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Michael in the Media - Thread for Miscellaneous Articles

As time when on, Michael Jackson began incorporating rap into his music, most famously on his hit “Black or White.” He even got to work with one of the most famous rappers of all time, The Notorious B.I.G. Here’s why Biggie almost broke into tears when he met Jackson — and how audiences reacted to their collaboration.

How Michael Jackson reacted when The Notorious B.I.G. wrote explicit lyrics for their collaboration

Though it’s not as well-remembered as Thriller or Bad, Jackson released an album in the 1990s which saw him taking lots of chances. HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I includes everything from collaborations with Slash and Shaquille O’Neal to covers of hits by the Beatles and Nat King Cole. It also includes Jackson’s collaboration with rap legend The Notorious B.I.G.

According to the book Michael Jackson: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track, Jackson worked with producer Dallas Austin on a song called “This Time Around.” The track had a dark sound that suited Biggie’s flow. Biggie had the opportunity to appear on the track and wrote two sets of lyrics for his verse — one clean and one uncensored. Jackson ultimately preferred the uncensored rap Biggie wrote, and that’ is what appears on HISTory. Recording engineer John Van Nest (not to be confused with Jonathan Van Ness) recalled the recording session where Biggie worked on “This Time Around.”

The Notorious B.I.G.’s short studio session for ‘This Time Around’ got emotional

“So, Dallas and I were expecting him any minute, and pretty much on time, Notorious strolls in,” Van Nest said. “He was quite an imposing figure when he walked in, as he was quite popular at the time. I had no idea what to expect from him in terms of attitude, but he seemed nice when he walked in…. But almost immediately, he blurted out, “Yo, Dallas, can I meet Mike?”…. Biggie went on to talk about how much this opportunity meant to him, as Michael was his hero.”

After recording his second take of “This Time Around,” Biggie got to meet Jackson. Van Nest said Biggie nearly started crying. Van Nest said this was part of the “effect” Jackson had on many people. Though his session for “This Time Around” only lasted a matter of minutes, Biggie was happy to be a part of it.

How the public responded to ‘This Time Around’

Given the popularity of rap in the mid-1990s, it would make sense for “This Time Around” to become a huge hit. In addition, artists from Barbra Streisand to Beyoncé have earned some of their biggest hits by collaborating with other popular artists. A collaboration between Jackson and Biggie seemed poised to dominate the radio.

However, it was not to be. Billboard reports “This Time Around” didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at all. This is puzzling, as Jackson is one of the most popular singers ever and Biggie had several hits on Billboard both before and after he died. However, perhaps this reflects where Jackson’s career was at the time.

For comparison, Jackson released a duet with his sister Janet called “Scream” as a single from HIStory. According to Billboard, the song isn’t even one of Janet’s top 20 most popular songs. Michael simply wasn’t at the top of his game when he made HIStory — at least commercially. Regardless of the public’s response to “This Time Around,” recording the song certainly meant a lot to Biggie.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...cried-when-working-with-michael-jackson.html/
 
5 Actors Who Were Almost Cast As Doctor Who (& 5 Who Should Be)

6/10

Almost Doctor Who: Michael Jackson

The first Men in Black film hinted Michael Jackson was an alien, and while this isn't the case (we assume), we can understand why he was once considered for the role of the Doctor. However, he wasn't up for a role in the television series. Back in the late 80s, Paramount Pictures had plans for a big-budget Doctor Who movie, and according to The Guardian, Michael Jackson could have been offered the part.

https://screenrant.com/actors-almost-cast-should-be-cast-as-doctor-who/
 
Although he generally didn’t make rock music, Michael Jackson did collaborate on a song with Slash of Guns N’ Roses. Afterward, Slash got to socialize with Jackson and formed opinions about Jackson’s talent. Here’s how the public reacted to a track featuring two musical icons.

Michael Jackson’s history of working with rock musicians

Though Jackson was the King of Pop, he worked with rock stars now and then. For example, he famously duetted with Paul McCartney on “Say, Say, Say” and “The Girl Is Mine.” In addition, Clash reports he worked with Slash on a song from his album Dangerous: “Give In to Me.”

According to a persistent rumor, Slash played the riff from “Black or White,” a song from the same album, but Slash confirmed this rumor is false. Slash did, however, make an appearance in the video for “Black or White.” In an interview with Kerrang!, Slash discussed how he felt when he had the opportunity to work with Jackson.

How Slash felt about Michael Jackson on a personal level

“Initially, it was a phone call from my manager where he said, ‘Michael is trying to get in touch with you,’ and I was like, ‘Wow,’” Slash said. “So I called him back and he wanted me to play on Dangerous. We made a date and I went down to the Record Plant in Hollywood and he was there with [actor] Brooke Shields…. So we hung out for two minutes and they went off to dinner and left me with this song.” Although the aforementioned meeting was brief, Slash did get to socialize with Jackson later on.

“I did my thing, he really dug it and afterwards he kept asking me if I’d be into doing this, or doing that,” Slash recalled. “I’d do some shows here and there and it was fun because he was such a pro, and he was such a f*cking talent from on high. That was the main thing: he was so amazingly musically fluid. Such a treat to be around.”

How the public reacted to ‘Give In to Me’

Although Slash was a featured artist on “Give In to Me,” his name recognition did not help the song commercially. “Give In to Me” didn’t chart at all on the Billboard Hot 100. This is interesting, as “Give In to Me” is an example of the emotive hard rock for which Guns N’ Roses is known.

Though Jackson had hits after “Give In to You,” the poor chart performance of the song showed he was past his Thriller/Bad commercial peak. Regardless, the song must’ve resonated at least a little, as popular rock band Three Days Grace recorded a cover of it for their album Transit of Venus. Although it wasn’t a hit, “Give In to Me” remains a fascinating example of two musical geniuses working together.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...-quincy-jones-says-he-stole-billie-jean.html/
 
MICHAEL JACKSON was of course best known for his music and endless bouts of talent - but he was also well known for his incredibly generous humanitarian work, and this month in 1990 saw the star receiving an award named after him.

Michael Jackson fans were never truly shocked to hear the King of Pop had written and released a brand new hit overnight. The star was forever releasing unbelievable music which has since gone down in history. However, he also did a lot of humanitarian work over the years, especially working to improve the lives of impoverished or sick children.

Throughout his long career Jackson spent a lot of time working on making the lives of children better using his incredible power and wealth.

This included welcoming them to his Neverland ranch, donating money, and doing publicity visits to raise awareness for various causes.

Eventually, in 1990 Jackson was praised by the Boy Scouts of America for his work.

And because of this, he was awarded the first award with a brand new name, titled in honour of the star himself.

September 14, 1990, saw Jackson being given the first ever "Michael Jackson Good Scout Humanitarian Award".

This award, given to him by the Boy Scouts, was created, named, and awarded for Jackson in recognition of his numerous humanitarian efforts over the years prior.

At the ceremony Jackson was given the award by Disney CEO Michael Eisner, an associate of Jackson at the time.

Chairman of the board of Los Angeles Area Council Boy Scouts of America Ray Martin also commented on the help the star had provided.

He announced: "Michael Jackson is a good example to youth.

"Helping us keep kids off the streets by supporting Scouting."

Of course, this wasn't the first or last time Jackson was involved in a number of humanitarian movements.

Just a few years later Jackson was hard at work touring the world with his brand new album Dangerous.

And in 1993 he took a day off from touring in Tel Aviv to visit some sick children, some of which had cancer, as well as transplant patients.

The star's incredible gesture was remembered recently on his Twitter account.

The tweet showed off a photo of Jackson with a child, smiling as they sat in the hospital room.

The tweet read: "In September of 1993, Michael Jackson visited Tel Aviv during the Israeli leg of his Dangerous World Tour.

"During a day of rest between two scheduled concerts, Michael spent his time cheering up cancer and transplant patients at nearby children’s hospitals."

Jackson also had beds installed in his home at Neverland ranch in front of cinema screens, in which he allowed sick children to come over and watch the latest films whilst they still received their treatment.

He also regularly held days in which he invited inner-city children to get on the various rides he had dotted around his premises.

Included in his home was also a zoo, in which kids could see exotic animals for the first time.

