January : Michael is on the cover of Rock & Soul Magazine.
The Jacksons rehearse for The Destiny Tour. Their new show include 4 songs from their new album (Things I Do For You, Destiny, All Night Dancin’ & Blame It On The Boogie).
Motown releases Boogie, a collection of unreleased songs from the Jackson 5.
January 11 : MCA releases the single “You Can’t Win” from the soundtrack of The Wiz.
January 17 : Just before leaving for Europe with The Jacksons for the 1st leg of the Destiny Tour, Michael poses for a photoshoot with Jim McCrary in Los Angeles for his upcoming solo album « Off The Wall »
January 22+24 : The Jacksons kick off the European leg of Destiny tour at the Bremen Germany Musical Theater in Bremen, Germany. While in Bremen, The Jacksons perform “Blame It On The Boogie” on Musikladen TV show.
January 26 : Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Michael, and Randy Jackson arrive at Barajas Airport in Madrid. They check in the Palace Hotel in Madrid.
January 27 : The Jacksons visit the Prado musuem in Madrid. After visiting the Prado, they go to La Barraca, a typical Valencian restaurant near La Gran Via, to have paella.
January 28 : At noon, The Jacksons go to El Gran Musical, a live radio show on Cadena SER (one of the most important Spanish radio stations) from the Titanic discotheque on Atocha Street. The program is hosted by Cañaveras Pepe and directed by Rafael Revert. It is Michael Jackson’s first contact with the media in Spain. He is also introduced to Joaquin Luqui, who collaborated with the program every Sunday.
First concert at the El Teatro Monumental in Madrid, Spain.
January 29 : The Jacksons go the former Roma studios on Colmenar Street, where the Tele 5 production center is currently located. Valerio Lazarov and his production team were waiting for us to tape a performance of “Blame It On The Boogie”. Due to technical difficulties, the taping is postponed to the day after.
Second concert at the El Teatro Monumental in Madrid, Spain.
January 30 : In the morning, The Jacksons tape a performance of “Blame It On The Boogie” on the TV show “Sumarisimo” (a variety show that lasted only twelve weeks, from December 1978 to March 1979). The show airs on Monday, February 5, 1979.
Later, The Jacksons go to the Prado Del Rey studios to tape performances of “Destiny”, “Blame It On The Boogie”, “Goin Places” and “Shake Your Body” on Spanish TV show Aplauso (which airs RTVE on February 3, 1979).
Third concert at the El Teatro Monumental in Madrid, Spain.
January 31 : Concert at the Martiniplaza in Groningen, Netherlands.
February : The single “Shake Your Body” is released by Epic and becomes a huge success. It will peak at #7 on Hot 100 Billboard.
February 01 : Concert at the Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Michael poses for a photoshoot at the Sonesta Hotel in Amsterdam with Barry Schultz.
The Jacksons are on the cover of Jet Magazine.
February 02 : In Amsterdam, in the afternoon, The Jacksons tape a performance for a Dutch television show, “Sonja’s Goed Nieuws Show,” a talk show hosted by Sonja Barend. The group performs “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)” and “Blame It On The Boogie”. Exceptionally, the show is not held at the De Meervaart theater but inside the ultra-modern new tropical wave pool complex, De Mirandabad, in the south of Amsterdam, which is also being inaugurated on this occasion. That evening’s guests on the show include Amsterdam’s mayor Wim Polak, the synchronized swimming group De Meeuwen, the comedy duo Peppi and Kokki — and The Jacksons. Jeans, plaid shirts, and tweed jackets have replaced the shiny costumes the group used to wear, and Michael even sports a black T-shirt with the show’s logo. Backstage at the show, Michael meets the comedy duo Peppi and Kokki (real names Gerard van Essen and Herman Kortekaas), who are part of the program. The singer is particularly fond of their television series, which earned them the nickname “the Dutch Laurel and Hardy.” Under the lens of photographer Peter Mazel, Michael and the two men pose together, joined by a young boy—identity unknown—wearing a white cowboy hat.
The Jacksons tape another performance that same day for the Dutch TV show TopPop, broadcast on the TROS channel, (which is aired on February 24). They perform Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground). Unlike their poolside appearance at De Mirandabad, the brothers return to wearing the more iconic, stylish stage outfits they’re known for. A previously unseen photo of Michael Jackson, taken by photographer Joep Bruijnjé and published in 2021, shows him inside the studio premises.
