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Michael in the Media - Thread for Miscellaneous Articles

Chris Tucker’s friendship with Michael Jackson is well-documented. A lifelong fan of the Thriller hitmaker, he became close with Jackson after his career took off, sometimes visiting and spending time with him at Jackson’s famous Neverland Ranch.

Before that, Tucker was known for his impressions of the late superstar, notably in 2001’s Rush Hour 2 when he did karaoke to Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” That particular performance, according to Tucker, even generated a response from the singer.

‘Rush Hour 2’ was a big hit

The sequel to 1998’s Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2 is a buddy-cop film that follows mismatched detectives Lee (Jackie Chan) and James Carter (Chris Tucker) as they set out to stop an international crime ring.

Though it wasn’t as successful as its predecessor, it was still an enjoyable movie that cinched several award nominations and ultimately grossed over $300 million against a $90 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).

Chris Tucker performed “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” in ‘Rush Hour 2’

On their journey, Lee and Carter stop at a bar, where a man is putting on a poor rendition of Jackson’s 1979 hit. “What in the world is going on in here?” Carter asks, clearly annoyed. “Am I the only one listening to this? This man’s destroying a classic!”

He grows increasingly irritated with the man’s singing before rushing the stage and taking over, delivering a performance where he attempted some of Jackson’s signature moves — including his iconic high kick. Except Tucker used the wrong leg, kicking with his left instead of his right.

Still, viewers loved it, with some calling it one of the best scenes in Rush Hour 2. For copyright reasons, we can’t include it here. But there are clips of the scene on YouTube.

How Michael Jackson reacted to the ‘Rush Hour 2’ scene, according to Chris Tucker

Tucker quipped about Jackson’s alleged reaction to the Rush Hour 2 scene in The Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (2001). Taking the stage to introduce Jackson, he spoke about their friendship and an alleged phone call he received after the release of Rush Hour 2.

“Michael called me on the phone. He said, ‘Is this Chris Tucker? … This is Michael Jackson,'” he claimed, mimicking the singer’s soft voice. “I said, ‘What’s up, Mike?’ He said, ‘I just wanna call you and tell you, I seen your movie Rush Hour 2… and you’re kicking with the wrong leg. Stop making me look bad.”

He then welcomed Jackson on to the stage, who performed his 2001 song “You Rock My World.” At the end of the performance, Tucker returned to the stage, joining him in dance. Jackson burst into laughter and fell on the floor as Tucker, once again, kicked with the wrong leg.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...u-get-enough-performance-in-rush-hour-2.html/
 
Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen both have scores of hits. From Michael Jackson, there’s his work with the Jackson 5 to Thriller and Bad to HIStory. From Eddie Van Halen, there’s Van Halen’s first two self-titled albums to their later work with Sammy Hagar to solo work and collaborations. Both musicians changed the world of music and were massively famous in their time, and continue to be seen as legends of the twentieth century. For that reason, it was a pretty big deal when Eddie Van Halen and Michael Jackson collaborated together on Jackson’s song ‘Beat It’;. But not everyone has Eddie Van Halen’s guitar chops, and Van Halen wouldn’t be able to manage his own touring schedule and follow Jackson around to perform his solo for each performance.

So what did Jackson’s touring guitarist do when it came time to play ‘Beat It?’

The solo

Michael Jackson wrote and recorded ‘Beat It’ in 1982 for his album Thriller. He wanted to have a song that was more of a rock song, though rock was never really Jackson’s genre. Nonetheless, he penned ‘Beat It,’ trying to come up with something that would have a wide appeal. After recording an early version, producer Quincy Jones decided an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo would add to the song.

Van Halen didn’t believe that he was being asked to collaborate with the King of Pop, but Jones meant it. And when Van Halen showed up to record, Jones decided to give him a large amount of freedom with the solo. With Jackson’s writing and performance, Van Halen’s killer guitar chops, and Jones’ expert production, the song became a huge hit.

Jennifer Batten

Jennifer Batten wasn’t touring with Michael Jackson when she heard ‘Beat It’ for the first time — in fact, she was still playing with a local cover band. However, the solo entranced her, and she quickly bought a cassette, so that she could learn the solo by ear. The solo is incredibly technically difficult, and Batten had to slow down the cassette to be able to play it. But learning Van Halen’s technique was important to her. According to Batten in a conversation with Guitar World,

Somebody asked me the other day if I was told to play it that way or if it was my choice. It was definitely my choice because I thought it was one of the most perfect solos in history. I knew I couldn’t do better than Eddie. I was proud to play it as it was. And it was challenging. It’s still challenging.

Her tenacity and discipline in learning the difficult solo paid off, though, when she became Jackson’s touring guitarist. It paid off both in career success and financial, as according to Batten, “Later on that solo bought me a house!”

Teaching Van Halen

Ironically, Eddie Van Halen actually forgot how to play his iconic solo. He hadn’t asked to have his name on the record, and never received royalties — he just played the solo as a favor to Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. It just wasn’t something he was playing regularly after the studio recording. However, it seems to have been important to him, as in the late 1980s, he contacted Jennifer Batten and asked her to show him the solo. She did, and he was able to remember the solo.

It goes to show — there’s a lot you can learn and achieve from copying the masters. Batten’s diligent practice of Van Halen’s solo let her become the touring guitarist to one of the biggest artists on the planet, earned her a solid living, and developed her skills to an incredibly high level.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...o-cashing-in-on-copying-eddie-van-halen.html/
 
Michael Jackson isn’t a children’s artist like The Wiggles, however, he intentionally wrote songs for children. In fact, one of his most iconic hits was intended for a young audience. Despite this, it might not be obvious the song was meant for kids because it doesn’t sound much like a traditional children’s song.

