30 Years Later: Michael's Magic Moment

CLEVELAND - It was arguably the coming-out party for the world's most electrifying performer. A magical moment so breathtaking and mind-blowing that words still don't do a single bit of justice to describe the insane brilliance of that evening.

Michael Jackson became an entertainment legend.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the NBC broadcast of Jackson's seminal solo performance of his then brand new song, "Billie Jean." The historic moment, filmed seven weeks earlier on March 25th at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium was the crown jewel of the television special, "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever." This was a musical showcase of numerous big stars and groups that brought the venerable Motown Records to enormous success during the 1960's and '70's. MJ himself became an international star when he and his four brothers signed to the label in 1968 as The Jackson 5.

What the world saw the night of May 16, 1983 on television was a clear cut superstar musician morphing fully and stunningly into an international icon of epic proportions. Jackson, less than three and a half months shy of his 25th birthday unleashed, for the first time ever, his soon-to-be signature dance step "the moonwalk" as well as the full scope of, what would become his indelible and unique style.

Michael Jackson took to the stage that evening clad in a black, glittery jacket with a black, rhinestone encrusted shirt underneath. His cropped, black pants and black loafers showcased rhinestone adorned socks. But the accessory that garnered the most attention was the single, white sparkly glove he wore. This entire ensemble, along with his carefully coiffed Jheri-curled hair, became, not only his trademark look for the next two years, but a cultural phenomenon as well.

After a spirited Jackson 5 medley with his brothers (reunited musically for the first time in eight years), Michael paced the stage alone while speaking to the audience. He remarked that he liked the old J5 songs
"a lot," but he especially likes "the new songs."

This is when he grabbed a black fedora, pulled it down over his head and struck a pose while the opening bassline of "Billie Jean" filled the arena. From there, MJ used the next five minutes to exhibit the unbelievable range of his showmanship and artistry. His dancing was both pristine and gravity-defying. His subtle and rhythmic flourishes accented his carefully polished stage presence which was obviously heavily influenced by some of the great figures in the history of show business.

Jackson had been reluctant to perform on this show for Motown. At the time, his public reputation and success was in a constant state of expansion. With his six month old album Thriller steadily steamrolling the music charts and breaking sales records, he was the toast of the music industry and, thanks to MTV, a super popular video star. The last thing he needed was to perform on a show with a bunch of has-beens and fading stars who were completely beneath him. Alas, Motown founder Berry Gordy persuaded MJ, now an artist for Epic Records to join his brothers and perform on the show.

After all, how could they not have the biggest star in the world (who started with Motown) on their show?

Jackson agreed on the condition that he be allowed to have a solo spot to perform his non-Motown song (and the then #1 single in the U.S.) "Billie Jean." He later earned control over the final edit of his performance so that his amazing dance moves would be seen at every proper angle by television viewers to showcase it in the best light possible.

During Michael's show-stopping solo, he lip synched the "Billie Jean" lyrics so that he could perfectly deliver his dancing and the song in a neat package. When the song ended and he closed his eyes and raised his hand to punctuate the conclusion, the entire industry crowd was on its feet in grand applause. MJ took a bow and left the stage, not realizing that he had just crafted the most important moment of his career. To those watching at home, his blinding qualities as a superstar switched to overdrive and he became a global obsession.

In the aftermath, the Thriller album once again experienced a great spike in sales as did sales of Jackson-themed items. From replica jackets and sparkly gloves, to Jheri-curled hair and cropped pants, imitating Michael Jackson was the new #1 cool thing to do throughout the summer of 1983 and beyond. MJ himself received numerous accolades and effusive praise from some of the greats of the industry, many of whom he grew up studying and idolizing.

I will never forget that spectacular moment in '83 when the man known as Michael Joseph Jackson became a supernova of the highest order.

He is simply the best forever.

27 Years Ago Today: Michael Jackson Transcends Pop Culture

CLEVELAND - If there was a single moment that propelled Michael Jackson to the very top of the music industry, American pop culture and showcased his stunning repertoire of talent, style and polish, it was without a doubt the evening that Motown Records broadcast their 25th anniversary special on NBC television.

The night belonged to him, hands down.

