Michael Jackson biography explores good, bad

When someone's as big a celebrity as Michael Jackson, it is a given that there will be people crawling out of the woodwork to tell about how “they knew him when.” Among the many books, news articles and blogs, there must have been millions upon millions of words written about the singer’s strange and very public life. But few have had access to the star and his family since the early days like J. Randy Taraborrelli.

In his book, “Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story,” Taraborrelli covers Jackson’s life from his childhood in Gary, Ind., right up to his tragic death in 2009. Taraborrelli, an entertainment journalist and celebrity biographer, was fortunate to be able to begin covering Jackson when the performer was 11. And over the next 30-plus years he had access to Jackson and his family like no one previously had been privileged.

In this huge biography, Taraborrelli covers every minute detail of Jackson’s life with captivating results. From the family’s entry into the entertainment world, to Jackson’s decision to step out on his own, to the devastating public trials Jackson went through in the ’90s, there are details of every important event in the man’s life — good and bad.

In addition to profiling Jackson, Taraborrelli also includes the rest of Jackson’s family with of the brothers’ struggles with their overbearing father, Joe, and the dramas surrounding the Jackson sisters’ attempts at forming a group of their own. A close look also is given to the women in Jackson’s life — Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Lisa Presley and the mother of two of his children, Debbie Rowe.

This biography originally was released in 1990 and has been out of print for many years, but now the book has been rereleased with the resurgence of interest about Jackson. The book now contains updated information on the final years of the pop star’s life.

If you are a die-hard fan, or just curious about the legendary man who was the subject of so many stories, you’ll find this 800-plus page biography fascinating.