Michael Jackson felt one of his 1980s hits had an important message for kids

Firstly, a little background. In 1988, Jackson published his autobiography, Moonwalk. Released shortly after his seminal album Bad, Moonwalk provides some valuable insight into Jackson’s peak years. While Jackson had never written a book before Moonwalk, he managed to put together an autobiography which was engaging and easy to digest. In the book, Jackson discusses the creation of many of his most famous songs.

“‘Beat It’ was written with school kids in mind,” Jackson wrote. “I’ve always loved creating pieces that will appeal to kids. It’s fun to write for them and know what they like because they’re a very demanding audience. You can’t fool them. They are still the audience that’s still most important to me, because I really care about them. If they like it, that’s a hit, no matter what the charts say.”

Afterward, Jackson explained the moral of “Beat It” — a moral he felt was relevant for kids. “The lyrics of ‘Beat It’ express something I would do if I were in trouble. Its message — that we should abhor violence — is something I believe deeply. It tells kids to be smart and avoid trouble. I don’t mean you should turn the other cheek while someone kicks your teeth, but, unless your back is against the wall and you have absolutely no choice, you just get away before violence breaks out. If you fight and get killed, you’ve gained nothing and lost everything.”

On one level, it makes sense why this lesson would be important for children to learn. On another level, “Beat It” doesn’t feel much like a children’s song. It’s a hard rock track whose video includes a depiction of a gang fight.

How the world reacted to ‘Beat It’

Regardless of who it was intended for, “Beat It” clearly resonated. The track reached the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 and was the only track from Thriller to do so besides “Billie Jean.” Considering the wild success of the album, it may surprise people to know only two of its many singles reached No. 1.

In addition, “Weird Al” Yankovic’s parody of the track, “Eat It,” launched him to stardom and paved the way for all of his subsequent parodies. Jackson would return to the subject of childhood in later songs like “Gone Too Soon” ( a tribute to the child AIDS victim Ryan White) and the aptly named “Childhood.” “Beat It” was meant for youngsters, however, people of all ages embraced it.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...er-was-co-written-by-a-major-movie-star.html/
 
Great recognizes great. Beyoncé has often been called the Michael Jackson of our generation. The two artists got to meet a handful of times before Jackson died in 2009, and Sean “Diddy” Combs, aka P. Diddy, detailed one of those meetings during an interview with David Letterman. As it turns out, the King of Pop crashed one of Diddy’s parties just for a chance to hang out with Beyoncé.

Michael Jackson is Beyoncé’s biggest musical influence

Beyoncé loves Michael Jackson. The first concert she ever attended was one of his, and the concert inspired her to become a performer.

“He is the reason I do what I do because I would have never experienced that magic if it wasn’t for him,” she once said, according to Yahoo! News.

The “Drunk in Love” singer emulates her dancing and stage presence in Jackson’s image, and in the early years of her career, her producer made her watch one Jackson 5 performance on a loop to learn Jackson’s “soul.”

“When I was just starting out, my first producer used to make me listen to Michael Jackson’s live performance of [the Jackson 5’s] ‘Who’s Lovin’ You,'” Beyoncé wrote, according to Billboard. “He would have me watch that for hours back to back to back. What he wanted me to learn was his soul. You could hear his soul. And he was this little kid who hadn’t experienced love but he was a vessel…It’s something that’s God-given.”

Michael Jackson reportedly wanted to date Beyoncé

Jackson was also a fan of the “Halo” singer. So much so, in fact, that he reportedly was interested in dating her.

In a past interview with David Letterman on Late Show, Diddy shared the story of the night Jackson crashed his party. It was 2003, and “Crazy in Love” had just come out (what a time to be alive). Diddy was hosting a party for the MTV Movie Awards when Jackson unexpectedly arrived.

“Security, they come over me, and they say: ‘Mr. Combs, Mr. Michael Jackson is here to see you.’ I’m like, ‘Get outta here!'” Diddy told Letterman. “So, I go over, I find Mike and I’m like: ‘Mike, what’s up, what are you doing here? Thanks for coming!’ So I get him a booth, we go to the booth, we start chit-chatting.”

Michael Jackson crashed P. Diddy’s MTV Movie Awards party just to dance with Beyoncé

Jackson and Diddy ended up snapping a picture together, and then Jackson revealed his true intentions for crashing the star-studded event right after.

As Diddy shared, “He whispered in my ear: ‘Where’s Beyoncé?’ He came to the party to holla at Beyoncé. This is before Jay-Z, though. He came to the party to holla at Beyoncé, finds her, and dances with Beyoncé in the party! Mike was smooth.”

In another interview, the producer shared more details about this MTV party. Stars like Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, David and Victoria Beckham, Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, and Chris Rock were all at the event, which Diddy said was meant to be part of his “entrée onto the scene as an actor.”

Given that it was such a star-studded guest list, it’s surprising that Jackson had to crash. But let’s be real, no one would assume to think that the Michael Jackson would actually show up if invited. But based on Diddy’s story, he probably would have RSVP’d yes in one minute had he known Beyoncé was going to be there.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...-crashed-p-diddy-party-holla-at-beyonce.html/
 
Madonna and Michael Jackson had a unique friendship. At first, it seemed like the two were a match made in music heaven and would be the best of friends for many years to come. But after a failed attempt at collaborating on a song, disagreements over where to socialize, and expressing opposing views on fashion, Madonna and Jackson’s friendship came to a sudden end.

