Michael Jackson

     Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American musician and entertainer. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of eleven as a member of The Jackson 5. Jackson went on to begin a solo career in 1972, becoming a pop icon and named the “King of Pop”, in subsequent years. Five of his solo studio albums, Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), have become some of the world’s best selling pop records.
     Michael Jackson’s domination of radio and television in the 1980s earned him the nickname “King of Pop.” His first solo hit, “Got to Be There,” was released in 1971, only two years after the Jackson 5 broke onto the charts. “Billie Jean” turned Jackson into MTV’s first African-American star. CBS Records had to pressure MTV to air it in 1983. The album Thriller spent 37 weeks at No. 1 in the U.S. and spawned seven Top 10 singles. Jackson has appeared in movies including The Wiz, Moonwalker and Men in Black II.
     Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music in the late 1970s as the first black entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his videos aired on MTV, such as “Beat It” and “Billie Jean”, helped to put the relatively young channel “on the map”, while videos such as “Black or White” and “Scream” made Jackson a staple on MTV into the 1990s. He transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool as well. Jackson popularized physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, along with a distinctive musical sound and vocal style that have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, and R&B artists.

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Sting

     Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born October 2, 1951), universally known by his stage name Sting, is an Academy Award-nominated sixteen time Grammy-winning English musician from Wallsend in North Tyneside. Prior to starting his solo career, he was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bass guitar player of the rock band The Police. As a solo musician and member of The Police, Sting has sold over 45 million records, and received over sixteen Grammy Awards for his work, receiving his first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1981, and receiving an Oscar nomination for best song.
     Former lead singer for the Police, Sting embarked on a hugely successful solo career in 1985. He also acts in movies. The ex-Police man seems quite happy with his place as the grand old man of Adult Contemporary. Sting made his acting debut in 1979 as ‘Ace Face,’ the mod bell boy in the cult classic “Quadrophenia.” Sting gave strong performances in the movies Brimstone & Treacle and Stormy Monday. Though Sting was once a new wave superstar, today he counts light rockers Elton John and Billy Joel amongst his good friends.

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R. Kelly

     Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly left the group within a year for a successful solo career starting with the album, 12 Play (1993). Since then, Kelly has been known for a collection of hit singles including “Bump N’ Grind”, “I Believe I Can Fly”, “Ignition” and the urban hip-hopera “Trapped in the Closet”.
     A successful R&B vocalist, producer and songwriter, R. Kelly has sold more than 20 million albums. Hip-hop beats work with Kelly’s contemporary R&B, but some classic soul influences are heard in his voice and delivery. Such artists as Toni Braxton, Notorious B.I.G., Maxwell and Michael Jackson have solicited R. Kelly’s music-making talents. R. Kelly’s full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly. He was once married to the R&B chanteuse Aaliyah. In 1997, Kelly signed a contract to play professional basketball for the USBL Atlantic City Seagulls.
     On June 6, 2002, Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of having sexual intercourse with a minor. The charges, which were later reduced to soliciting a minor for child pornography, stemmed from a video tape allegedly showing Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old girl. To date, Kelly still faces 14 of the original charges. After a six-year delay, the trial officially began jury selection on May 9, 2008, and officially started on May 20 with opening statements from the prosecution and defense. After two weeks, the prosecution’s case wrapped on June 3 while the defense’s wrapped up more than a week later on June 9. The prosecution will call two rebuttal witnesses tomorrow while closing statements will take place on June 12.

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Paul Simon

     Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is a Grammy Award-winning musician. Simon is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, both as half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel and as a solo artist. In 2006, Time magazine called him one of the 100 “people who shape our world.” As of 2007, he resides in New Canaan, Connecticut.
     Garfunkel’s other half found huge solo success in the ’70s/’80s on the strength of his own talents and a few collaborations. His solo career has been marked by musical globe trotting. He released albums of South African and Brazilian inspired music. Simon spent many years creating the Broadway musical “The Capeman.” The play was considered a failure. Double duty: Simon is in the Rock Hall of Fame as a solo artist and also as a duo with Art Garfunkel. Simon is married to late ’80s pop sensation Edie Brickell. Previously he was married to actress and author Carrie Fisher.

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