Abstract: What was it like to work in the studio with Michael Jackson, or direct him in one or more of his short films? What was it like to tour with him or dance with him? This month, MJ Studies Today columnist Kerry Hennigan provides an overview of books and articles from her personal collection that provide firsthand anecdotes of individuals who knew and worked with Jackson and whose memories have been captured in print.
Column by Kerry Hennigan, editor of the free monthly newsletter A Candle for Michael, administrator of the fan group “Michael Jackson’s Short Film Ghosts” on Facebook, and an MJ blogger on WordPress. Kerry holds Certificates in the Archaeology of the Ancient World and the Archaeology of Ancient Britain from Cambridge University’s Professional and Continuing Education and is passionate about Viking longships.
REFERENCE AS:
Hennigan, Kerry. “MJ Studies Today CXXVI: Reading Michael Jackson: Selections from My Bookshelf, Part 2: Tales from the Recording Studios, Film Sets and the Live Stage.” The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Vol 12, No. 4 (2026). https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-cxxvi/
The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies asks that you acknowledge The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies as the source of our Content; if you use material from The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies online, we request that you link directly to the stable URL provided. If you use our content offline, please credit the source as follows: “Courtesy of The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies.” All content is copyright-protected. Any unauthorised reproduction, redistribution, or use for artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automated data collection is strictly prohibited.
Reading Michael Jackson: Selections from My Bookshelf, Part 2: Tales from the Recording Studios, Film Sets and the Live Stage. By Kerry Hennigan
Photo collage © Kerry Hennigan
Though not academic in nature, there are a number of excellent books containing the recollections of individuals who worked closely with Michael Jackson in the recording studio, on his short films, or on the concert stage. The very best provide near-verbatim accounts that offer invaluable insight into Jackson’s creative process and the different levels of his involvement in seeing a project through to completion.
The books of Brice Najar, available in both his native French and in English, provide such firsthand observations, gleaned from his interviews with Michael Jackson’s collaborators. My personal favourite is Book on the Dance Floor, although it runs a close race with Making HIStory. Brice’s book on the latter double album covers both discs—HIStory Begins and HIStory Continues—thus providing insight into tracks from Off the Wall to Dangerous. [1][2][3]
Material like this is rare unless one has the opportunity to experience one of Brad Sundberg’s “In the Studio with MJ” seminars (which I am happy to reveal I have attended in person) or similar events that allow fans to hear directly from people who worked with Michael. Whether at Kingvention, one of Brice’s own On The Line Association “MJ Music Days”, or similar gatherings, these events provide a unique opportunity to hear stories from those who were there.
For many fans, however, time, finances and distance place such opportunities out of reach. Fortunately, many of these anecdotes have been preserved in books and videos, allowing a wider audience access to these valuable recollections.
More recently, Brice published From Thriller to Bad, which promises “a unique journey into the heart of the 1980s, between artistic genius and personal challenges.” [4] As with his previous titles, this book features exclusive interviews with some of Michael’s musical collaborators from those albums, as well as other key personnel involved in the creative process. In writing From Thriller to Bad, Brice recognised the need to broaden his coverage to include the dance, choreography and short films that were integral to Michael’s status as a game changer in entertainment.
