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The Victory Tour was a
concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
of the United States and Canada by
the Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
from July to December 1984. It was the only tour with all six Jackson brothers, even though Jackie was injured for some of it. The group performed 55 concerts to an audience of approximately 2 million. In the 22 locations performed, 19 of the locations were performed in large stadia. Many came to see
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, whose album '' Thriller'' was dominating the popular music world at the time. Many consider it to be his ''Thriller'' tour, with most of the songs on the set list coming from his ''Thriller'' and ''
Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and t ...
'' albums. The tour reportedly grossed approximately $75 million ($ million in dollars) and set a new record for the highest-grossing tour. It showcased Michael's single decorated glove, black sequined jacket and
moonwalk Moonwalk may refer to: Space travel * Moonwalk, an excursion on the Moon, see Moon landing ** For a specific event, see List of spacewalks and moonwalks 1965–1999 ** For a specific person, see List of people who have walked on the Moon *Extrave ...
. The tour was choreographed by
Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograph ...
, and promoted by
Don King Donald King (born August 20, 1931) is an American boxing promoter, known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups. He has been a controversial figure, partly due to a manslaughter conviction and civil cases against him, as well a ...
. Despite the billing of being a 'world tour', the shows were stayed to the United States and Canada alone. Despite its focus on Michael, it was named after the Jacksons' album ''
Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...
''. The album was released four days before the tour's first show in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
and turned out to be a commercial success. However, none of the album's songs were performed on the tour.
Jermaine Jermaine ( ) is a masculine given name of Latin language, Latin origin, derived from the French given name , which is in turn derived from the Latin given name , meaning "brother". The masculine given name Jermaine was popularized in the 1970s b ...
had a successful new album out as well ( ''Jermaine Jackson'', also known as ''Dynamite'', which had been released in April 1984) and some material from that album was performed. Also, all three of the Jacksons' sisters released new albums that year, but Rebbie, La Toya, and
Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...
were not part of the tour (aside from a cameo appearance for a few moments at the end of the final show with other family members). According to Marlon, Michael refused to rehearse or perform any of the songs from ''Victory''. Marlon also stated that Michael had only reluctantly joined his brothers, who needed the income while he himself did not. On the tour, tensions between Michael and his brothers increased so much that at the December 9 concert he announced that it would be the last time they would perform together, ending plans for a European and Australian leg of the tour in the spring and summer of 1985. The Jacksons and promoter
Don King Donald King (born August 20, 1931) is an American boxing promoter, known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups. He has been a controversial figure, partly due to a manslaughter conviction and civil cases against him, as well a ...
did make money from the tour. Michael donated his share to several charities as he had promised before it, but the rancor between him and his brothers had a deep and lasting effect on the Jacksons as a family, alienating him from them for most of his later life, and effectively ended the Jacksons as a performing group. The Jacksons made one more album in 1989, but aside from the concert celebrating Michael's thirty years as a solo artist in 2001, they never toured again during Michael's lifetime. The tour was also a financial disaster for promoter Chuck Sullivan, who along with his father Billy was eventually forced to sell the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
football team they owned, along with
Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 and served as the home of the New England Pa ...
, the team's home field, as a result of the losses he incurred.