Concert at the Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
NBC airs an episode of the The Midnight Special taped in December where The Jacksons perform “Shake Your Body” and “Things I Do For You”.
February 3 : Soul Train’s episode with the Jacksons is aired on US TV. The group performs “Shake Your Body”, “Things I Do For You” & “Push Me Away”.
February 6+7+8+9 : Concerts at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
While in London, The Jacksons tape performances of “Shake Your Body”, “Blame It On The Boogie” & “Destiny” on Top Of The Pops. Jermaine joins them on stage for the last song.
February 10 : Concert at the Brighton Center in Brighton, England.
ABC airs American Bandstand featuring The Jacksons performing “Shake Your Body”, “Push Me Away” & “Things I Do For You”.
February 11 : Concert at the Guildhall in Preston, England.
February 12 : Concert at the Wakefield Theater Club in Wakefield, England.
February 13 : Concert at the Fiesta Club in Sheffield, England.
February 14 : The Jacksons arrive at Leysin, a municipality in the canton of Vaud, with approximately 4,000 inhabitants, located in the Vaud Alps, the central part of the Alps, in Switzerland. They check in l’hôtel Central de Leysin. In the afternoon, the group tapes a performance of two tracks from the album “Destiny”: “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)” and “Blame It On The Boogie.” The brothers can be seen performing their songs in front of a massive snowman, surrounded by children skiing, at the Plan-Praz site, located a bit higher than their hotel. They also make a photoshoot in the snow. These performances are part of the show “Disco In The Snow, part I.” The four-part show, featuring the group Abba, will be broadcast on British television, on the BBC, on April 9, 1979.
February 15 : The Jacksons go to Leysin Restaurant where they tape their second segment for a special show, “Abba Snowtime,” which will be broadcast on the BBC on December 22, 1979. In the heart of an “old rustic chalet with a mountain atmosphere”, they perform their song “Destiny” near the fireplace.
At night, The Jacksons give a concert at the Victoria Hall in Geneva, Switzerland.
February 16 : The two concerts scheduled at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland are canceled.
February 17 : Concert at the Manchester Apollo in Manchester, England.
February 18 : Concert at the Bingley Hall in Birmingham, England.
After the concert, Michael gives an interviews with “New Musical Express” at the hotel’s pool and sauna, discussing his likes of touring, love of children, and the differences between playing in theatres and arenas.
February 19 : Concert at the Civic Theatre in Halifax, England.
February 20 : The two concerts scheduled at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester, England are canceled.
February 21 : The concert scheduled at the Sophia Gardens Pavillon in Cardiff, England is canceled.
February 23+24 : Concerts at the England Rainbow Theatre in London. The first concert is filmed for television and aired later on.
February 25 : Concert at the Poole Arts Centre in Poole, England.
February 26 : Concert at the Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
February 28 : The two concerts scheduled at Le Palace in Paris, France are canceled at the last minute. There are pictures of the audience waiting to get in the Palace. Official reason: Food poisoning of Michael and one of his brothers.
February 29 : The concert scheduled at the Théâtre des Carmes in Avignon, France is canceled. The Jacksons go back home to Los Angeles.
March : The Jacksons concerts in South Africa, Senegal and Kenya are all canceled. In an interview to Jet Magazine published on April 19, 1979, Joe Jacksons denies rumors that the group canceled because the audiences were to be segredated : “It wasn’t canceled because of that. I’d rather not talk about it, but it was in the best interest of the Jacksons to cancel”. To this day, no one knows what really happened…
Back to Los Angeles, Michael resumes the recording of the album Off The Wall with Quincy Jones.
Spring : Michael undergoes his first rhinopasty surgery. He recovers at his frien David Gest’s home.
April 14+15 : The Jacksons kick off the US leg of Destiny Tour at the Music Hall in Cleveland. They add “Shake Your Body” to the setlist as the final song.
April 19+22 : Concerts at the Valley Forge Music Fair in Devon, a census-designated place (CDP) located in Easttown township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. During their stay in Devon, the group recorded what appears to be a television program. The footage shows them horseback riding on a property and talking with a young girl. While no information is available about this interview, the images were filmed in the heart of Valley Forge National Park, on the grounds of a historic property, The Philander Chase Knox Estate.