It was 27 years ago today that Michael ascended to the highest peak of his stunning brilliance while firing on all cylinders. His historic performance of his new song "Billie Jean" remains a seminal moment in pop culture history and more than anything else illustrated his trademark iconography in perfect detail. The television special, entitled "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever" featured numerous stars from the landmark record label's past. From Smokey Robinson to Diana Ross and the Supremes, it was a who's who of black musical dominance of the 1960's and '70's. The Jackson 5, who had joined the label in 1968 as a group of teens and pre-teens were slated to perform but Michael was initially against it.

At the time of the show's taping in March 1983, Michael Jackson was fast becoming the pre-eminent figure in music by a mile. His four-month old album Thriller was just starting to set shocking sales records and his music video brilliance had only a month prior become a public obsession. In short, Michael was a huge deal times a thousand. Meanwhile, as his luminosity grew in intensity, his brothers seemed more and more irrelevant. Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. pleaded with MJ to join his brothers on stage to celebrate the 25th anniversary and Michael agreed on the condition that he be allowed to perform the aforementioned "Billie Jean."

Of course, Gordy agreed.

Evidence of Michael's leverage at the time was obvious in that Gordy allowed the new song on the show in spite of the fact that it was the only non-Motown song in the show. Michael also requested full control over the camera angles used during his solo because he wanted audiences at home to experience it the way he saw fit.

Very shrewd.

The performance itself was a sight to behold. First off, MJ segued from a Jackson 5 medley with his brothers into the solo by placing a fedora atop his head, brim tilted down over his eyes while holding it there and striking a pose. The "Billie Jean" rhythm filled the arena and Michael began thrusting his hips, kicking his leg and pirouetting while executing precision footwork. He tossed his fedora into the crowd, mimed an ultra-cool hair comb then slyly grabbed the microphone and went into the song's first verse. The entire time, his footwork is mesmerizing as he keeps them moving and sliding while his upper body rocks to the groove.

The entire moment feels like history is being made and that Michael Jackson is completely unassailable in the field of song and dance. His stage presence is so phenomenally jaw-dropping that his breathtaking music videos almost seem like a rip-off by comparison. Michael's fashion sense jumps out at you during his masterful performance as well. He sports Black America's latest fad hairstyle; the Jheri-curl. But Michael's isn't like anyone else's. His curl has a few strands that hang down over his forehead and he has "baby hair" along his sideburns. He's five months from his 25th birthday at the time of filming and he has a handsome, brown skin toned face.

He is attired in a very sparkly, rhinestone adorned black shirt and black sequined jacket. He has basic black pants on that are cropped at the ankles to showcase very sparkly rhinestone socks inside his black penny loafers. One white rhinestone glove is worn on his right hand and the entire costume immediately becomes one of his most indelible, signature looks. It all made him look like a larger-than-life entertainer with such colossal talent that everyone else in the industry was essentially playing for second place.

Which he was.

Of course, this legendary performance was the very first time that Michael unveiled his soon-to-be-trademark dancestep "the moonwalk," which he did twice during the song. It was also the first time his single white glove went public. This performance represented him in all his splendor and rising fast to the peak of his powers. The following day after the show, Michael was praised and fawned over by older entertainers that he grew up idolizing as well as millions of fans who immediately flooded stores to get their MJ gear.

Needless to say, this iconic performance fueled the Thriller album into selling unthinkable numbers of copies. It also signaled the unofficial beginning of "Michaelmania" which lasted for another year and a half. He became a cultural obsession. His music was played repeatedly everywhere while replicas of his jackets, shades and glove became instant sellouts. MJ posters and pins were ubiquitous and endless magazine space was dedicated to him.

Those reasons are exactly why I love 1983 so much and look back on that time with great fondness. The world will never forget Michael Jackson, and "Motown 25" is one of the biggest reasons why.

Without question.

When Michael Jackson Became A Legend

CLEVELAND - Looking at the wide array of celebrities and musicians that have existed over my lifetime, I became very curious as to why Michael Jackson has stood head and shoulders above them all.

It happened in 1983 and 1984.