Madonna almost collaborated with Michael Jackson on his song ‘In The Closet’

Madonna and Jackson first crossed paths in the early ’80s. At the time, Jackson was already an established artist, thanks to his stint as a member of the Jackson 5. On the other hand, Madonna was an up-and-coming singer who had just made waves in the music industry following the release of her 1982 album, Like A Virgin.

Even though both were dominating the music charts, Madonna was still starstruck when she met MJ, who she was introduced to by her manager, Freddy DeMann.

“I met him in the early ’80s, when I first started working with my manager, Freddy DeMann, who at the time was managing Michael Jackson. I saw him play at Madison Square Garden, and I was blown away,” the “Vogue” singer said during a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, per MTV News. “He was flawless. There was a party at the Helmsley Palace Hotel. He was very shy, but it was a thrill for me.”

After that, the two realized that they had a great deal in common and soon became friends.

In addition to attending the 1991 Academy Awards together, the pair also attempted collaborating on a song but ultimately never did.

“There was a period of time when we hung out,” Madonna told the outlet. “He wanted to work with me, I think he wanted to get to know me, and I wanted to do the same. When you write with somebody, it’s a weird experience, you feel vulnerable and shy.”

Madonna and Michael Jackson’s plans to join forces fell apart

Though Madonna and Jackson had made plans to collaborate on his song “In the Closet” off his 1992 album Dangerous, the pair never got a chance to record together in the studio.

According to Madonna, the King of Pop had asked her to write some new lyrics for the song based on its title. But while Madge wanted the track to be provocative, Jackson wasn’t a fan of her ideas.

“I started writing words and getting ideas and stuff and I presented them to him and he didn’t like them,” Madonna said during her Rolling Stone interview. “I think all he wanted was a provocative title, and ultimately he didn’t want the content of the song to… sort of, live up to the title.”

While not seeing eye to eye on song lyrics played a part in Jackson and Madonna not working together, it turns out that that’s not the only reason their potential collaboration never came to fruition.

During an April 2020 VERZUZ Battle with fellow record producer Teddy Riley, singer/ songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds revealed that Madonna wanted Jackson to “dress like a girl” for the “In The Closet” music video, which he was very upset by.

Edmonds recalled Jackson telling him, “‘Babyface, can you believe she wants me to dress like a girl?’ He was like, ‘I’d never do that.’ He said, ‘She was trying to change it all up. It was crazy’… He was really mad about it.”

Jackson would go on to release the track as a solo record, accompanied by a music video starring supermodel Naomi Campbell.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...-to-dress-like-a-girl-for-a-music-video.html/
 
In honor of Black History Month, Pollstar is spotlighting seminal live performances by black artists every day throughout February. With a deep, rich tradition of transcendent and powerful performers across genres and the ages, we are well aware that we can only scratch the surface of so many thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, brilliant Black performances. In fact, any one genre by itself, be it Jazz, Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop, Blues, Rock, Classical, House, Techno, Country, Reggae and more, could easily fill this one list. Therefore, in this series, we aim to hit on a variety of music from different periods and sounds to help put into perspective the depth and range of so much incredible Black music performances that have infinitely enriched our culture and lives.

On an already incredible night of music that saw James Brown performing with the blues legend B.B. King at L.A.'s Beverly Theater, The Godfather of Soul brought out two unexpected surprise superstar guests to make the night legendary. It came towards the end of the night during an extended jam of “It's A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” when Brown, much to the audience's shock and awe, called Michael Jackson up to the stage from the audience.

Michael Jackson, in his Thriller prime, took the stage, sang a couple of pitch perfect “I love yous" and then pow! The JB’s amped up the tempo and lit into “Hustle!!! (Dead On It).” as The King of Pop exploded into several of his classic dance moves: the quadruple spin, the Thriller knee band and gravity-defying moon walk. On his way off stage Jackson whispered something into Brown’s ear.

“He just insisted that I introduce Prince!" Brown says calling Prince Rogers Nelson to the stage. Of course, if you’re Prince, you make your stage entrance riding piggyback on a large bearded man while pulling off your spangled gloves with your teeth. Prince then straps on a guitar, tosses off a couple of mostly rhythmic licks before squatting down, placing the guitar between his legs and thrusting. Seemingly caught up in the moment, Prince removes his guitar, then his shirt and does a couple of mic stand kicks before leaving exiting and knocking over a prop lamp. It's a shame the two guests didn’t perform longer, with each other and/or with Brown., but perhaps no stage could handle that much star power at once.

https://www.pollstar.com/article/ho...ory-james-brown-michael-jackson-prince-147270
 
Few musical artists in history can compare with Michael Jackson. After all, the King of Pop had not only the biggest-selling album of all time in Thriller. He also influenced and shaped generations of fans and fellow performers. Among those whom Jackson‘s career affected? None other than “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Michael Jackson let ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic parody his songs

Of course, Jackson and Yankovic are connected through their music. Yankovic has famously always sought permission from any artists whose work he is looking to parody. And early on in his career, Yankovic gained Jackson’s blessing to turn the latter’s hit “Beat It” into the food-focused “Eat It.” Yankovic’s version became a breakout hit and remains one of his biggest.

“Michael Jackson wasn’t just cool about my parody of ‘Beat It,’” Yankovic told People in 2016. “But he also loved my version of ‘Bad,’ which was ‘Fat.’ He even let me use the actual ‘Bad’ subway set for the ‘Fat’ video. He was very supportive, which was huge with opening the doors with other artists. Because if Michael Jackson signed on, you couldn’t really say no.”

