Michael Jackson is one of the best-selling solo artists of all time.

But the ‘Billie Jean’ singer ended up apologising to another artist for ‘stealing’ for one of his most well-known songs.

MJ had a four-decade career and still holds the title of best-selling album of all time with Thriller despite his death in 2009.

Fans have recently been enjoying seeing more behind-the-scenes work from Jackson after the release of Netflix film The Greatest Night in Pop.

The documentary retells the night in 1985 when some of the biggest names in music got together to record charity single ‘We Are the World’.

Alongside Jackson at the legendary recording was the likes of Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, as well as Daryl Hall from Hall & Oates.

By this time, MJ had already had huge success from the likes of ‘Beat It’, ‘Rock with You’ and of course, the Thriller album.

Two years prior, ‘Billie Jean’ – which fans recently realised has a seriously dark meaning – hit number one across various countries and remains instantly recognisable from its very first opening bars.

But, according to Hall, Jackson hadn’t entirely come up with them himself.

Netflix

You know the exact sound I’m on about, that iconic drum beat and hi-hat before a bit of a shaker as the bassline repeats on a loop.

Jackson previously described how he came up with the song while in the car and became so focused he didn’t even realise the vehicle was on fire.

But he went on to admit that the unforgettable intro was ‘stolen’ from another track – one by Hall & Oates.

Speaking with Q1043, Hall was asked about these rumours that Jackson had taken something from one of his bops.

The singer said: “Yeah, that was true… That happened at the ‘We Are the World’ session.

George Rose/Getty Images

“You know, he came up and he said, ‘Hey man, I hope you’re okay with that… I stole ‘No Can Do’ for ‘Billie Jean’.”

There’s no denying there are some similarities between Hall & Oates’ ‘I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)’ and ‘Billie Jean’.

But Hall recalled: “And I said, ‘It doesn’t sound like ‘No Can D’o to me, sure, no problem!’ But he was really nice about it.”

The Greatest Night in Pop shows never-before-seen footage from the night all these stars came together for a moment that went down in music history.

But it also includes rather well-known clips, like Jackson’s stony reactions to others’ singing.

Paris Jackson opened up about how her life drastically changed after the death of her dad, Michael.

She was just 11 years old when the King of Pop passed away on 25 June, 2009, just weeks before he was due to kick off his farewell tour, This Is It.

Billions of people watched the young girl take to the stage to pay tribute to the late star at his televised memorial service where she dubbed him the ‘best father you could ever imagine’ before bursting into tears as her aunt Janet consoled her.

In wake of his shock death, Paris and her brothers Prince and Blanket were taken in by their grandmother Katherine – a strict Jehovah’s Witness who led a very different lifestyle to the one Michael’s kids were accustomed to.

Speaking to Willow Smith during an episode of Red Table Talk in 2021, Paris explained how she dealt with the loss of her father and readjusted to life without him.

She was asked how she found ‘the strength to keep going’ after his passing at the age of 50, to which she replied: “I don’t know, it kind of just happened.”

Paris, who incredibly covered all of her 80 tattoos with makeup for this years Grammy Awards, said: “I was so young that I wasn’t conscious of ‘I’ve gotta keep going’.

Mark Terrill-Pool/Getty Images

She explained: “I was just going through the motions and didn’t really understand what was happening, and so I just went with what I was told to do and, ‘Okay, I’m living here now, okay, I’m going to school now and I’m not home-schooled anymore, I’ll just do what I’m told’.

“Because I didn’t really have much guidance.”

Willow then touched on how the siblings come to terms with the Jackson family matriarch, Katherine, being named as their permanent guardian.

The singer said: “The children went from home-schooling and travelling the world with their father to attending traditional school and living under Katherine’s strict Jehovah’s Witness beliefs.”

Paris said she had ‘love and respect’ for all of her relatives who helped raise them and said the Jackson brood all remained close with one another.

She continued: “I’m still very close with my brothers, and I see my family during family reunions and I tell them all the time, ‘If you wanna call me, call me. I’ve got love and respect for all you guys’.

“I just saw my cousins for Thanksgiving and Christmas, even though we don’t call it that because a lot of them are Jehovah’s Witnesses [who don’t celebrate holidays or birthdays], so we’re just like ‘family reunion during the holidays’.”

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Paris, now 25, also discussed her relationship with her and Prince’s mother Debbie Rowe, who she was estranged from for the majority of her childhood.

She married Michael in 1996 and brought two children into the world with him, but admitted she never intended to become a parent and ‘did it for him’.

“You earn the title parent,” Debbie previously said. “I have done absolutely nothing to earn that title. That is because Michael did all the parenting. I didn’t do it to be a mother.

“I didn’t change diapers. I didn’t get up in the middle of the night, even when I was there, Michael did it all.”

Debbie gave up custody of the children when her and the music legend divorced in 2000 and she only reconnected with her daughter Paris when she was 15.