Background

In November 1983,
the Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
announced plans for a major tour in 1984 at a press conference, with boxing promoter
Don King Donald King (born August 20, 1931) is an American boxing promoter, known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups. He has been a controversial figure, partly due to a manslaughter conviction and civil cases against him, as well a ...
offering $3 million ($ million in dollars) in upfront advances. That spring, the ''
Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...
'' album was recorded, to be released shortly before the tour itself. At the time the tour was announced, the Jacksons had not lined up a promoter for the shows. In the spring of 1984, Chuck Sullivan, son of Billy Sullivan, owner of the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), went to Los Angeles to see if he could get the Jacksons to choose the team's home,
Sullivan Stadium Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 New England Patriots season, 1971 and served ...
, which the family also owned, for the group's
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
-area shows. After using his financial and legal expertise to help his father regain control of the team he had founded and built in the wake of a 1974 boardroom coup, the younger Sullivan, who had promoted concerts as an undergraduate at
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
and during his
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
service in Thailand, had begun staging concerts at the stadium to generate extra income for the team. The set list included songs from the Jacksons' albums ''
Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
'' and ''
Triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
''. Despite the name of the tour, the ''
Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...
'' album was not represented. There were also songs on the list from Jermaine's and Michael's solo careers. Songs from Michael's albums ''
Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and t ...
'' and '' Thriller'' were both represented. The set list did not include " Thriller" itself because Michael did not like the way the song sounded live, but it was later performed regularly during Michael's solo tours. " State Of Shock" was also rehearsed during sound check but was never performed (although a snippet of Michael’s vocal was heard in leaked footage of the concert in Toronto). Jermaine sometimes performed the song "Dynamite" during his solo segment in place of the usual "You Like Me, Don't You?"


Planning and organization

At a meeting, Frank DiLeo, a vice president at
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
, the Jacksons'
label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
, told Sullivan that the group's talks with its original promoter had broken down and they were seeking a replacement. Sensing an opportunity, Sullivan returned to Boston and began putting together the financing to allow Stadium Management Corp. (SMC), the Patriots' subsidiary that operated the stadium, to promote the entire Victory Tour. Initially he partnered with Eddie DeBartolo, then owner of another NFL team, the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, in putting together a bid offering the Jacksons two-thirds of the tour's gross revenue against a guaranteed $40 million ($ million in modern dollars). DeBartolo withdrew when he began to see the deal as too risky, but Sullivan persevered by himself, and in late April DiLeo told him at another meeting in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
that SMC, which had never handled a tour, would be the promoter of the year's most eagerly anticipated concert tour, expected to gross $70–80 million. The deal was very generous to the Jacksons. Sullivan had agreed that they would receive 83.4% of gross potential ticket revenues, which meant in practical terms that the group would be paid as if the show had sold out regardless of whether it actually did. That percentage was at least 25 points above what was at that time the industry standard for artists on tour. Sullivan also guaranteed the Jacksons an
advance Advance commonly refers to: *Advance, an offensive push in sports, games, thoughts, military combat, or sexual or romantic pursuits *Advance payment for goods or services *Advance against royalties, a payment to be offset against future royalty pa ...
of $36.6 million ($ million in modern dollars). He put the Sullivan Stadium up as
collateral Collateral may refer to: Business and finance * Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan * Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Collate ...
for a $12.5 million loan to pay the first installment shortly before the tour started. The balance was due two weeks later. The month after winning the tour bid, Sullivan approached stadium managers at the NFL's meetings, many of whom were there to bid for future
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
s. He sought changes to their usual arrangements with touring performers in order to make the Victory Tour more profitable.
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
's
Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium has been officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stad ...
, home of the Chiefs, agreed to accept only a $100,000 fee for the three opening concerts instead of its usual percentage of ticket sales and concessions. The
Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
in
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, provided nearly half a million dollars' worth of free goods and services. Ultimately, 26 of the 55 dates were played in 17 stadiums that were home to NFL teams. But some others balked at Sullivan's demands. To use
John F. Kennedy Stadium John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium. was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of ...
, Sullivan asked the city of
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
for almost $400,000 in tax breaks and subsidies. Among them were free hotel rooms and suites for all tour workers, free use of the stadium and waiver of concession revenue. He said the Jacksons' presence would generate revenue that would make up the difference, but the city stood firm on some provisions. Outside of negotiations, Sullivan's behavior on tour embarrassed the Jacksons on some occasions. At
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
's
Robert F. Kennedy Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. It is located about due east of the U.S. Capitol building, near the ...
, he forgot his pass and was denied entry. Sullivan was particularly humiliated when the board of selectmen in Foxboro, where his family's team and stadium were located, uncharacteristically denied a permit for the concert, citing "the unknown element". In retrospect, it was suggested by news writers that the board's decision was racially motivated, although it was also stated that there had been continuing security concerns about the stadium during Patriots' games and previous concerts, but the board had never denied permits on that basis before. To help defray the tour's costs, the Jacksons sought a corporate sponsor. They had all but concluded a lucrative deal with
Quaker Oats The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001. History Precursor miller companies In the 1850s, Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart founded oat mills. S ...
when King came to them with a deal he had already signed with
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...
. Although it would pay them less money, they had to take it and break off talks with Quaker. Part of the deal was that Michael, who did not drink Pepsi, would have to do two commercials. He made sure that his face appeared minimally in them to avoid overexposing his image. During filming of one of the two commercials, Michael suffered second and third degree burns on his scalp when a
pyrotechnic Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
effect malfunctioned, catching his hair on fire. Many people, including friends and associates of Michael, believe this incident is what sparked his problems with prescription drug abuse.


