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Victory Tour

The  Victory Tour  was a concert tour of the United States and Canada by The Jacksons between July and December 1984. It was the first and only tour with all six Jackson brothers (even though Jackie was injured for most of the tour). The group performed 55 concerts to an audience of approximately 2 million. Most came to see Michael Jackson, whose album  Thriller  was dominating the popular music world at the time. Songs from it and his earlier solo album  Off the Wall  made up most of the set list. The tour reportedly grossed approximately $75 million and set a new record for the highest grossing tour. It showcased Michael's single decorated glove, black sequined jacket and moonwalk.

Despite its focus on Michael, it was named after the newly released Jacksons' album  Victory  although none of the album's songs were performed. Marlon confirmed it was because Michael refused to rehearse or perform them. He had, in fact, only joined his brothers, who needed the income while he did not, on the tour reluctantly, and tensions between him and them increased to the point that he announced at the last show that it was the last time they would perform together, ending plans for a European leg.

The Jacksons did make money from the tour, along with promoter Don King. Michael donated his share to several charities as he had promised before it in order to save face over a controversial ticket-lottery system, eventually eliminated, that he had opposed. But the rancour between him and his brothers had a deep and lasting effect on the Jacksons as a family, alienating him from them for most of his life; it effectively ended the Jacksons as a performing group. The tour was also a financial disaster for promoter Chuck Sullivan, who along with his father Billy was eventually forced to sell the New England Patriots football team they owned, along with Foxboro Stadium, the team's home field, as a result of the losses he incurred.

• 1 Background
• 2 Planning and organization
• 3.1 Financial difficulties
• 3.2 Tensions among The Jacksons
• 3.3 Other issues
• 4 Aftermath
• 8 Tour dates[edit]

Background [ ]

In November 1983, The Jacksons announced plans for a major tour in 1984 at a press conference, with boxing promoter Don Kingoffering $3 million in upfront advances. That spring, the  Victory  album was recorded, to be released shortly before the tour itself. On the eve of the tour in July, Michael announced, in response to complaints about the lottery system for allocating tickets, that his entire earnings for the tour would go to charities—The United Negro College Fund, the Michael Jackson Scholarship Fund, Camp Good Times for terminally ill children and the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research.

At the time the tour was announced, the Jacksons had not lined up a promoter for the shows. In the spring of 1984, Chuck Sullivan, son of Billy Sullivan owner of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL), went to Los Angeles to see if he could get the Jacksons to choose the team's home, Sullivan Stadium, which the family also owned, for the group's Boston-area shows. After using his financial and legal expertise to help his father regain control of the team he had founded and built in the wake of a 1974 boardroom coup, the younger Sullivan, who had promoted concerts as an undergraduate atBoston College and during his Army service in Thailand, had begun staging concerts at the stadium to generate extra income for the team.

Planning and organization [ ]

At a meeting, Frank DiLeo, a vice president at Epic Records, the Jacksons' label, told Sullivan that the group's talks with its original promoter had broken down and they were seeking a replacement. Sensing an opportunity, Sullivan returned to Boston and began putting together the financing to allow Stadium Management Corp. (SMC), the Patriots' subsidiary that operated the stadium, to promote the entire Victory tour. Initially he partnered with Eddie DeBartolo, then owner of another NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers, in putting together a bid offering the Jacksons two-thirds of the tour's gross revenue against a guaranteed $40 million ($90.8 million in modern dollars).

DeBartolo withdrew when he began to see the deal as too risky, but Sullivan persevered by himself, and in late April DiLeo told him at another meeting in Los Angeles that SMC, which had never handled a tour, would be the promoter of the year's most eagerly anticipated concert tour, expected to gross $70–80 million. The deal was very generous to the Jacksons. Sullivan had agreed that they would receive 83.4% of gross potential ticket revenues, which meant in practical terms that the group would be paid as if the show had sold out regardless of whether it actually did. That percentage was at least 25 points above what was at that time the industry standard for artists on tour .

Sullivan Stadium, used as collateral to finance the tour, as seen shortly before its demolition in the early 2000s.

Sullivan also guaranteed the Jacksons a $36.6 million ($83.1 million in modern dollars) advance. He put the stadium up as collateral for a $12.5 million loan to pay the first installment shortly before the tour started. The balance was due two weeks later.

The month after winning the tour bid, Sullivan approached stadium managers at the NFL's meetings, many of whom were there to bid for future Super Bowls. He sought changes to their usual arrangements with touring performers in order to make the Victory Tour more profitable. Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, agreed to accept only a $100,000 fee for the three opening concerts instead of its usual percentage of ticket sales and concessions. The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, provided nearly half a million dollars' worth of free goods and services. Ultimately, 26 of the 55 dates were played in 17 stadiums that were home to NFL teams.

But some others balked at Sullivan's demands. To use John F. Kennedy Stadium, he asked the city of Philadelphia for almost $400,000 in tax breaks and subsidies. Among them were free hotel rooms and suites for all tour workers, free use of the stadium and waiver of concession revenue. He said the Jacksons' presence would generate revenue that would make up the difference, but the city stood firm on some provisions. Outside of negotiations, his behavior on tour further embarrassed the Jacksons on some occasions. At Washington's RFK Stadium, he forgot his pass and was denied entry.

Sullivan was particularly humiliated when the board of selectmen in Foxboro, where his family's team and stadium were located, uncharacteristically denied a permit for the concert, citing "the unknown element." What that meant has never been clear. It has been suggested that they were racially motivated. There  had  been continuing security concerns about the stadium during Patriots' games and previous concerts, but the board had never denied permits on that basis before.

To help defray the tour's costs, the Jacksons sought a corporate sponsor. They had all but concluded a lucrative deal with Quaker Oats when King came to them with a deal he had already signed with Pepsi. Although it would pay them less money, they had to take it and break off talks with Quaker. Part of the deal was that Michael, who did not drink Pepsi, would have to do two commercials. He made sure that his face appeared minimally in them to avoid overexposing his image. During filming of one of the two commercials, Michael suffered second and third degree burns on his scalp when a firework effect malfunctioned, catching his hair on fire. Many people, including friends and associates of his, believe this incident is what sparked his problems with prescription drug abuse.

Ticket controversy and other business issues [ ]

King, Sullivan and Joe Jackson came up with a way to generate additional revenue from ticket sales. Those wishing to attend would have to send a postal money order for $120 ($270 in modern dollars) along with a special form to a lottery to buy blocks of four tickets at $30 apiece, ostensibly to curtail scalpers. Upon receipt the money was to be deposited into a standard money market account earning 7% annual interest; it would take six to eight weeks for the lottery to be held and money to be refunded to the unsuccessful purchasers. Since only one in ten purchasers would win the lottery and receive tickets, there would be more money in the bank for that time period than there were tickets to sell, and they expected to earn $10–12 million in interest.

Joe and his sons were all in favor of the scheme—except Michael, who warned them that it would be a public relations disaster. The $30 ticket price, already higher than most touring acts charged at the time, was compounded by the requirement to buy four. This put tickets out of reach of the many of his fans who were poor African Americans. That community was joined by many commentators in the media in vociferously criticizing the Jacksons over the scheme. Nevertheless, when newspapers published the form for tickets to the first show in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium in late June, fans lined up at stores before they opened to buy them. A local radio disk jockey said some newspapers were even stolen from lawns.

On July 5, 1984, after receiving a letter from eleven-year-old fan Ladonna Jones, who accused the Jacksons and their promoters of being 'selfish and just out for money,' Michael held a press conference to announce changes in the tour's organization and also to announce that his share of the proceeds from the tour would be donated to charity. Following a controversy with the way tickets were purchased, lead-singer Michael Jackson donated his proceeds (approx. $5 million) from the tour to three charities, including the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research, The United Negro College Fund, and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times.

Jones later received VIP treatment at the Dallas concert. The following is Michael's speech at a press conference on July 5, 1984, the day before the tour began:

After, the procedures were modified, but all sales continued to be made by mail (except for the six final shows at Dodger Stadium, where tickets were also sold throughTicketmaster.) Tickets were typically made available only a week to ten days in advance, and many tickets ended up in the hands of ticket brokers.

Financial difficulties [ ]

The tour sold what was then a record number of tickets despite the high price. The opening shows were widely covered in the national media and sold out. "Anybody who sees this show will be a better person for years to come," King told the media before the first date in Kansas City. "Michael Jackson has transcended all earthly bounds. Every race, color and creed is waiting for this tour."

Sullivan had estimated in June that he would make up to $13 million, but by August he had reduced that estimate by more than three-quarters, to $3 million. Transporting the 365-ton (331 t) stage Michael had designed, which took up one-third of a football field (approximately 19,200 square feet (1,780 m 2 )), required over 30 tractor trailers. It was so large it required using some of the seating area, in some venues taking as much as a quarter of the potential available seats off the market.