April 25+26+27 : Concerts at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago.
Michael, Joe & the Jacksons meet concert promoter Leonard Rowe.
April 28 : Concert at the Mill Run Theatre in Niles, Illinois.
May 3 : Concert at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg.
May 6 : Concert at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville.
May 10+12 : Concert at the Music Hall in Houston.
May 11 : The single “Destiny” is released (only in the UK).
May 16 : Concert at the Birmingham Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham.
May 17 : Concert at the Municipal Auditorium in Columbus.
May 18 : Concert at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville.
May 19 : Concert at the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta.
May 20 : Concert at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis. Rick James visit the group backstage.
May 24 : Concert at the Saenger Theatre in Pine Bluff.
May 26 : Concert at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
May 27 : Concert at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth.
May 28 : Concert at the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport.
June : Michael is on the cover of Dutch magazine Pop Foto with exclusive photoshoot that took place on February 02 in Amsterdam with Peter Mazel.
June 1 : Concert at the Chrysler Hall in Norfolk.
June 3 : The Jackson brothers are welcomed at the Carolina Inn in downtown Columbia, for a press conference. It is more likely a small ceremony in which, at first, an official presents the group with the keys to the city. Bill DeLoach, representing Governor Richard Wilson Riley, then presents each of the Jackson brothers with a small Palmetto Tree badge, which they pin to the front of their jackets.
Concert at the Township Auditorium in Columbia, the capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina.
June 8 : Concert at the Belk Gymnasium in Charlotte.
June 9 : Concert at the Capital Centre in Landover.
June 10 : Last concert of the first US leg at the War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro.
Late June : Michael, Quincy & Bruce complete the recording & mixing of the album Off The Wall at the Westlake Studios in Los Angeles.
The Jacksons start recording songs for the Triumph Album.
Michael makes several photoshoots for the “Off The Wall” album cover with Mike Salisbury and Steve Harvey as Mike Salisbury recalls : “After a shoot at the Griffith Park Observatory under the Hollywood sign that didn’t work for me, we tried a re-shoot in photographer Steve Harvey’s Hollywood studio. Nothing was happening. The photograph in the theatrical tuxedo, with the Gene Kelly white socks and loafers, needed something more than just a white background. I needed a background to support the metaphorical symbolism of the tuxedo and the young kid with the big talent. In an urban alley against an old wall of real brick, I directed Michael to be more animated in his pose. And I told him to smile. Voila! Off the Wall. Perhaps after the Great Wall and the Berlin Wall, one of the most famous walls in the world. A wall I picked to be our backstage, the alley door of a Broadway theater”
July : Michael shoots a video for the song “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” with a new short hair.
Leonard Rowe becomes the concert promoter for the next leg of the Destinty Tour and he meets Michael and the Jacksons at Hayvenhurst several times.
July 1 : At Hayvenhurst, Michael gives an interview to “Blues & Soul” magazine, discussing the peacock symbol, politics in music, children, world cultures, “Off the Wall”, and the next Jacksons album
Mayor Tom Bradley declares “Jackson Day” in Los Angeles in honour of the group achievements. Some 300 guests attend a party in the City National Bank Vault in Beverly Hills. The Jacksons receive a Platinum Record for Destiny. Michael’s date for the night is actress Tatum’ O Neal. Michael performs “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”.
Later, Michael, Janet Randy and their niece Stacee Brown attend The Doobie Brothers 10th Anniversary Party at the Friars Club of Beverly Hills. During the celebrations Michael and his brothers join the Doobie brothers, Sam & Dave, Kenny Loggins, Rufus Thomas and several other stars on stage for a rendition of the Doobies song ‘Soul Man’ and highlight of the night is Michael’s, Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonalds 40 minute rendition of ‘Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)’.
July 03 : Michael gives a deposition in Los Angeles for the lawsuit between the Jacksons and Motown Records.
July 10 : The single “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” is released. It peaks at #1 on Hot 100 Billboard.
