I haven’t decided how to lightly reorganize the blog categories here. Most of the previous ezine posts were labeled under the “Magazine” category. Maybe I’ll add categories like “dragons in fashion” or “dragons in design” and see if that works.
For my first shorter, freeform post (which I’m hoping is more manageable than the loonnnng ezine posts), I thought I’d gather some dragon images associated with one of my favorite musical artistes of all time: Michael Jackson!
P.S. I’ve included a few bonus links to books/articles at the end of this post if you’d like to learn more about MJ’s life and music.
White Dragon Jacket from “Beat It” (1983)
I probably noticed the white dragon jacket the first time I saw this video. I believe I went on a Michael Jackson marathon when I first started watching YouTube in the mid-2000s.
There’s not much info about this jacket online. In the video, it’s worn by choreographer Michael Peters, who also choreographed for the “Thriller” music video.
Side Note: The book Icons and Instincts by choreographer Vincent Paterson (who worked with Michael Jackson on multiple videos/performances) is a fascinating read if you’re interested in the world of dance.
Dragon Robe from Hong Kong (1987)
According to china.org.cn, Michael Jackson spent a vacation in Hong Kong in 1987. He visited the Shaw Brothers film studio and wore an ancient Chinese costume at the Qingshui Bay TV studio.
Jennifer Batten (guitarist) in Beat It (Oslo, 1992)
The supercool guitarist Jennifer Batten was part of the three Michael Jackson’s world tours from 1987 to 1997.
Over here she rocks a green Eastern dragon light up stage costume while playing the Beat It solo riff!
View it live on this video timestamp:
Gold Dragon Jacket at KORA Music Awards (1999)
Pictured here with former South African president Nelson Mandela, MJÂ was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award and also donated a big sum to Mandela’s charity.
Dragon Jacket at World Music Awards (2000)
As the King of Pop / Music, Michael Jackson had many jackets that were truly fit for a king, and this one is no exception.
This silver dragon detail on a black jacket is similar (in terms of color scheme) to his This Is It conference black leather jacket.
Here’s another photo from the same event with a closer view of the dragons.
He wore this during the year of the dragon, by the way.
Check out the book The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson by Michael Bush if you enjoy reading about fashion design.
It details many of the magical and iconic clothing that MJ’s stylists created for him, which always involved a great deal of blood, sweat and tears since they needed to be mesmerizing AND functional to make it through the high-impact dance moves and sequences.
Michael Jackson with Cireulo’s Dragon Book (2007)
Don’t we all love the dragon art of Ciruelo?
Michael Jackson is holding The Book of the Dragon by Ciruelo in this pic, which was taken at a Barnes and Noble in Las Vegas in December 2007.
Michael Jackson “Dragon Soul Eternal” Art (2009)
Translated lyrics from Dragon Soul (the opening theme for some episodes of Dragon Ball Z Kai):
“Courage won’t fade. If you’re with me, my enemies can never win.
We will fight for love and glory. We will live to tell the story.
There is nothing we can’t live through – Nothing ever dies; we will rise again.”
Bonus: Paris Jackson’s Dragon Tattoo
Paris Jackson (Michael Jackson’s daughter) has some very beautiful tattoos, including this one on her arm with a koi fish and what appears to be Haku (the dragon from Spirited Away).
Bonus: Michael Jackson Resources
- MJ Allegations Blog: Lots of research and context which you typically won’t find in the mainstream media, with recommended documentaries available on YouTube.
- Remember the Time (by Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard): A candid memoir written by the two bodyguards who worked for MJ in his final years. This was a great read, with many anecdotes that were humorous as well as tragic.
- Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (by Joseph Vogel): I have this book at home although I haven’t started reading it yet. It explores his artistic brilliance in the music, and takes a look at both his popular and lesser-known songs.
Here’s one of my favorite MJ songs from the History album. I have many favorites but I keep coming back to this one.