Off Shore Muse

Michael Joseph Jackson

(1958-2009)

Also known by his initials MJ, he was an American singer, songwriter, dancer and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he was often regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his musical achievements broke racial barriers in the United States and made him a dominant figure across the world. Through songs, concerts and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music. MJ popularized street dance moves including the moonwalk, the robot and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time!

Jackson in 1983

As the eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael began performing in 1964 with his brothers in the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons) at the age of 6. The group gained worldwide fame with him as its lead singer and recorded multiple successful singles. In the early 1970s, he began his solo career releasing the albums Got to Be There (1972).

Jackson remains a global figure to this day in popular culture. He created some of the best-selling albums in music history. His contributions to music and dance had a major cultural impact. Jackson was the most awarded individual music artist in history. His awards included 15 Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe. Jackson traveled the world attending events honoring humanitarianism. In 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized him for supporting 39 charities, more than any other entertainer.

Michael Jackson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. First as a member of the Jackson 5 on May 6, 1997. The induction took place at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York and again as a solo artist on March 19, 2001. Michael was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13, 2002 and posthumously into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jackson is one of the the best-selling music artists of all time with estimated sales of over 500 million records!

.. THRILLER ..

The Thriller album was the sixth studio album by MJ and was released on November 29, 1982 through Epic Records. It was produced by Quincy Jones. Recording took place from April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in LA with a budget of $750,000 (equivalent to $2,502,155 in 2025). Thriller was Jackson's first number-one album and remains the best-selling album of all time, having sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide.

In the film, Michael it covers some of Michael's early hits songs and remakes the iconic "Thriller" music video .. in its entirety!

Amongst the dancing zombies, popcorn shenanigans, creepy Vincent Price monologues and Jackson's tight red pants, one of the most memorable parts of the video was ..

THAT HOUSE!

The "Thriller" house used for the final scene from Michael Jackson's iconic 1983 music video is located at 1345 Carroll Avenue Los Angeles. Situated in the historic Angelino Heights neighborhood near Echo Park, the Victorian-era home is known as the Sanders House and remains a popular spot for fans to visit. The 3,532-square-foot Sanders house was built in 1887 for businessman Michael Sanders. The Queen Anne/Eastlake Victorian home was a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom single family residence.

In 1971, the home plus the entire block on Carroll, was declared cultural historical momuents. The house was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 74) on February 3, 1971. The home is famously maintained to look historic, with some reports noting the porch is deliberately left in a somewhat "ratty" or original condition. The homes, particularly the 1300 block of Carroll Avenue, are known for theirhigh concentration of Victorian homes in California.

1300 BLOCK CARROLL AVENUE

A STREET OF HOUSES DESIGNED IN THE EASTLAKE AND QUEEN ANNE STYLES OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY, EXHIBITING THE FINEST COLLECTION OF VICTORIAN DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE REMAINING IN LOS ANGELES FROM THEIR VANTAGE POINT ON ANGELINO HEIGHTS, THESE HOUSES HAVE WATCHED THE CITY CHANGE, SHOWING US WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, GIVING MEANING TO OUR DYNAMIC GROWTH.

HOUSES DECLARED HISTORIC-CULTURAL MONUMENTS BY THE

CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD

MUNICIPAL ARTS DEPARTMENT

CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Jaafar Jackson

'Michael' Biopic star Jaafar Jackson Kept a Huge Secret From His Famous Family

"I kept it pretty quiet until I felt comfortable enough to share it. But when my mom saw it on-screen it blew her away. It was hard for her to connect it to me, so it was very emotional for her. No one in my family knew for a full year."

Jaafar Jackson

As promotion for the upcoming biopic Michael ramps, Jaafar Jackson, the 29-year-old actor taking on the role of his uncle, Michael Jackson, is sharing new behind-the-scenes details about the film's production. Speaking with Interview Magazine, Jaafar shared the story of how he revealed his involvement in the upcoming film to his family members once the movie wrapped production. Jaafar expressed his eagerness for his father, Jermaine Jackson of The Jacksons, to witness his performance in the highly anticipated movie.

Jaafar Jackson Recounts One 'Crazy' Moment Recreating MJ's Iconic Dance Moments for 'Michael'.

Jaafar later reflected on the experience of seeing his portrayal of the King of Pop on the big screen for the first time!

"It went by so fast. I was like,'Wait, that's it?' But the second time I saw it was a completely different experience. I was able to understand what the story was and really allow myself to enjoy what's on the screen, rather than thinking of all the things we shot that aren't in there. Because that was my problem the first time. I was like, "Where's all that footage?"

Jaafar Jackson Shares the Process Behind Recreating 'Thriller'.

During the appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jaafar shared intimate details about the process of filming the recreation of the legendary 1982 horror-themed music video, "Thriller".

"We actually had a full moon on one of those nights which was crazy. We had a full moon and it was cold. I know Michael Jackson shot during the summer, but just being at that location, seeing the zombies around me; Thriller was one of my favorite videos besides 'Smooth Criminal'. To be at the real location was incredible. It really was."

Jaafar Jackson

According to Jaafar, the production spent two straight nights filming the recreation at the original Los Angeles site, located at the intersection of South Calzona Street and Union Pacific Avenue.

Regarding his performance of "Billie Jean" for the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever Jaafar mentioned that he received "incredible guidance" while recreating the iconic moment.

The film tells the story of Michael Jackson's life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before.

Michael Jackson's nephew, Jaafar was just 12 years old when his uncle, Michael Jackson died in June 2009. Growing up in Encino, California, he would see Michael often at family gatherings and spent time at his uncle's Neverland Ranch which contained a private amusement park and zoo.

Jaafar had an Unusual Audition Process for Michael

Despite having no prior acting experience, Jaafar was actually approached for the role by Michael producer, Graham King in 2020. In lieu of a traditional audition, he sent King a voice note of himself, in character, as his uncle. While King was impressed, it took a while for Jaafar to actually accept the part as he wanted to "think about it for a couple days". He spent two years training and working with coaches to mimic Michael's unique speaking and singing voice, as well as his iconic dance moves, before he officially landed the role. Jaafar kept his success under wraps from his family, waiting a full year to tell even his mother that he was the star of Michael.