22 October 2019
2 mins Read
Michael Jackson created history in the land girt by sea during his lifetime. Cameron Blair compiles the AT Wacko Jacko “Aussie retrospective”.
“…this was the FIRST time a black musical group toured Australia.”
At the tender age of 14, Michael Jackson travelled to Australia and made history. As part of the Jackson 5’s 1973 world tour, the Jackson 5 touched down in Australia. Amazingly (and perhaps ashamedly) this was the FIRST time a black musical group had toured Australia. Apparently the tour was so successful the Jackson family returned in ’74.
Michael Jackson returns to Australia 13 years later as the “King of Pop” on the Bad tour.
Following his tour of Japan, Jackson arrives in Australia to be labelled “Crocodile Jackson” by our ever eager and original press.
The tour kicks off in Melbourne, to move onto Sydney and then Brisbane. In Sydney, Jackson is joined on stage by Stevie Wonder. They sing the duet… wait for it… “Just Good Friends”.
Not Quite. Accusations of child abuse halt the aptly named Dangerous tour in Bangkok before the King of Pop makes it downunder.
The marriage stops Sydney as commuters watch the ceremony on big screens.
Jackson heads back to Australia on the Live in History tour.
In scenes channeling Elton John, Jackson marries for the second time (his first marriage was to Lisa Marie Presley) in the Presidential Suite of Sydney’s Sheraton On The Park. The marriage stops Sydney as commuters watch the ceremony on big screens.
The lucky bride is his dermatologist Debbie Rowe. The marriage produces two children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael Katherine.
The concert was recorded and played on TV the following year in Australia.
We do not believe Jackson ever performed in Australia again.
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No thanks, I like to travel solo
Can you please confirm for me what issue of Australian Traveller this article appeared in? I bought back issue No. 27 on the basis of your web page advice that it was in Issue 27, but I have just received my copy of this in the mail, and cannot find the article in it.
Can you please clarify where I can find it?
Many thanks. Kerry (MJ fan)
NB: the term ‘Wacko Jacko’ is derogatory. Michael hated it, as do his fans.