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1335362/michael-jackson-award-boy-scouts-named-human

[video=youtube;ko5AjDnfDj4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko5AjDnfDj4[/video]
 
Michael Jackson: Princess Diana DEMANDED star play 'Dirty Diana' at London show

MICHAEL JACKSON had fans that spanned across nations, continents, and even royalty. Jackson once spoke out about Princess Diana, and even mentioned how she demanded he play the song "Dirty Diana" during his concert in London.

Michael Jackson, like the rest of the world, was extremely saddened to hear the news of the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The Royal unfortunately died in a car accident, leaving behind her two sons, Prince William, and Prince Harry. However it seems the former Princess of Wales was a dedicated Michael Jackson fan, and even knew all of his songs.

One of Jackson's most popular and most influential albums of all time was 1987's Bad.

On the album Jackson included a song titled "Dirty Diana".

In the past he has explained how Dirty Diana was not referring to any one woman, but instead was speaking about the groupies that hung around concerts.

In an interview with Barbara Walters in 1997, Jackson explained how Princess Diana sternly told him to include the song in his London concert after he took it out.

During the interview Jackson explained: "I wrote a song called Dirty Diana.

"It's not about Lady Diana it's about ... they call them groupies."

Speaking about Dirty Diana, Jackson said: "But I took it out of the show [in London] in honour of her royal highness."

Despite this, Princess Diana pulled Jackson aside and asked him to change his mind.

Mimicking her, he recalled: "She took me away and asked: 'Are you going to do Dirty Diana?'

"I said: 'No!'. [She said]: 'No! I want you to do it! Do the song!'"

Because of this, Jackson changed his setlist once again to include Dirty Diana, as he knew Princess Diana was going to attend his show in London.

He later added: "She told me she was honoured to meet me, and I said it's an honour to meet you."

Throughout his time Jackson played for all kinds of fame, notoriety, and indeed royalty.

Despite this, the star explained how he was never "happy" with his work.

In fact, just before his death, Jackson detailed one of his "regrets" from within his career.

Speaking to ABC News, the star said: "I'm just never satisfied with what I do creatively.

"I just regret the limitation of my own imagination.

"I just feel there's so much more. I don't think I've ever done a project where I was totally happy with it."

Later in the interview he added that he was not happy with the first ever live moonwalk performance.

Jackson explained how he wanted to hold the pose a little longer than he had done at the event, causing him some disappointment.

https://www.express.co.uk/entertain...ty-diana-bad-album-london-tour-news-interview
 
Michael Jackson opens up on 'REGRETS' in his work - 'There's so much more'

MICHAEL JACKSON created an eccentric palette of artistry over the course of his career. And through each of the songs and albums and music videos that he penned, Jackson was unfortunately never satisfied. During an interview from just before he died, the star himself revealed what he regretted most about his work.

Michael Jackson shot to fame with his incredible voice and dance moves at his disposal. It was not surprising to see the star rising more and more each month, as his music continued to crescendo all the way up until he died in 2009.

Just before his death, Jackson gave some interviews about his work over the years.

And while fans have fallen in love with his music over the course of the past 30 years, Jackson revealed he was never truly satisfied with what he did.

Although his music and albums broke records and garnered a huge amount of awards over the years, things weren't ever as good as he wanted them to be.

Just before his death, the star divulged what his regret was whilst creating music over the years.

Speaking to Good Morning America via ABC News, the star confessed: "I'm just never satisfied with what I do creatively."

He then added: "I just regret the limitation of my own imagination.

"I just feel there's so much more. I don't think I've ever done a project where I was totally happy with it."

Fans of the star will know he struggled with some self-confidence issues towards the end of his life, but his music was always at the forefront of his personality.

So then, it would seem his lack of satisfaction in his work was more of a desire to be better than ever in each song.

It would seem Jackson's dissatisfaction with his work also extends to his dancing.

Later in the interview the King of Pop reminisced about his show-stopping performance at the 1983 Motown celebration.

This was, of course, the first time he ever publicly performed the exceptional moonwalk move.

Unfortunately, the star explained how he was "angry" and "disappointed" with his own work - again.

He confessed: "I don't think I'm ever pleased with my performances, either.

"And after [the first moonwalk] performance I wasn't happy either."

Going on to detail the exact problems he had with the performance, he continued: "I wanted to do the five spins.

"Land on the toes, and freeze there. And hold it, stay there.

"And I didn't. I was angry about that, actually. Really disappointed."

Thankfully, he felt a little bit better about himself the following day when he was given a call by one of his idols.

"I didn't realise I really did well until the next day," he said. "When Fred Astaire called my house.

"He was raving: 'I can't believe it. you're an incredible mover!'

"I thought: 'Oh my god, maybe I did well!"

https://www.express.co.uk/entertain...k-music-video-album-interview-dead-death-news
 
Michael Jackson recalled 'collapsing in GRIEF' upon learning of Princess Diana's death

MICHAEL JACKSON was extremely close with Princess Diana, and was devastated when her death was announced in 1997. Now, in an interview with Barbara Walters, Jackson's first reactions to the late Princess' death have been revealed.

Michael Jackson had an incredible amount of friends. Over the course of his career he amassed endless famous and notable people within his entourage, and indeed called some of them close friends. Included in this collection of people was Princess Diana, whom Jackson had spent some time with when he visited the United Kingdom. Alongside the rest of the world, Jackson was heartbroken to hear about the passing of Lady Diana back in 1997.

It was no secret that Princess Diana went to see Jackson live in concert a few times but few realise that the pair actually became friends over the course of the years.

During an interview with Barbara Walters in September 1997 - less than a month after Princess Diana's death - Jackson explained where he was when he heard the news.

Speaking to the reporter, Jackson was asked where and how he heard the tragic news.

He recalled: "I woke up, and my doctor gave me the news.

"And I fell back down in grief, and I started to cry.

Jackson went on to explain how he simply could "not handle" the news.

"I said: 'I can't, I cannot handle this! It's too much."

"Just the message," he elaborated. "And the fact that I knew her personally."

In a chilling further comment, Jackson then explained how he felt as if someone else was soon going to die.

"And on top of that one," he went on. "I said there's another one, there's another [death] coming."

Jackson then explained that, just five days later, Mother Teresa died.

Elsewhere in the interview Jackson recalled Lady Diana demanding he play Dirty Diana during one of his live concerts.

Telling the story to Walters, Jackson said: "I wrote a song called Dirty Diana.

"It's not about Lady Diana it's about ... they call them groupies.

"But I took [Dirty Diana] out of the show [in London] in honour of her royal highness."

He then recalled her reaction to this, whilst mimicking the late royal.

"She took me away," he continued. "And asked: 'Are you going to do Dirty Diana?'

"I said: 'No!'. [She said]: 'No! I want you to do it! Do the song!'"

This request from the Princess prompted him to change the set list in the concert that day.

https://www.express.co.uk/entertain...iana-death-reaction-concert-dirty-diana-music
 
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“Thriller” remains one of Michael Jackson’s most popular songs and music videos — however, not everyone was a fan. After dealing with some backlash to the video, Jackson wanted to destroy it. Here’s why the “Thriller” video upset some people in Jackson’s life — and why he ultimately didn’t destroy it.

How creating ‘Thriller’ was an act of rebellion for Michael Jackson

First, some background. According to Spin, Jackson had some strong religious beliefs. Jackson was one of the most famous Jehovah’s Witnesses to ever live — not that he was always in the church’s good standing.

Spin reports the album Thriller was a bit of a rebellion against the attitudes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as it mentions sex, gangs, children conceived out of wedlock, and the occult. The video for “Thriller” especially upset the group. According to BuzzFeed, they nearly excommunicated him due to the video’s use of occult images. This is especially interesting as the “Thriller” video is not particularly violent or disturbing, even by the standards of 1980s Hollywood.

How the King of Pop reacted to the backlash

Jackson’s reaction to the backlash was pointed. He almost had the footage of “Thriller” destroyed. However, the director of the video — John Landis — hid the canister with the footage in it so Jackson could not find it. Ultimately, Jackson decided not to destroy the footage — but he still had negative things to say about it. According to The New York Times, Jackson denounced the video in an issue of Awake!, a Jehovah’s Witnesses publication.