The King of Pop eventually rejected one of Yankovic’s ideas

However, for as much help as Jackson was early on, the King of Pop eventually rejected a Yankovic parody idea. At one point in the early 1990s, Yankovic hoped to make a parody of Jackson’s 1991 hit “Black or White.” However, due to the song’s racially charged message, Jackson denied permission to poke fun at his work. Yankovic told Wired in 2011 he believes this decision essentially saved his career.

“Frankly, my wanting to do Michael Jackson a third time was a pure act of desperation. I was feeling pretty down after UHF came out and didn’t do that well commercially and I was kind of feeling like, ‘Oh, man, maybe my career is over.’ And I was grasping for that last straw. But thankfully he said ‘no’ because I ended up doing Nirvana, which ended up revitalizing my career. Michael had always been very supportive and part of me wants to think that in his heart he knew what was best for me.”

Truly, a third Jackson parody might have been pushing it. “Eat It” and “Fat” were big successes. But at that critical point in his career, Yankovic would likely not experienced a resurgence. Rather than looking to his own musical past for inspiration, he focused on the future in the form of “Smells Like Nirvana.”

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has continued to release hit albums ever since

Yankovic’s 1992 album Off the Deep End, in fact, kicked off a whole new era of hits. Throughout the 1990s, the singer would release fan-favorite tracks like “You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” “Jurassic Park,” “Amish Paradise,” and “The Saga Begins.”

In fact, Yankovic’s success only increased over time. In 2014, bolstered by a week of daily music video releases, he landed his first number one album. Mandatory Fun — which features parodies of Pharrell Williams, Iggy Azalea, and others — cemented his status as a living legend.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...-al-yankovics-career-in-the-early-1990s.html/
 
Super Bowl Flashback: Michael Jackson Turned the Halftime Show Into an Extravaganza in 1993

Awesome performance. sad what happen a few months after. :(

Before the King of Pop took the stage at the Rose Bowl for Super Bowl XXVII, the halftime show was mostly an afterthought where fading celebs and Up With People tended to be the main entertainment.
The modern communal pop extravaganza known as the Super Bowl halftime show can trace its roots to Jan. 31, 1993, when Michael Jackson took the stage at the Rose Bowl for Super Bowl XXVII, where the Dallas Cowboys would trample the Buffalo Bills, 52-17.

Before that, the halftime show was mostly an afterthought, occupied by college marching bands, Up With People and fading acts like Mickey Rooney (XXI) and Chubby Checker (XXII).

In 1992, Fox lured 22 percent of the audience from NBC by counterprogramming a special episode of In Living Color during halftime, and the NFL realized it had to up its game. It turned to Radio City Productions to mount something spectacular, which in turn offered the slot to Jackson. He asked for $1 million, a seeming bargain, but the NFL did not pay its halftime performers, a policy that remains. (Still, Justin Timberlake saw a 534 percent jump in song sales after he performed for an audience of 100 million at 2018's Super Bowl LII; Lady Gaga's sales increased tenfold the year prior.)

In the end, the league partnered with Frito-Lay to offer a $100,000 donation plus a 30-second TV spot to Jackson's Heal the World Foundation, founded a year earlier to "improve conditions for children throughout the world."

In a dramatic start to his set, Jackson was ejected onto the stage from below and stood frozen for 90 seconds. He then launched into a medley of "Jam," "Billie Jean" (complete with moonwalk) and "Black or White" before concluding with the mushy "We Are the World" and the single "Heal the World," surrounded by 3,500 L.A.-area kids. With 133 million tuning in, it remains the most watched halftime show and one of the highest-rated telecasts of all time.

Seven months later, Jackson would face his first accusations of child sexual abuse.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...he-halftime-show-into-an-extravaganza-in-1993
 
Although his heyday was in the 1980s, Michael Jackson continues to inspire artists to this day. For example, The Weeknd cited one of the King of Pop’s No. 1 hits as the blueprint for his music. Here’s a look at the creation of the song — and why Jackson means so much to The Weeknd.

Michael Jackson crafted this No. 1 hit with Billy Idol’s guitarist

It all starts with Steve Stevens. Stevens was Billy Idol’s guitarist. During an interview with Billboard, he recalled what it was like to work with Jackson.

“My whole thing is working with the artist, that’s why I picked up a guitar — I saw Elvis and Scotty Moore on TV and I went, ‘Oh, look, it’s a singer and a guitar player,'” Stevens recalled. “And that’s the way it’s always been for me. And then I got a call about another record, and the artist wasn’t there, and I was like, “Woah, really?” It was just me and the engineer, and it’s just not for me. There’s no joy in that. So of course, my question was, “Will Michael be there? Quincy kind of laughed and said, ‘Yeah, it’s his record.’ He thought it would be an odd thing for him not to be there. I guess Michael is one of those guys that no matter what went down on the record, even if it was a miniscule little percussion part, he was there for every note. And that’s the way it should be.’”

Together, Stevens and Jackson helped create one of Jackson’s most famous songs: “Dirty Diana.” “Dirty Diana” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Aside from “Beat It,” “Dirty Diana” might be Jackson’s most famous rock song.

The ways ‘Dirty Diana’ impacted The Weeknd

Millions of people around the world are fans of Jackson, however, Rolling Stone reports he has a very special place in The Weeknd’s heart. The Weeknd is from an Ethiopian family and he was very moved by “We Are the World” because it was a charity single for Ethiopia. He said when he wasn’t listening to Ethiopian music at home, he was usually listening to Jackson’s songs.

