Thursday, July 16, 2009
Video of Jackson 1984 Pepsi burn accident surfaces
NEW YORK – Us Weekly magazine has obtained video it says shows never-before-seen footage of Michael Jackson's head catching on fire during filming of his 1984 Pepsi commercial.
Jackson suffered severe burns after a pyrotechnics mishap caused his hair and scalp to catch afire. Still photos of the accident have been seen before, but the new video on Us Weekly's Web site shows the moment Jackson's hair caught on fire and the top of his head became engulfed in flames.
Jackson didn't realize his hair was on fire. In the video, he's still dancing as the flames are on his head. When he spins, the flames go out. People on the set tackle him to extinguish the fire, and his brother Jermaine Jackson, playing the guitar in front of him and oblivious to the commotion, turns around. When Michael Jackson emerges from the pile of people trying to help him, the top of his head is bald.
The accident, witnessed by thousands of stunned fans at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, came at the height of Jackson's fame, about a year after the release of his best-selling "Thriller" album. It marked what would be the beginning of serious, lifelong pain for Jackson, who had been treated for painkiller addiction and has been described by relatives and friends as being hooked on pain medication at the time of his death last month at age 50.
Jackson, who was photographed in an ambulance with a bandage on his head and his trademark sequined white glove on his right hand, required several surgeries and needed skin grafts to treat the injury.
In his autobiography, "Moonwalk," he described the cause of the accident as "stupidity, pure and simple."
As he described the accident, he wrote: "... bombs went off on either side of my head, and the sparks set my hair on fire. I was dancing down this ramp and turning around, spinning, not knowing I was on fire. Suddenly I felt my hands reflexively go to my head in an attempt to smother the flames."
As a result of the accident, Pepsi gave Jackson $1.5 million, which he donated to a burn center named after him.
Jackson suffered severe burns after a pyrotechnics mishap caused his hair and scalp to catch afire. Still photos of the accident have been seen before, but the new video on Us Weekly's Web site shows the moment Jackson's hair caught on fire and the top of his head became engulfed in flames.
Jackson didn't realize his hair was on fire. In the video, he's still dancing as the flames are on his head. When he spins, the flames go out. People on the set tackle him to extinguish the fire, and his brother Jermaine Jackson, playing the guitar in front of him and oblivious to the commotion, turns around. When Michael Jackson emerges from the pile of people trying to help him, the top of his head is bald.
The accident, witnessed by thousands of stunned fans at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, came at the height of Jackson's fame, about a year after the release of his best-selling "Thriller" album. It marked what would be the beginning of serious, lifelong pain for Jackson, who had been treated for painkiller addiction and has been described by relatives and friends as being hooked on pain medication at the time of his death last month at age 50.
Jackson, who was photographed in an ambulance with a bandage on his head and his trademark sequined white glove on his right hand, required several surgeries and needed skin grafts to treat the injury.
In his autobiography, "Moonwalk," he described the cause of the accident as "stupidity, pure and simple."
As he described the accident, he wrote: "... bombs went off on either side of my head, and the sparks set my hair on fire. I was dancing down this ramp and turning around, spinning, not knowing I was on fire. Suddenly I felt my hands reflexively go to my head in an attempt to smother the flames."
As a result of the accident, Pepsi gave Jackson $1.5 million, which he donated to a burn center named after him.
Michael Jackson Burn Video
MICHAEL Jackson's harrowing accident that sparked the addiction to painkillers that ended up killing him can be seen for the first time.
Shocking footage, which you can see below, has emerged of the Pepsi commercial on January 27, 1984, when a pyrotechnics accident left him with second and third degree burns to his face and scalp.
As Jackson strutted down the steps onto the stage at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium to sing his hit Billie Jean fireworks were supposed to explode behind him.
But on the sixth take the stunt went tragically wrong and the pyrotechnics went off too early - setting the singer's hair on fire.
Jackson was initially unaware of the flames surrounding his head and continued dancing in his trademark glittering suit for around five seconds before aides rushed on to extinguish the flames.
The accident started the late King of Pop's dependency on the painkillers that were found swamping his system when he died three weeks ago.
He had to have surgery on his scalp following the accident and has admitted he turned to painkillers to fight the pain.
Sources close to Jackson have claimed he was never the same after the 1984 accident.
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One said: "His personality totally changed after that incident as drugs began to influence his life.
"He was 25 and full of life before then but after that everything changed.
"If it wasn't for that sad day, things could have been so different."
In an interview with US chatshow host Oprah Winfrey in 1993 Jacko told how he set up a burns centre for children following his accident.
He said: "I did a commercial for Pepsi and I was burned very badly and we settled for $1million and I gave all the money ... like, we bulit this place called the Michael Jackson Burn Centre."
Shocking footage, which you can see below, has emerged of the Pepsi commercial on January 27, 1984, when a pyrotechnics accident left him with second and third degree burns to his face and scalp.
As Jackson strutted down the steps onto the stage at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium to sing his hit Billie Jean fireworks were supposed to explode behind him.
But on the sixth take the stunt went tragically wrong and the pyrotechnics went off too early - setting the singer's hair on fire.
Jackson was initially unaware of the flames surrounding his head and continued dancing in his trademark glittering suit for around five seconds before aides rushed on to extinguish the flames.
The accident started the late King of Pop's dependency on the painkillers that were found swamping his system when he died three weeks ago.
He had to have surgery on his scalp following the accident and has admitted he turned to painkillers to fight the pain.
Sources close to Jackson have claimed he was never the same after the 1984 accident.
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One said: "His personality totally changed after that incident as drugs began to influence his life.
"He was 25 and full of life before then but after that everything changed.
"If it wasn't for that sad day, things could have been so different."
In an interview with US chatshow host Oprah Winfrey in 1993 Jacko told how he set up a burns centre for children following his accident.
He said: "I did a commercial for Pepsi and I was burned very badly and we settled for $1million and I gave all the money ... like, we bulit this place called the Michael Jackson Burn Centre."
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