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Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson, a prominent figure in the Motown music scene, was one of the main influences of black pop’s transition from R&B into soul. Michael dedicated his album of the year for “Thriller” at the 1984 Grammy’s by saying “In the entertainment business, there are leaders and there are followers. And I just want to say that I think Jackie Wilson was a wonderful entertainer…I love you and thank you so much” (Costello, D, 2013).

It is clear how all of these icons of the entertainment industry had influenced Michael Jackson’s performances. He brought them all together and onto the biggest stages across the world.  Every time you experience Michael's artistry, you witness these profound influences converging in a mesmerizing display.

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James Brown

Michael's greatest source of inspiration and his musical idol was James Brown. James Brown is characterised by an unmatched energy and charisma. What particularly impressed Michael was James' dance moves and at the effortless way which he moved his feet during performances. Michael would watch James on television, eagerly attempting to reproduce his dance steps (Costello, D, 2013).

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Shakespeare

Tupac Shakur expressed his desire for his poetry to be studied the way they study Shakespeare. Shakespeare was considered to be his biggest literary influence. During his time at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Tupac studied lots of Shakespearean literature. In an interview in 1995, Tupac said, “I love Shakespeare. He wrote some of the rawest stories, man. I mean look at Romeo and Juliet. That’s some serious ghetto s**t” (John, N, 2019).

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Ice Cube

Ice Cube featured in a podcast where he discussed his early days of meeting Tupac. During the interview he recalled an instance of pushing Tupac in the right direction and leading him towards a path that ultimately led him to appear on classic Digital Underground records like “Same Song” and “I Get Around” (Moir, T, 2022).

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Public Enemy

Chuck D and Flavour Flav, the co-founders of the American hip-hop collective Public Enemy, hold a significant place in the genre's history. Chuck D shared a letter that Tupac Shakur wrote to him expressing the respect and admiration he had for the Public Enemy. Tupac's letter begins with a sincere acknowledgment of the profound respect he held for Chuck D, underlining the significant value he placed on Chuck's letters of support. In Tupac's own words,  “Back in the dayz, on tour with u, I learned so much from what u did and how u did it”, “It may be hard 2 C but u have alwayz played a major role in what it is I do 2day” (Grow, K, 2014).

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Diana Ross

Diana Ross is an American singer and actress. Jackson was obsessed with her. Jackson once said, "I thought I was going to be an old man before being discovered, but along came Miss Diana Ross to save my career." As Jackson ventured into his solo career, he had his first performances on Ross's TV show, and he lived with her for a period of time when he was young (Furnell, H, 2021).

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Romeo Jackson

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Tupac

Rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur, widely known by the monikers 2Pac and Makaveli, are regarded as one of the most influential and prosperous rappers of all time. Changing the world as a revolutionary with his lyrics and movement towards equality within society (West, Martin & Wilkins, 2009). "Through every dark night there's a bright day after that" was a lyric by Tupac that changed the way I think. Not only does it put the hard times into a perspective but it made me realise that every person has their own struggles.

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Michael Jackson

Renowned as an American singer, composer, dancer, and philanthropist, Michael Joseph Jackson stands as one of the most influential cultural leaders of the 20th century and is known as the "King of Pop" (Swedien & Jackson, 2009). Jackson's songs, particularly the song titled "They Don't Care About Us," served as a catalyst for awareness regarding prevalent social and political issues. During my early years, I often heard my father listening to this particular song. Among its profound lyrics, the phrase "beat me, hate me, you can never break me" consistently resonated with me, leaving a lasting impact on my understanding of resilience and fortitude.