In addition, The Weeknd told Variety that “Dirty Diana” served as the blueprint for his music. After all, “Dirty Diana” is a song that’s both dark and sexual, much like many of The Weeknd’s songs, from “In the Night” to “The Hills” to “False Alarm.” In addition, The Weeknd released his own version of “Dirty Diana” which features electronic flourishes that weren’t in the original.

The Weeknd included his rendition of the song on his mixtape Echoes of Silence under the title “D.D.” Comparing his cover to the original, it’s shocking how similar The Weeknd’s singing style is to Jackson’s. The King of Pop had a massive influence on many pop and R&B artists — and The Weeknd is no exception.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...kson-hit-is-the-blueprint-for-his-music.html/
 
Michael Jackson didn’t often duet with major singers, however, when he did, they were usually major celebrities like Paul McCartney and Eddie Murphy. Despite this, he decided to perform a duet with an unknown artist that reached No. 1 on the charts. Here is the story of that song.

Michael Jackson had a sweet surprise for the writer of one of his most iconic hits

Firstly, some background. In 1982, Jackson released his most famous album: Thriller. He took five years to release a follow-up. His next album, Bad, was almost certain to be a hit because of the success of Thriller.

While working on Bad, Jackson worked with a number of proven hitmakers, including Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Glen Ballard. However, he also worked with Siedah Garret, who co-wrote his power ballad “Man in the Mirror.”

According to Billboard, Jackson introduced Garrett to his song “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” So of course, he just casually called over his shoulder, ‘Hey Sid, you like this song?’” Garrett recalled “And I kind of said, ‘Yeah, I like it.’ He said, ‘Well, can you sing it?’” I didn’t seem to dawn on Garrett what was about to happen next.

“So I get up to go into the vocal booth to record this song, and as I’m going out of the studio door I hear Quincy say, ‘Michael, go on in there.’ And so Michael is following me to this vocal booth, and I’m going to myself, ‘Oh my god.’ It wasn’t until I walked into the vocal area and there were two music stands, two microphones, two lyric sheets… The music stands were facing each other, and the microphones were facing each other, and the lyrics sheet said, ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’: First verse, Michael, second verse Siedah.’ And it was in that moment that I realized, “Oh my god. I’m singing a duet with the King of Pop, the biggest recording artist on the planet!’” Jones commented that Jackson “loved” Garrett, so this could be why he gave her the opportunity.

How Quincy Jones reacted to Michael Jackson working with Siedah Garrett

According to The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, Garrett believes Jackson mimicked her vocal stylings when he performed on the song. Because of this, Jones couldn’t tell who was singing when he closed his eyes. Garrett didn’t realize how similar their voices sounded until after she and Jackson finished recording it.

How the world reacted to ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’

Upon release, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week in 1987. It did well considering it’s one of Jackson’s hit singles that was not accompanied by one of his signature high-concept music videos. In fact, it doesn’t have a music video at all. While Garrett didn’t become a pop star, Jackson helped her reach the top of the charts.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...with-someone-he-loved-says-quincy-jones.html/
 
Michael Jackson was famous for making elaborate music videos, however, he refused to appear in the video for one of his No. 1 hits. He made that decision for a very specific reason. Here’s a look at the thought process behind the video for his song.

A director had permission to do whatever he wanted for this Michael Jackson video

Firstly, a little background. In 1987, Jackson released one of his most famous albums: Bad. Bad included some huge, memorable singles, such as the title song, “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and “Smooth Criminal.” Each of those songs has a memorable music video. However, Jackson sometimes paired his songs with music videos that were a little more low-key.

During an interview with Billboard, Epic Records executive Larry Stessel recalled the creation of one of his videos. “We’re in [Frank DiLeo’s] study and Michael says ‘I want you to make a video for ‘Man in the Mirror’ and I will not be in it.’ He was getting ready for the tour and rehearsing. He didn’t want to make another video. They wanted to keep the costs down because Michael paid for all the studios. It wasn’t so much the money, it was more like, “You know what, we’ve made big videos, this is just… I don’t know what I want, so I want you to make the video. You do whatever you want.”

Don Wilson’s unusual idea for the video for Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror’

Stessel discussed picking the music video’s director. “I called a friend of mine, his name is Don Wilson, who is primarily a video editor. He did some commercials and stuff and some small things…. So we started throwing around some ideas and he said, “How about we use all these images of things that relate to the song and we’ll edit them together and let’s see what we have?’”

The video for “Man in the Mirror” features clips of many historical figures known for their roles in movements for equality, including Mahatma Gandhi, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Robert F. Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy. In addition, the video includes people who represent the sort of hatred the aforementioned figures stood against, such as Nazis and Klansmen.

How the world reacted to ‘Man in the Mirror’

While the video for “Man in the Mirror” is not as complex as other Jackson videos, it’s a lot more socially conscious than the famous videos for “Thriller” and “Beat It.” So did this more serious approach work for Jackson? According to The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, “Man in the Mirror” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1988. Perhaps the politically-charged video especially resonated in 1988, which was an election year in the United States. Regardless, Jackson proved he didn’t need to appear in a video for his music to sell.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...o-be-in-the-video-for-man-in-the-mirror.html/
 
Michael Jackson left behind an enduring musical legacy and a reputation for living a luxurious lifestyle. Though he was notoriously private, Jackson’s inner circle sometimes recalled stories about his menagerie of wild animals that he kept at his Neverland estate.

Lionel Richie once talked about his python scaring the daylights of him, but who knew Jackson had crocodiles too? The late singer’s former manager described being stunned when he saw how Jackson behaved with the reptiles.

Michael Jackson collected exotic pets at Neverland

From a young age, Michael Jackson was known for his affinity for animals. At one time he had a pet rat named Ben and befriended Bubbles, his famous chimpanzee.

The late pop star splurged his wealth on Neverland Ranch and created a private zoo on the 2,700-hundre acre property. Once upon a time, it housed tarantulas, an elephant, tigers, flamingos, a lion, and a variety reptiles.

Before Jackson’s death, he began shutting down the place and rehomed most of the creatures. Some went to animal sanctuaries and others went to public zoos.

Birds, giraffes, primates and more found new homes before he left Neverland for good in 2005. Jackson vacated the property following his trial.

Jackson’s former manager liked Neverland’s zoo except for the crocodiles

Dieter Wiesner began acting as Jackson’s manager in 2003. In 2020, he published a book titled Michael Jackson: The Real Story: An Intimate Look Into Michael Jackson’s Visionary Business and Human Side. In it, he shared one anecdote about watching Jackson play around with the crocodiles on Neverland Ranch.

He and the singer went for a walk on the grounds, and Wiesner remembered enjoying the sounds of nature and the animals around them. They made their way past the aviary, and for a moment, Jackson stopped and leaned against the fence that protected the crocodile habitat.

Wiesner recalled how Jackson suddenly jumped over the fence and sat on a boundary wall with his feet hanging above the crocodiles’ heads. He noted one of them was close to the wall near Jackson.

“I have to admit, the crocodile’s proximity to Michael’s dangling feet made me very uncomfortable,” Wiesner wrote. “On the other hand, I didn’t know if this was something Michael regularly did, and the crocodiles were used to it; therefore, I anxiously observed, with hopes Michael knew what he was doing,” he said.

The reptiles were Wiesner’s least favorite attraction at the zoo, but Jackson was very carefree and took things a step further.

A crocodile snapped at Michael Jackson

Wiesner continued to watch Jackson, who had grown adventurous and decided to launch small pebbles at the 6-foot long beasts. Worried, he told Jackson to be careful. “I asked jokingly, ‘You want to be able to continue to do the moonwalk in the future? Don’t you’ Of course, he didn’t listen,” Wiesner recalled.

And then bubbles formed in the water. Jackson had already stopped tossing gravel, but he caught the animals’ attention.

“And in the twinkling of an eye, the animal popped out of the water with its mouth open at a 90- degree angle and ferociously snapped at Michael’s feet. Just in time, Michael snatched his legs up before the croc’s mouth closed,” Wiesner wrote.

He said the sound was reminiscent of a chest slamming shut. As the croc bared its teeth and hissed, Jackson stood atop the wall, laughing it up. Though Wiesner felt stunned, he said that was Michael being Michael.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertai...les-made-his-manager-very-uncomfortable.html/
 
Chinese blockbuster evokes nostalgia in Michael Jackson fans

A lot of Michael Jackson fans in China went to crowded movie theaters during the Spring Festival holiday with a special purpose -- to hear their idol's iconic song Heal the World, which played at the end of the blockbuster film Detective Chinatown 3.

Currently the second highest-grossing film this year, the third installment of the popular Detective Chinatown franchise has raked in 4.2 billion yuan ($649.3 million).

With a stellar cast including some of the top Japanese stars such as Satoshi Tsumabuki and Masami Nagasawa, the sequel set in Tokyo unfolds with the new mission of the detective duo Tang Ren and Qin Feng, who try to solve a mysterious murder of a gang's leader.

Director Chen Sicheng reveals that the franchise will produce some spinoff stories with other protagonists aside from Tang Ren and Qin Feng in order to appeal a wider viewership in the future, during a recent screening of the movie in a local theater in Beijing.

In order to express the movie's theme of wishing the world peace, director Chen reveals that he spent a hefty fee to purchase the licensing right to Heal the World, a song from Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous.

With its beautiful melody and connotations, the song has captivated many Chinese fans over the decades, moving some of them to tears while hearing it in theaters during the Lunar New Year holiday.

"The song is a warm and healing surprise for fans in China and the general public, considering what we have been through last year. Many fans told me they cried when they heard the song at the end of the film. The power of music is incredible," says Keen Zhang, head of Michael Jackson's Chinese fan club.

"Michael Jackson always cared about the world and humanity when he was alive, and the song is not just about love and peace, but also appeals people to act together to heal this world in disasters, chaos, injustice, illness, poverty and war for children and generations to come," he adds. "Director Chen made good use of the song to bring comfort, inspiration and hope to the people, and Michael's legacy will forever shine."

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/20210...9I6_-zCvk4RiIg
 
5 Highest Selling Pop Albums Of All Time, Ranked 2.Bad 1.Thriller

2.Michael Jackson- Bad

No one has quite been able to make pop music the way that iconic legend, Michael Jackson, did. He is notably one of the best musicians to have ever lived, and leaves behind a huge legacy. The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson released 10 studio albums before his tragic death, in 2009. His best-selling album, Bad, was released in 1987, and became the soundtrack to late 80's life for teens around the world. Selling over 35 million copies worldwide, it became one of the top selling albums of all time. Some of his biggest hits, like 'Smooth Criminal', 'The Way You Make Me Feel', and the title track, 'Bad' appeared on this album.

1.Michael Jackson -Thriller

The top-selling pop album of all time goes to Michael Jackson's 1982 album, Thriller. With an incredible 66 million copies sold worldwide, and reaching Platinum status 33 times in the United States, the album is not only the top-selling pop album, but the top-selling album across all genres...ever. Recorded at the Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the album was produced by legendary music mogul, Quincy Jones. Michael blended disco, pop, rock, and funk sounds to make this masterpiece of an album. From start to finish, it is loaded with nonstop energy and grooves that just make you want to dance. This is an absolute must for any pop music collection. Almost 40 years later, it's still the best!

https://www.therichest.com/rich-powerful/highest-selling-pop-albums-all-time-ranked/
 
The 40 greatest synth sounds of all time, No 30: Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

10 million sales, and counting...