”I realize now it was not a good idea,” Jackson said. ”I’ll never do a video like that again. There’s been all kinds of promotional stuff being produced on ‘Thriller,’ but I tell them, ‘No, No, No.’ I don’t want to do anything on ‘Thriller.’ No more ‘Thriller.”’

According to Rolling Stone, if you watch the “Thriller” video today, you are watching a slightly modified version of it created in response to the Jehovah’s Witnesses controversy. The video now has the disclaimer “Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult.” Those personal convictions would not last forever.

When Michael Jackson left the Jehovah’s Witnesses

“Thriller” remained part of Jackson’s life but the Jehovah’s Witnesses would not. The Los Angeles Times reports Jackson left the group in 1987. The Jehovah’s Witnesses did not give a reason for his departure. Neither Jackson nor his manager, Frank Dileo, were willing to discuss the matter.

Following Jackson’s decision to leave the Jehovah’s Witnesses, occult imagery became part of his work again. His song “Ghosts” is full of such imagery. Its music video features numerous horror elements, from creatures of the night to references to Frankenstein to a screenplay by none other than Stephen King. It’s not clear if Jackson would have made such a video if he remained a Jehovah’s Witness. After all, Jackson’s occult inspired work remains popular –regardless of how the Jehovah’s Witnesses reacted to it.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...thriller-and-almost-destroyed-its-video.html/
 
Orianthi Recalls How Michael Jackson Behaved When She Joined His Band, Shares Opinion on Steve Vai

UG exclusive: "It was actually through MySpace."

During a conversation with UG's Justin Beckner, Orianthi talked about joining Michael Jackson's band back in 2009 for the late singer's "This Is It" concert residency.

A string of 50 shows was booked at the O2 Arena in London between July 13, 2009, and March 6, 2010. However, none of the concerts took place due to Jackson's unexpected passing in June 2009.

Orianthi is gearing up to release a new album titled "O" on November 6. You can check it out here.

The guitarist reached the subject when asked about the "MJ" guitar that PRS had crafted for her for "This Is It." She commented:

"That was actually designed with Michael Jackson and his clothing designer. It was my guitar originally; it was just a blue Custom 24. We literally just created that guitar over the span of a month or so for the ['This Is It'] tour.

"That guitar was actually bought from me by a big Michael Jackson fan in China who wanted to display it. It was in a storage unit, in a vault, it was pretty much kept in the dark because I didn't want to play it and lose crystals.

"I'd rather have it displayed somewhere for people to see than locked up in the dark somewhere."

You did rehearsals for that tour and we missed out on it, unfortunately. What did Michael have in store for that tour? Were there some surprises that we, regretfully, were never able to see?
"There were a lot of surprises. Obviously, we had to sign non-disclosure agreements and I don't know if they still stand or if I can talk about everything freely these days

"But there were a lot of things that were going to be pretty epic. It was going to be one of the greatest shows on Earth. That's for sure."

I've read that his people got ahold of you on MySpace. Did that seem odd to you?

"Oh yeah, it was actually through MySpace. I was in the studio working with Diane Warren and I was putting some vocals down and I got an email through Myspace from Michael Bearden saying Michael [Jackson] saw me on the Grammys with Carrie Underwood and my YouTube videos and that I was exactly what they were looking for."He said in the email that he was going to call me that night with Michael [Jackson]. So they called me that evening and asked me if I'd learn 'Dirty Diana' and 'Beat It' and play it for them the next day because they were going to be starting something.

"So I did it and I didn't know what to expect. They hired us all on the spot and we started working. It was pretty surreal."

What did you learn from working with Michael, as far as being a musician and being a professional on that level?

"I learned so much. I can't even really... there was so much I learned from him. It was truly an honor and I'm so grateful to have had that time with him because he pushed everyone to be better.

"He would tell us to step into our light and reach higher. He would tell me to reach my highest note, keep pushing, and be the best performer you can be.

"He was so precise about everything - from the dancing to the sounds. He had this photographic memory for every part of every one of his songs. It was pretty incredible working with him like that.

"You had worked with people who share some of those qualities - the precision and the high bar for professionalism. Steve Vai is someone who values precision and has been referred to as a musical dictator, at times.

"Absolutely, Steve is very much like that too. He is very much into rehearsing and making sure everything is perfect. I've seen him work in the studio - he's a very good friend of mine. The way he orchestrates things is amazing.

"He's just an incredible musician. His dedication to everything he's done in his life... he's just one of those incredible beings, even aside from the music, just as a person, I can't say enough great things about Steve."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/new...ned_his_band_shares_opinion_on_steve_vai.html
 
How Eddie Van Halen's Uncredited Guitar Solo on Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' Came to Be

Following Eddie Van Halen's death on Tuesday from a lengthy battle with cancer, the late rocker's friends and fellow musicians took to social media to remember the legendary musician and Van Halen founder.

Van Halen, who founded his iconic eponymous rock group with brother Alex in 1972, is widely regarded as one of the most talented guitarists in rock history and was a consistent presence in the group through several hiatuses and lineup shifts.

However, something casual fans might not know is that one of Van Halen's most memorable contributions to music history didn't have his name on it at all. The guitarist played an unpaid, initially uncredited solo on one of the biggest pop songs of all time: Michael Jackson's "Beat It."

"It just says, 'Guitar solo: Question Mark' or 'Guitar solo: Frankenstein,' Van Halen recalled to CNN in 2012, when he sat down to remember working with the late King of Pop. "I said to myself, 'Who is going to know that I played on this kid's record, right? Nobody's going to find out.' Wrong! Big-time wrong. It ended up being Record of the Year."

After initially thinking the request from Jackson producer Quincy Jones was a crank call, Van Halen agreed to meet Jones and Jackson at the studio. "And lo and behold, when I get there, there's Quincy, there's Michael Jackson and there's engineers. They're makin' records!"

Van Halen left his signature style on the song's guitar licks, but that wasn't all. He also shared that he put his own spin on the song's production behind Jackson's back!

"Michael left to go across the hall to do some children's speaking record. I think it was E.T. or something," he recalled. "So I asked Quincy, 'What do you want me to do?' And he goes, 'Whatever you want to do.' And I go, 'Be careful when you say that. If you know anything about me, be careful when you say, 'Do anything you want!'"

"I listened to the song, and I immediately go, 'Can I change some parts?' I turned to the engineer and I go, 'OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.' Took him maybe 10 minutes to put it together. And I proceeded to improvise two solos over it."

"I was just finishing the second solo when Michael walked in," he remembered. "And you know artists are kind of crazy people. We're all a little bit strange. I didn't know how he would react to what I was doing. So I warned him before he listened. I said, 'Look, I changed the middle section of your song.'"

"Now in my mind, he's either going to have his bodyguards kick me out for butchering his song, or he's going to like it. And so he gave it a listen, and he turned to me and went, 'Wow, thank you so much for having the passion to not just come in and blaze a solo, but to actually care about the song, and make it better.'"

The collaboration was an unexpected one, and came as a surprise even to Van Halen's bandmates -- who were out of the country at the time. But it was undeniably successful. "Beat It" won two GRAMMYs and went 5x Platinum, selling over 7 million copies and helping to propel Thriller to its reigning spot as the best-selling album of all time.

"I'll never forget when Tower Records was still open over here in Sherman Oaks. I was buying something, and 'Beat It' was playing over the store sound system," Van Halen reminisced. "The solo comes on, and I hear these kids in front of me going, 'Listen to this guy trying to sound like Eddie Van Halen.' I tapped him on the shoulder and said, 'That IS me!' That was hilarious."

And while he was left with plenty of fond memories of the late King of Pop -- "He was this musical genius with this childlike innocence. He was such a professional, and such a sweetheart." -- Van Halen may have ended up regretting his decision to collaborate with Jackson on that particular album.

