- The Motown twenty-fifth anniversary TV special
- March 25, 1983, Motown Records held a televised concert
- Motown was in need of publicity
- Motown was experiencing financial difficulty
- Berry Gordy Jr. had moved the label to Los Angeles in 1970
- Heavy investment in film production
- Funk Brothers had been disbanded
- Stevie Wonder the only consistent artist still with the label
- New artists weren't selling
- Music videos were expensive to produce
- Michael Jackson on Epic Records
- In 1983 he was the biggest pop star in the world
- 1982 album Thriller was becoming the most popular record in history
- Single-handedly integrated MTV with high-production videos
- "Billie Jean"
- "Beat It"
- "Thriller"
- Jackson 5 agreed to a reunion performance on two conditions:
- Michael would get a "solo" performance set
- Michael would be top bill at the end of the show
- Jackson's set is a legendary television performance
- Wearing a sequined tuxedo, glittering socks, trademark single glove
- Spectacular choreography
- Outstanding vocal delivery
- climax of his set was the "Moonwalk" dance move During "Billie Jean"
- Overall irony
- The event is legendary
- Highlight was top bill of a non-Motown artist, Michael Jackson
- Jackson: last artist signed to Motown while in Detroit
- Artists who contributed more to the label also performed
- James Jamerson
- One of the most important musical contributors
- Virtuoso bass player
- Leader of the session band
- Did not perform on the special
- Was not invited
- Had to pay for his own ticket
- Died shortly after the special
- Unrecognized by the general public for his work
- Acknowledgment in 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown
