1991 - 1993: Dangerous, Heal The World Foundation, and Super Bowl XXVII Halftime Show

1991–1993: Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation, and Super Bowl
XXVII halftime show

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking
deal,[153] beating Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[154] In 1991, he released his
eighth album, Dangerous, co-produced with Teddy Riley.[155] It was certified seven times platinum in
the US, and by 2008 had sold 30 million copies worldwide.[156][157] In the US, the first single, "Black or
White", was the album's highest charting song; it was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven
weeks and achieved similar chart performances worldwide.[158] The second single, "Remember the
Time" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[159] At the end of
1992, Dangerous was the best-selling album of the year worldwide and "Black or White" the best-
selling single of the year worldwide at the Billboard Music Awards. Jackson was also the best-selling
artist of the 1980s.[160] In 1993, he performed "Remember the Time" at the Soul Train Music
Awards in a chair, saying he twisted his ankle during dance rehearsals.[161] In the UK, "Heal the
World" made No. 2 on the charts in 1992.[162]
Jackson during the Dangerous World Tour in 1993
Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity brought underprivileged
children to Jackson's ranch to use the theme park rides, and sent millions of dollars around the globe
to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. That July, Jackson published his second
book, Dancing the Dream, a collection of poetry. The Dangerous World Tour ran between June 1992
and November 1993 and grossed $100 million; Jackson performed for 3.5 million people in 70
concerts, all of which were outside the US.[163] Part of the proceeds went to Heal the World
Foundation.[164] Jackson sold the broadcast rights of the tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-
breaking deal that still stands.[165]
Following the death of HIV/AIDS spokesperson and friend Ryan White, Jackson pleaded with the
Clinton administration at Bill Clinton's inaugural gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and
research[166][167] and performed "Gone Too Soon", a song dedicated to White, and "Heal the World" at
the gala.[168] Jackson visited Africa in early 1992; on his first stop in Gabon he was greeted by more
than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read "Welcome Home Michael".[169] During his
trip to Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief. He thanked the dignitaries in
French and English, signed documents formalizing his kingship, and sat on a golden throne while
presiding over ceremonial dances.[169]
In January 1993, Jackson performed at the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in Pasadena, California.
The NFL sought a big-name artist to keep ratings high during halftime following dwindling audience
figures.[170][171] It was the first Super Bowl whose half-time performance drew greater audience figures
than the game. Jackson played "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White", and "Heal the
World". Dangerous rose 90 places in the album chart after the performance.[102]
Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Winfrey on February 10, 1993. He spoke of his childhood
abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood, and said
that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the
Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, and stated for the first
time that he had vitiligo. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after
its release.[21][102]
In January 1993, Jackson won three American Music Awards: Favorite Pop/Rock Album
(Dangerous), Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Remember the Time"), and was the first to win the
International Artist Award of Excellence.[172][173] In February, he won the "Living Legend Award" at
the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.[58] He attended the award ceremony with Brooke
Shields.[174] Dangerous was nominated for Best Vocal Performance (for "Black or White"), Best R&B
Vocal Performance ("Jam") and Best R&B Song ("Jam"), and Swedien and Riley won the award for
Best Engineered – Non Classical.[79]
1993–1995: First child sexual abuse accusations and first marriage

Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
In August 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy, Jordan Chandler,
and his father, Evan Chandler.[175] Jordan said he and Jackson had engaged in acts of
kissing, masturbation and oral sex.[176] Jordan's mother initially told police that she did not believe
Jackson had molested her son; however, her position wavered a few days later.[177][178] Evan was
recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, which Jackson used to argue that he was the
victim of a jealous father trying to extort money.[178] Jackson's older sister La Toya accused him of
being a pedophile, which she later retracted.[179] Police raided Jackson's home in December and
found books and photographs featuring young boys with little or no clothing. The books were legal to
own, and Jackson was not indicted.[180] Jordan Chandler gave police a description of Jackson's
genitals. A strip search was made, and the jurors felt the description was not a match.[181][182][183] In
January 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for $25 million.[184] The police never
pressed criminal charges.[185] Citing a lack of evidence without Jordan's testimony, the state closed its
investigation on September 22, 1994.[186]
Jackson had been taking painkillers for his reconstructive scalp surgeries, administered due to the
Pepsi commercial accident in 1984, and became dependent on them to cope with the stress of the
sexual abuse allegations.[187] On November 12, 1993, Jackson canceled the remainder of the
Dangerous Tour due to health problems, stress from the allegations and painkiller addiction. He
thanked closed friend Elizabeth Taylor for support, encouragement and counsel. The end of the tour
concluded his relationship with Pepsi-Cola which sponsored the tour.[188]
In late 1993 Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, over the
phone.[189] They married in La Vega, Dominican Republic in May 1994 by civil judge Hugo Francisco
Alvarez Perez.[190] The tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a publicity stunt to deflect
Jackson's sexual abuse allegations and jump-start Presley's career as a singer.[191][190] Their marriage
ended little more than a year later, and they separated in December 1995.[192] Presley cited
"irreconcilable differences" when filing for divorce the next month and only sought to reclaim her
maiden name as her settlement.[191][193] After the divorce, Judge Perez said, "They lasted longer than I
thought they would. I gave them a year. They lasted a year and a half."[190]
1995–1997: HIStory, second marriage, and fatherhood

In June 1995, Jackson released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The
first disc, HIStory Begins, is a greatest hits album (reissued in 2001 as Greatest Hits: HIStory,
Volume I). The second disc, HIStory Continues, contains 13 original songs and two cover versions.
The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments
in the US.[194] It is the best-selling multi-disc album of all time, with 20 million copies (40 million units)
sold worldwide.[158][195] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[58] The New York
Times reviewed it as "the testimony of a musician whose self-pity now equals his talent".[196]
The first single from HIStory was "Scream/Childhood". "Scream", a duet with Jackson's youngest
sister Janet, protests the media's treatment of Jackson during the 1993 child abuse allegations
against him. The single made number five on the Billboard Hot 100,[159] and received a Grammy
nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[58] The second single, "You Are Not Alone",
holds the Guinness world record for the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100
chart.[197] It received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance" in 1995.[58]
In 1995 the Anti-Defamation League and other groups complained that "Jew me, sue me, everybody
do me/ Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me", the original lyrics of "They Don't Care About
Us", were antisemitic. Jackson released a version with revised words.[198][199]
In late 1995, Jackson was admitted to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised
performance, caused by a stress-related panic attack.[200] In November, Jackson merged his ATV
Music catalog with Sony's music publishing division, creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. He
retained ownership of half the company, earning $95 million up front as well as the rights to more
songs.[201][202]
"Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK Singles Chart for six
weeks over Christmas 1995.[162] It became the 87th-best selling single in the nation.[203] At the 1996
Brit Awards, Jackson's performance of "Earth Song" was disrupted by a drunken Jarvis Cocker and
his Pulp band-mate Peter Mansell, who were protesting what Cocker saw as Jackson's "Christ-like"
persona. Jackson said the stage invasion was "disgusting and cowardly".[204][205]
In 1996, Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Scream" and an American
Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.[58][206]
Jackson promoted HIStory with the HIStory World Tour, from September 7, 1996 to October 15,
1997. He performed 82 concerts in five continents, 35 countries and 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans,
his most attended tour. It grossed $165 million.[132] During the tour, in Sydney, Australia, Jackson
married Debbie Rowe, a dermatology nurse, who was six months pregnant with his first
child.[207] Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (commonly known as Prince) was born on February 13, 1997;
his sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born a year later on April 3, 1998.[208] Jackson and
Rowe divorced in 1999, and Rowe conceded custody of the children, with an $8 million settlement.
In 2004, after the second child abuse allegations against Jackson, she returned to court to reclaim
custody. The suit was settled in 2006.[209]
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of
singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies, making it
the best-selling remix album of all time. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[210] In
the US, the album reached number 24 and was certified platinum.[156]

1991 - 1993: Dangerous, Heal The World Foundation, and Super Bowl XXVII Halftime Show

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1991 - 1993: Dangerous, Heal The World Foundation, and Super Bowl XXVII Halftime Show

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1991–1993: Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation, and Super Bowl

XXVII halftime show

Jackson during the Dangerous World Tour in 1993

1993–1995: First child sexual abuse accusations and first marriage

1995–1997: HIStory, second marriage, and fatherhood

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