Before the tour began Sullivan had spent nearly a million dollars on legal fees and insurance. Among the 250 workers on the tour payroll was an "ambiance director" who provided "homey touches" to the traveling parlor the group relaxed in before and after shows. Overhead costs were soon averaging around a million dollars a week, far over expectations, and Sullivan was unable to pay the $24 million balance on the advance. He renegotiated the deal down to 75% of gross potential seat revenues soon after the tour began.

Tensions among The Jacksons [ ]

Tensions between Michael and his brothers increased during the tour. He stayed at his own hotels and flew between stops on a private jet while the rest of the family flew commercial. At one point he demanded that a publicist be fired. When he found out right before a show that she had not been, he refused to go on until she was. Michael had also been disappointed when his idol James Brown declined his invitation to join the group on stage in New York due to Brown's continued outrage about the ticket lottery.

The other Jacksons also had grievances with Michael. He turned down a multimillion-dollar offer from a movie producer to film one of the shows that his brothers had accepted, only to have a crew he had hired show up to shoot its own film several nights later (they have subsequently blocked its release). Despite a pretour agreement that only the Jacksons themselves could ride in the van chartered to take them to shows, Michael began taking child star Emmanuel Lewis along with them. Later, after a similar agreement over a helicopter that took the brothers to a show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Michael showed up with Julian Lennon, and his brothers glared at him for the entire flight. Before the tour was halfway completed the brothers were taking separate vehicles to concerts.

The brothers all stayed on different floors of their hotels, and refused to talk to each other on the way to shows. Meetings broke down among factions, with two lawyers frequently representing Michael's interests, another Jermaine's, and one more for the other three. "It was the worst experience Michael had ever had with his brothers," said a longtime family friend. "Some were jealous, there was denial, the whole gamut of human emotions."

Other issues [ ]

Health issues also affected the tour. Jackie Jackson missed the first half with a leg injury, supposedly sustained during rehearsals. At one point Michael became so exhausted and dehydrated from the stress of quarreling with his brothers that he was placed under medical care.

By the later shows on the tour its novelty had worn off and the strains were having an effect. The  Victory  album had not sold well, and shows were increasingly failing to sell out. Dates planned for Pittsburgh were canceled; extra shows in Chicago made up the difference. By early October, the time of the shows in Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, a total of 50,000 tickets had gone unsold. Sullivan renegotiated again, getting the Jacksons to agree to revenues based on actual sales.

Things did not improve as the tour reached its final leg on the West Coast. In late November, the shows at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, just outside Phoenix, were canceled. Officially the reason was that Jermaine was too sick with the flu to perform, but there was some speculation that slow ticket sales played a role as well. Sullivan was so short of cash he stopped payment on a $1.9 million check to the group after the Vancouver dates. Immediately afterwards, he suffered a minor heart attack, and left the hospital early to renegotiate with the Jacksons again, claiming losses of $5–6 million. By this time the parties were no longer meeting in person. The Jacksons agreed to waive the stopped payment in return for a greater share of revenue from the six final shows in Los Angeles's Dodger Stadium. Sullivan's estimated profit was down to half a million dollars.

The Jacksons and Don King had made money even though Sullivan had not, and near the end of the tour they began making plans for a European leg. When word reached Michael, he let them know through his representatives that he would not be taking part. At the rain-soaked tour finale in Los Angeles's Dodger Stadium, where many seats were conspicuously empty and the fans in those that were filled were noticeably less enthusiastic than they had been earlier in the tour, Michael announced at the end of the show, to his brothers' shocked expressions, that this would be the last time they all performed together. The plans to go to Europe were ended.

Aftermath [ ]

Michael's announcement generated some great backlash from his brothers. Don King's reaction was blunt:

Michael was so upset when he learned of King's remarks that he called his lawyer John Branca and said "Sue his ass. That guy has been pushing my last nerve since day one." Branca calmed him down and persuaded him to drop the idea.

Financially, the Jacksons themselves ended up making very good money based on excellent ticket sales and the financial deal they struck with Sullivan. The Jacksons netted approximately $36 million, which worked out to about $7 million for each brother, most of which they spent on expensive lifestyles. Michael, who alone did not need the money, donated his share to charity as he had promised. He had also received an $18 million advance from Sullivan for a Michael Jackson designer jeans brand, few of which were ever produced and sold before Sullivan had to stop production.

Estimates of SMC's losses have ranged from $13 million to $22 million ($29.5 million to $49.9 million in modern dollars) Sullivan and his father quietly put the word out around the NFL that the Patriots and their stadium were for sale. Their $100 million asking price for the combined package made more sense when the Patriots qualified for Super Bowl XX after the next season, the first time they had ever done so.

An early deal for the team collapsed, and the Patriots limped on. Even after making the Super Bowl, the team's revenue was not nearly enough for the Sullivans to service the debt from the Victory Tour. At one point they were so close to bankruptcy that the NFL had to advance them $4 million to make their payroll. Sullivan's woes increased when his wife filed for divorce, and he had to set up a luxury box at the stadium as his personal living quarters. He allegedly wrote several letters to Michael Jackson, begging the star for money to bail the team out. Jackson never replied.

The Sullivans finally gave up and sold the Patriots to Victor Kiam in 1988. However, Kiam was unable to keep himself or the team financially stable either, and eventually they were sold again in 1992 to James Orthwein, who nearly moved the team to St. Louis before selling it in 1994 to Robert Kraft, their current owner, under whose management they have won several Super Bowls. Kraft had entered the picture some years ea,rlier, when he bought Sullivan Stadium out of bankruptcy. He has a Victory Tour poster in his office as a reminder of how he was able to realize his lifelong dream of owning the Patriots.

Aside from a few months in mid-1975, the Victory Tour era marked the only time that all six Jackson brothers worked together at the same time as a band. Jackie Jackson missed most of the tour because of a leg injury. That injury was described at the time as a knee injury incurred during strenuous rehearsals. Margaret Maldonado (the mother of two of Jermaine Jackson's children) has alleged that Jackie in fact broke his leg in an automobile accident: his first wife Enid ran him over in a parking lot after catching him with another woman. In any case, Jackie made a speedy recovery and was able to rejoin his brothers on stage for the last portion of the tour. Michael sang all the lead vocals, except for a medley of Jermaine's solo hits.

Eddie Van Halen made at least two special guest appearances doing the "Beat It" guitar solo.

Shortly after the tour ended, Michael returned to his solo career and Marlon left the group to start his own solo career without The Jacksons.

Set list [ ]

The set list included songs from the Jacksons albums  Destiny  and  Triumph . Despite the name of the tour, the  Victory  album was not represented. There were also songs on the list from Jermaine's and Michael's solo careers. Songs from Michael's albums  Off the Wall  and  Thriller  were both represented. The set list did not include "Thriller" itself because Michael did not like the way the song sounded live.

Jermaine sometimes performed the song "Dynamite" during his solo medley in place of the usual "You Like Me, Don't You?".

• 1. "Sword in the Stone"  (Introduction)
• 2. " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin '"
• 3. " Things I Do for You "
• 4. " Off the Wall "
• 5. " Ben "/" Human Nature "
• 6. " This Place Hotel "
• 7. " She's Out of My Life"
• "Let's Get Serious"
• "You Like Me, Don't You?"/"Dynamite"
• "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)"  (with Michael)
• " I Want You Back "
• " The Love You Save "
• " I'll Be There "
• 10. " Rock With You "
• 11. " Lovely One "
• 12. " Workin' Day and Night "
• 13. " Beat It "
• 14. " Billie Jean "
• 15. " Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) "  (featuring snippets of "State of Shock" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough")
• Four concerts, although not in high quality, have been leaked: An almost complete recording of the second concert of the tour recorded in Kansas City, and three complete shows recorded in Dallas, New York City and Toronto.
• Jackie Jackson made his first appearance on the tour in Montreal during the song "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)". He would continue to join in during the last song on every tour.

Tour dates[edit] [ ]

• 1 List of unreleased songs
• 2 Michael Jackson
• 3 Bigi Jackson

THE THRILLER OF ‘VICTORY’ : Snatching profit from the agony of the biggest, splashiest and most troubled rock concert tour in history.

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While Michael Jackson leaped and slithered on stage before 49,415 fans in his final concert appearance a few weeks back, the men who put together the Jacksons “Victory” Tour were sitting in a private glassed-in booth at Dodger Stadium congratulating themselves.

Proclaimed “Victory” presenter Don King, “I am so happy! I am so excited!”

“Ah knock it off, Don,” counseled a less effusive associate who had accompanied the blustery boxing promoter on the Jacksons’ five-month rock ‘n’ roll odyssey.

Within the week, a federal grand jury in New York would indict King on 23 counts of income-tax evasion. Though the charges would apparently be unrelated to the “Victory” Tour, the bejeweled chief cheerleader for the Jacksons would lapse into uncharacteristic public silence.

But on this final night of the massive tour to promote the Jacksons’ “Victory” LP, King was as flamboyant as ever over the biggest, splashiest--and most troubled--rock concert tour in history: “This is the greatest show ever staged! This is the greatest entertainment spectacular this country’s ever seen!”

At that moment, Michael’s tuxedoed personal manager entered the booth and offered a congratulatory hand to King.

“Good working with you,” Frank Dileo said, solemnly shaking King’s hand and adding with undisguised sarcasm, “Maybe we’ll meet in a bar sometime.”

While the rest of the “Victory” executives laughed, one of them began counting noses and observed that seven of the men who had “made it happen,” including Dileo, were gathered together somewhat harmoniously for the first time since the show hit the road in July.

“Hey,” he said, “it’s the Magnificent Seven!”

Dileo waited for the laughter to die down before he walked out of the booth, harrumphing, “More like the Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”

As he opened the door, he was met with a screaming teeny-bopper ovation for the superstar who was performing three stories below on the field of Dodger Stadium.

Said one of the Jacksons’ attorneys over the din, “Jeez, you believe this? It’s like the ending to a bad Steinbeck novel.”

All of them--promoters, lawyers, advisers, investors--had watched with varying degrees of powerlessness from the very beginning nearly a year before. As the months passed, an indelicate combination of avarice and ego ate away at the Jacksons’ road show and no single force emerged to control the mad scramble for money and notoriety.

The one person who could have unified “Victory” and put a check on the frenzy just wanted to get the tour over with. Michael Jackson made no secret of his disinterest in business details. He left it to his own set of lawyers, publicists and advisers, and to Chuck Sullivan, the Boston promoter that Dileo hand-picked to run the tour.

Sullivan, 42, the Boston attorney who owns the New England Patriots, told The Times in October that he anticipated earning a profit of about $500,000 if he could renegotiate the terms of his contract with the Jacksons. But as the super-costly “Victory” tour was headed for its closing dates in Los Angeles last month, Sullivan was still in the red.

He desperately needed the revenues from those final shows to break even. But Los Angeles almost failed to happen at all when Sullivan stopped payment on a $1.9-million check that was due the Jacksons from their Vancouver shows. That money matter eventually was settled, but promoter and performers were soon battling again . . . over money.

Before the Jacksons would agree to play the last six dates here, they had demanded that Sullivan deposit $3 million in escrow. They finally settled on $1 million. As of New Year’s weekend, the haggling continued over how to divide that $1 million.

“We’re still in the final death throes,” the Jacksons representative told The Times on condition that his name not be used. “Basically, Sullivan’s still taking the I-said-I’d-pay-you-but-I-really-don’t-want-to stance.”

Sullivan recently told The Times that “discussions have been moving along on a relatively amicable basis.” He still hasn’t broken even, he said, but expects to do so after he has sold off a pair of gasoline-powered electric generators and the lighting fixtures that his Stadium Management Corp. bought for “Victory.” There have been no offers on the portable 365-ton, eight-story stage that the Jacksons built for the tour and Sullivan said he doesn’t anticipate any.

Sullivan spent the two weeks of the L.A. dates recovering from heart trouble. Fast food on the road led to his heart problems, he said, but so did his many quarrels with the Jacksons over money.

Even King agreed that Sullivan accepted a difficult contract at best when he agreed to promote the tour last June. Under the original terms, King and the Jacksons would have received 83.44% of the concert proceeds while Sullivan got 16.56% and was required to pay the costs for virtually the entire tour out of his cut.

As collateral for a $12.5-million loan he obtained from Crocker Bank to make his down payment on the contract, Sullivan put up the Patriots, Sullivan Stadium and a family-owned race track adjacent to the stadium.

“He still could have made it, but none of us realized until Arrowhead how big the stage was,” Jim Murray, Sullivan public relations director, told The Times.

The pattern was set at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, where the first concert was held July 6. The eight-story stage that Michael designed and had built in secret took up a third of the field--rendering useless about a fourth of the 60,000 seats.

At that point Sullivan realized that “Victory” might mean Disaster.

Sullivan began asking for relief from the strict contract on grounds that the ticket potential was less than he anticipated and that the sheer cost of moving the stage and 150 full-time staff was crushing. He canceled a promised $24-million letter of credit due the Jacksons within two weeks of the opening and began seeking price discounts from hotels, advertisers, arenas and even the “Victory” cities.

But even the joyous prospect of Michael Jackson coming to town wasn’t enough to induce some city fathers to waive entertainment taxes or reduce stadium fees.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, courted by Sullivan for more than three months, finally refused “Victory” because Sullivan wanted reduced rent. Coliseum manager Jim Hardy said that Sullivan’s top offer was $50,000 a day to rent the 92,516-seat Coliseum for four days while the Jacksons took in a potential $2.4 million on each of those days.

As he was attempting to cut overhead, Sullivan also worked on easing the contract terms--and King likened Sullivan to a crap shooter who loses and then demands his money back.

But the Jacksons gave some contract concessions. The profit ratio was dropped to 75% for the Jacksons and 25% for Sullivan. Two-thirds of the way through the tour, Sullivan was excused from a contract provision that required him to pay the Jacksons $21 for every “Victory” ticket, whether it was sold or unsold. That provision alone had cost the promoter more than $500,000 because at least 30,000 tickets had gone unsold during the first three months of the tour.

One source told The Times that unsold ticket totals were closer to 55,000 by the first week in October when the Jacksons agreed to make Sullivan pay only on those tickets that actually had been sold.

It was still not enough. By the time “Victory” landed here, Sullivan was telling associates that he was still as much as $4 million in the red.

“Victory” had been rocky from the start. The original promoter, Rhode Island concert promoter Frank Russo, filed a $40-million breach of contract lawsuit several weeks before the Jacksons ever took to the stage.

The suit, seeking $20 million from the Jacksons and $20 million from King and Jacksons adviser Irving Azoff, is still pending. Russo told The Times that he expects hearings on the suit to begin by spring, but Jackson attorneys are attempting to settle out of court or, barring that, to have the lawsuit moved from Rhode Island to California.

“King and Azoff conspired to turn the Jackson brothers against me,” Russo said.

“On March 29 I was summoned along with two other major national promoters to a Los Angeles studio to make a presentation to all six brothers and everyone associated with them. Three hours later, the Jacksons selected me and my company as the national tour promoter. It was without question the high point of my career.”

But within a few weeks, the Jacksons opted instead for what they believed to be a more lucrative contract bid from promoters Cecil Corbett and Lee Silverman.

By the end of May, just three weeks before the tour was to begin, Dileo influenced yet another change of promoters. He called on Sullivan, an old friend whose biggest previous pop promotion experience involved bringing Willie Nelson to Sullivan Stadium.

“I would never attempt to handle a National Football League franchise,” Russo said. “I would never attempt a Super Bowl. Why Chuck thought he could handle the biggest rock tour in history, I don’t understand.”

Sullivan didn’t attempt it alone. He initially signed on as co-promoter with San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., but DeBartolo backed out after seeing the harsh contract terms.

The tour that began with a lawsuit finished in December with another. California Sports, owners of the Forum in Inglewood, charged the Jacksons with breach of contract and misrepresentation in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Claiming losses of $850,000 when “Victory” veered away from eight Inglewood dates last September, California Sports also is seeking $5 million in punitive damages from each of the Jacksons, Sullivan, Dileo, King, Azoff, tour coordinator Larry Larson, tour accountant Fred Moultrie and Jacksons manager Jack Nance.

Including attorneys’ fees, the suit seeks almost $100 million.

The reason Sullivan gave for canceling the Forum concerts was those lean contract terms. In order to break even, “Victory” had to sell 40,000 tickets per show, Sullivan estimated during an October interview with The Times. The Forum seats a maximum of 16,000.

In between those two lawsuits, Michael’s older brother Jermaine sued “Victory” accountant Fred Moultrie for $1 million, alleging that Moultrie’s fee was excessive. That suit, too, is still pending.

Other legal actions spawned during the “Victory” Tour include:

A San Francisco artist Ronald McDowell said his pictures were used without permission by Michael Jackson and sued him for $6.5 million on Nov. 30 in San Francisco Superior Court. Two of his pictures were used on the cover of Jackson’s best-selling “Thriller” album, he alleged.

Fred Sanford, a Chicago songwriter, sued CBS Records for $5 million on grounds that Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney recorded the hit “The Girl Is Mine” by plagiarizing it from Sanford’s composition, “Please Love Me Now.”

(Jackson testified in Chicago that the song he wrote came to him in a dream and Sanford’s suit was dismissed as groundless in late December.)

Two Orange County designers--Sandra Simone and Donn Greer of Cinema City Studios in Costa Mesa--filed a $50-million damage suit against the Jacksons, claiming the group used their ideas and musical instruments without payment and credit.

They alleged in their suit filed in late November that the Jacksons failed to pay them for seven space-age guitars and “light-up boots” that they designed for the tour.

