Michael Jackson Career Manifesto at 21: 'I Will Be Magic' (VIDEO)
A newly uncovered 1979 manifesto has revealed that Michael Jackson's rise to fame came as no surprise to him.
By the age of 21, Michael Jackson was already planning his reign as the "King of Pop." A manifesto, written by the star and then locked away for years, reveals Michael Jackson had plans of settling for nothing but the best.
Jackson first came to fame as a member of the family group, The Jackson 5. The most popular member of the band at the time despite being the youngest, Jackson became known for his vocals on hit songs like "I'm Going to Make You Love Me" and "ABC." But like many child stars, Jackson came of age and became tired of his childhood success. Instead, what he wanted was to be reinvented.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The manifesto written by Jackson was hand scribbled and uncovered in the back of a tour itinerary, according to a recent episode of "60 Minutes" on CBS. It detailed the singer's ambition:
"MJ will be my new name," he wrote. "No more Michael Jackson. I want a whole new character, a whole new look. I should be a tottally [sic] different person. People should never think of me as the kid who sang 'ABC,' [or] 'I Want You Back.'"
The note reveals Jackson's premonition about creating a successful career- one that included many personal transformations for the singer.
"I should be a new, incredible actor/singer/dancer that will shock the world," he wrote. "I will do no interviews. I will be magic. I will be a perfectionist, a researcher, a trainer, a masterer. I will be better than every great actor roped into one."
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller later became the best selling album of all time and remains so to this day. Released just after writing the manifesto, "Off the Wall" is also ranked among the world's best selling albums.
