15 Little Known Facts About Michael Jackson

Even for those of us that grew up in the 80s, it’s hard to imagine there was anything about Michael Jackson we didn’t know. From his first moments of fame in his childhood until his last breath, the King of Pop would go down in history as one of the world’s greatest musicians and historical figures.

But despite his fame, he faced heavy criticisms and cold remarks from the public. Somehow, Jackson managed to avoid the tabloids and keep a few secrets to himself.

Here are some surprising facts about Michael Jackson you probably didn’t know.

1. He wore special shoes in the “Smooth Criminal” video that allowed him to lean forward at a 45 degree angle.

While it stunned his fans at first, his smooth moves were hidden by a specially made pair of shoes with a slot in the heels and a retractable peg on the floor, allowing him to lean as far forward as he wanted. When doing this, he filed for a patent with two partners for “Method and Means for Creating Anti-Gravity Illusion.”

2. He was pondering planning a Michael Jackson-themed casino in Las Vegas.

During the mid-2000s, Jackson was thinking of two options for a Las Vegas Revival after receiving strong criticism from the public. The first was a concert series with bright lights and flashy costumes. The other was meeting with Steve Wynn to brainstorm the construction of a Michael Jackson-themed hotel. To promote the idea, he drew up a 50-foot robot of himself that walked around in the desert near the airport.

3. He became bald in 1984, two years after the release of “Thriller”.

After signing with Pepsi to make a commercial seem like a live concert, some machines were throwing off big explosions when one went off too early during the sixth take, setting his hair on fire. While he didn’t notice at first and kept dancing, he was tackled by crew members to extinguish the flames. But the King of Pop suffered severe burns on his scalp, becoming bald the rest of his life, forced to wear hairpieces.

4. He didn’t do any time in prison.

Despite facing serious allegations and legal charges for sexual abuse in the early 2000s, Michael Jackson never spent a minute in a cell. Jermaine and the Jackson family knew he wouldn’t fair well in prison, so they secretly flew him out to Bahrain, a country that had no extradition treaty with the U.S.

5. He had a pet monkey in the early 80s.

In 1983, Michael adopted a chimpanzee, Bubbles, from a primate research facility in Texas. Like a pet, the monkey stayed by his side for 10 years, sitting in the recording studio and even eating with him. But as he grew older, bigger and stronger, he became too much to handle and was donated to the Center for Great Apes in Florida. Bubbles spent the remainder of his life painting with another chimpanzee named Sam.

6. He became obsessed with plastic surgery to change his image.

Many believe that after the incident with the Pepsi commercial, the King of Pop’s interest in plastic surgery became a bit obsessive. Between 1984 and 88, he had two rhinoplasties and an inserted chin dimple. He also became a painkiller addict as he developed what was speculated by many doctors as dysmorphic disorder: an obsession with each potential body imperfection.

7. He tried to buy Marvel Comics when it went bankrupt, almost starring in superhero movies.

Obviously this never happened, but he was definitely planning on it after famously throwing his son a Spider-Man-themed birthday party in the late 80s. He also tried out for the role of Professor X in the first X-Men Movie, although it was given to Patrick Stewart, the Star Trek veteran.

8. His album Thriller still remains the best-selling album of all time.

Even when Jackson’s career was constantly criticized by speculators, Thriller brought him his golden ticket to wealth, winning eight Grammy awards and becoming the first album to go 30x platinum. It was also up for 122 weeks on the Billboard 200 in the United States and sold over 1 million copies in just one week. With a total of 66 million units sold, it still remains the most successful album of all time.

9. The song “Billie Jean” was based on a true story.

According to Michael, Billie Jean was a fictional name comprised of multiple women claiming Michael’s brothers as the fathers of their children during the Jackson 5 tour. He said, “There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to one of my brothers.” Although others stated she was a real person who wrote to Michael, claiming he was the father of her twins.

10. He owned the rights to the Beatles’ music.

Like the rest of America, Jackson was a big fan of the Beatles, but his wealth gave him the power to buy the lot in 1985. He not only bought the records, but for the rights to 251 Beatles songs for $47.5 million. Despite inflation, he made a profit after after selling them to Sony for $750 million in 2008.

11. His music video “Scream” is the most expensive of all time.

At a whopping cost of $7 million to produce in 1995, Michael and his sister Janet produced his first single from his 1995 HIStory album. Despite the jaw-dropping costs, the video was not as successful as everyone had hoped, although it’s still the most expensive music video to date.

12. He made $2 billion throughout his lifetime…and then spent it.

He actually made $1.1 billion but it was considered $2 billion if you count the inflation. But he was such a spender that he blew all of it and then some, digging himself into a $350 million hole of debt throughout his life.

13. He was raised a Jehovah’s Witness.

Like all his siblings, he was raised a Jehovah’s Witness after his mother, Katherine, converted to the religion in 1963. And even after moving to California, each of the Jacksons – Michael included – continued to knock on the neighborhood doors to “spread the word of Jehovah.” Even at the height of his fame in 1984, he was still preaching in his neighborhood. Now that’s dedication to religion!

14. He shared a bedroom with his five brothers as a kid.

Despite living his adulthood in gold luxury, Michael didn’t live in riches as a kid. He was born and raised in Gary, IN, living with his three sisters and five brothers with whom he shared a bedroom the majority of his childhood. It wasn’t until the long-awaited year of 1969 where the success of the Jackson 5 allowed the family to relocate to a West Hollywood home that was four times the size of the one in Indiana.

15. The amusement park he bought was intended to “make up for his lost childhood”.

During one of his talks with Oprah, he discussed his suffering of mental and physical abuse from his father, so much that he vomited when he saw him. So investing in the 2,700-acre Neverland Ranch, with its own railroads and zoo, was his effort to recapture his childhood joy.