They also contended the Jacksons used the firm’s concepts and art designs for the song “Escape From the Planet of the Ant Men” on the Jermaine Jackson album and in the video “Torture” from the “Victory” album.

A San Fernando Valley man even renewed his 2-year-old suit against Michael and Pepsi-Cola in U.S. District Court, alleging that the singer conspired with the soft drink company to steal sound engineering “trade secrets” from him in order to make the song “Billie Jean” more seductive to consumers when they heard their hero hawking Pepsi to a whole new generation.

“This is our last and final tour,” Michael Jackson hollered from the stage. “It’s been a long 20 years and we love you all!”

It was an extemporaneous outburst at the end of an otherwise rigidly rehearsed concert that Michael and his brothers had performed by rote 55 times.

For those who had wrung all they could out of “Victory,” however, Michael’s 18 impromptu words spoke volumes: On this final night of “Victory,” the money lust and fraternal jealousies had finally been set aside.

It is now safe to say that it had, indeed, turned out to be the biggest rock tour in U.S. history--with an estimated 2.7 million tickets sold in 17 American and three Canadian cities.

Three years ago, about 2 million fans paid to see the Rolling Stones perform in 20 cities, setting the record the Jacksons just broke. Mick Jagger & Co. grossed something in excess of $30 million. Tickets were $15 apiece.

The Jacksons also were on the road in 1981, stopping in 36 cities. Michael’s phenomenal popularity--spawned by the well-publicized success of his “Thriller” LP--hadn’t yet fully blossomed.

Tickets ranged from $9.50 to $13.50 when they played the Forum that year. The gross from a tour that covered almost twice the geography as the Rolling Stones came to only $5 million.

The five brothers (Jermaine hadn’t returned to the group) split $500,000 after expenses, said a source in the Jacksons organization, noting that by the time Don King put up $3 million in “Victory” seed money 18 months ago, some of the brothers were in financial trouble.

“This was their last chance and they knew it,” the source said of Michael’s brothers. “They wanted to get every penny they could.”

By the time the most expensive and lucrative rock concert tour in U.S. history flashed to a close at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 9, more than 2.3 million tickets were sold.

More than $100 million was generated by ticket, T-shirt and trinket sales. But just who got what is still largely unanswered.

Up until the last eight concerts, the Jackson brothers made sure that they each collected their 75% from ticket sales within 24 hours of each concert. Each will ultimately earn in excess of $5 million.

Sullivan said Stadium Management Corp. had more than 20,000 mostly temporary employees on the payroll during “Victory’s” five months. Even though he won’t earn the king’s ransom that he figured at the beginning, Sullivan ultimately will profit from his venture, he said.

Stadium Management has licensing rights to the Michael Jackson signature line of clothing--everything from sweaters to jeans. And, although Michaelmania has cooled somewhat domestically, it’s very much alive in the Third World.

“The range of interest in the thing is terrific,” Sullivan said. “There’s a group coming in next week from Japan, Brazil and Western Europe. Australia and South Africa have made staggering proposals. The licensing thing looks like a grand slam.”

Despite his legal troubles, Don King continues to wear diamond stick pins and hand-tailored suits. He continues to jet-set from Europe to Venezuela to Los Angeles and back to his headquarters in Manhattan, pursuing his primary source of income: promoting big-money boxing matches.

The only one who has publicly renounced his claim to any of the payoff is the 26-year-old rock ‘n’ soul heartthrob whom everyone came to see.

After all the lawsuits are settled and all the breaches of all the contracts have been mended, Michael Joseph Jackson’s earnings will be split by three charities: the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer Research, the United Negro College Fund and the Ronald McDonald Camp for Good Times.

According to Internal Revenue Service spokesman Rob Giannangeli, the singer can give up to 50% of his total 1984 income to charities and deduct it from his personal income taxes.

Whether it is high taxes, genuine altruism or some mix of both, Michael Jackson probably has learned well the lesson of heading off bad publicity through charity.

While his five brothers and an army of promoters, accountants, lawyers and assorted others waged lawsuits, personal attacks, charges and countercharges, Michael extricated himself by giving his earnings away. While the others fought and clamored over money, Michael came to dance and sing.

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MJ on stage : Victory era (1984)

The Victory Tour

Start date July 6, 1984 End date December 9, 1984 No. of shows 47 in United States 8 in Canada 55 played Attendance 2 million Box office US$75 million ($176.67 million in 2017 dollars)

“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” “Things I Do for You” “Off the Wall” “Human Nature” “This Place Hotel” “She’s Out of My Life” Jermaine Jackson Medley: “Let’s Get Serious” / “You Like Me, Don’t You?”/”Dynamite” / “Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good to Be True)” (with Michael) The Jackson 5 Medley: “I Want You Back” / “The Love You Save” / “I’ll Be There” “Rock with You” “Lovely One” “Workin’ Day and Night” “Beat It” “Billie Jean” “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” (contain excerpts from “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough)”

July 1 :  The Jackson have a full dress rehearsal of the “Victory” show at BJCC Colisuem in Birmingham.

July 6+7+8 :  The Jacksons kick off the Victory Tour at the arrowhead stadium in in Kansas City (Missouri)

July 13+14+15 :  Concerts at the Texas Stadium in Irving, (Dallas county) attended by Prince & Emmanuel Lewis among others. During the second concert in Dallas , Eddie Van Halen joins Michael on stage to play his solo guitar on Beat It

July 21+22+23 :  Concerts at the Gator Bowl stadium in Jacksonville.

July 29+30+31 :  Concerts at the Giants stadium in East Rutherford (New Jersey) attended by Katherine, Janet, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Dominic, Connie, Frank & Eddie Cascio among others.

August 4+5 :  Concerts at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

August 7+8+9+10+11+12 :  Concerts at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

August 17+18+19 :  Concert at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac (Michigan).

August 25+26 :  Concerts at the Buffalo Rich Stadium in Orchad Park.

September 1+2 :  Concerts at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania).

September 7+8 :  Concerts at the Mile High Stadium in Denver (Colorado). Michael visits Elton John..

September 16+17+18 :  Concerts at the Canada Montreal Olympic Stadium in Montreal (Canada). During the last song, Jackie joins the brothers on stage for the first time during the tour.

September 21+22 :  Concerts at the United States RFK Stadium in Washington D.C.

September 28+29 :  Concerts at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania).

October 5+6+7 :  Concerts at the Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Canada.

October 12+13+14 :  Concerts at the Comiskey Park in Chicago.

October 19+20 :  Concerts at the Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.

October 29+30 :  Concerts at the Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.

November 2+3 :  Concerts at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

November 9+10 :  Concerts at the Houston Astrodome in Houston (Texas).

November 16+17+18 :  Concerts at the BC Place in Vancouver, Canada.

November 30 + December 1+ 2 +7 +8+9 : The Jacksons play their last Victory Tour concerts at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles . During the last song of the last concert, Janet, LaToya & Rebbie join the group on stage with all the nieces and nephews to dance all together.

Michael announces on stage that this concert is the “last curtain call” from The Jacksons.

During 55 concerts attended by over 2 million people, the tour grossed a record $75 million!

Band members

Michael Jackson: vocals Randy Jackson – vocals, percussion, keyboards Jermaine Jackson: vocals; bass Tito Jackson: vocals; guitar Marlon Jackson: vocals; percussion Jackie Jackson: vocals; percussion (First performance during the Quebec concerts.) Keyboards: Rory Kaplan, Pat Leonard & Jai Winding Guitar: David Williams & Gregg Wright Drums: Jonathan Moffett

TV PERFORMANCES AND AWARD SHOWS

Previous era : Thriller era (1982-1984)

Next era : Bad era (1985-1989)

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Desert Sun, Number 103, 3 December 1984 — Michael Jackson starts something Superstar, brothers captivate Dodger Stadium crowd [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Michael Jackson starts something Superstar, brothers captivate Dodger Stadium crowd