Paris said of their relationship: “It’s cool. I mean, getting to know her, seeing how similar we are, getting into what kind of music she likes – and she really likes country and folk.”

Saying how she and her mum ‘look a lot alike’, she added: “It’s just cool having her as a friend. It’s very chilled, which I love.”

Debbie previously described Paris as her ‘rock’ when she was undergoing cancer treatment, which wrapped up in 2017.

The infamous photo of Michael Jackson holding his infant son out of a balcony window was once explained by the King of Pop himself.

One of the definitive musicians of the late 20th century, the MJ was known for hits like ‘Thriller’ and ‘Beat It’, but away from his career, he was also known for his unorthodox behaviour.

Some attribute it to being in the spotlight from such a young age, having been the lead singer of the Jackson 5 in the 1960s and 70s alongside his brothers, effectively making him one of the world’s biggest stars for well over three decades.

However, one incident stands above the rest particularly as a moment of madness from Jackson, in 2002.

Michael Jackson was the biggest name in the world at one point (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

The ‘Man in the Mirror’ star was staying at the Adlon Hotel near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, after his motorcade drove up and had to fight off a crowd of around 200 fans gathered at the entrance, which left one injured.

As fans looked up to the upper floors of the hotel hoping to get a glimpse of the pop star, who emerged later as the then 44-year-old opened the window of his room.

Coming out to the balcony, he then dangled his baby, with a towel over his head, over the railing on his balcony, holding him with an arm under his shoulders, with the baby understandably trying to break free.

Those looking on thought that MJ might actually drop the child, but luckily, he brought him back inside without a scratch, before Jackson came back out while covering his face and throwing a towel into the crowd below.

The baby was later revealed to be then 6-month-old Prince Michael Jackson II, better known now as Blanket or Bigi, Michael Jackson’s third child after Prince Michael and Paris Jackson.

MJ would later apologise for dangling his baby out of a balcony window (Peter Bischoff/Getty Images)

Soon after, the father came out and apologised for making a ‘terrible mistake’ in dangling his baby over a hotel balcony, adding: “I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children.”

Others close to Jackson also commented on the bizarre incident, as Jackson’s close friend, psychic Uri Geller spoke against his actions, but also suggested at the time that he didn’t actually dangle a baby off a balcony.

“I just would not put any child over a railing at such a height,” Geller stated. “I think it was a silly thing to do. He probably did it because he was overwhelmed emotionally by the fans.”

He also suggested that it wasn’t a real baby that he held out, as he was ‘too protective’ of his children to do that on purpose.

Whatever your opinion is of Michael Jackson, it’s hard to argue with him being the most recognisable figure on planet at the height of his fame.

With a four-decade-long music career, as soon as Michael would step outside, the paparazzi would be there to pounce.

In fact, those who followed the ‘King of Pop’, would follow him all over the world, to every restaurant, every hotel, every venue.

His death in 2009 was quite simply one of those ‘where were you when it happened’ moments.

But Michael remains a popular figure, even to this day.

Videos of the late singer are still being shared on social media, and most recently, it seems that fans are absolutely loving a resurfaced video of MJ at a 1998 press conference in Tokyo.

Today (1 March), Historic Vids shared the clip on X (Twitter) and within hours, the post has already been seen over 20 million times.

In the short 16-second video, it shows the singer’s ‘human side’ as he realised that every time he moved, the photographers were ready to flash their camera.

Playing along with it, viewers having been loving Michael’s hilarious reaction to the paparazzi.

Historic Vids

@historyinmemes 

·Follow

Michael Jackson realizing they take pictures every time he moves

Watch on X

8:31 AM · Mar 1, 2024

575.2K

Reply

Copy link

Read 2.4K replies

“Michael Jackson realizing they take pictures every time he moves,” reads the caption, as one viewer commented: “As an adult and seeing the multiple videos that resurface, this man was fed tf up and trolling a good 80 percent of the time. Media is really a b***h. I’m glad we have some type of control now.”

“The young people will never know. The fame that MJ had has never been seen again. It was absolutely phenomenal,” a second observed.

“There’s a superstition that says you lose part of your soul every time someone takes your picture,” a third person penned.

X / @historyinmemes

“I said it a few years ago, but I foresaw this coming: the more candid human moments of Michael having him go viral and continuing to popularise him,” a fourth added.

“Can y’all imagine if there was social media in his time how many followers would he have gotten? 1 billion easily,” another thought, as someone else agreed: “Imagine if this man was out when social media was really booming…. aint no bigger star .. facts.”

The King of Pop has been back in the news recently after we learnt that Jaafar Jackson, the son of Michael’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, would be playing him in an upcoming biopic.

Instagram/@jaafarjackson

Producer Graham King said: “I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael.

“It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role. I am beyond thrilled that he has come on board to portray his uncle and cannot wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson.”

Jaafar took to social media to announce his excitement over the role: “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”

Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson reacted to the news and said: “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”