25 Years Ago Today: Michael Jackson Fired

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson may be viewed as an eccentric nutjob by many people these days, but there was a time when he was the biggest, most successful and beloved person on the planet.

But at the peak of his fame, he was nearly killed.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Jackson's near fatal accident on the set of a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles. It was a horrific, panic-filled moment for not only the entertainer, but his legion of fans worldwide. 

A pyrotechnic special-effect went awry during the sixth take of the shoot, and a fire spark shot into his then trademark Jheri curl and ignited a small fire in it. As he crumpled to the floor, his brothers and a few crew members (including director Bob Giraldi who also helmed Jackson's "Beat It" clip) ran to his aide and helped to smother the flames. When news of the stunning event spread to the public, many held vigils (including radio stations nationwide) for the fallen megastar.

I was nearly seven years old, but I shed many tears as well.

Jackson, 25 at the time, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was treated for second and third degree burns to his scalp. Before being wheeled into an ambulance, Jackson famously waved to the camera while sporting his signature single sequined glove.

What made the event so devastating was Jackson's global status at the time. His phenomenal album Thriller had been released over a year prior to this, but had been a runaway freight train since then, already having become the biggest selling album in music history with close to 30 million records sold (today it has sold more than 104 million copies worldwide).

Jackson's music videos had also transcended the music industry and raised the bar on what was considered the norm. Less than two months prior to the Pepsi accident, his iconic "Thriller" short film debuted to rave reviews and sparked the album to even greater heights. He'd also garnered a record eight American Music Awards for the album less than three weeks before this mishap.

Of course, Jackson's popularity was at an all-time high. Everyone wanted to be him, it seemed, and many purchased and wore replicas of his trademark jackets, sunglasses and "glitter glove," not to mention the famous Jheri curl that almost spelled his doom on that January 27, 1984 afternoon.

MJ would eventually recover and a month later, he dominated the Grammy Awards, winning another eight trophies (seven for Thriller). That summer, he and his brothers embarked on a cross country tour called "The Victory Tour."

For that night in January, 25 years ago, Jackson scared us all. I'm just grateful that it wasn't worse.

We would have been robbed of a true legend in his prime.

Jackson's Concept For Thriller Film Was Scary Brilliant

CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson revolutionized the music video in the 1980's to such an enormous degree that his impact continues to resonate today in spite of his long absence from public view.

Credit Thriller for that.

Thriller, the seminal music video which Jackson correctly referred to as a short film made its world premiere on MTV 25 years ago today to stunning global reviews. The album of the same name had been released a full year earlier and had sold an unprecedented amount of copies throughout the close of 1982 and much of 1983. Sales began to decline sometime around the fall of '83 but with the release of the unbelievable Thriller film, the album began an eye-popping climb back up the charts and sold better than it had previously!

Before Jackson's historic Thriller album, music videos were very basic and watered down. Often, the performer of the song would be different from the performer in the video. It was Jackson that transformed conventional thinking and used his formidable creativity to fuel his project's singular uniqueness.

Jackson's fame had risen to astronomical levels in early 1983 with the release of his classic "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" videos. Then, a Spring appearance on Motown 25 and a super stylized public image catapulted him into the realm of legendary pop star. He was ultra popular worldwide but no one expected the groundbreaking success that would become the Thriller film.

Directed by film director John Landis, Thriller was a semi-macabre 13-minute horror/musical complete with a storyline and closing credits. It was even released theatrically for a brief time to make it eligible for an Academy Award.

The Thriller album went on to garner eight American Music Awards and another seven Grammys. It sold an astounding 104 million copies worldwide, a historical accomplishment so staggering that most of the greatest artists of all-time haven't even sold that much with their entire discography. As for the film, the quarter century since its premiere has given it a firm place in pop culture lore and it has been mimicked and praised as an iconic creation that has raised the bar tremendously on creativity in the music industry.

Special salute to the great Michael Jackson for making every creative person on the planet better than we ever dreamed of being.