By BONNIE WARD Desert Sun Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES From out of a brilliant light they rose, five figures casting silhouettes against a backdrop of high-tech splendor. The crowd waited breathlessly spellbound knowing that the music industry’s biggest star was among the as yet unidentifiable shapes The lights burst on, the spell was broken, and the crowd roared as the Jackson brothers, led by the indomitable Michael, exploded into “Wanna be Startin’ Something,” one of their hit songs. Such was the introduction to the Jackson’s Victory Tour concert in Los Angeles Friday night, one of the flashiest, splashiest concert productions in music history. A Dodger Stadium crowd of about 50,000 saw a show laden with audience pleasers including laserbeams, explosions, theatrical skits, slickly choreographed numbers, fireworks and, of course, sequined costumes. As the evening began the crowd, which featured many a Michael Jackson look-a-like, was entertained by juggler Chris Bliss, who tossed florescent balls to the soothing strains of jazz music. Following Bliss’s number, the remarkably calm concert goers entertained themselves by doing waves a domino effect created by various sections standing up consecutively. After more than an hour waiting for the Jacksons, however, the crowd lost its cool and began booing in demand for what it had come to see one small person in shimmering socks. It wasn’t long before that demand was met and after a few moonwalks from the seemingly liq-

uid-limbed Michael, all was forgiven. It was, in fact, a concert heavily dominated by Michael’s musical and rhythmic influence. While his brothers provided backup vocals, Michael did several numbers from his multi-million selling “Thriller” and “Off the Wall” albums. And while his brothers also demonstrated some flashy footwork, it was Michael whose face and feet were the predominant subjects of three giant videoscreens stationed on either side and atop the eight-story stage. On “Human Nature,” Michael’s moves would earn an admiring nod from Fred Astaire. And during “She’s Out of My Life,” an emotional Michael delivered one verse while writhing on the floor. The brothers then took many fans back to their childhoods with a few numbers from the Motown era including “Stop the Love You Save” and “I Want You Back.” During the melodic “I’ll Be There,” thousands of people in the audience could be seen swaying in unison After about an hour, the brothers said goodnight only to return for a 40-minute encore. The final phase of the concert was probably the most elaborate; stage lights resembling large mechanical spiders chased Michael, who was then made to disappear by one of his brothers during a magic trick A loud boom and a puff of smoke saw Michael’s return for “Beat It” and “Billie Jean." Fireworks exploded overhead as the five brothers said goodnight to opening night of the last leg of their seven-month concert tour.

Michael Jackson dances during Sunday night’s Victory Tour concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

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Victory Tour (The Jacksons tour)

The Victory Tour was a concert tour of the United States and Canada by Michael Jackson and The Jackson family between July and December of 1984. It was the first and only tour with all six Jackson brothers (even though Jackie was injured for most of the tour). The group performed 55 concerts to an audience of approximately 2 million. Most came to see Michael, whose album Thriller was dominating the popular music world at the time. Songs from it and his earlier solo album Off the Wall made up most of the set list . The tour reportedly grossed approximately $75 million and set a new record for the highest grossing tour . It showcased Michael's single decorated glove, black sequined jacket and moonwalk .

Despite its focus on Michael, it was named after the newly released Jacksons' album Victory although none of the album's songs were performed and Marlon confirmed it was because Michael refused to rehearse or perform them; in fact, he had only reluctantly joined his brothers, who needed the income while he himself did not, on the tour and tensions between him and them increased to the point that he announced at the last show that it was the last time they would perform together, ending plans for a European leg.

The Jacksons did make money from the tour, along with promoter Don King . Michael donated his share to several charities as he had promised before it, but the rancour between him and his brothers had a deep and lasting effect on the Jacksons as a family , alienating him from them for most of his life and it effectively ended the Jacksons as a performing group. The tour was also a financial disaster for promoter Chuck Sullivan, who along with his father Billy was eventually forced to sell the New England Patriots football team they owned, along with Foxboro Stadium , the team's home field, as a result of the losses he incurred.

• 1 Background
• 2 Planning and organization
• 3.1 Financial difficulties
• 3.2 Tensions among The Jackson family
• 3.3 Other issues
• 4 Aftermath
• 7 Tour dates
• 8.1 Performers
• 8.2 Credits
• 9 References

In November 1983, The Jacksons announced plans for a major tour in 1984 at a press conference, with boxing promoter Don King offering $3 million in upfront advances. That spring, the Victory album was recorded, to be released shortly before the tour itself. On the eve of the tour in July, Michael announced, in response to complaints about the lottery system for allocating tickets, that his entire earnings for the tour would go to charities—The United Negro College Fund , the Michael Jackson Scholarship Fund, Camp Good Times for terminally ill children and the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research. [2]

At the time the tour was announced, the Jacksons had not lined up a promoter for the shows. In the spring of 1984, Chuck Sullivan, son of Billy Sullivan owner of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL), went to Los Angeles to see if he could get the Jacksons to choose the team's home, Sullivan Stadium , which the family also owned, for the group's Boston-area shows. After using his financial and legal expertise to help his father regain control of the team he had founded and built in the wake of a 1974 boardroom coup , the younger Sullivan, who had promoted concerts as an undergraduate at Boston College and during his Army service in Thailand, had begun staging concerts at the stadium to generate extra income for the team. [3]

Planning and organization

At a meeting, Frank DiLeo, a vice president at Epic Records , the Jacksons' label, told Sullivan that the group's talks with its original promoter had broken down and they were seeking a replacement. Sensing an opportunity, Sullivan returned to Boston and began putting together the financing to allow Stadium Management Corp. (SMC), the Patriots' subsidiary that operated the stadium, to promote the entire Victory tour. Initially he partnered with Eddie DeBartolo , then owner of another NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers , in putting together a bid offering the Jacksons two-thirds of the tour's gross revenue against a guaranteed $40 million ($91.1 million in modern dollars [1] ). [3]

DeBartolo withdrew when he began to see the deal as too risky, but Sullivan persevered by himself, and in late April DiLeo told him at another meeting in Los Angeles that SMC, which had never handled a tour, would be the promoter of the year's most eagerly anticipated concert tour, expected to gross $70–80 million. The deal was very generous to the Jacksons. Sullivan had agreed that they would receive 83.4% of gross potential ticket revenues, which meant in practical terms that the group would be paid as if the show had sold out regardless of whether it actually did. That percentage was at least 25 points above what was at that time the industry standard for artists on tour. [3]

Sullivan also guaranteed the Jacksons a $36.6 million ($83.4 million in modern dollars [1] ) advance . He put the stadium up as collateral for a $12.5 million loan to pay the first installment shortly before the tour started. The balance was due two weeks later. [3]

The month after winning the tour bid, Sullivan approached stadium managers at the NFL's meetings, many of whom were there to bid for future Super Bowls . He sought changes to their usual arrangements with touring performers in order to make the Victory Tour more profitable. Kansas City 's Arrowhead Stadium , home of the Chiefs , agreed to accept only a $100,000 fee for the three opening concerts instead of its usual percentage of ticket sales and concessions . The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida , provided nearly half a million dollars' worth of free goods and services. Ultimately, 26 of the 55 dates were played in 17 stadiums that were home to NFL teams. [3]

But some others balked at Sullivan's demands. To use John F. Kennedy Stadium , he asked the city of Philadelphia for almost $400,000 in tax breaks and subsidies. Among them were free hotel rooms and suites for all tour workers, free use of the stadium and waiver of concession revenue. He said the Jacksons' presence would generate revenue that would make up the difference, but the city stood firm on some provisions. [3] Outside of negotiations, his behavior on tour further embarrassed the Jacksons on some occasions. At Washington 's RFK Stadium , he forgot his pass and was denied entry. [4]

Sullivan was particularly humiliated when the board of selectmen in Foxboro , where his family's team and stadium were located, uncharacteristically denied a permit for the concert, citing "the unknown element." What that meant has never been clear. It has been suggested that they were racially motivated. There had been continuing security concerns about the stadium during Patriots' games and previous concerts, but the board had never denied permits on that basis before. [4]

To help defray the tour's costs, the Jacksons sought a corporate sponsor. They had all but concluded a lucrative deal with Quaker Oats when King came to them with a deal he had already signed with Pepsi . Although it would pay them less money, they had to take it and break off talks with Quaker. Part of the deal was that Michael, who did not drink Pepsi, would have to do two commercials. He made sure that his face appeared minimally in them to avoid overexposing his image. During filming of one of the two commercials, Michael suffered second and third degree burns on his scalp when a firework effect malfunctioned, catching his hair on fire. Many people, including friends and associates of his, believe this incident is what sparked his problems with prescription drug abuse. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Ticket controversy and other business issues

King, Sullivan and the Jacksons' father Joe Jackson (who no longer managed any of his sons by now) came up with a way to generate additional revenue from ticket sales. Those wishing to attend would have to send a postal money order for $120 ($270 in modern dollars [1] ) along with a special form to a lottery to buy blocks of four tickets at $30 apiece, ostensibly to curtail scalpers . Upon receipt the money was to be deposited into a standard money market account earning 7% annual interest; it would take six to eight weeks for the lottery to be held and money to be refunded to the unsuccessful purchasers. Since only one in ten purchasers would win the lottery and receive tickets, there would be more money in the bank for that time period than there were tickets to sell, and they expected to earn $10–12 million in interest. [8]

Joe, Jackie , Tito , Jermaine , Marlon and Randy were all in favor of the scheme, but Michael was not and he warned them that it would be a public relations disaster. The $69 ticket already higher than most touring acts (namely Prince and Bruce Springsteen ) charged at the time, was compounded by the requirement to buy four. This put tickets out of reach of the many of his fans who were poor African Americans. That community was joined by many commentators in the media in vociferously criticizing the Jacksons over the scheme. [8] Nevertheless, when newspapers published the form for tickets to the first show in Kansas City 's Arrowhead Stadium in late June, fans lined up at stores before they opened to buy them. A local radio disk jockey said some newspapers were even stolen from lawns. [9]