For a different perspective, Dan Beck’s recently released memoir You’ve Got Michael provides rare insight into the promotional side of the music industry during a period when the business operated very differently from today. (Although company politics probably have not changed all that much.) In his review of the book, Brice Najar writes: “The author’s choice to immortalize this brief moment as the title of his book expresses how much his career reached a turning point in this long process of promoting the work of artists.” [5]
Bruce Swedien’s In the Studio with Michael Jackson is particularly rewarding for readers interested in the technical side of record production, especially the recording equipment and techniques that Swedien favoured. Alongside the technical discussion are a number of useful anecdotes about Michael and the other artists for whom he engineered hit records. [6]
With respect to Michael’s short films, the making of one of the most famous and enduringly popular—”Smooth Criminal”—has been documented by its director. Colin Chilvers, who passed away in 2024, left behind his memories of directing Michael in the respective segment of the film Moonwalker. Although they occupy only a single chapter in his memoir Believing a Man Can Fly (a reference to the movie Superman), they are significant enough to warrant seeking out. [7]
Though not presented as verbatim interviews, the insights provided in The Story of HIStory by Pez Jax include some of the special guests whom Pez has interviewed over the years, including at events such as Kingvention. [8] Similarly, Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From the Vault (originally published as Xscape Origins) by Damien Shields draws upon the author’s interviews with Jackson collaborators and individuals involved in the posthumous album Xscape, making it another worthwhile addition to a fan’s bookshelf. [9]
This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of Jackson-related titles, nor does it include those discussed in MJ Studies Today CXIV (published June 2025). [10] Rather, it represents a different selection of books that I own and have referenced in numerous articles and columns about Michael Jackson and his art, focusing specifically on his collaborators. I hope it encourages readers to explore these titles for themselves and discover, through firsthand accounts and detailed interviews, the experiences of the many talented individuals who had the opportunity to work with the most talented entertainer of them all.
Kerry Hennigan
14 June 2026
Sources:
[1] Hennigan, Kerry. Book Review: “Let’s Make HIStory. An Insight into the HIStory album” by Brice Najar(2017) https://kerryhennigan.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/book-review-lets-make-history-an-insight-into-the-history-album-by-brice-najar/
[2] Hennigan, Kerry. “MJ Studies Today LXII: Behind the scenes on Michael Jackson’s “Blood on the Dance Floor” album as documented by Brice Najar in “Book on the Dance Floor: Let’s Make HIStory in the Mix.” Part 1. (14-02-2021).” The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 7, No. 3 (2021). https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-lxii/
[3] Hennigan, Kerry. “MJ Studies Today LXIV: “Have you seen a Ghost?” Insights into working with Michael Jackson as told in “Book on the Dance Floor” by Brice Najar Part 2. (14-04-2021).” The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 7, No. 4 (2021). https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-lxiv/
[4] From Thriller to Bad description. https://www.bricenajar.com/en/2025/03/31/from-thriller-to-bad/
[5] Brice Najar’s review of Dan Beck’s You’ve Got Michael. https://www.bricenajar.com/en/2026/01/17/youve-got-michael-by-dan-beck/
[6] Bruce Swedien’s In the Studio With Michael Jackson on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Studio-Michael-Jackson-Swedien-Paperback/dp/B00Z8FJKH6/ref=sr_1_1
[7] Hennigan, Kerry. “MJ Studies Today L: ‘Like a Comic Book Adventure Come to Life’: Colin Chilvers on directing Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal.” (14-02-2020). The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies 6, no. 3 (2020). http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-l/.
[8] Hennigan, Kerry, “Academic Book Review of ‘The Story of HIStory’ by Pez Jax, , The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, 7, no. 1 (2020). Published electronically 19/08/2020. https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/academic-book-review-the-story-of-history-by-pez-jax-review-by-kerry-hennigan/
[9] Hennigan, Kerry. Book Review: “Xscape Origins: The Songs and Stories Michael Jackson Left Behind” by Damien Shields (2015) https://kerryhennigan.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/book-review-xscape-origins-the-songs-and-stories-michael-jackson-left-behind-by-damien-shields/
[10] Hennigan, Kerry. “MJ Studies Today CXIV: Reading Michael Jackson: selections from my bookshelf, Part 1: Biographies, Memoirs and More.” (14-06-2025). The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies Vol 11, No. 4 (2025). https://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-cxiv/
Other Useful Links:
In the Studio with MJ seminars: https://inthestudiowithmj.ticketbud.com/
In the Studio with MJ podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inthestudiowithmj
On the Line MJ Music Days: https://www.mjmusicday.com/
Kingvention: https://www.kingvention.com/
Book Review of Book on the Dance Floor by Brice Najar on Kerry’s WordPress blog: https://kerryhennigan.wordpress.com/2021/01/23/book-review-book-on-the-dance-floor-by-brice-najar/
Illustration: Photo montage “books…” by Kerry Hennigan. No infringement of photographic copyright is intended in this not for profit, educational exercise.