Michael was the seventh of nine children of steelworker Joe Jackson and wife Katherine. He first performed with brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon at age 6, and signed with Motown Records at 9. They became the Jackson 5 and made history. (Watch some of their videos.)
How popular were the Jackson 5? Their first four singles (what were they?) consecutively hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1970, a historic first. (Watch performances of "I Want You Back.") They even hit the airwaves in a comic way.