"Unfortunately, Thriller kept our album, 1984, from going to No. 1," he shared, noting that Jackson's biggest album bumped Van Halen's -- which included the band's most successful single, "Jump." "Our album was just about ready to go No. 1 when he burned his hair in that Pepsi commercial, if you remember that. And boom, he went straight to No. 1 again!"

https://www.etonline.com/how-eddie-...on-michael-jacksons-beat-it-came-to-be-154293
 
Horror was a surprisingly large part of Michael Jackson’s musical career. In addition to “Thriller,” Jackson made another horror-themed music video — one which was far more extravagant. Here’s the story behind a music video Stephen King co-wrote which cost Jackson around $15 million.

The movie that got Michael Jackson into horror

Jackson worked with many famous movie directors during his career. One of them was Mick Garris, the horror director behind several adaptations of King’s work including the miniseries versions of The Stand and The Shining. According to Entertainment Weekly, Garris gave fans insight into how Jackson got interested in horror.

“I’m really fortunate to have been able to work with, and become friends with, Michael Jackson,” Garris said. “It was right after [the release of An American Werewolf in London] — Michael had seen that and had been blown away by it. He wanted to do something on film like that. Michael was very frightened of horror films and was fascinated by the makeup [in them].” Thanks to King, Jackson and Garris would collaborate on an ambitious music video/short film called Michael Jackson’s Ghosts.

Why Stephen King helped create the hugely expensive video

King told Entertainment Weekly it all started with a phone call. Jackson called King on the set of The Stand and said he was a huge fan of King’s work. Jackson said he wanted King to help him make the scariest music video ever.

King liked this idea because he figured creating Jackson’s proposed “minimusical” would be a welcome change of pace. King lauded the finished film, saying “the video contains some of the best, most inspired dancing of Jackson’s career.” On the business end of things, Garris revealed the budget of the music video ballooned to about twice its original size.

“It had a very large transformation over the course of it and eventually became by far the most expensive music video ever made,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “We shot for two weeks and never got into the music video part because when you work ‘Michael hours,’ they’re not the same as regular hours. By the time everything shut down, we’d spent $7 million dollars. It ended up coming in at about $15 million dollars, all of it out of Michael’s pocket.” Jackson certainly invested a lot into the film — so how did the public react to it?

How the public reacted to ‘Michael Jackson’s Ghosts’

Over the course of its 39 minutes, Michael Jackson’s Ghosts includes three songs by Jackson: “2 Bad,” “Is It Scary,” and “Ghosts.” While Jackson had numerous hits, none of the songs included in Michael Jackson’s Ghosts reached the Billboard Hot 100. Compare this to “Thriller,” which reached No. 4. The music video might not have become a cultural juggernaut like the “Thriller” video, but it remains a memorable — and costly — collaboration between two icons: Jackson and King.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...-on-a-music-video-stephen-king-co-wrote.html/
 
In a recent interview with podcaster T.I’s expediTIously, Mike Tyson talked about the first time he met Michael Jackson and how his relationship grown after the pop superstar blanked him.

“Mike is interesting, right,” Tyson said. “I met Mike one day, I think he was at a concert in Cleveland, I’m with Don King. So me and Don come in, right? And I’m champ and everything, did all this s–t, undisputed. So Don goes and Don gives Michael Jackson the ‘peace’ sign, like this. And then so Michael gives Don the ‘peace; sign, and so I give Michael the ‘peace’ sign, and Michael put his hand down. In a way, I say, ‘Did he play me? Nah, he didn’t play me, he just didn’t see me. I knew he didn’t play me, cause I’m f—ing champ.”

“So we went backstage, right? So I’m backstage, and so there’s his backstage, some of his singers and stuff. He’s on stage, it’s over I’m signing autographs and stuff, so Michael comes over and he talks to Don, he doesn’t talk to me. … I say ‘Let me just go on and meet Mike’, cause that’s really why I’m here, I want to meet Mike. And then I go over to meet Mike, … and he goes like this, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere? Where I know you from?’

“He broke my ego, he crushed me,” Tyson said. “I said ‘No, I’m just a fan, pleasure to meet you, sir. He said, ‘Okay’, and then he got out and went in the car”

“So I hated his guts forever, Tyson said. “Every time Michael Jackson’s name came, I said ‘F–k that mother f—er’, and this and that and this and that …”

But Michael Jackson invited him to “hang out”…

“I said ‘Okay, I’m coming, I’ll be over there’, right?” Tyson said. “So I got on a plane, went over there, hung out, and we just started hanging out together. And I said ‘F–k man, he’s a good guy, but in my mind, I said ‘Why’d you play me though, Mike, why’d you play me like that? You knew who I was, why’d you play me?”

Full interview here:

[video=youtube;dVo5BxIt3nk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVo5BxIt3nk&feature=emb_title[/video]
 
Among the influences in Kobe Bryant’s remarkable life were icons such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jackson.

From the King of Pop’s surprise phone call to teenage Bryant to his ongoing words of wisdom for the NBA star, Jackson left a lasting impact. Like many who met the late singer, Bryant had his own share of Michael Jackson stories to tell, and one of his memories involved his future wife, Vanessa.

Michael Jackson was a friend and mentor figure to Kobe Bryant

In an old interview with HBO’s Real Sports, Bryant spoke of the time Jackson called him when he was a rookie on the Lakers and encouraged him to be himself, in spite of those complaining he was too introverted.

Bryant often cited Jackson’s work ethic as an example of what he applied to his court game. He once told Jimmy Kimmel that Jackson showed him how he composed music and trained for performances by studying those before him. “I thought I was working hard until I met him,” said Bryant.

He also shared a story about hanging out with Jackson at Neverland Ranch. They did the zoo, watched movies in Jackson’s theater, and had dinner, but the onsite gas station amazed him.

And Bryant stated on multiple occasions that Jackson was a generous, kind, and funny guy. Additionally, he gifted him books and movies for Bryant to learn from, including Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.

That time Michael Jackson offered his ranch to Kobe Bryant

Shortly after Jackson’s death in 2009, Time magazine tapped Bryant and a few other celebrities for a “Remembering Michael” feature piece. The late basketball great just won the NBA Finals MVP award approximately two weeks prior and spoke fondly of his friend.

“Beyond the genius of what he was, he was just a genuinely, genuinely nice person. He got me hooked on movies that I would normally never watch. Fred Astaire movies. All the old classics. I would never, never watch those,” Bryant said.

He added that Jackson made a nice offer to him and his then-fiancée, Vanessa Laine.

“I remember my fiancée and I telling him we were getting married, and him just being really excited and actually just offering up the ranch to have our wedding there, because privacy was going to be an issue. We wanted to get married in a church, so that’s what we wound up doing. But he made the offer. He was just a genuinely nice person who was exceptionally bright, exceptionally bright, and driven and talented. You mix those things together, man, you have Michael Jackson.”

Bryant married his wife in 2001

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant tied the knot at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in 2001. The couple had been together for 20 years before Bryant’s tragic passing in January.

It’s unclear whether Jackson attended the ceremony, but Bryant did tell ESPN that the phone call he received from the singer during his rookie year changed his life. “Michael Jackson was probably the biggest mentor I’ve ever had. That phone call in Gold’s Gym literally changed my life,” Bryant said.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...son-extended-to-kobe-and-vanessa-bryant.html/
 
Michael Jackson’s video for “Thriller” is one of the most iconic videos ever, however, it wouldn’t exist without a certain horror film. Jackson saw a classic movie and decided he wanted to work with its director. The director of the film had some reservations, but ultimately decided to work with Jackson for a very specific reason.

The 1980s movie which inspired Michael Jackson to make ‘Thriller’

First, a little background. 1980s horror movies stand out for their technical merits. Practical (non-CG) effects had reached their pinnacle, so horror filmmakers could use them to create surreal and convincing monsters and aliens unlike any seen before or since. Enter director John Landis.

At first, Landis was most known for directing comedy films like Animal House and The Blues Brothers. However, he showed off his range with a 1980s horror movie called An American Werewolf in London. An American Werewolf in London remains among the most well-remembered film of the 1980s werewolf craze. It features a famous scene where its lead character transforms into a werewolf — a scene with memorable and convincing specifically effects. According to Bloody Disgusting, this film inspired Jackson to make “Thriller.” Landis recalled what happened when Jackson called him.

What Michael Jackson told John Landis about his idea for ‘Thriller’

“He called to say he was a fan of my film,” Landis told Vox. “He wanted to make a rock video where he turned into a monster and he felt he had the best song to do it with, ‘Thriller.'” Landis had some reservations about the project.

