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© Alamy
Few dance moves are so iconic they can boast their own Wikipedia page. So it is with Michael Jackson’s moonwalk, seen on 16 May 1983 during the
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
TV special as the singer performed
Billie Jean
.
Watching the clip now, it’s almost as if he was already famous for it, such was the roar from the crowd three-and-a-half minutes in, as he breaks into the move. Those few seconds meant it was Jacko that people were talking about the next day, which is remarkable considering the lineup included such luminaries as Smokey Robinson (reuniting with The Miracles), as well as Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, who performed
What’s Going On
. Michael even appeared alongside The Jacksons, for a medley of
I Want You Back
,
The Love You Save
,
Never Can Say Goodbye
and
I’ll Be There
.