Not many songs are instantly recognizable just from a couple of synth chords, but Billie Jean is one. The song remains one of the biggest singles of all time with over 10 million copies sold to date.

Co-produced by the legendary Quincy Jones alongside the king of pop himself, the song is a masterpiece of music production thanks to its stripped-back grooves, unique drum sound, clever recording techniques (backing vocals sung through a cardboard tube, anyone?) and creative use of then pioneering music tech.

And painstaking doesn't really cover it; even the mix by Bruce Swedien, who normally nailed his mixes in one take, was done over 90 times.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/the...of-all-time-no-30-michael-jackson-billie-jean
 
Michael Jackson was notorious for making elaborate music videos, however, he refused to appear in a video for one of his No. 1 hits. He had a very specific reason for refusing to appear in the video. The thought process behind the video for his song can be seen here.
It is no surprise that Michael Jackson's Thriller album is the most successful pop album of all time. The album sold 66 million copies worldwide and was certified Platinum 33 times in the United States, making it not only the top-selling pop album but the best-selling album across all genres... ever. Produced by music mogul Quincy Jones, the album was recorded at Los Angeles's Westlake Recording Studios. Michael blended disco, pop, rock, and funk sound to create his acclaimed album. The entire song is filled with nonstop energy and grooves that will keep you dancing all the way through. Every pop music collection should include this track. The song is still as good as ever!
While strolling on the grounds with the singer, Wiesner enjoyed the sounds of nature and animals. After passing the aviary, Jackson stopped and leaned against the fence that enclosed the crocodile habitat for a moment.
 
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herbrtsimth23 said:
Michael Jackson was notorious for making elaborate music videos, however, he refused to appear in a video for one of his No. 1 hits. He had a very specific reason for refusing to appear in the video. The thought process behind the video for his song can be seen here.
It is no surprise that Michael Jackson's Thriller album is the most successful pop album of all time. The album sold 66 million copies worldwide and was certified Platinum 33 times in the United States, making it not only the top-selling pop album but the best-selling album across all genres... ever. Produced by music mogul Quincy Jones, the album was recorded at Los Angeles's Westlake Recording Studios. Michael blended disco, pop, rock, and funk sound to create his acclaimed album. The entire song is filled with nonstop energy and grooves that will keep you dancing all the way through. Every pop music collection should include this track. The song is still as good as ever!
While strolling on the grounds with the singer, Wiesner enjoyed the sounds of nature and animals. After passing the aviary, Jackson stopped and leaned against the fence that enclosed the crocodile habitat for a moment.
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Which song u talking bout
 
herbrtsimth23 said:
Michael Jackson was notorious for making elaborate music videos, however, he refused to appear in a video for one of his No. 1 hits. He had a very specific reason for refusing to appear in the video. The thought process behind the video for his song can be seen here.
It is no surprise that Michael Jackson's Thriller album is the most successful pop album of all time. The album sold 66 million copies worldwide and was certified Platinum 33 times in the United States, making it not only the top-selling pop album but the best-selling album across all genres... ever. Produced by music mogul Quincy Jones, the album was recorded at Los Angeles's Westlake Recording Studios. Michael blended disco, pop, rock, and funk sound to create his acclaimed album. The entire song is filled with nonstop energy and grooves that will keep you dancing all the way through. Every pop music collection should include this track. The song is still as good as ever!
While strolling on the grounds with the singer, Wiesner enjoyed the sounds of nature and animals. After passing the aviary, Jackson stopped and leaned against the fence that enclosed the crocodile habitat for a moment.
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yea your link is broken.. though I would guess you're referring to the video for cry?
 
Michael zackson is often in the media. From books, to magazines and even on TV. Michael zackson's motivational ideas have been picked up across many different industries and areas of interest. He is the God of dancing.
 
MJPoetryFan said:
https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/...-manish-malhotra-2061005?amp=1&akamai-rum=off

'Memorable Moment' With Michael Jackson, As Remembered By Manish Malhotra
Fashion designer Manish Malhotra found a spot on Friday's list of trends after he shared a memorable picture of himself with Michael Jackson as a tribute for the King of Pop (and dance) three days after his 10th death anniversary. Michael Jackson, iconic hitmaker and lord of the dance, died on June 25 in the year 2009 at his home in Los Angeles. In his "10 years without MJ" tribute post, Manish Malhotra recalled how Michael Jackson not only wore a sherwani, trousers and a shawl with Indian embrodiery art designed by him at the Bollywood Movie Awards in 1999 but also thanked him for the outfit on stage. Michael Jackson won a Humanitarian Award that night.

Commenting on his post, actor Tiger Shroff, who recently paid tribute to Michael Jackson on his 10th death anniversary with a video, wrote: "This is amazing... I am so jealous... Fantastic." The 29-year-old actor, known for his dance moves, posted a video of him dancing, not to an MJ hit but to a rather more unexpected pick - Ranveer Shingh's Khalibali from "Padmaavat," as a tribute to the dance legend.
Check it out
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@filmandmusic @MacMandy90


 
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NatureCriminal7896 said:
Me and Michael share a lot of the same characteristics. i been going to therapy almost 10 years now. (isn't that weird?) if my therapist tells me that i'm okay and that my interests are unique then article about Michael from therapists from 1984 saying the samething shows a lot. MICHAEL IS INNOCENT AND ALWAYS BEEN HAVE.

b21f909600775102ed4a61664fc84ccc.jpg
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@staywild23

This article is very much of its time. I don't love everything that's written here but I think it's an interesting piece, nonetheless. I did like these quotes, towards the end:

"He is an explosive performer with an almost magical charisma."