On July 5, 1984, after receiving a letter from eleven-year-old fan Ladonna Jones, who accused the Jacksons and their promoters of being 'selfish and just out for money,' Michael held a press conference to announce changes in the tour's organization and also to announce that his share of the proceeds from the tour would be donated to charity. Following a controversy with the way tickets were purchased, lead-singer Michael Jackson donated his proceeds (approx. $5 million) from the tour to three charities, including the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research, The United Negro College Fund , and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. [10]

Jones later received VIP treatment at the Dallas concert. The following is Michael's speech at a press conference on July 5, 1984, the day before the tour began:

"We're beginning our tour tomorrow and I wanted to talk to you about something of great concern to me. We've worked a long time to make this show the best it can be. But we know a lot of kids are having trouble getting tickets. The other day I got a letter from a girl in Texas named Ladonna Jones. She'd been saving her money from odd jobs to buy a ticket, but with the current tour system, she'd have to buy four tickets and she couldn't afford that. So, I've asked our promoter to work out a new way of distributing tickets, a way that no longer requires a $120.00 money order. There has also been a lot of talk about the promoter holding money for tickets that didn't sell. I've asked our promoter to end the mail order ticket system as soon as possible so that no one will pay money unless they get a ticket. Finally, and most importantly, there's something else I am going to announce today. I want you to know that when I first agreed to tour, I decided to donate all the money I make from our performances to charity."

After, the procedures were modified, but all sales continued to be made by mail (except for the six final shows at Dodger Stadium , where tickets were also sold through Ticketmaster .) Tickets were typically made available only a week to ten days in advance, and many tickets ended up in the hands of ticket brokers.

Financial difficulties

The tour sold what was then a record number of tickets despite the high price. [11] The opening shows were widely covered in the national media and sold out. "Anybody who sees this show will be a better person for years to come," King told the media before the first date in Kansas City. "Michael Jackson has transcended all earthly bounds. Every race, color and creed is waiting for this tour." [8]

Sullivan had estimated in June that he would make up to $13 million, but by August he had reduced that estimate by more than three-quarters, to $3 million. Transporting the 365-ton (331 t) stage Michael had designed, which took up one-third of a football field (approximately 19,200 square feet (1,780 m 2 )), required over 30 tractor trailers . It was so large it required using some of the seating area, in some venues taking as much as a quarter of the potential available seats off the market. [4]

Before the tour began Sullivan had spent nearly a million dollars on legal fees and insurance. Among the 250 workers on the tour payroll was an "ambiance director" who provided "homey touches" to the traveling parlor the group relaxed in before and after shows. Overhead costs were soon averaging around a million dollars a week, far over expectations, and Sullivan was unable to pay the $24 million balance on the advance. He renegotiated the deal down to 75% of gross potential seat revenues soon after the tour began. [3]

Tensions among The Jackson family

Tensions between Michael and his brothers increased during the tour. He stayed at his own hotels and flew between stops on a private jet while the rest of the family flew commercial. At one point he demanded that a publicist be fired and when he found out right before a show that she had not been, he refused to go on until she was. Michael had also been disappointed that his idol James Brown declined his invitation to join the group on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City due to Brown's continued outrage about the ticket lottery. [8]

The other Jacksons also had grievances with Michael. He turned down a multimillion-dollar offer from a movie producer to film one of the shows that his brothers had accepted, only to have a crew he had hired show up to shoot its own film several nights later (they have subsequently blocked its release). Despite a pretour agreement that only the Jacksons themselves could ride in the van chartered to take them to shows, Michael began taking child star Emmanuel Lewis along with them. Later, after a similar agreement over a helicopter that took the brothers to a show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey , Michael showed up with Julian Lennon (son of slain ex- Beatle John Lennon ), and his brothers glared at him for the entire flight. Before the tour was halfway completed the brothers were taking separate vehicles to concerts. [8]

The brothers all stayed on different floors of their hotels, and refused to talk to each other on the way to shows. Meetings broke down among factions, with two lawyers frequently representing Michael's interests, another Jermaine's, and one more for the other three. "It was the worst experience Michael had ever had with his brothers," said a longtime family friend. "Some were jealous, there was denial, the whole gamut of human emotions." [8]

Other issues

Health issues also affected the tour. Jackie Jackson missed the first half with a leg injury, supposedly sustained during rehearsals. At one point Michael became so exhausted and dehydrated from the stress of quarreling with his brothers that he was placed under medical care. [8]

By the later shows on the tour its novelty had worn off and the strains were having an effect. The Victory album had not sold well, and shows were increasingly failing to sell out. Dates planned for Pittsburgh were canceled; extra shows in Chicago made up the difference. By early October, the time of the shows in Toronto 's Exhibition Stadium , a total of 50,000 tickets had gone unsold. Sullivan renegotiated again, getting the Jacksons to agree to revenues based on actual sales. [3]

Things did not improve as the tour reached its final leg on the West Coast . In late November, the shows at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona , just outside Phoenix , were canceled. Officially the reason was that Jermaine was too sick with the flu to perform, but there was some speculation that slow ticket sales played a role as well. Sullivan was so short of cash he stopped payment on a $1.9 million check to the group after the Vancouver dates. Immediately afterwards, he suffered a minor heart attack, and left the hospital early to renegotiate with the Jacksons again, claiming losses of $5–6 million. By this time the parties were no longer meeting in person. The Jacksons agreed to waive the stopped payment in return for a greater share of revenue from the six final shows in Los Angeles 's Dodger Stadium . Sullivan's estimated profit was down to half a million dollars. [3]

The Jacksons and Don King had made money even though Sullivan had not, and near the end of the tour they began making plans for a European leg. When word reached Michael, he let them know through his representatives that he would not be taking part. At the rain-soaked tour finale in Los Angeles 's Dodger Stadium , after 6 sold out shows, Michael announced at the end of the show, to his brothers' shocked expressions, that this would be the last time they all performed together. The plans to go to Europe were ended. [8]

Michael's announcement generated some great backlash from his brothers. Don King's reaction was blunt:

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There's no way Michael should be as big as he is and treat his family the way he does. He feels his father done him wrong? His father may have done some wrong, but he also had to do a whole lot right ... What Michael's got to realize is that he's a nigger ... He's one of the megastars of the world, but he's still going to be a nigger megastar. He must accept that. Not only must he understand that, he's got to accept it and demonstrate that he wants to be a nigger. Why? To show that a nigger can do it.

Michael was so upset when he learned of King's remarks that he called his lawyer John Branca and said "Sue his ass. That guy has been pushing my last nerve since day one." Branca calmed him down and persuaded him to drop the idea. [8]

Financially, the Jacksons themselves ended up making very good money based on excellent ticket sales and the financial deal they struck with Sullivan. The Jacksons netted approximately $36 million, which worked out to about $7 million for each brother, most of which they spent on expensive lifestyles. Michael, who alone did not need the money, donated his share to charity as he had promised. He had also received an $18 million advance from Sullivan for a Michael Jackson designer jeans brand, few of which were ever produced and sold before Sullivan had to stop production. [8]

Estimates of SMC's losses have ranged from $13 million to $22 million ($29.6 million to $50.1 million in modern dollars [1] ) Sullivan and his father quietly put the word out around the NFL that the Patriots and their stadium were for sale. Their $100 million asking price for the combined package made more sense when the Patriots qualified for Super Bowl XX after the next season , the first time they had ever done so. [3]

An early deal for the team collapsed, and the Patriots limped on. Even after making the Super Bowl, the team's revenue was not nearly enough for the Sullivans to service the debt from the Victory Tour. At one point they were so close to bankruptcy that the NFL had to advance them $4 million to make their payroll. Sullivan's woes increased when his wife filed for divorce, and he had to set up a luxury box at the stadium as his personal living quarters. He allegedly wrote several letters to Michael, begging the star for money to bail the team out, but Michael never replied. [4]

The Sullivans finally gave up and sold the Patriots to Victor Kiam in 1988. However, Kiam was unable to keep himself or the team financially stable either, and eventually they were sold again in 1992 to James Orthwein , who nearly moved the team to St. Louis before selling it in 1994 to Robert Kraft , their current owner, under whose management have appeared in several Super Bowls, winning four. Kraft had entered the picture some years earlier, when he bought Sullivan Stadium out of bankruptcy. He has a Victory Tour poster in his office as a reminder of how he was able to realize his lifelong dream of owning the Patriots. [4]

Aside from a few months in mid-1975, the Victory Tour era marked the only time that all six Jackson brothers worked together at the same time as a band. Jackie Jackson missed most of the tour because of a leg injury. That injury was described at the time as a knee injury incurred during strenuous rehearsals. [12] Margaret Maldonado (the mother of two of Jermaine Jackson 's children) has alleged that Jackie in fact broke his leg in an automobile accident: his first wife Enid ran him over in a parking lot after catching him with another woman. In any case, Jackie made a speedy recovery and was able to rejoin his brothers on stage for the last portion of the tour. [12] [13]

Michael sang all the lead vocals, except for a medley of Jermaine's solo hits.