Ticket controversy and other business issues

King, Sullivan and the Jacksons' father Joe Jackson (who no longer managed any of his sons by that point) came up with a way to generate additional revenue from ticket sales. Those wishing to attend would have to send a postal
money order A money order is a directive to pay a pre-specified amount of money from prepaid funds, making it a more trusted method of payment than a cheque. History The money order system was established by a private firm in Great Britain in 1792 and was ...
for $120 ($ in modern dollars) along with a special form to a
lottery A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...
to buy blocks of four tickets at $30 apiece (US$ in dollars), ostensibly to curtail
scalpers Scalpers is a chain of men's fashion stores founded in Seville, Spain, in 2007. In 2018, Scalpers reported €42 million in sales, with 132 stores and other points of sale and 314 employees. In the same year it reported that 8.5% of its sales w ...
. Upon receipt the money was to be deposited into a standard
money market The money market is a component of the economy that provides short-term funds. The money market deals in short-term loans, generally for a period of a year or less. As short-term securities became a commodity, the money market became a compon ...
account earning 7% annual interest; it would take six to eight weeks for the lottery to be held and money to be refunded to the unsuccessful purchasers. Since only one in ten purchasers would win the lottery and receive tickets, there would be more money in the bank for that time period than there were tickets to sell, and they expected to earn $10–12 million in interest. Joe, Jackie,
Tito Tito may refer to: People Mononyms * Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman * Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journ ...
,
Jermaine Jermaine ( ) is a masculine given name of Latin language, Latin origin, derived from the French given name , which is in turn derived from the Latin given name , meaning "brother". The masculine given name Jermaine was popularized in the 1970s b ...
, Marlon, and
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...
were in favor of the plan, but Michael was not and he warned them that it would be a
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
disaster. The $30 ticket price was already higher than most touring acts (such as
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
and
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
) charged at the time, and was compounded by the requirement to buy four. This put tickets out of reach of many of Michael's
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
fans who were not financially secure. That community was joined by many commentators in the media in vociferously criticizing the Jacksons over the plan. Nevertheless, when newspapers published the form for tickets to the first show in Kansas City in late June, fans lined up at stores before they opened to buy them. A local radio
disk jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
said some newspapers were even stolen from lawns. On July 5, 1984, after receiving a letter from eleven-year-old fan Ladonna Jones, who accused the Jacksons and their promoters of being "selfish and just out for money," Michael held a press conference to announce changes in the tour's organization and also to announce that his share of the proceeds from the tour would be donated to charity. Jones later received VIP treatment at the
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
concert. The following is Michael's speech at the press conference:
A lot of people are having trouble getting tickets. The other day I got a letter from a fan in
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
named Ladonna Jones. She'd been saving her money from odd jobs to buy a ticket, but with the turned tour system, she'd have to buy four tickets and she couldn't afford that. So, we asked our promoter to work out a new way of distributing tickets, a way that no longer requires a money order. There has also been a lot of talk about the promoter holding money for tickets that didn't sell. I've asked our promoter to end the mail order ticket system as soon as possible so that no one will pay money unless they get a ticket. Finally, and most importantly, there's something else I am going to announce today. I want you to know that I decided to donate all my money I make from our performance to charity. There will be further press statements released in the next two weeks.
Afterwards, the procedures were modified, but all sales continued to be made by mail (except for the six final shows at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...
, where tickets were also sold through
Ticketmaster Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entert ...
). Tickets were typically made available only a week to ten days in advance, and many tickets ended up in the hands of ticket brokers. The ticket price remained unchanged and at a press conference, King justified the $30 price as appropriate and that he did not blame the promoters for charging that price, adding that "you must understand, you get what you pay for."


