1987 - Michael, Quincy Jones & Bruce Swedien start recording the BAD album at the Westlake Studio in Los Angeles.

How do you follow the world’s most successful album – ever?

Even thinking about following THRILLER must have been daunting which may explain, at least in part, why Michael took so long to do so. Certainly Michael felt if he didn't top THRILLER, he would be perceived by many as a failure. So not only did he want the follow-up to be 'as perfect as humanely possibly', he set his sights on an impossible sales target: 100 million.

BAD was the first studio album Jackson released after leaving The Jackson 5 and the first in an almost five-year period following THRILLER. BAD was the third consecutive solo project(fifth, if The Wiz and the E.T. storybook are included), and final, musical collaboration between Jackson and Quincy Jones. The album was produced by Jones, with co-production credit given to Jackson.

Singer Michael Jackson, shown during a recording session for his first LP since THRILLER. The album entitled BAD, uses Hugo Zuccarelli's Holophonics sound system on several tracks. Michael chose to record the pillow-talk sequence for "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", while lying in a bed with zuccarelli's head-shaped robotic recorder.

Michael began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons. Work on the new album started in August 1986, and recording took place between January 5, 1987, and July 9, 1987.

They began by sifting through the 60 or so songs Michael had written himself for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set. Jones had suggested that the album be cut down to a ten-track single LP. 'Fifty percent of the battle is trying to figure out which songs to record,' Quincy admitted, 'it's total instinct.' When the album was released on CD, a bonus 11th track, Leave Me Alone was included. It was later released as a single. Michael was credited for writing nine out of eleven of the songs (including the CD-only bonus track) made the final selection on the album – easily the largest contribution he had made to any of his solo albums. Other writing credits included Terry Britten and Graham Lyle for Just Good Friends and Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard for Man in the Mirror.

1994 - Michael presents the award for Best Choreographer to Debbie Allen at the 26th NAACP Image Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles, Ca.

He was greeted by deafening cheers and a standing ovation. Dressed in a black military style jacket with red accents and a silver sequined armband, and no glasses, he seemed very upbeat, confident and comfortable. He presented the award for Outstanding Choreography but first took the opportunity to say a few words on his own behalf, prior to presenting dancer/choreographer Debbie Allen with the award, pausing now and then to tell the cheering fans, "I love you too" and "I love you more!". He delivers a speech underlining the meaning behind the NAACP organization supporting equality of treatment for all races and human dignity, and exhibiting his sympathy to the NAACP members:

"For decades, the NAACP has stood at the forefront of the struggle for equal justice under the law for all people in our land. They have fought in the lunch rooms of the South, in the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court and the board rooms of America, for justice, equality and the very dignity of all mankind. Members of the NAACP have been jailed and even killed in noble pursuit of those ideals, upon which our country was founded". Michael Jackson also re-declares his innocence regarding prior allegations of improper conduct towards a minor. He says, "Not only am I presumed to be innocent, I AM innocent, and I know that the truth will be my salvation. I have been strengthened to prove my innocence by my faith in God and the knowledge that I am not fighting this battle alone."

He then announced the winner, Debbie Allen. Allen immediately invited her fellow nominees to the stage which included Michael Peters, nominated for his work on What's Love Got To Do With It. Peters ascended the stairs to the stage and immediately went to his friend Michael and hugged him warmly. Allen began her acceptance speech saying, "God bless you Michael, we're all on your side."

1995 - Bravo magazine [Germany] featured Michael on the cover.



2003 - Michael visits Maurice Gibbs (one of the Bee Gees) at a Miami hospital.

2007 - Michael has dinner with Kenny Ortega at the Wynn Restaurant in Las Vegas.