“I thought, ‘I don’t know, because music videos are essentially commercials to sell records,'” he recalled. However, he changed his mind. “I decided to do ‘Thriller’ because it was an opportunity to do a proper musical number.” While working with Jackson, he learned a fact about Jackson which is very interesting given his artistic output.

“Turns out he hasn’t seen many horror films, they were too scary,” Landis told Reuters. “I found him great. He wanted zombies, but the big thing for Mike was turning into a monster.” Jackson’s aversion to horror films is surprising given how he gave the world multiple horror-themed songs like “Thriller,” “Ghosts,” and “Is It Scary?” Landis revealed what it was like working for Jackson.

“Michael was very determined that everything had to be the best, the greatest,” he said. “He had a spectacular work ethic, but he was an old pro, the guy has been performing since he was 8 years old.”

The surprising public reaction to ‘Thriller’

Both “Thriller” and its music video are classics, however, the public response to the song was not as strong as its reputation may suggest. The song merely reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was not one of Jackson’s biggest hits. Commercially, it was eclipsed by other Jackson songs like “Rock with You” and “Beat It.” However, its has an iconic video — a video which might not exist if Landis didn’t want to direct a musical number.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/this-horror-movie-inspired-michael-jacksons-thriller.html/
 
Michael Jackson’s Thriller remains the single most iconic era of pop music, and for good reason. It still stands as the best-selling album of all time with more than 33 million copies sold in the U.S., as certified by RIAA. As awe-inspiring as that number is, the music itself is as timeless now as it was then, from the spooky titular cut to a song like “Billie Jean” and its slinky, provocative bass line.

“She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene / I said, “Don’t mind, but what do you mean, I am the one / Who will dance on the floor in the round?’,” he sings. The opening verse sets the scene of a woman hellbent with feverish adoration, sinking her claws into his life. Despite unreciprocated feelings, he can’t shake her loose.

Once upon a time, roughly a year before the record was released, a young woman claimed one of her twins was his. In 1991’s “Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story,” biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli claimed the iconic track took direct inspiration from this incident. One could surmise it to be true, all things considered, especially when it comes to the chorus:

“Billie Jean is not my lover / She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one (Oh, baby) / But the kid is not my son, hoo!,” sings Jackson, a tinge of playfulness to his voice.

However, Jackson states in his 1988 autobiography, “Moonwalk,” that “there never was a real Billie Jean,” he writes. “The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone’s child when it wasn’t true.”

He then dissects how the song came to him. “A musician knows hit material. It has to feel right. Everything has to feel in place. It fulfills you and it makes you feel good. You know it when you hear it. That’s how I felt about [this song]. I knew it was going to be big while I was writing it. I was really absorbed in that song,” he says.

Jackson took a break from recording and went for a leisurely ride along Ventura Freeway with his longtime assistant Nelson Hayes. “[This song] was going around in my head, and that’s all I was thinking about. We were getting off the freeway when a kid on a motorcycle pulls up to us and says, ‘Your car’s on fire.’ Suddenly, we noticed the smoke and pulled over, and the whole bottom of the Rolls-Royce was on fire. That kid probably saved our lives. If the car had exploded, we could have been killed. But I was so absorbed by this tune floating in my head that I didn’t even focus on the awful possibilities until later.”

In listening to “Billie Jean,” the bass line may feel more than a little familiar, and it is. Musician Daryl Hall, famously one-half of Hall & Oates, claims Jackson told him “directly… that he hoped I didn’t mind that he copped that groove. That’s okay; it’s something we all do.” The groove in question originally appears in “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” off the duo’s 1981 record Private Eyes.

There’s certainly a musical fingerprint present in both, even if “Billie Jean” beefs up the production with a slicker, more full-bodied style. Producer Quincy Jones didn’t like the bass line or the title, infamously pushing to change “Billie Jean” to “Not My Lover,” so as not to confuse with then-tennis pro Billie Jean King. Obviously, Jackson had his way.

Perhaps expressing long-subdued resentment or ill feelings, Jones gave a candid interview with The Vulture in 2018, during which he stated Jackson was “as Machiavellian as they come,” he said. “I hate to get into this publicly, but Michael stole a lot of stuff. He stole a lot of songs. [Donna Summer’s] ‘State of Independence’ and ‘Billie Jean.’ The notes don’t lie, man.”

He later walked back those comments in a series of tweets, as reported by ABC News.

Regardless, “Billie Jean” is forever immortalized in the pantheons of pop music. The second single from Thriller, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy Awards, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Male Vocal Performance.

https://americansongwriter.com/billie-jean-michael-jackson-behind-the-song/
 
“Thriller,” by Michael Jackson (1982)

Michael Jackson—coined the “King of Pop”—wasted no time moonwalking his way to centre stage. His record-breaking album, “Thriller,” and its title track, were immeasurable to improving racial diversity in the industry.

When the decade started, radio stations shunned black music thanks to the virulent anti-disco backlash that collapsed the genre in 1979. As a result, radio programmers boycotted rhythmic black music for fear of being branded “disco,” causing the genre’s 80 per cent decline on the Billboard Hot 100.

But the anti-disco wave changed course when Jackson released the cultural phenomenon, “Thriller,” alongside its iconic music video. After the smash hit graced MTV, Jackson single-handedly forced pop radio to re-embrace black music since audiences couldn’t get enough.

Jackson also paved the way for other African American artists—such as Prince and Whitney Houston—to MTV stardom. Black artists soon reintegrated into mainstream culture, and it all started with “Thriller.”

https://themedium.ca/arts/six-songs-that-changed-the-world/
 
We're counting down the 35 most influential artists of the past 35 years

As part of our 35th anniversary, we’re naming the most influential artists of the past 35 years. Today, we’re at #19. From Gary, Indiana, here is Michael Jackson.

It’s easy to lose sight of Michael Jackson’s artistic accomplishments, given the sheer scale of his commercial success. Just as Star Wars did for film and Harry Potter did for publishing, Thriller changed its industry in a million ways, expanding the possibilities of how many people could buy an album and how much money could be made from music. But the singer’s raw talent and showmanship, the craft he honed since childhood, provided the spark that ignited everything else.

In the Jackson 5 and on his early solo albums, Michael Jackson was a prodigy with an infectious ebullience in his voice. But as he took charge of his music’s creative direction on 1979’s Off the Wall, he became a true original — developing a polyrhythmic symphony of vocal ad-libs, gasps, falsetto whoops and proto-beatboxing oral percussion that made him something more than a soul singer or a pop balladeer. He was as gifted a dancer as he was a vocalist, but both skillsets seemed intertwined, tapping his entire body into every rhythmic accent that a song had to offer.

The last two decades of Michael Jackson’s life were more spectacle than entertainment, even as he incorporated hip-hop and new jack swing into his sound with occasionally exhilarating results. But even after the abuse allegations, financial issues, struggles to live up to the enormity of his ‘80s King of Pop peak and the strange, sad circumstances around his 2009 death, an undeniable catalog remains.

Countless singers have mimicked his moves, high notes, ambitious videos and fashion choices, as if they can find a shortcut to the kind of superstardom he invented. But much of Jackson’s power came from what he did first — and how little room he left for anyone else to improve upon it.

https://www.spin.com/2020/11/the-most-influential-artists-19-michael-jackson/
 
Though they are two of the most legendary entertainers of all time, Prince and Michael Jackson didn’t always see eye to eye. In fact, the feud between the pair began in 1983 when they both attended a James Brown concert.

During the concert, the Off the Wall singer wowed the crowd with his dance moves and mood walks. Prince followed suit. However, in a rare misstep, he dell into the crowd taking down a prop with him. From then on, the men never saw eye to eye.

“It was just very obvious what the hell happened — [Prince] made a d*mn fool out of himself.,” Quincy Jones told GQ in 2018. “Michael went up there, in 40 seconds, sang ‘I love you, I love you.’ Then they went up-tempo, and he did a little dance and did the moonwalk and whispered in [James Brown’s] ear, ‘Call Prince up — I dare him to follow me.’” Still, despite their feud, the men almost made an epic record together.

Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ was one one of the biggest songs of his career

No one knew how Jackson would top his iconic 1982 album Thriller, which is still one of the best-selling albums of all time. However, when he released the follow-up album Bad, in 1987, there were no more questions.

Bad was the final collaboration between Jackson and Quincy Jones, and it was highly anticipated since it was his first album in five years. Though it didn’t sell and Thiller, Bad, and the single of the same name were still enormously successful even without an artist who was supposed to be featured on the song.

Prince was supposed to be featured on Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’

As two of the most legendary performers of all time, it would have been beyond comprehension to hear Prince sing with Jackson on “Bad.” That was the original plan for the sequel, but instead, fans will notice that actor Wesley Snipes is in the video with the King of Pop.

“You know that Wesley Snipes character [from the video]? That would have been me,” Prince explained in a 1997 interview with Chris Rock.

However, Snipes has boasted that Jackson decided to replace him with Prince on a whim. “Me and Prince were auditioning together, and I blew Prince out of the water,” he claimed in a 2017 interview with Conan O’Brien. “Michael had told Prince that he had the role, and then he met me and kicked Prince to the curb. Imagine that.”

While we mostly think the Blade actor was joking, there is a reason why Prince and the Jackson 5 legend never appeared on a song together.

Prince hated the lyrics to Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’

Jackson had written, produced, and composed the song with Jones. However, some of the lyrics made Prince take pause. It appears that the “1999” singer was not so comfy with some of the words used.

“You run that video in your mind,” Prince told Rock. “The first line in that song is, ‘your butt is mine’ so I was saying, ‘Who gonna sing that to whom? Because you sure ain’t singing it to me, and I sure ain’t singing it to you.’ So right there we got a problem.”

Prince’s band member and former fiancée, Susannah Melvoin remembers Prince reworking the song, but Jackson ultimately rejecting it. On the podcast Love City with Toure, Melvoin said,

Prince] couldn’t believe Michael had the nerve to call it “I’m Bad.” There’s nothing badass about him. He could not let Michael get away with it. Not only was he not going to sing it with him, he went into the studio and re-recorded it to what he thought it should be and sent it back to Michael. Like ‘No. And by the way, this is what it should be.’ That was the end of that. But that’s how Prince was.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/prince-michael-jackson-song-bad.html/
 
Who’s been the most unexpected person who’s turned out to be a Steps fan?

Ian ‘H’ Watkins:“Sia wrote our recent single ‘What The Future Holds’ with us in mind. But Lisa’s met Michael Jackson…

Lisa Scott-Lee: “It was in Bahrain not long before he died. We got led in a convoy of 4x4s through the desert to the palace. I was the first in, and Michael was stood there. I went: ‘Hey, I’m Lisa. I’m in a pop group called Steps’ (laughs) and we sat for three hours talking about music. He was lovely and all he wanted to know about was the UK pop scene.”

Ian ‘H’ Watkins: “I can go one down from that. I used to wake up next to his brother [Jermaine Jackson] every morning on Celebrity Big Brother (laughs)”

https://www.nme.com/music-interview...rview-new-album-michael-jackson-oasis-2824464
 
BTS: Jimin and Jungkook imitated Michael Jackson and got all the Applause

Jimin and Jungkook of the South Korean k-pop band BTS dared to imitate nothing more and nothing less than Michael Jackson , the unforgettable King of Pop.

At a live show, both BTS started out wearing yellow and pink bunny costumes and then went backstage and came back in one completely white outfit and the other black.

Jimin and Jungkook of the South Korean k-pop band BTS dared to imitate nothing more and nothing less than Michael Jackson , the unforgettable King of Pop.

At a live show, both BTS started out wearing yellow and pink bunny costumes and then went backstage and came back in one completely white outfit and the other black.

Jimin and Jungkook did very well and showed that they are capable of dancing like the best in the world, doing most of their steps with practically no mistakes.

It was a beautiful tribute from one of the most famous Korean poop groups in the world who is still considered the king of this genre today and who apparently died of a drug overdose several years ago.

https://marketresearchtelecast.com/...chael-jackson-and-got-all-the-applause/10053/

 
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Home Alone forever cemented itself in the unofficial Christmas movie hall of fame when Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister outwitted Harry and Marv as an entertaining tactical genius.

And he didn’t just do it once. By the time Home Alone 2: Lost in New York rolled around two years later, fans were ready to go on another wild adventure with Kevin.

For the 1992 sequel, filming commenced back at the McCallister’s now-famous house in suburban Chicago. What some may not realize is the King of Pop himself — Michael Jackson — was a regular visitor on-set while the movie was in production.

Michael Jackson was friends with ‘Home Alone’ actor Macaulay Culkin

After the success of Home Alone, Culkin had become a child star and was thrust into the world of celebrity. He and Jackson formed a friendship sometime after the movie hit its peak.

During an interview with Esquire back in February, Culkin shared how Jackson reached out to his team after Home Alone dropped.

They bonded over their similar childhoods and had hangout sessions where they prank called people or chilled. Culkin even appeared in Jackson’s video for “Black or White.” These days, he’s doing his duty as Paris Jackson’s godfather and still values his friendship with the late singer.

Jackson did surprise visits on set of ‘Home Alone 2’

According to Metro UK News, Jackson was the only celebrity who stopped by the movie’s set. Former set designer Daniel Clancy told the outlet the pop star used to show up unexpectedly to check in on Culkin.

“No one knew he was coming, this limo pulled up and Michael Jackson pulled out with a mask on. That was freaky. Macaulay Culkin got in the limo and they went to dinner, and they came back,” he said. Clancy described it as “wild” and explained that no one knew about the visits.

But Culkin’s co-star Devin Ratray (who played Buzz McCallister) got a kick out of the whole thing and told Metro UK that the “Bad” singer came to one of their wintertime rehearsals.

He said it was a snowy Saturday morning in Chicago. They were shooting the scene where the family ran out to the airport shuttles when they got to meet Jackson. Culkin made the introduction.

“He grabbed me and said, ‘Devin, I want you to meet somebody.’ He pulled me to the one of the airport vans where we had to get in, the prop vans,” said Ratray.

“Sitting in there out of the cold was Michael Jackson. And this was, again, 7.30 in the morning, in freezing Winnetka in February. You don’t wake up that morning and run into Michael Jackson,” he mused.

Ratray added they later had to stop rehearsal because Jackson needed to use the bathroom in the house. But that’s when he, as a 15-year-old kid, decided to ask for a special favor.

Jackson granted teen actor an interview

Ratray said he was working on a homemade documentary at the time about his experience working on Home Alone 2 and asked Jackson for an interview. It was Culkin’s idea, and Jackson happily obliged.

“I asked him if I could interview him and he very graciously said yes,” he said. They conducted the video chat in the living room of the Home Alone house and Ratray recorded it on a VHS camera.

“Well, I was interviewing Michael Jackson, but Macaulay just kept on jumping up and down, in the way, so I interviewed the two of them. That was a surreal Saturday, I’ll tell you,” he recalled. It was obviously a moment he never forgot.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...and-once-used-the-iconic-house-bathroom.html/
 
It’s quite an anomaly whenever an entertainer emerges from the world of show business to become a household name. Even rarer are when two people from the same family become similarly famous. Michael Jackson was one of the biggest recording artists of all time, but he wasn’t the only one from his family to blow up in a major way.

His sister Janet did as well. One time, Michael gave Janet some great advice about dealing with the trials and tribulations of fame.

Michael Jackson career overview

Michael was known as the “King of Pop” for a reason: he was one of the most popular and successful musical acts in history. According to Biography.com, he started out as the lead singer of his family’s band, the Jackson 5. There he’d sing multiple number one hits while serving as lead singer in front of his four brothers.

The band was managed by their father Joe, a man who was rumored to have an abusive streak. Nevertheless, the children thrived in the spotlight, with Michael commanding the most attention.

The 80s came and Michael went solo. That’s where he’d really skyrocket to superstardom. He delivered some of the biggest hits of the 80s (and all-time) such as:

Thriller
Billie Jean
Beat It
Bad
Smooth Criminal

He wouldn’t have quite the same success in the 90s, but he was still in another stratosphere as a performer in terms of both popularity and output. Eventually, his production slowed. Sadly, the singer passed away unexpectedly in 2009, sending his millions of fans worldwide into mourning.

