Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and philanthropist. He began his career as the lead singer of the Motown act, The Jackson 5, in the 1960s, and made his first solo recordings in 1971 as part of the Jackson 5 franchise. Jackson began a full-fledged solo career in 1979 and formally parted with his siblings in 1987, and has since become the most successful recording artist in black music history, and one of the most successful solo artists in music history.