Eddie Van Halen made at least two special guest appearances doing the " Beat It " guitar solo.

Shortly after the tour ended, Michael returned to his solo career and Marlon left the group to start his own solo career without The Jacksons .

The set list included songs from the Jackson's albums Destiny and Triumph . Despite the name of the tour, the Victory album was not represented. There were also songs on the list from Jermaine's and Michael's solo careers. Songs from Michael's albums Off the Wall and Thriller were both represented. The set list did not include " Thriller " itself because Michael did not like the way the song sounded live.

• "Sword in the Stone" (Introduction)
• " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "
• " Things I Do for You "
• " Off the Wall "
• " Human Nature " (contain excerpts from " Ben ")
• " This Place Hotel "
• " She's Out of My Life "
• Jermaine Jackson Medley: " Let's Get Serious " / "You Like Me, Don't You?"/"Dynamite" / " Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True) " (with Michael )
• The Jackson 5 Medley: " I Want You Back " / " The Love You Save " / " I'll Be There "
• " Rock with You "
• " Lovely One "
• " Workin' Day and Night "
• " Beat It "
• " Billie Jean "
• " Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) " (contain excerpts from " State Of Shock " and " Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough )"
• " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " replaces " Can You Feel It ".
• " Human Nature " replaces " Ben ".
• The "Jermaine Jackson Medley" replaces "Movie Rap".
• " I'll Be There " replaces " ABC " in the Jackson 5 Medley.
• " Beat it " replaces " Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough ".
• Jermaine sometimes performed the song "Dynamite" during his solo medley in place of the usual "You Like Me, Don't You?".

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• 09/03/84: Philadelphia , United States, JFK Stadium ; CANCELLED (Extremely bad weather conditions.) [15] This show was rescheduled to September 28, 1984. [16]
• 10/05/84: Philadelphia, United States, JFK Stadium; Cancelled and rescheduled to September 1, 1984 in mid-August. (Because the Labour Day weekend was more lucrative and did not fall during Yom Kippur, the most holy Jewish holiday.) [15]
• 10/06/84: Philadelphia, United States, JFK Stadium; Cancelled and rescheduled to September 2, 1984 in mid-August. (Because the Labour Day weekend was more lucrative and did not fall during Yom Kippur, the most holy Jewish holiday.) [15]
• 10/13/84: Pittsburgh, United States, Three Rivers Stadium; CANCELLED (The show were moved to Chicago.) [17]
• 10/14/84: Pittsburgh, United States, Three Rivers Stadium; CANCELLED (The show were moved to Chicago.) [17]
• 11/23/84: Phoenix , United States, Sun Devil Stadium ; CANCELLED (Jermaine Jackson had flu.) [18] [19]
• 11/24/84: Phoenix, United States, Sun Devil Stadium; CANCELLED (Jermaine Jackson had flu.) [18] [19]
• At the final concert in Los Angeles , California, Michael announced that the Victory Tour was the Jacksons' last tour. This came allegedly as a shock to his brothers and father, who had planned for the tour to continue in Europe . [8] According to other sources (at least on November 20, 1984) it was already publicly known that the tour disbands after its Los Angeles stop. [19]

Lead Performers

• Michael Jackson : vocals
• Randy Jackson – vocals , percussion , keyboards
• Jermaine Jackson : vocals; bass
• Tito Jackson : vocals; guitar
• Marlon Jackson : vocals; percussion
• Jackie Jackson : vocals; percussion (First performance during the Quebec concerts.)
• Keyboards: Rory Kaplan, Pat Leonard & Jai Winding
• Guitar: David Williams & Gregg Wright
• Drums: Jonathan Moffett
• Tour Coordinator and Co-Producer with the Jacksons: Larry Larson
• Assistant Coordinator: Marla Winston
• Production Manager: Peyton Wilson
• Assistant Production Managers: Gary Bouchard & Debbie Lyons
• Stage Manager: Mike Hirsh
• Assistant Stage Manager: Pee Wee Jackson
• Production Consultant: Ken Graham
• Site Coordinators: John "Bugzee" Hougdahl, Jose Ward
• Stage Construction and Engineering: Plainview, Inc. – John McGraw
• Robotic Lighting: Design – Michael Jackson
• Eidophor Video Projection: M.B. Productions, Inc.
• Design Execution & Manufacturing: Applied Entertainment Systems
• Lighting Company: TASCO
• Site Coordinators : Bugzee Hougdahl & Jose Ward
• Sound Company: Clair Brothers Audio
• House Mixers: ML Procise & Mike Stahl
• Monitor engineer: Rick Coberly
• Laser Effects: Showlasers, Inc., Dallas, Texas
• Laser Special Effects Operator: Michael Moorhead
• Laser Technician: Steve Glasow
• Musicians Costumes Design: Enid Jackson
• Magical Illusions: Franz Harary
• Video Director: Sandy Fullerton
• Jackson Crew Sportswear: Nike
• Community Affairs: Harold Preston
• Consultant to Community Affairs: Cynthia Wilson
• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1634 to 1699: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1700-1799: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1800–present: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "inflation-US" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "inflation-US" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "inflation-US" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "inflation-US" defined multiple times with different content
• ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
• ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/29/local/la-me-ln-michael-jackson-aeg-20130426
• ↑ http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2011/11/frank_cascio_book_pepsi_ad_to_blame_for_michael_jackson_drug_addiction.html
• ↑ http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/10/michael-jackson-pepsi-commercial-burned-scalp-medical-records/
• ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
• ↑ Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times
• ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jet Magazine; July 9, 1984 https://books.google.com/books?id=yLADAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA56&ots=m23wqSHXti&dq=jet%20magazine%20jackie%20jackson%20knee&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
• ↑ Margaret Maldonado Jackson, "Jackson Family Values" ISBN 0-7871-0522-8
• ↑ http://www.knoxville.com/news/2009/jun/26/at-height-of-his-fame-jackson-thrilled-knoxville/
• ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VxgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AaYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2710,3914465&dq=the+jacksons+victory+tour+philadelphia+rained+out&hl=en
• ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YrU_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=JFcMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5516,1771186&dq=the+jacksons+victory+tour+philadelphia+rained+out&hl=en
• ↑ 17.0 17.1 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EwUiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lGIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4475,3501996&dq=the+jacksons+victory+tour+pittsburgh+cancel&hl=en
• ↑ 18.0 18.1 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zLMOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sYIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4554,1758295&dq=the+jacksons+victory+tour+cancel&hl=en
• ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ca9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2UwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6472,3745940&dq=the+jacksons+victory+tour+phoenix&hl=en
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• Jacksons, The
• November 30, 1984 Setlist

The Jacksons Setlist at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA, USA

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Tour: Victory Tour Tour statistics Add setlist

• Song played from tape Sword in the Stone Introduction Play Video
• Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Things I Do for You Play Video
• Off the Wall ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Human Nature ( Michael Jackson  song) ( With "Ben" intro ) Play Video
• This Place Hotel Play Video
• She's Out of My Life ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Let's Get Serious / Dynamite / Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True) ( Jermaine Jackson  song) Play Video
• I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I'll Be There Play Video
• Rock With You ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Lovely One Play Video
• Working Day and Night ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Beat It ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Billie Jean ( Michael Jackson  song) Play Video
• Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) ( With snippet of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" ) Play Video

Edits and Comments

4 activities (last edit by event_monkey , 12 Mar 2023, 05:31 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Beat It by Michael Jackson
• Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
• Human Nature by Michael Jackson
• Let's Get Serious / Dynamite / Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True) by Jermaine Jackson
• Off the Wall by Michael Jackson
• Rock With You by Michael Jackson
• She's Out of My Life by Michael Jackson
• Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' by Michael Jackson
• Working Day and Night by Michael Jackson
• Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)
• Things I Do for You
• This Place Hotel
• I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I'll Be There

Complete Album stats

The Jacksons

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Victory Tour

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The Jacksons Original 1984 Victory Tour Full Concert Ticket with Michael Jackson

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Tony's Kansas City

Search this blog, michael jackson victory tour debut in kansas city well-remembered.

We wanted to say that THIS kind of reporting was why social media news was mostly useless.

HOWEVER . . .

It's really good fun and the local post has earned viral status . . . The content was probably been read by far more people than will pick up today's Sunday newspaper. 

But this is a news blog and even we can't help but ruin nostalgia . . .

What the tidbit omits is even a brief mention of the Victory Tour ticket lottery controversy that confronted the pop icon and garnered nearly universal criticism.

