Michael buys a new condominium in Century City nicknamed the “Hideout”.
LaToya hires Jack Gordon as her new manager. She signs a new recording contract with RCA Records and starts recording a new album with produced by the European trio Stock Aitken Waterman.
“(Ain’t Nobody Loves You) Like I Do” is the first single taken from her fifth album “La Toya”. The single is released throughout Europe, excluding the United Kingdom. LaToya shoots a music video for the song. The B-side of the single, “(Tell Me) She Means Nothing To You At All”, is released as its own single in France. The 12″ singles include a longer version of the song.
January 05 : Michael, Quincy Jones & Bruce Swedien start recording the “Bad” album at the Westlake Studio in Los Angeles. They select songs from the 65 demos recorded at the Hayvenhurst studio for the past 2 years.
January 06 : “Let’s Wait Awhile” is released the the 5th single from “Control” along with a black & white video directed by Dominic Sena. It will peak at #2 on Hot 100 Billboard.
Janet is on the cover of Spin Magazine.
January 09 : Michael attends the American Cinema Awards with Sophia Loren & Sylvester Stallone.
January 22 : Janet performs “Control” and “Nasty” during the halftime of Ice Capades skating show at the Madison Square Garden in NYC. While in New York, she takes her dancers to the Studio 54.
January 26 : Janet attends the American Music Awards ceremony with Rene where she performs “Control” and wins two awards.
1987 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS – Show Coverage – Airdate: January 26, 1987. (Photo by ABC
Rebbie also attends the ceremony and presents an award with Gary Morris.
The album “Control The Remixes” is released.
February : Michael begins filming a short film for the song “Smooth Criminal” from his upcoming album. The short film is directed by Colin Chilvers on a story written by Michael. It features young actors Sean Lennon, Kellie Parker & Brandon Adams plus Joe Pesci and among the dancers, Lavelle Smith who will become Michael’s choreographer. “Smooth Criminal” is a part of the “Moonwalker” movie.
February 1 : Janet is a guest on US radio show HITLINE USA.
February 24 : Janet attends the 29th Annual Grammy Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California where she performs a medley performance of “What Have You Done For Me Lately ” and “Nasty” featuring Terry Lewis & Jimmy Jam.
Later she watches the delay broadcast ay Hayvenhurst with family and friends.
March : Janet is on the cover of Jet magazine.
Janet accepts an award in a pre recorded video message taped in New York City during the filming of the “Let’s Wait Awhile” video during the 4th Annual Black Gold Awards.
Michael shoots a new Pepsi commercial with a special version of the song “Bad”. During the filming he meets 9 years old actor Jimmy Safechuck. Later Michael invites Jimmy and his family at have dinner at Hayvenhurst and they all become friends.
March 14 : “Diamonds”, a duet between Janet & Herb Alpert is released by A&M. It will peak at #5 on Hot 100 Billboard.
March 17 : Hazel gives birth to Jermaine’s son, Jaimy Jackson.
March 23 : Janet attends the Soul Train Awards with Rene where she wins an award for “Control”.
March 26 : Janet performs “Let’s Wait Awhile” on British TV show Top Of The Pops (taped in London).
March 30 : Janet performs “Let’s Wait Awhile” at Yoru no Hit Sutajio in Tokyo, Japan.
March 31: Filming of the “playing with the kids” scene of Smooth Criminal.
April : Michael withdraws from The Jeovah’s Witness.
May : Quincy Jones sets up a meeting between Michael & Prince in Los Angeles.
The media report that Michael wants to purchase the bones of Elephant Man.
Michael’s first solo world tour is announced to begin next September in Japon.
Janet films “The Pleasure Principle” directed by Dominic Sena in L.A.
May 5 : Filming of the “Smooth Criminal” break scene at the Culver Studios.
May 12 : “The Pleasure Principle” is released as the 6th single from Control.”Diamonds”. It will peak at #14 on Hot 100 Billboard.
May 16 : For her 21st birthday, Janet goes on vacation to Hawaii with Rene. Rene proposes to her on the beach ans she accepts.
May 18 : The Jehovah’s Witness headquarters in Brooklyn, NY, issue the statement that they “no longer considered Michael Jackson to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” by mutual agreement.
May 19 : LaToya attends the Premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop II” at Mann’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.
May 29 : On her 31st birthday, LaToya flies to Japan with her new manager Jack Gordon. Later they go to Germany.
June 01 : MTV premieres the video for “The Pleasure Principle” directed by Dominic Sena and choreograped by Barry Lather.
June 9 : Michael shoots the “The Way You Make Me Feel” short film in Los Angeles directed by Joe Pytka, choreographed by Vincent Paterson and featuring Tatiana Thumbtzen & Latoya!
July 1 : LaToya is on a promotional tour in Helsinki.
July 9 : Michael, Quincy & Bruce complete the mixing of the Bad album.
July 13 : 25 CBS Records executives and representatives are invited to a dinner party at Hayvenhurst where they are treated with a preview of the Bad album and the Bad short film.
Epic announces that the Bad album has been completed and will be released on August 31.
July 15 : Radio 1 premieres I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, the first single from the Bad Album.
July 20 : The single “Making Love In The Rain” from Herb Alpert is released and it features Janet’s background vocals. It will peak at #35 on Hot 100 Billboard.
The single “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” is released worldwide. It will peak at #1 on Hot 100 Billboard. Michael does not shoot a video for this song.
