Michael’s biopic is here, and, unfortunately, critics haven’t been kind to the film, calling it more of a musical concert than an actual movie. It doesn’t delve too deep into the man behind the shiny gloves and red jacket. It stead, it feels like a MJ playlist come to life. Over the years, however, the public has learned a lot of surprising secrets about the King of Pop, many that unfortunately didn’t make the final cut of the Michael Jackson movie. Here are a few of them.
Michael Jackson faked his high-pitched voice
People often associate Michael with his soft, high-pitched voice. Except that wasn’t his actual speaking voice. He was actually acting – playing the public character he created. Behind the scenes, friends and colleagues admitted that he often spoke with a much deeper voice. “When he talked normally, it was the most masculine sound you’d ever hear,” actress Liza Minnelli once revealed.
But it was all there staring us in the face the whole time. Listen to some of his music, and you’ll hear glimpses of Jackson’s actual voice. Go listen to “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” again.
Michael predicted the MCU’s success
Long before there was an MCU, or before Marvel purchased the brand, Michael Jackson actually tried to get his hands on the rights to the company. “It was Marvel, and I remember that… He wanted to do that with Stan Lee. They had been talking and discussing that. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” his nephew Taj revealed.
Michael was a long-time fan of comic books and even tried to purchase the company when Marvel was bankrupt. At one point there was even talks about Michael Jackson playing Spider-Man in a live-action adaptation. Of course, the deal didn’t work out. But that’s a crazy what-if.
Michael Jackson nearly fought 2Pac
While Michael often came across as “a lover, not a fighter”, his public image was nothing like his private one. He had plenty of brothers, and like all brothers, they fought a lot. Those fights must have toughened up the young boy. And according to reports, they did.
During a radio interview, Wack 100 claimed that Michael Jackson “whooped [Pac’s] a**” after the rapper disrespected Quincy Jones’ daughter, Kidada. “Mike said, ‘I watched that girl grow up’ and flighted him. Whooped him,” Wack insisted.
When you try to visualize it, it doesn’t make sense. Thug life Tupac Shakur vs Jackson 5’s Michael Jackson? I’d pay to be a ref in that fight.
The King of Pop was a womanizer
Jackson was often painted as a very shy, very reserved man. But those who worked for him saw a side that most fans didn’t see: he loved women. A lot. Former bodyguards and staff revealed that the King of Pop frequently entertained ladies in his bedroom, sometimes so loudly that workers admitted they’d cover their ears.
Jackson had a nickname for the women he fancied: he called them “fish.” There’s plenty of footage on YouTube that shows the musician calling women “fish”. That’s nothing like the shy man we imagined.
Michael Jackson said the sinner’s prayer two weeks before he died
Michael Jackson’s faith has always been a topic people debated. Some believed he turned to Islam, others believed he was a Jehovah’s Witness. But producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins believes he became a born-again Christian before he died. At Jackson’s funeral, gospel legend Andraé Crouch confirmed that two weeks before his death in June 2009, the King of Pop prayed the Christian sinner’s prayer. Michael had even spoken about making his music more spiritual.
The King of Pop was worth a lot more money than we thought
Before he died, there were plenty of rumors that Michael was broke. Those stories weren’t true. The truth is, he was sitting on one of music’s biggest treasures. Back in 1995, Jackson sold half of his ATV catalog to Sony for $95 million, creating Sony/ATV, which included classics from Bob Dylan and Marvin Gaye. That catalog later ballooned to over $1 billion in value.
MJ was a great businessman
Aside from being one of the world’s best singers, best dancers and best entertainers of all time, MJ was also one of the best businessmen of all time. Michael knew how to make money multiply. He knew his brand. He knew how much it was worth.
He surrounded himself with billionaires like David Geffen and Ron Burkle for advice.
“He would play the game and use that high squeaky voice. Underneath it all, he was a very intelligent, very savvy individual,” entertainment attorney Donald David revealed.
The Billie Jean singer didn’t invent the moonwalk
Michael Jackson may have made the moonwalk legendary during his 1983 Motown tribute performance of Billie Jean, but he didn’t actually invent it. Rolling Stone points out that James Brown had been gliding backwards years earlier, and the move itself stretches even further back to performers like Bill Bailey and Cab Calloway in the mid-20th century. The moonwalk wasn’t born from one person. It evolved over time.
Michael and Prince might have secretly been friends
The press often pitted Michael Jackson and Prince against each other, saying that they were bitter rivals. And yes, there was some rivalry there, with Michael even calling Prince “a meany”, but things were more complicated than that.
Apparently, the two musicians met several times over the years. Sometimes they talked about doing music together, other times they talked about life.
Those close to Prince say he took Jackson’s death really hard in 2009, even isolating himself and later honoring him on stage with covers of Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. That doesn’t sound like someone who lost an enemy. That sounds like someone who lost a friend.
Michael Jackson and his brand were the product of a great team
While Michael gets a lot of credit for being a star, he didn’t build his empire alone. He worked with the best in the industry. Whether he was working on music videos, making music, or dancing… he worked with the best. Michael was able to spot talent and make that talent work for his brand. He wasn’t a Christ-like figure the Michael Jackson movie tries to paint him out to be. He was a simple human who worked with the best.