Janet Jackson career overview

As Michael was achieving his meteoric rise to solo pop success, Janet was also putting out albums. She put out her first album in 1982 and slowly but surely became a superstar in her own right. According to Biography.com, her first major success was 1986’s Control. She continued to put out hit after hit throughout the 90s.

While Janet continued to appear on the Billboard charts with every album she released, she found herself in some major media hot water in 2004 through no fault of her own. Performing in the Super Bowl halftime show with Justin Timberlake, she had a “wardrobe malfunction” which resulted in Timberlake removing an article of her clothing.

Most of the backlash was reserved for her, while Timberlake emerged from the incident largely unscathed.

The advice Michael Jackson gave Janet Jackson about surviving fame

Music writer Lisa Robinson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to talk about her new book. Robinson commented on the Jackson siblings when discussing a picture of herself and a young Janet featured in her book. Robinson spent a lot of time interviewing the Jackson 5. Robinson said that Janet had “no illusions about show business.”

According to Robinson, Michael suggested the following advice to Janet: “Don’t ever let bad things said about you bother you.” Michael certainly knew a little something about having bad things said about him, as criticism and rumors followed him throughout his career.

Janet was also able to keep a decent amount of control over her career due to the fact that their father worked for her as her manager, rather than her working for him. Robinson said Janet eventually fired her Dad in favor of someone else.

Michael and Janet both had ridiculous amounts of success mixed in with some tough phases during both their careers. It goes without saying that Michael’s advice to Janet must have been useful as she navigated the challenging nature of stardom.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...he-sweetest-advice-about-surviving-fame.html/
 
Steve Lukather On Michael Jackson

The guitarist also talks about his contributions to "Beat It."

How cool was it to play with Michael Jackson?

"Great. I did it a bunch, and he was really cool, he used to hang out with Paich all the time - he was always really nice to us.

"I mean, I was the same age as him, I'm a silly dude, but we weren't really like buddy-buddies.

"It was like, 'Hey, Michael, how's it going?' 'Yeah, great, I like that part.' We weren't like hanging out after hours."

You played acoustic guitar on 'Beat It'?
"I played everything on that record except for the solos, everything, all the guitar parts. Jeff Porcaro played drums.

"I did 'Human Nature,' which is basically a Toto song with Michael singing - we did the McCartney duet, that was the first thing we did.

"'Beat It' was just... Me and Jeff Porcaro had to remake that record because they've done another version of it.

"Eddie Van Halen cut the 2-inch, somebody in Eddie's camp cut the 2-inch tape and made it impossible for them to sync back up."

You and Eddie weren't in the studio together to do that?

"No, we actually put it together afterward, Eddie and Michael's lead vocals. They said there was a technical error, but Eddie and I have been friends for a long time anyway, we met in the '70s."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/new...eelings_on_being_called_that_africa_band.html
 
In the late 1990s/early 2000s, boy bands were all the rage. So when NSYNC announced a hiatus, fans were shocked. That “break” wound up marking the dissolution of the group, as Justin Timberlake went solo. Now music producer Pharrell Williams reveals that nearly every track on Timberlake’s first album was originally intended for none other than Michael Jackson.

Justin Timberlake went solo in 2002 with his ‘Justified’ album

During NSYNC’s run, Timberlake was often featured more prominently than his colleagues. So his decision to pursue a solo career felt like a natural extension of the group. But it all happened so fast. NSYNC’s 2001 album Celebrity — which put Timberlake front and center more than ever before — released in summer 2001. And its final single, “Girlfriend,” hit the charts in spring 2002.

By that August, Timberlake’s debut single, “Like I Love You,” established him as a solo career. That fall’s Justified album sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, effectively marking the end of NSYNC. Of course, Timberlake’s career blossomed from there. But early singles off Justified helped him escape the boy-band stigma and embrace a more soulful sound.

But nearly every track was once rejected by Michael Jackson

With Justified, Timberlake was suddenly going for a sound more akin to artists like Jackson. Now, in a recent interview on the Drink Champs podcast, Williams revealed the origin of Timberlake’s Justified tracks. As it turns out, there’s a big reason why the album sounds like one of Jackson’s.

“John McClain was [Jackson’s] manager at the time. We sent him pretty much all the stuff you guys are hearing on the first Justified album. That’s all Michael stuff. All but one song, they were written for Michael. … John McClain was like, ‘Man, Michael don’t want that s**t. He wants the s**t you’re giving Noreaga.’ He was like, ‘Yo, he wants that ‘Superthug.’’”

Even though songs like “Rock Your Body” didn’t impress Jackson, they certainly worked for Timberlake. The former NSYNC member went on to partner with Timbaland for subsequent albums. But of course, the comparisons between Timberlake and Jackson abound. The former even originally wrote the NSYNC hit “Gone” for the King of Pop.

Michael Jackson posthumously worked with Justin Timberlake

Truly, Jackson’s and Timberlake’s careers have a lot in common. And though they never recorded anything together, the singers still appeared on a duet together years later. After Jackson’s death, much of his unreleased material was reworked for posthumous albums in the following years.

As such, Timberlake joins Jackson on “Love Never Felt So Good” from his 2014 album Xscape. The song proves just how closely Timberlake’s voice matches Jackson’s own style. Obviously, the King of Pop was a huge inspiration, though his influence has naturally loomed large for decades.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...ckson-rejected-pharrell-williams-admits.html/
 
With a career that began when he was just 5 years old, Michael Jackson worked with some of entertainment’s most recognized talents.

The late pop star collaborated with Quincy Jones, Steven Spielberg, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, sister Janet Jackson, and more during his 40+ years in show business, leaving behind a musical legacy that touched on multiple genres.

No stranger to rock-and-roll luminaries such as The Beatles, Queen, and the Rolling Stones, he once connected with Mick Jagger for what would become their first and last tag team effort.

Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson became musical peers

The Rolling Stones made their debut in 1962, a few years before the Jackson 5 signed their first record deal. The British rockers were in their late teens/early 20s while Michael Jackson was still a pre-teen, and were on similar trajectories in terms of performances and growing their fan bases.

Fast forward to 1984, and Jackson was a star with a burgeoning solo career and the Stones were megastars too — both with strings of hits to their credit. By that time, Jackson was no longer a child and started working with artists such as Diana Ross and his friend Freddie Mercury.

In a 1983 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, it was revealed he gave input on Queen’s The Game album and urged them to use “Another One Bites the Dust” as the main single. Word soon got around that Jackson wanted to work with Jagger too, and the pair met up to discuss an opportunity.

Jackson and Jagger were underwhelmed with other on one project

According to the book Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger by Christopher Andersen, Jackson tried to recruit Jagger for a collaboration, but the rock star was reluctant.

“You’ve got your family. You don’t need me,” he told Jackson. However, Jackson convinced him to jump on a new song he wrote called “State of Shock,” a track that was originally a duet with Mercury.

The 1984 record turned into a smash, but neither Jackson nor Jagger was that thrilled with the result. Andersen wrote, “As for the collaboration itself, neither star was impressed with the other. Jackson accused Jagger of singing off-key (‘How did he ever get to be a star’).” And Jagger reportedly labeled Jackson as “very lightweight — like froth on beer.”

One year after the single’s release, Jagger described his experience working with Jackson as “quick” when speaking to the New York Times. “He had the two of us practice scales for two hours and then we recorded the vocals in two takes,” he said.

“When he sent the finished track to me later I was kind of disappointed in the production and the mix. But I think he’s a really good singer,” Jagger added.

“State of Shock” appeared on the Jacksons’ Victory album and it soared up the charts, and Jagger later performed it in 1985 with Tina Turner during Live Aid. Though he and Jackson respected one another as artists, this song marked their only collaboration.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...impressed-with-each-other-for-sole-duet.html/
 
What's your favorite story from the Home Alone era?

Michael Jackson came to visit the set of Home Alone 2. That was a pretty memorable day.

Please go on.