Financial difficulties

The tour sold what was then a record number of tickets despite the high price. The opening shows were widely covered in the national media and sold out. "Anybody who sees this show will be a better person for years to come", King told the media before the first date in Kansas City. "Michael Jackson has transcended all earthly bounds. Every race, color and creed is waiting for this tour." Sullivan had estimated in June that he would make up to $13 million, but by August he had reduced that estimate by more than three-quarters, to $3 million. Transporting the 365-ton () stage Michael had designed, which took up one-third of a football field (approximately ), required over thirty
tractor trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...
s. It was so large it required using some of the seating area, in some venues taking as much as a quarter of the potential available seats off the market. Before the tour began Sullivan had spent nearly a million dollars on legal fees and insurance. Among the 250 workers on the tour payroll was an "ambiance director" who provided "homey touches" to the traveling parlor the group relaxed in before and after shows. Overhead costs were soon averaging around a million dollars a week, far over expectations, and Sullivan was unable to pay the $24 million balance on the advance. He renegotiated the deal down to 75% of gross potential seat revenues soon after the tour began.


Jackson family tensions

Tensions between Michael and his brothers increased during the tour. Michael stayed at his own hotels and flew between stops on a private jet while the rest of the family flew commercial. At one point he demanded that a publicist be fired and when he found out right before a show that she had not been, he refused to go on until she was. Michael was also disappointed that his idol
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
had declined his invitation to join the group on stage at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York City due to Brown's continued outrage about the ticket lottery. The other Jacksons also had grievances with Michael. He turned down a multimillion-dollar offer from
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
to film one of the shows that his brothers had accepted, only to have a crew he had hired show up to shoot its own film several nights later (they subsequently blocked its release). Despite a pretour agreement that only the Jacksons themselves could ride in the van chartered to take them to shows, Michael began taking child star
Emmanuel Lewis Emmanuel Lewis (born March 9, 1971) is an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the 1980s television sitcom '' Webster''. Personal life Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Midwood High School in 1989. ...
along with them. Later, after a similar agreement over a helicopter that took the brothers to a show at
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
in
East Rutherford East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, Michael showed up with
Sean Lennon is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...
(son of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...
), and his brothers glared at him for the entire flight. Before the tour was halfway completed, the brothers were taking separate vehicles to concerts, staying on different floors of their hotels, and refusing to talk to each other on the way to shows. Meetings broke down among factions, with two lawyers frequently representing Michael's interests, another Jermaine's, and one more for Jackie, Tito and Marlon. "It was the worst experience Michael had ever had with his brothers", said a longtime family friend. "Some were jealous, there was denial, the whole gamut of human emotions."