August 10 : Epic releases the album “Off The Wall” (N°1) A huge success thanks to the genius of Michael Jackson combined with the musicians of Quincy Jones. With four Top Ten singles and more than 15 millions records sold, Off The Wall has become a classic in pop history.
August 16 : Michael is on the cover of Jet Magazine with an exclusive interview.
August 20 : Michael is on the cover of Soul Magazine with an exclusive interview.
August 29 : Michael & his brothers give a radio interview. They also make a photoshoot with photographer Mathew Roltson.
Michael’s contract with Joe Jackson expires and he now takes control of his own career.
September: The Jacksons are on the cover of Ebony Magazine.
On the same day, Michael shoots two music videos for the songs “Rock With You” and “She’s Out Of My Life”. Both videos are directed by Bruce Gowers and filmed at the 800 Stage in Los Angeles.
The Jacksons rehearse for the new leg of the Destiny World Tour and they add new songs to the setlist (Off The Wall, Rock With You, Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough and Shake Your Body).
October 2+3 : The Jacksons kick off the second US leg of Destiny Tour at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans.
October 4 : Concert at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport.
October 5 : Concert at the Mobile Municipal Auditorium in Mobile.
October 6 : Concert at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville;
October 7 : Concert at the Louisville Gardens in Louisville.
October 12 : Concert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
October 13 : Concert at the Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester.
October 14 : Concert at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh
October 15 : Concert at the Saginaw Civic Center in Saginaw.
October 19 : Concert at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
October 20 : Concert at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis.
October 21 : Concert at the UD Arena in Dayton.
October 25 : Concert at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Columbus.
October 26 : Concert at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse.
October 27 : Concert at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo.
October 28 : Concert at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield.
October 31 : Michael attends his friend Jane Fonda’s Halloween Disco Party at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
November 1 : Concert at the Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
November 2 : Concert at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois.
November 3 : Concert at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.
Epic releases the single “Rock With You”. It will peak at #1 on Hot 100 Billboard.
Rolling Stone Magazine refuses to put Michael on their cover!
November 4+5 : Concerts at the 1979 Detroit Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
November 7 : Concert at the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
November 8 : Michael and Marlon visit Radio Station WWRL 1600 in New York City and pose for pictures with DJ Gary Byrd. They also visit “WBLS” radio station’s Frankie Crocker, discussing family, the “Destiny” songs and tour, and “The Wiz”.
Concert at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, in central Nassau County, New York (the concert is filmed for ABC’s 20/20 TV show).
Backstage, Michael & The Jacksons are presented with gold record awards for Off The Wall’ album with CBS record executive Don Dempsey & Joe Jackson. They also pose for pictures with Super model Beverly Johnson.
After the concert, Michael and Marlon interview with Sylvia Chase in the back of their limo for a 20/20 special report. Then Michael attends Steve Rubell’s birthday party at the Studio 54 with Debbie Allen and Lionel Ritchie.
November 9 : Concert at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia.
November 11 : Concert at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia.
November 22 : Concert at the Savannah Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia.
November 23 : Concert at the Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia.
November 24 : Concert at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
November 25 : Concert at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
November 29 : Concert at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia.
November 30 : Concert at the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama.
December 6 : Concert at the Summit in Houston, Texas
December 13 : Concert at the United States Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California.
December 14 : Concert at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.
December 15 : Concert at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California.
December 16 : Concert at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena in Oakland, California.
December 17 . Michael performs “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough” at the New Age club in Oakland, California. Taped for the Soul Beat Network.
December 18 : Concert at the Forum in Inglewood. The whole Jackson family attends the concert. Backstage Michael is presented with multplatinum record awards for Off The Wall. After the concert, the Jacksons attend a party at Chasen’s restaurant in Beverly Hills.
December 21 : Last concert of the year at the Haynes Oval Cricket Ground in Nassau (The Bahamas).
December 27 : Michael’s interview with Sylvia Chase (filmed on December 9) is aired on ABC’s 20/20 and features live songs from the Destiny Tour (filmed at the Uniondale concert on November 8, 1979). The special also featuresan interview of Joe & Katherine filmed at Hayvenhurst.
Late December : Michael , Janet, Rebbie, Marlon, Jackie, Jermaine, Randy & Tito go to Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace in Los Angeles. They pose for pictures with Barry White.
Jackson Dynasty 