By Hassan Sanusi
The late pop superstar thrilled the world on ‘The Motown 25 Yesterday, Today, Forever’ TV special in 1983 when he unveiled the dance floor gliding move to the world during his now iconic performance of Billie Jean.
Now 57-year old Michael Jackson‘s elder brother, Marlon, has revealed it was his young nephew who first showed the pop king the move and inspired him to go on and perfect it.
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Marlon said: ‘My nephew was actually the one who showed Michael the Moonwalk. He was about 10 or 12 and he was over at our house. Michael saw him do it and said, ‘What is that?’ After that, Jeffrey Daniel [of Shalamar] taught him it.’
Also recalling the performance in the joint interview, another Jackson sibling, Tito said: ‘Everyone was watching Michael, to see what he’d do. We’d never seen anything like his performance. And neither had anyone else. The whole audience was taken aback.’
On June 25, it was the fifth anniversary of Michael’s death and although his brothers – who still perform together as a group – miss him everyday, they are as well immensely proud of what he achieved while alive.
Tito said: ‘It was a sad day. But it felt good to think that I had a brother who was so tremendously talented and who touched – and changed – the world. I’m proud of Michael.’
Revealing how he chose to remember Michael on the anniversary, Jackie said: ‘I stayed home and listened to his music. It was all over the radio when I drove to the grocery store. I thought about my brother all day.’