Other problems

Health problems affected the tour. Jackie missed the first half with a leg injury, supposedly sustained during rehearsals. At one point, Michael became so exhausted from the stress of quarreling with his brothers that he was placed under medical care. By the later shows on the tour, its novelty had worn off and the strains were having an effect. Although the ''Victory'' album was certified double platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for sales of 2 million copies, the shows were failing to sell out. Dates planned for
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
were cancelled; extra shows in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
made up the difference. By early October, the time of the shows in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
's
Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built for Canadian National Exhi ...
, a total of 50,000 tickets had gone unsold, so Sullivan renegotiated again, getting the Jacksons to agree to revenues based on actual sales. Things got worse as the tour reached its final leg on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...
. In late November, the shows at
Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the southwestern United States, on the campus of Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona. It is home to the ASU Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference. The s ...
in Tempe,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, just outside
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, were canceled. Officially the reason was that Jermaine was too sick with the flu to perform, but there was some speculation that slow ticket sales played a role as well. Sullivan was so short of cash he stopped payment on a $1.9 million check to the group after the
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
dates. Immediately afterwards, he suffered a minor
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
, and left the hospital early to renegotiate with the Jacksons again, claiming losses of $5–6 million. By this time the parties were no longer meeting in person. The Jacksons agreed to waive the stopped payment in return for a greater share of revenue from the six final shows at Dodger Stadium. Sullivan's estimated profit was down to half a million dollars. The Jacksons and King had made money even though Sullivan had not, and near the end of the tour they began making plans for a European leg, as well as an Australian leg. When word reached Michael, he let them know through his representatives that he would not take part. At the rain-soaked tour finale in Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium, after six sold-out shows, Michael announced at the end of the show that this would be the last time they would all perform together, much to his brothers' surprise. As a result, the plans to go to Europe and Australia were ended.


Aftermath

Michael's announcement generated some backlash from his brothers. King stated: Michael was so upset when he learned of King's remarks that he called his lawyer
John Branca John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
and demanded to “sue his ass”. Branca calmed him down and persuaded him to drop the idea. The Jacksons netted approximately $36 million, which worked out to about $7 million for each brother. Michael, who alone did not need the money, donated his share of the proceeds from the tour, approximately $5 million ($ million in dollars), to three charities, as he had promised, including the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research, the
United Negro College Fund UNCF, the United Negro College Fund, also known as the United Fund, is an American philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 37 private historically black colleges and universities. ...
, and
Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times is a California-based charitable camp for children with cancer. The camp was established in 1982 by Pepper Edmiston, a Los Angeles woman whose oldest son, David, had leukemia. Edmiston couldn’t find a summer ca ...
. He had also received an $18 million advance ($ million in dollars) from Sullivan for a Michael Jackson
designer jeans Designer clothing is expensive luxury clothing considered to be high quality and haute couture for the general public, made by, or carrying the label of, a well-known fashion designer. Brands Designer clothing is not always created by the foun ...
brand, few of which were ever produced and sold before Sullivan had to stop production. Estimates of SMC's losses have ranged from $13 million to $22 million ($ million to $ million in modern dollars). Sullivan and his father quietly put the word out around the NFL that the Patriots and their stadium were for sale. Their $100 million asking price for the combined package made more sense when the Patriots qualified for
Super Bowl XX Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
after the next season, the first time they had ever done so. Even after making the Super Bowl, the team's revenue was not nearly enough for the Sullivans to service the debt from the Victory Tour. At one point they were so close to
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
that the NFL had to advance them $4 million to make their payroll. Sullivan's woes increased when his wife filed for divorce, and he had to set up a luxury box at Sullivan Stadium as his personal living quarters. He allegedly wrote several letters to Michael, begging for money to bail the team out, but Michael never replied. The Sullivans finally gave up and sold the Patriots to
Victor Kiam Victor Kermit Kiam II (December 7, 1926 – May 27, 2001) was an American entrepreneur and TV spokesman for Remington Products, and the owner of the New England Patriots football team from 1988–1991. He was well known for his turnaround of Remi ...
in 1988. However, Kiam was unable to keep himself or the team financially stable either, and eventually the Patriots were sold again in 1992 to
James Orthwein James Busch Orthwein (March 13, 1924 – August 15, 2008) was an American heir and business executive. He also owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 1993. After unsuccessfully attempting to relocate th ...
. Meanwhile, Sullivan Stadium lapsed into bankruptcy and was purchased by Boston paper magnate
Robert Kraft Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, ...
. Kraft used the stadium's lease as leverage to prevent Orthwein from breaking the agreement and moving the team to
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. Kraft further made it clear that he would go to court to enforce the lease's ironclad commitment for the Patriots to play in the stadium until 2001. Orthwein then put the team on the market, but the wording of the lease scared off potential buyers because they would also be required to negotiate with Kraft. With no other choice, Orthwein accepted Kraft's own $175 million offer to buy the Patriots in 1994. Kraft has a Victory Tour poster in his office as a reminder of how he was able to realize his lifelong dream of owning the Patriots.


