He rose to become one of the most iconic stars in music history, but ultimately Michael Jackson‘s life will be remembered as a rollercoaster journey not without its fair share of tragedy.
It’s been 14 years since the King of Pop passed away, leaving a gaping hole in the entertainment industry that might never be filled.
Even today, so many years since Jackson’s death, his enigmatic life, packed full of intrigue and mystery, remains the subject of much discussion. At this point, there’s barely an aspect of the singer’s existence that hasn’t been scrutinized and broken down.
Jackson was known for his flamboyant live performances, carefully crafted music videos, and over-the-top costumes. One never rightly knew what to expect from the Thriller star, which only served to enhance his entertainment factor and push him into a stratosphere of music stardom seldom witnessed before.
That said, there were certain things that became synonymous with MJ. Take, for example, the moonwalk, which had been done before Jackson, but was undoubtedly made famous by him.
Or how about “shamone”, the deliberate mispronunciation of “come on” from his iconic 1987 hit Bad that would go on to become something of a signature catchphrase.
Then there’s the matter of the single, white rhinestone covered glove that Jackson opted to wear in a lot of his performances.
It’s perhaps this last accessory that stands out the most for people. An instant, undeniable marker, Jackson reportedly donned the glove for the first time in 1983, during an appearance to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Motown.
“I felt that one glove was cool… wearing two gloves seemed so ordinary,” Jackson revealed in a later interview.
Yet while we’re ready to take the superstar at his word, actor Cicely Tyson once shared what she claimed to be the real reason behind MJ donning his famous glove.
According to Tyson – who passed away aged 96 in 2021 – she had been told by a fashion designer who worked with Jackson in the 1980s that the reason the singer wore the one glove was so that he could hide his vitiligo.
In a 2019 interview with CNN, Tyson said: “All of a sudden, he [the designer] said, ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael.’
“The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that’s how that glove came into being.”
Not only that, but Tyson also said that the glove had been designed especially to hide signs of the skin condition Jackson had developed.
“The glove was to camouflage it,” the late actor said. “That’s how that glove came into being.”
Vitiligo is a long-term disease characterized by the appearance of pale white patches on the skin, caused by a lack of melanin.
Refuting rumors that he had bleached his skin, Jackson once shared in an emotional interview with Oprah: “I’m a black American. I am proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race, and I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity of who I am.
“This is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It is something I cannot help, OK? But when people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me … It’s a problem for me that I can’t control.”
I certainly didn’t know the reason behind Michael Jackson’s famous glove. Did you? Let us know in the comments box.
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