By 1984, Andy Warhol had long been established as a leading figure of the
Pop art movement, known for his silkscreen portraits of celebrities and cultural icons. In March of that year, Warhol was commissioned by
Time magazine to produce a portrait of pop star Michael Jackson for the cover story "Why he's a Thriller?" following the massive success of his 1982 album
Thriller. Jackson had achieved unprecedented global fame by this time, setting records in popular music and receiving a record eight
Grammy Awards for
Thriller in 1984. The opportunity to portray Jackson aligned with Warhol's longstanding interest in celebrity culture.
Jackson and Warhol Jackson and Warhol were personally acquainted, as documented in
The Andy Warhol Diaries (1989). They socialized at the
Studio 54 nightclub in New York City. Jackson was also featured in Warhol's
Interview magazine, and Warhol attended several of his concerts. The two first met on February 2, 1977, when Warhol and socialite
Catherine Guinness interviewed Jackson for
Interview. Warhol recalled in his diary:"Catherine and I went over to
Regine's to interview Michael Jackson of
the Jackson 5. He's very tall now, but he has a really high voice. He had a big guy with him, maybe a bodyguard, and the girl from
The Wiz. The whole situation was funny because Catherine and I didn't know anything about Michael Jackson, really, and he didn't know anything about me—he thought I was a poet or something like that. So he was asking questions that nobody who knew me would ask—like if I was married, if I had any kids, if my mother was alive.... (laughs) I told him, 'She's in a home.' We tried to get Michael to dance and at first he wouldn't but then he and the girl from
The Wiz got up and did one dance." . Warhol painted his portrait that year. Later that year, on October 11, 1977, Warhol recalled chatting with Jackson at a party for
Elton John at Studio 54: "
Stevie [Rubell] "invited us all up to the booth where Michael Jackson was, and Michael was sweet—in his high voice he asked me about art." A few years later on January 9, 1979, Warhol and his boyfriend
Jed Johnson went to see Jackson in the film
The Wiz. Warhol remarked:"I wanted to see
The Wiz, so Jed and I cabbed to the Plaza (cab $2, tickets $10). The movie looked so cheap, and they made
Diana Ross so ugly and they made
Michael Jackson ugly.
Sidney Lumet must hate women—he photographed them 'up.' You could see right up
Lena Horne's nostrils. She's his ex-mother-in-law. The play was a lot better, with the
Geoffrey Holder dancers."In August 1981, Warhol attended both of the Jacksons'
Triumph Tour at
Madison Square Garden in New York City. On August 17, he recorded, "Susan Blond called to invite me backstage to see Michael Jackson on Tuesday and Wednesday, and she wants me to get
Liza Minnelli, but I haven't been able to." The next day, Jackson introduced him to his brothers, who all wanted portraits. Warhol observed, "Michael's gotten so handsome since I saw him that time with
Stephanie Mills," and he praised the show as "maybe the best I've seen. He's such a good dancer." On August 20,
Marlon Jackson visited Warhol's studio,
the Factory, and Warhol mentioned wanting to feature Michael on the cover of
Interview magazine. Jackson eventually appeared on the cover of the October 1982 issue of
Interview, photographed by
Matthew Rolston, which sold "very well." and
Randy Jackson during the
Victory Tour in 1984. Warhol attended a show at Madison Square Garden. On November 30, 1983, Warhol attended the Jacksons'
Victory Tour announcement at the
Tavern on the Green in New York City. On February 7, 1984, he attended the "Thriller Party" at the
Museum of Natural History, where Jackson received awards from CBS Records and
Guinness World Records. Shortly after,
Time magazine commissioned Warhol to create a cover portrait, providing a photo on February 29; by March 7, the painting was complete. Warhol later met Jackson backstage during the Victory Tour at Madison Square Garden on August 4, 1984, recalling: "Susan Blond pushed me into his arms and he was shy… I shook his hand and it was like foam rubber. The sequined glove isn't just a little sequined glove, it's like a catcher's mitt. Everything has to be bigger than life for the stage." Warhol attempted to meet Jackson to view
Bouguereau paintings with collector
Stuart Pivar a few times. On October 1, 1984, he mentioned Jackson was supposed to call Pivar, who "went out for a minute and missed the call, but he might come today. … Those Bouguereaus are now $2 million apiece and Stuart has about four. … It's funny, they're just the perfect paintings for Michael Jackson like ten-year-old boys with fairy wings, around beautiful women." They did not meet, and Warhol noted on November 15, 1986: "Stuart picked me up and Michael Jackson was staying across the street at the
Helmsley Palace and we went to a gallery near there to look at Bouguereaus. Stuart's going to try to see him this time. The last time he blew it." A few days later on November 18, Warhol mentioned that "Jackson never did show up. He called and cancelled right before he was supposed to be there." Years after Warhol's death, the connection between the artist and Jackson was referenced in the 1995 music video for "
Scream," performed by Jackson and his sister
Janet Jackson, in which a self-portrait of Warhol morphs into a splatter painting in the style of
Jackson Pollock. == Composition ==