most vocal of the six brothers. His strong point is his skill in production. He is also married and has three children. Jermaine Jackson, 29, has the greatest solo success, sec¬ ond only to Michael. In 1976, when the rest of his family left Motown Records, Jermaine stayed with the recording company. His latest album “Jermaine Jackson” has sold over a million copies. Like his older brothers, he is also mar¬ ried, and has three children. Marlon Jackson, 27, shared lead vocals with Michael in the early year’s. Currently, he is gathering and organizaing material for his own album. Marlon is married and has three children. Michael Jackson, 25, is the Number One entertainer in the world. He is an actor, sing¬ er, dancer, and songwriter. Mi¬ chael ranks high on the list of “most eligible bachelors.” The youngest brother, Ran¬ dy Jackson, is 22 years old. He plays keyboards and percus¬ sions. A Los Angeles resident, Randy is also producing his own album. Rebbie is the oldest Jackson member and the least known of all the rest, but she has re¬ leased a solo ablum. She is married and has two children. At 28 years of age, LaToya Jackson is beautiful with her leather head band becoming her “trademark.” The best known of the sisters, Janet Jackson, is 18 years old. She is an actress and a singer. The Jackson Five consisted of the five brothers of the fam¬ ily. They received their name from a lady in the neighbor¬ hood. At the time, though, they were signed, and under contract with Motown Re¬ cords. This agreement did not give them as much freedom with their music as they want¬ ed. When the contract expired with Motown, they had a chance to sign with Epic Re¬ cords; they grabbed the oppor¬ tunity, with the exception of Jermaine. He chose to remain with Motown Records and the Jackson Five became known as, simply, “The Jacksons.” Michael loved being part of the group, but he felt that he must prove that he was depen¬ dent on no one and could suc¬ ceed on his own. He has proved this fact many times over. Selling more than 13 mil¬ lion copies worldwide, Mi¬ chael started off his record- breaking career with “Off the Wall.” It was the first solo al¬ bum to produce four top ten hits in America and Britain. The Jacksons released an al¬ bum also which produced four hits. Their album was titled, “Triumph.” Last, but never least, came the “Thriller” album. One of the first things Michael did for “Thriller” was his duet with Paul McCartney. Their song, “The Girl is Mine” was the first released cut from this album and was also the first of five Top Ten million-selling singles from the “Thriller” al¬ bum. In 1981, Michael and The Jacksons launched a 39-city tour of America. The tour started in Memphis and ter¬ minated in Los Angeles. The group performed for over 600,000 people and realized a $5.5 million profit from this tour. Even though their 1981 tour was a success, it cannot be compared to the recent suc¬ cess of the “Victory Tour.” Michael’s style and manner is unique and has provided a major (and noticeable) impact on young people all over the world. The styles of clothing that Michael wears have been copied by students at Patrick County High. In addition, the dance steps have been studied by many students and almost perfected so that the students could almost be a Michael Jackson look-alike. The Jackson impact has been tremendous world-wide, perhaps making all of them, particularly Michael, the top entertainers in the world. (Story by Dena Colins) 28 Jackson Craze

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The “First Edition” consists of Tonya Ayers, Karen Ward, Renee Kodenski, Jackie Joyce, Kristi Akers, Amy Key and Leigh Collins. They are preparing to make a turn and end their dance. Freshman Bethany Turman dis¬ plays great feeling for her song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. Drama students Yolanda Biggs and Anita Biggs perform a skit be tween an heiress and a bag lady. Talent Show 27

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Expressing himself with words, as well as motion, is Michael Jackson. This picture, taken on “The Victory Tour” exhibits his one glove, which has become his trademark. ill tel