People

Aside from a few months in mid-1975 and Michael's 30th Anniversary Celebration concert in 2001, the Victory Tour was one of the very few times that all six Jackson brothers worked together at the same time as a band. Jackie missed most of the tour because of a leg injury, which was described at the time as a knee injury incurred during strenuous rehearsals. Margaret Maldonado, the mother of two of Jermaine's children, has alleged that Jackie in fact broke his leg in an automobile accident: his first wife Enid intentionally ran him over in a parking lot after catching him with another woman. Jackie would, however, eventually recover and was able to rejoin his brothers on stage for the last portion of the tour.Margaret Maldonado Jackson, ''Jackson Family Values'' Michael sang all the lead vocals, except for a trio of Jermaine's solo hits.
Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...
made a special guest appearance doing the "
Beat It "Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album. Jackson l ...
" guitar solo on July 13 in Irving, the night before his band,
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
, played three nights at
Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
during the Victory Tour Shortly after the tour ended and the announcement that it was the group's final tour, Michael returned to his solo career and Marlon left the group to start a solo career of his own.


Set list

# "Sword in the Stone" (Introduction) #"
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It wa ...
" #"
Things I Do for You Things or The Things may refer to: Music * ''Things'' (album), by Uri Caine and Paolo Fresu, 2006 * "Things" (Bobby Darin song), 1962; covered by Ronnie Dove, 1975 * "Things", a song by Joe Walsh from '' There Goes the Neighborhood'', 1981 * "Thi ...
" #"
Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and t ...
" #"
Human Nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...
" #"
This Place Hotel "This Place Hotel" (originally named "Heartbreak Hotel") is a 1980 song by the Jacksons, written by Michael Jackson. While his brothers did not sing background vocals, they were credited with playing percussion on the album while brother Tito c ...
" #"
She's Out of My Life "She's Out of My Life" is a song written by American songwriter Tom Bahler and performed by American singer Michael Jackson. The song was released as the fourth single from Jackson's 1979 album '' Off the Wall'' released on April 19, 1980. In 20 ...
" #" Let's Get Serious" / " You Like Me, Don't You?" / "
Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
" / "
Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True) "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" is a song by Jermaine Jackson featuring his younger brother Michael Jackson, taken from Jermaine Jackson's Jermaine_Jackson_(album), eponymous album. Jason Elias of Allmusic called this song "percol ...
" (
Jermaine Jermaine ( ) is a masculine given name of Latin language, Latin origin, derived from the French given name , which is in turn derived from the Latin given name , meaning "brother". The masculine given name Jermaine was popularized in the 1970s b ...
and
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
only)
#"
I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
" / "
The Love You Save "The Love You Save" is a song recorded by the Jackson 5 for Motown Records. It was released as a single on May 13, 1970, and held the number-one spot on the soul singles chart in the US for six weeks and the number-one position on the ''Billboard' ...
" / " I'll Be There" #"
Rock with You "Rock with You" was written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It was first offered to Karen Carpenter, while she was working on her first solo album, but she turned it down. It was released on November 3, 1979, by Epic Records as ...
" #"
Lovely One "Lovely One" is a funk single released by American family group the Jacksons on September 27, 1980. Released as the first single from the brothers' ''Triumph'', it followed the hit "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)". "Lovely One" nearly ma ...
" ;Encore #
  • "
    Workin' Day and Night "Working Day and Night" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It is the third track from his fifth studio album, ''Off the Wall'' (1979). The song was written and produced by Jackson. Despite not being released as a single, Jacks ...
    " #"
    Beat It "Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album. Jackson l ...
    " #"
    Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...
    " #"
    Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" is a song recorded by The Jacksons for their 1978 album ''Destiny'', and released as a single the same year. It peaked at No. 7 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in May 1979. Background The most successful of th ...
    " (contain excerpts from "
    Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album ''Off the Wall'' (1979). It was the ...
    ")