Michael was a very prodigious star as a child. He was the leader of The Jackson 5 in the late '60's and early '70's and by the end of that decade, he had become a superstar in the music industry as a result of the brilliance of his then-brand new album, Off the Wall. It was the release of Thriller in late 1982 that began him on the path towards music immortality.

But his iconic celebrity was something different.

Yes, the Thriller album is the biggest selling record in history, but there wasn't much to indicate that it was anything special upon its release 27 years ago. The lead single, "The Girl is Mine" was released in October of '82 and received mixed reviews. You'd think that a studio pairing of Michael Jackson and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney would be thought of as monumental and historic, but at the time, it was met with subdued excitement. Admittedly, neither Jackson or McCartney showcased their true brilliance on the track, even though it was still a fun song. Also, Michael was just 24 years old and had not yet become a demigod in the industry. He was a mere superstar recording with a 40-year old icon in McCartney.

The Thriller album began to dominate the charts and bolster Jackson's image beginning in early 1983. That was when "Billie Jean" was released as a single and music video. For the first time, Michael's effortless dancing and feathery smooth abilities as a vocalist were on display in unison. In the video, Michael came off as a magical and mysterious figure -- graceful and stylish as he danced his way through a desolate neighborhood while illuminating the pavement with his every delicious step. The catchy bassline of the song only furthered the clip's appeal.

Then, the "Beat It" video hit the airwaves in the Spring and once again fueled Michael's image and greatness. The zippered, red leather jacket, penny loafers with white socks and flooded pants made up his highly stylized outfit in the clip. With an actual storyline and choreographed dancing, this video continued shoving Michael deeper into America's collective minds as a wildly talented and creative genius. And none of us could get enough of this megastar.

Jackson's historic appearance on "Motown 25" catapulted him to a new level of superstardom, if that was even possible. This performance, the first public one of "Billie Jean," forever stamped MJ as the ultimate performer, an unmatched dancer and showman and received universal praise for his mastery and command of the stage and crowd. All of his trademarks were on display during this performance; the single, glittery glove, sparkly jacket and shirt, black fedora pulled down to obscure his face, then tantilizingly tossed into the audience, the leg kicks, body spins, head pops and for the first time ever, the moonwalk. Even his Jheri-curled hair was more stylish than anyone else's; "baby hair" near his temples and forming delicate sideburns and ubiquitous curls hanging down his forehead.

This is when his entire "look" became iconic and forever burned into our minds.

After that May 16, 1983 airing of the Motown special, Michael was no longer just a megastar. He was THE star; an iconic member of entertainment in his prime and only getting better. For the next several months, Thriller continued its historic sales records and stunned folks in the industry for its unreal popularity and staying power. When the unspeakably brilliant "Thriller" video debuted in December 1983, it became an instant masterpiece of history. Nothing about it was standard or customary; Jackson somehow managed to top the untoppable: himself. It was critically acclaimed from the get-go and caused the album of the same name to surge in popularity and sales for the umpteenth time a full year after its release.

Wow!

Just three months into 1984, Michael had already had a full and accomplished year. Thriller earned him an astounding 16 awards in January and February and two commercials he'd filmed for Pepsi won him even more popularity (though one of those ads famously almost cost him his life). A videocassette documentary on the making of the "Thriller" video became the best-selling in history, just another in an endless stream of accolades for the 25-year old legend. By the time he and his brothers embarked on the Victory tour in the summer of 1984, Michael had become the biggest star in the world by a mile. That legendary status was so great that it held strong even as his popularity and "approval rating" began to take major hits years later.

Indeed, as media reports of Michael became less and less favorable, he never stopped being the ultimate star. When he went on trial for child molestation in 2005, his legion of fans stood behind him faithfully and other contemporary musicians became humbled or speechless in his presence. Understand that all of this was taking place over 20 years after that amazing Thriller era. At the time of his unspeakably tragic death in June 2009, Michael's face had been redesigned so many times that he looked nothing like he did back then. He hadn't been a force in music in more than 15 years and his last album had been released nearly eight years in the past. He'd been vilified in the media for, not only the child molestation allegations for which he stood trial, but also ones he faced in 1993. In spite of all that negativity, his legend endured and he continues to be the biggest celebrity in history.

That's pretty damn amazing.