Michael becomes friend with Marlon Brando and Mark Lester.
Michael does backing vocals for the “song State Of Independence” by Donna Summer.
February 6 : Enid gives birth to Brandi Jackson.
April 14 : Michael & Paul McCartney start recording the song “The Girl Is Mine” in Los Angeles. Michael meets Matt Forger during this session. They will work together until 1997.
April 16 : Janet, Randy and La Toya Jackson attend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 35th Birthday Party on at On the Rox, The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood,
May-August : Janet signs a record deal with A&M and records her first album in Los Angeles .
She also records background vocals with LaToya for Michael’s song PYT featured on his album Thriller.
May 6 : During an episode of Diff’Rent Strokes titled “The Music Man” Janet sings “The Magic Is Working” a song she has just recorded for her debut album.
July 4 : Michael, Quincy Jones & his wife Peggy Lipton attend the annual 4th of July picnic & barbecue at the Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas’s Estate, located in a secluded, yet open area near Nicasio, California, in Marin County.
July 7 : Janet’s debut single “Young Love” is released by A&M. It will peak at #64 on Hot 100 Billboard. Janet does not shoot a video for this single.
July 17 : Michael attends a gala in honor of Quincy Jones at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
July 31 : LaToya, Jermaine & Rebbie Jackson attend a party hosted by ‘Right On!’ magazine in New York City.
August : Michael, Quincy Jones & Bruce Swedien start the recording of The Thriller album at the Westlake Studios in Los Angeles.
August 1 : Michael makes a surprise appearance at the Budweiser SuperFest at Rose Bowl in Pasadena during Quincy Jones’ set, he sings and dances on the song “Stuff Like That”.
August 2 : Janet makes a photo session in L.A.
August 18 : Katherine files for divorce for the second time but she withdraws her demand later on.
August 20 : Bob Colacello, Andy Warhol’s collaborator for his magazine Interview, meets Michael Jackson at Hayvenhurst. During the interview, Andy Warhol calls Michael. This intervuew is published in the October 1982 issue of Interview. The cover of this issue was designed by Richard Bernstein, based on a photo of Michael Jackson taken by Matthew Rolston.
September-December : Michael pays an architect to raze and rebuild Hatvenhurst. During the reconstruction, he moves into a condo that he owns with Katherine, Janet & LaToya on 410 Lindley Avenue in Encino. Joes stays in the property to watch out for thieves.
September: The single “Muscles” by Diana Ross is released. The song was written, composed and produced by Michael.
Steven Spielberg asks Quincy Jones and Michael to produce a storybook album for his movie ET. Even though, they are very busy working on the “Thriller” album but they accept and spend days & nights working in the Westlake Studio.
Michael gives an interview to Rolling Stone correspondant Gerri Hirshey from his rented condo in the San Fernando Valley.
September 15 : Michael attends the last Queen concert from their Hot Space US Tour at the Forum in Inglewood. Later Freddie Mercury and him record songs together at the Hayvenhurst studio including a duo titled State Of Shock.
September 21 : Janet’s debut album “Janet Jackson” is released by A&M. It will peak at #63 on Billboard 200.
Janet gives an interview on the Mike Douglas Show with her pet snake Muscles. It’s her first TV interview as a solo artist.
October : During a photoshoot by Dick Zimmerman for the cover of ET Storybook, Michael meets make-up artist Karen Faye. Later Michael requests Karen for the photoshoot of the Thriller cover. Karen becomes his personal make-up artist until the end of his life.
Michael is on the cover of Interview magazine.
October 10 : Michael attends the wedding of Courtney Sale & Steve Ross in New York (with Quincy Jones & his wife Peggy).
October 18 : “The Girl Is Mine” is released by Epic as the first single from “Thriller. It will peak at #2 on Hot 100 Billboard. Michael does not shoot a video for this single.
October 25 : Janet appears on the cover of Jet magazine.
October 30 : In Los Angeles, Janet performs “Young Love” & “Come Give Your Love To Me” for the first time on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and reveals why she wears a key on her ear ring.
November 5 : Janet performs “Young Love” on Solid Gold.
November 8 : Michael, Quincy & Bruce complete the mixing of the Thriller album.
November 15 : “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” audiobook is released by MCA Records and promo copies of “Someone in the Dark” are sent to radio stations.
Epic Records allowed Michael to record the album on two conditions:
MCA Records was not to release E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial until after Christmas 1982. (This was to avoid the audiobook competing with Jackson’s new album, Thriller.)
The song “Someone in the Dark” was not to be released as a single.
MCA Records breached both conditions, releasing the storybook in November 1982 and giving 7-inch promo copies of “Someone in the Dark” to radio stations. After Epic lodged a $2 million lawsuit, MCA Records was forced to withdraw the album and prohibited from releasing “Someone in the Dark” as a single.
Epic executives had felt that MCA was misleading members of the public into believing that the then-recently released single “The Girl Is Mine” was featured on the storybook album. The plaintiffs further requested that MCA Records be banned from working with Jackson in the future and that any other media owned by MCA featuring the singer be prohibited from release.
November 30 : The album “Thriller” is released on Epic. It will peak at #1 on Billboard 200 and become the most successful album of all time with 7 hit singles, 107 millions copies sold worldwide, 3 legendaries videos , 8 American Music Awards & 7 Grammy Awards!!!
December : Michael & ET are on the cover of Ebony Magazine.
Michael gives an interview to UK’s magazine Smash Hits.
December 18 : In Los Angeles, Janet performs “Say You Do” and “Young Love” on the Soul Train show.
Jackson Dynasty 