    Tour dates


    Known rehearsal dates

    The first Victory Tour was originally scheduled in Lexington, Kentucky on June 22, 1984. This plan got cancelled and a dress rehearsal was done instead.


    Known cancelled shows

    There were also some plans to take the tour to Europe and Australia in 1985, but Michael Jackson refused to take part because of solo career.


    Notes


    Personnel


    Performers

    *
    Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
    :
    vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
    *
    Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...
    : vocals, percussion, keyboards *
    Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...
    : vocals; bass *
    Tito Jackson Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (born October 15, 1953) is an American musician. He is an original member of the Jackson 5 (later known as The Jacksons), who rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with the Motown label, and later had continued ...
    : vocals; guitar *
    Marlon Jackson Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957) is an American entertainer, singer and dancer best known as a member of the Jackson 5. He is the sixth child of the Jackson family. Marlon now runs Study Peace Foundation to promote peace and unity wor ...
    : vocals; percussion *
    Jackie Jackson Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the Jackson 5, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Jackson is the second child of the Jackson family, a ...
    : vocals; percussion (First performance during the Quebec concerts.) * Keyboards: Rory Kaplan, Pat Leonard and Jai Winding * Guitar: David Williams and Gregg Wright * Drums:
    Jonathan Moffett Jonathan Phillip "Sugarfoot" Moffett (born November 17, 1954) is an American drummer, songwriter and producer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Beginning in 1979, Moffett collaborated with the Jackson family, particularly Michael Jackson, over the co ...


    Credits

    * Tour Coordinator and Co-Producer with the Jacksons: Larry Larson * Assistant Coordinator: Marla Winston * Production Manager: Peyton Wilson * Assistant Production Managers: Gary Bouchard and Debbie Lyons * Stage Manager: Mike Hirsh * Assistant Stage Manager: Pee Wee Jackson * Production Consultant: Ken Graham * Site Coordinators: John "Bugzee" Hougdahl, Jose Ward * Stage Construction and Engineering: Plainview, Inc. – John McGraw * Robotic Lighting: Design – Michael Jackson * Eidophor Video Projection: M.B. Productions, Inc. * Design execution and manufacturing: Applied Entertainment Systems * Lighting Company: TASCO * Sound Company: Clair Brothers Audio * House Mixers: ML Procise and Mike Stahl * Monitor engineer: Rick Coberly * Laser Effects: Showlasers, Inc., Dallas, Texas * Laser Special Effects Operator: Michael Moorhead * Laser Technician: Steve Glasow * Musicians Costumes Design: Enid Jackson * Magical Illusions: Franz Harary * Tour Photographer: Harrison Funk *Video Director: Sandy Fullerton * Jackson Crew Sportswear:
    Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
    * Community Affairs: Harold Preston * Consultant to Community Affairs: Cynthia Wilson * Pyrotechnics Director: John Watkins


    See also

    *
    List of highest-grossing concert tours This is an incomplete list of the highest-grossing concert tours. Only tours using reliable references and having grossed over $100 million (adjusted for inflation) have been added to the list. Some of the gross may be higher than reported ...


    References


    External links


    Image of The Jacksons performing on stage in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium during the Victory Tour, 1984
    Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
    Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library,
    University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
    . {{Portalbar, 1980s The Jacksons concert tours 1984 concert tours Farewell concert tours