"He affects and enchants everyone."

" ... Jackson's unbridled enthusiasm fills us with optimism ... "
 

BTS tribute to Michael, dancing to BOW. They don't recreate his dance moves, as such. It's more a tribute to his essence and the feel of the song. I think it's brilliant.

Starts at 1m 40s.
 
Today I went to a book exchange place. There were 1000 or so books there including some very old. I found a series from 1985 which were sort of encyclopedia of famous things geared towards teenagers. The first one I picked up had Michael Jackson. Posting one of the pages, sorry it's in German.

PXL-20220904-161056593.jpg
 
zinniabooklover said:
@staywild23

This article is very much of its time. I don't love everything that's written here but I think it's an interesting piece, nonetheless. I did like these quotes, towards the end:

"He is an explosive performer with an almost magical charisma."

"He affects and enchants everyone."

" ... Jackson's unbridled enthusiasm fills us with optimism ... "
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This response is very late (almost by 2 months 😅) but I still wanted to comment. Honestly, it's such a bittersweet article, knowing how the media and a section of the public would treat Michael later on... I don't wanna be too negative of course, thankfully we all still love and support him after all! And for what it's worth, I think it's much more accurate about Michael than the vultures ever were. Why couldn't everyone just remember him so positively... It's not fair. The 80s were really a different time.

Oh and obviously, Michael was definitely a sex symbol to me, but I do like the fact that he was never too raunchy. It's a fine line to tread, but he did it wonderfully, in my opinion. But I'll save that talk for elsewhere. 😂
 
DangerousGal91 said:
Oh and obviously, Michael was definitely a sex symbol to me, but I do like the fact that he was never too raunchy. It's a fine line to tread, but he did it wonderfully, in my opinion. But I'll save that talk for elsewhere. 😂
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He was, is, and forever will be a sex symbol and I want to talk about it in every thread as loudly as possible lol.
 
DangerousGal91 said:
This response is very late (almost by 2 months 😅) but I still wanted to comment. Honestly, it's such a bittersweet article,
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Yeah, 'bittersweet' is definitely the right word.

DangerousGal91 said:
knowing how the media and a section of the public would treat Michael later on...
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Yeah, that was the other thing. It's a real moment in time. It's interesting to see how Michael was written about at that time and in different places. Especially compared to later on ... and it wasn't all that much later that it changed, of course. I believe it was 1985 that the UK tabloid The Sun started to use the 'WJ' insult when writing about Michael. It would be right there on the front page (I'm from the UK). Quite brazen.

DangerousGal91 said:
I don't wanna be too negative of course, thankfully we all still love and support him after all! And for what it's worth, I think it's much more accurate about Michael than the vultures ever were.
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It really is, isn't it? They are really highlighting his enthusiasm for life, his energy, and how that can affect our own feelings of optimism. I'm not one of life's natural optimists so Michael has got his work cut out with me, lol, but I know what they're getting at here and I agree. The miraculous thing is that Michael maintained his enthusiastic optimism even through his terrible ordeals. What a guy!

Also, the point about us watching him grow up in front of our eyes. I'm the same age as Michael so he was sort of like a sibling. Which sounds bonkers but idk how else to describe it. For example, I didn't fancy him at all when he was a teenager. Actually, even when he was in his 20's. It would have been like fancying one of your cousins. I mean, eww! Just no!

Just the fact that they went to psychiatrists to get quotes is quite interesting. I'm not mad keen on the modern trend to try to do the armchair psychologist thing and analyse people when a) you never met them and b) you have no psychotherapeutic training or experience so you have no idea what you're talking about. That said, some people - like Michael, for example - are just naturally fascinating to the rest of us so to get an opinion from this particular group of people as opposed to the usual pop culture commentators makes it way more interesting to read. The level of agreement amongst them is also really interesting. I assume they were contacted separately and yet they are all offering up very similar theories about Michael's appeal.

DangerousGal91 said:
Why couldn't everyone just remember him so positively... It's not fair. The 80s were really a different time.
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Well, yes and no. There was clearly a moment when he was treated fairly by the MSM and the coverage was good but it did change, even before Bad. At least, it did in the UK. It could be quite vicious in the second half of the decade. Swings and roundabouts. Yesterday I was looking for stuff to post on the 'Michael in front of crowds' thread. I was looking for video clips to post. Found one really nice tv report from Liverpool from when Michael played at Aintree Racecourse to approx (estimates vary) 125, 000 people. It's a really lovely, positive piece. There's even 2 clips from the show itself. BUT the reporter quite casually uses the 'J' word and also 'WJ'. I mean, just calmly and casually as if it's totally normal and acceptable. Which, tbh, to the MSM, it probably was. So I didn't post it, obvs. Not happening.

DangerousGal91 said:
Oh and obviously, Michael was definitely a sex symbol to me,
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He really wasn't for me! But in the six months I've been on the board I still haven't been able to untangle that whole aspect of it so now I just don't even bother. My brain is not up to the task, lol. And that's fine. I'm totally fine with it.

DangerousGal91 said:
but I do like the fact that he was never too raunchy. It's a fine line to tread, but he did it wonderfully, in my opinion.
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I still can't work out how he does this. Seriously, how does he do this?

Answer came there none. :D
 
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