It was a Saturday rehearsal, we were just rehearsing a small scene. It was us running out of the house getting into our vans. When I got out of the transport van, Macaulay came up to me and said, “Come here, I want you to meet somebody.” He wouldn't tell me who, but he was very excited. I followed him into the back of one of the prop airport vans that was there, and in the backseat of the van was Michael Jackson—long gray overcoat and gray fedora and sunglasses. This is seven o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, in February, in the middle of Illinois. I didn’t know what to do or say. But suddenly I'm shaking Michael Jackson’s hand without the glove on. What do I say? I said “Hi, I’m Devin and I play Buzz.” He said, “I know, it’s a real pleasure to meet you!” And I just stood there and I said “Yes, Michael Jackson, it is a real pleasure to meet me.” That kind of made him smile. I was able to make him laugh and that brought his guard down a little.

The only thing I thought to say, I had brought my video camera with me—I was making my own sort of documentary behind the scenes and had this big VHS 1992 video camera and I just said out loud, “Hey, do you think I could interview you later on camera?” He said as long as Macaulay was there. So later, while we were waiting to do another rehearsal running out of the house, Michael comes into the house to use the bathroom. Macaulay said it would be a good time to ask him some questions, so I asked him some questions on camera. I’ve had that tape for like twenty years.

“suddenly I'm shaking Michael Jackson’s hand without the glove on. What do I say? ‘Hi, I’m Devin and I play Buzz.’”

Wow.

Yeah I never showed it to anybody.

I was going to say, have there been plans to try and turn that into something for the public or are you just trying to keep it for yourself?

I was keeping it mostly for myself. It wasn't until Michael passed away that Entertainment Tonight contacted me. They'd heard rumors of me having this tape. I thought now would be a good time to pay tribute to the man. I didn't want to profit from it, you know? I didn’t accept money or anything. I just thought it would be a good time for a tribute because nobody had ever seen it before—it was just sort of my little piece of history and my connection with Michael.

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture...xmag&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
 
These are the voices that continue to inspire, console, and empower us

Editor’s Note: This list was published original published 2016 prior to the latest round of allegations levied against Michael Jackson.

01. Michael Jackson

Have you ever watched Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker? Odds are if you were born between 1975 and 1985, the VHS tape sat somewhere next to your equally worn copies of Back to the Future, E.T., and Star Wars. Anyways, if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and find it somewhere on YouTube as it’s worth a watch, if only for the captivating videos and the way it more or less bottles up the timeless magic and appeal of the King of Pop. The reason I’m bringing it up now is specifically for its opening segment, which captures Jackson singing “Man in the Mirror” during his colossal Bad Tour across Europe. For a good three or four minutes, you can watch everyone lose their shit as he triumphantly lifts up their spirits with arguably one of the greatest songs ever. But look closer: It’s people of all nationalities, united and feeling it together.

That was ultimately the power of Michael Jackson; he had the ability of stopping everyone in their tracks, both in life and death. Some might credit this to his unprecedented dance moves, and they’d be right. Some might say it was his masterful production, and they’d be right. Some might point to the archive of hooks that fueled each of his songs, and they’d be right. And some might say it was his voice … and they’d be right. He was the full package in a way we haven’t and probably never will see again — the greatest performer who ever lived. So, yes, you could sit here and make cogent arguments for any of the multifaceted reasons behind his undying legend, but really it starts and ends with his voice. It’s his voice that connected the world together, and it’s his voice that never wavered as he slid into every kind of genre imaginable, from disco to rock to pop to hip-hop to R&B.

What’s more, it’s his voice that keeps on giving: Name any groundbreaking artist of the last 30 years and they’ll all point to him as a major influence, whether it’s his work fronting The Jackson Five, his salad days in Motown, or the decade and a half he turned his music into both a lifestyle and a brand — doesn’t matter, it’s all in regular rotation. Even now, after all the dark and disturbing controversies that have surfaced over the last two decades, he remains an unstoppable, influential enigma. “One of the first times I ever performed in front of a big group of people was at my kindergarten graduation,” Chance the Rapper, then 20 years old, told XXL. “I did, like, a Michael Jackson impersonation as, like, a five-year-old. I had the suit and blazer, the glove and the fedora, and I just performed a whole Michael Jackson song. I’m sure it was ‘Smooth Criminal’.” Shit’s off the wall. –Michael Roffman

https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/10/the-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/11/
 
Best of 2020: From Thriller to the Boss and hometown heroes – the Scottish songwriter looks back

4. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)

“My first musical love was Michael Jackson. When I was four or five years old I was given birthday presents of albums on cassette tapes, and one of them was Thriller by Michael Jackson. My sister and I just absolutely loved it. We loved everything about Michael Jackson.

“He was the first concert that I went to. My Mum worked at William Hill Bookmakers on Saracen Street in Possilpark [laughs], and they had a touchtone phone before anyone had one in the house. When the tickets went on sale, my Mum was able to get through first time and got us four tickets to Michael Jackson at Wembley Stadium.

"I don’t really remember much about the show but I remember the excitement of it all. I have always stayed a fan. Most people’s first gigs are embarrassing but whenever anyone asks me what my first concert was I am always really excited to tell them. It was the Dangerous Tour.”

https://www.musicradar.com/news/amy-macdonald-chooses-the-10-albums-that-changed-her-life
 
Friendship is probably one of the best things in the world, and Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor would most likely agree. Jackson, the legendary pop musician, and Taylor, the iconic Hollywood actress, had one of the most intriguing and devoted relationships.

Donna Bogle recently wrote Elizabeth and Michael: The Queen of Hollywood and the King of Pop―A Love Story, and the book recounts the details and beauty behind the unlikely connection. The celebrities’ high-up status became the foundation of a friendship that would prosper and thrive for over two decades. Take a look back at how the pair hit it off and what outlandish gift Taylor is infamous for giving her BFF.

How did Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson become friends?

According to Jackson, his friendship with Taylor was nothing short of destiny. The author of Elizabeth and Michael: The Queen of Hollywood and the King of Pop―A Love Story recounted the fateful days before their first encounter.

At the time, Taylor’s iconic acting career had put her at the forefront of the public eye as well as Jackson’s. Around the same time, the beloved actor was grieving the death of Richard Burton, her husband and love of her life. Fortunately, Jackson was waiting to swoop in and attempt to fill the void in her life.

During the summer of 1984, the pop star excitedly invited Taylor to his Victory tour. However, when the box, seats, and views were not up to Taylor’s liking, the actor decided to leave. Jackson was beside himself and begged for the star’s forgiveness, and, ironically enough, the rest was history. The pair instantly become hooked on one another.

During one of their very first and famous dates Taylor invited Jackson over for tea, and he actually brought Bubbles, his chimpanzee. The rendezvous received a lot of attention and would end up being the first of many.

What were some of Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson’s most memorable moments of their friendship?

Both celebrities could relate to the challenges that come with fame at a young age, but on a much deeper note, the pair connected over things such as the struggles that come with growing up with an abusive parent and cumbersome medical problems. Taylor and Jackson bonded over many things, and their troubled upbringings was just one of them.

Tea dates led to movie dates which led to marathon hang out sessions. In no time the two were inseparable, and their love for one another was very apparent. Even if they didn’t say it out loud, which they often did, Taylor and Jackson’s gift-giving tendencies spoke volumes.

The world watched in awe and amazement as their bizarre friendship continued to blossom. Ruby-clad watches, diamond necklace and bracelets, and a 17-carat diamond ring are just a few of the presents that Jackson gave his “bestie”. He even hosted and paid for Taylor’s $1.5 million wedding in 1991, but the gifts definitely were not one-sided.

Elizabeth Taylor once gifted Michael Jackson a 5,000 pound elephant

Taylor and Jackson both understood what it meant to live luxuriously. The famous singer definitely had a reputation for his extravagant gift-giving, but he absolutely was not alone.

Taylor once sent Jackson a 5,000-pound elephant from Asia for his home, the Neverland Ranch in California. The elephant was named Gypsy and was a testimony to the friends’ love for animals.

Unfortunately, as many of their fans already know, their fun-loving friendship was cut short when Jackson unexpectedly died in 2009, but their unique story is still very much alive.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...ted-michael-jackson-a-5000-pound-mammal.html/
 
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