August : Michael rehearses for the Bad World Tour in Los Angeles.
Katherine & Rebbie poses for photos at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.
August 17 : Janet is on the cover of Jet magazine with a story on a party hosted by A&M in Beverly Hills with Terry Lewis & Jimmy Jam to celebrate the Control album getting platinum
August 20 : Jackie & Enid are officicially divorced. Enid has custody of Siggy & Brandi.
August 31 : The album “Bad” is released worldwide.
The “Bad” short film is world premiered on the CBS TV Special “Michael Jackson : The Magic Returns”.
September: A&M releases Control : The Videos, a VHS featuring all the music videos from the album Control.
Michael hires Bob Jones, vice-president of MJJ Productions.
Michael’s Pepsi commercial featuring “Bad” is premiered.
Michael is on the cover of Ebony and Jet magazines.
September 1 : Michael gives his first interview in years to Ebony/Jet’s journalist Darryl Dennard at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York.
September 7 : The single “Bad” is released. It will peak at #1 on Hot 100 Billboard.
September 9 : Michael arrives in Tokyo (Japon) with pet chimp Bubbles, Katherine & Joe, LaToya & her manager Jack Gordon, Quincy Jones, Frank Dileo, Karen Faye, Michael Bush, Bill Bray, Wayne Nagin, Donny Osmond ect… He stays at the Capitol Hotel.
September 10 : Michael visits Korakuen Amusement Park .
September 11 : Michael visits Disneyland Tokyo.
Janet wins her first MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography (“Nasty”) but she does not attend the ceremony.
September 12+13+14 : Michael kicks off his first solo tour at the Korakuen stadium in Tokyo.
September 19+20+21 : Concerts at the Hankyu Nishinomiya stadium in Nishinomiya. Michael is presented the key to the city by Mayor Oshima at a formal tea ceremony where Michael is accompanied by Bubbles!
September 25+26+27 : Concerts at the Yokohoma stadium in Yokohama. Michael dedicates the concerts to the memory of Yoshiaki Ogiwara, a five year old boy who was murdered.
Michael gives an interview to Mollie Mildrew for Australian TV. Mollie had interviewed Michael ten years earlier!
Ebony/Jet showcases an interview of Michael by Darryl Dennard.
September 28 : Back in Tokyo, Michael visits Ginza square at night.
September 30 : Michael visits the Nagatacho Elementary School in Tokyo.
October : Hazel files for divorce and Jermaine introduces Margaret to the family.
Janet leaves Hayvenhurst to move in with her boyfriend Rene Elizondo Jr.
October 3+4 : Concerts at the Yokohoma stadium in Yokohoma.
October 7 : Michael arrives in Osaka by train from Tokyo.
October 10+11+12 : Concerts at the Osaka stadium in Osaka .
Michael is on the cover of People with a hand-written message from Michael.
October 13 : Michael visits a castle in Osaka.
October 15 : Back in Tokyo, Michael visits the Nissan Motor factory in Oppama close to Yokosuka in Kanagawa disctrit (Baie de Tokyo) then he has dinner at Shiosai restaurant at the Otowa hotel no mori in Hayama.
October 16 : Michael visits the CBS Sony Studios Roppongi and then he goes to Yomiuri Land, an amusement park.
October 19 : After 41 days in Japan to launch his first solo world tour, Michael leaves the country to Narita airport at 10:22 am from the flight JAL731 to Hong Kong.
October 22 : LaToya is on a promotional tour in Munich, Germany.
October 23 : Michael spends a day in Zhongshan in the province of Guangdong, south of China.
October 24 : Michael spends the day in Ocean Park with Karen and “Dr Penguin”.
October 31 : MTV premieres the “The Way You Make Me Feel” short film.
November 9 : Janet and Rene attend Eddie Murphy’s Comedy Tour at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
“The Way You Make Me Feel” is released as the 3rd single from “Bad” It will peak at #1 on Hot 100 Billboard
November 10 : Michael flies from Hong Kong to Sydney.
November 11 : Michael arrives in Sydney and takes an onward flight to Melbourne.
November 12 : Michael visits a children’s hospital in Melbourne .
November 13 : Concert at the Olympic Park stadium in Melbourne.
Michael meets a 5 years old boy named Brett Barnes after Brett’s family sent him a letter. They will remain friends until the end of his life.
November 18 : Michael goes to the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, Australia to give gifts to children, sign autographs and chat with families.
November 20+21 : Concerts at the Parramatta stadium in Sydney .
November 25 : “Funny How Time Flies” is released as the 7th and final single from “Control” (only in the UK & Australia). Janet does not shoot a video for this single.
November 27+28+29 : Concerts at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane.
On November 28, Stevie Wonder joins MJ on stage and they perform “Bad” together.
5 years old Wade Robson wins a dance contest and gets to meet his idol Michael Jackson his his hotel suite. They will remain friends until the end of his life/
November 30 : Michael flies back home.
December : Michael visits Jimmy Safechuck and his family in L.A.
December 15 : “Get It” a duet between Stevie Wonder & Michael is sent to US radio stations.
December 20 : Janet & Rene attend the 20th NAACP Image Awards at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles (the ceremony airs on January 15, 1988).
December 23 : Michael is filming the “Leave Me Alone” short film as part of the “Moonwalker” movie.
Jackson Dynasty 