Currently . . . There's outcry against Ticketmaster and venues for pricing schemes that at least guarantee a ticket with an overpriced purchase . . . Way back in 1984 the future "King Of Pop" was so beloved that his management targeted fans with a scheme that is now prohibited in many states. 

Now . . . 

Here's the nicer review without much info, context, history or anything but happy thoughts: 

40 years ago, The Jacksons kicked off their North American Victory Tour at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Arrowhead organizers agreed to accept only a $100,000 fee for the three opening concerts instead of its usual percentage of ticket sales and concessions.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KC Yesterday -- July 6-8, 1984: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

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The iconic concert of each year since 1960

Posted: July 9, 2024 | Last updated: July 10, 2024

Here's what iconic concert took place the year you graduated high school

The last six decades of Western culture are synonymous with rapid changes in both music and the concert industry. Certain performances have managed to elevate, and become much more than mere slices of entertainment. As a result, they have taken on historical and contextual significance alike. One can thereby glean relevant information about a given decade—or the year in which they graduated high school—by examining the concert scene around that time.

A look at the most iconic concert, tour, or festival from the year one graduated high school also offers a potential trip down memory lane. It's when a person is young and chock full of new emotions that they connect the most intensely with certain songs or performers, after all. To consider the most relevant music of the era is to likewise recall the personal feelings one cultivated when hearing that music for the first time or the fiftieth time.

Stacker compiled a list of the most iconic concerts from each of the last 63 years, using a variety of sources, including setlist.fm , Billboard magazine , Rolling Stone magazine , and Spin magazine . To avoid repetition, the list touches down on multiple genres and moments and doesn't feature the same act twice (barring festival appearances). With the exception of the three Woodstock festivals—each one being historic for a different reason—the list doesn't feature the same music festival twice either. Live performances at a movie or television studio, sporting event, or awards ceremony were not considered.

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1960: Pete Seeger at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine

Folk legend Pete Seeger took on the dual role of performer and educator when playing to a crowd of Bowdoin students in 1960. Every so often, he would stop the music and help teach the audience how to perform folk songs on their own. The concert made up part of a broader campus event and helped raise money for charity.

1961: Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall in New York City, New York

Judy Garland was decades into her turbulent career when she played at Carnegie Hall for the first time in 1961. Often described as "The Greatest Night In Show Business," the concert featured guest appearances from fellow icons such as Richard Burton and Marilyn Monroe. An album recording of the event spent 73 weeks on the Billboard charts and took home five Grammy Awards.

1962: James Brown at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York

The hardest-working man in show business defied his label boss by personally financing this epic concert at Harlem's Apollo Theater. An album recording was released the following year and it became an instant success, reaching #2 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Rolling Stone magazine recently dubbed it the greatest live album of all time .

1963: The Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island

The 1963 Newport Folk Festival arrived when the genre of folk was politically charged and more popular than ever before. Playing the festival for the first time , a young Bob Dylan performed anti-war songs and duly captured the local zeitgeist. Two years later, he shed his spokesman persona at the same festival by plugging in his electric guitar .

1964: The T.A.M.I. Show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California

Featuring a smorgasbord of contemporary talent, The T.A.M.I. Show spanned two days and provided the basis for a subsequent concert film. The Rolling Stones went on after a vivacious James Brown and later called it one of the biggest mistakes of their career . Additional performers included The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, and others.

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1965: The Beatles at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York

This historic performance by the Fab Four drew over 55,000 attendees, making it the largest concert to date . Fans were screaming with such volume and intensity that the group could barely hear themselves play. John Lennon later said, "At Shea Stadium, I saw the top of the mountain."

1966: Bob Dylan World Tour 1966

After going electric to the chagrin of certain fans, Bob Dylan embarked on this famous world concert tour. Backing band The Hawks joined him for the electric portion of each show, which drew jeers and the occasional projectile object . The Hawks went on to become Canadian-American rock group The Band.

1967: The Monterey Pop Festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California

A pivotal moment in music history, this three-day concert set a festival template that's still followed to this day. Respective (and destructive) performances by The Who and The Jimi Hendrix Experience became the stuff of legend, as did an epic vocal rendition of "Ball and Chain" by Janis Joplin (backed by Big Brother and the Holding Company). The event also helped usher in the Summer of Love and popularize San Francisco's local music scene.

1968: Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison in Represa, California

Johnny Cash first released the song "Folsom Prison Blues" in 1955 and then performed live at the actual prison over a decade later. A blockbuster album recording of the concert offered an empathic glimpse at prison life and turned Cash into a global star . He would continue to perform at prisons and release adjoining albums, most notably 1969's "At San Quentin."

1969: Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York

History's most famous music festival didn't actually take place in its namesake town, but a nearby farm in Bethel, New York. People from every corner of the world gathered for three days and took in one iconic performance after the next. Mudslides and unsanitary conditions notwithstanding, it was considered a benchmark event for the hippie era.

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1970: Isle Of Wight Festival on the Isle of Wight, England

The third iteration of this concert festival was the largest and most historic by a considerable margin. Held on an island in the English channel, it spanned six days and reportedly drew a bigger crowd than Woodstock (for better or worse). Performers included Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, and numerous others.

1971: The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York

Ex-Beatle George Harrison and sitar icon Ravi Shankar co-organized this star-studded concert event, which consisted of two unique shows. It raised over $243,000 for UNICEF and helped establish the modern-day celebrity benefit concert . Performers included Harrison, Shankar, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, and others.

1972: Grateful Dead Europe '72 Tour

The Grateful Dead's extended tour of Europe touched down in major cities and found the band jamming for hours at a time. Select recordings were captured for a historic triple album, which helped them pay off a debt to their label . Group member Pigpen died the following year.

1973: Elvis Presley at the Honolulu International Center

Elvis Presley's historic performance at the Honolulu International Center was the first full concert to be broadcast worldwide via satellite . He sang a number of well-known hits while wearing a bejeweled cape, which he threw into the audience at the end. The concert aired in over 40 countries .

1974: The California Jam Festival at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California

A crowd of over 200,000 people gathered for this epic concert festival, leading to all kinds of crazy parking and traffic issues . Co-headlined by ​​Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, it featured additional performances by Earth, Wind & Fire, Eagles, Black Sabbath, and others. Highlights of the event were televised on ABC.

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1975: Elton John at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California

Music legend Elton John was at the height of his fame when he performed back-to-back concerts at L.A.'s Dodger Stadium. Wearing a sequined Dodgers uniform, he played to an estimated 110,000 people over the course of two sold-out shows. It made up part of his Rock of the Westies Tour across North America.

1976: The Last Waltz at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California

The Band pulled out all the stops for their "farewell concert appearance," which took place on Thanksgiving at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom. The show featured a number of major guest appearances from artists such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and others. Director Martin Scorsese's 1978 documentary about the event is often hailed as one of the greatest concert films ever made .

1977: Pink Floyd at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada

Not every concert event is "iconic" for the right reasons, as evidenced by this infamous Pink Floyd performance in Montreal. Fed up with loud fireworks and other disruptions, band member Roger Waters spit on an unruly fan . The incident prompted serious introspection from Waters and inspired him to conceive the blockbuster concept album "The Wall."

1978: Bruce Springsteen at Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fine-tuned their live act throughout the mid- and late 1970s, culminating with this historic concert. Many fans consider it to be The Boss' greatest live performance ever, which is definitely no small feat. An official recording of the event was recently made available via the Live Bruce Springsteen website.

1979: The Clash at The Palladium in New York City, New York

Punk rockers The Clash played New York City for the first time with a legendary two-night stint at The Palladium. A photograph of Paul Simonon destroying his Fender P-Bass guitar during the show would make up the cover for their next album, "London Calling." To this day, it's considered one of the most iconic album covers of all time.

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1980: Monsters of Rock at Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England

Celebrating hard rock and heavy metal, the Monsters of Rock music festival kicked off in 1980 and quickly became an annual affair. The inaugural event delivered ear-shattering performances from Rainbow, Judas Priest, Scorpions, April Wine, Saxon, Riot, and Touch. Subsequent festivals took place at Castle Donington as well as other venues around the world, drawing massive crowds .

1981: Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park in New York City, New York

The folk duo of Simon & Garfunkel reunited several times after their initial split, most notably for this historic benefit concert. It opened with the classic song "Mrs. Robinson" and later hit an unexpected snag when a crazed audience member rushed the stage . An album recording of the event came out the following year and ultimately went certified double platinum.

1982: The Police Picnic at CNE Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Canada

This new wave concert event ran annually from 1981 to 1983 and paired headlining act The Police with a number of major contemporaries. The 1982 show took place before a crowd of over 38,000 people and featured performances from Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Talking Heads, The English Beat, and A Flock of Seagulls.

1983: Talking Heads at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, California

The Talking Heads famously imbued their act with oversized suits and unique dance sequences while touring in support of their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." Director Jonathan Demme used footage of the band's three shows at Hollywood's Pantages Theater for the seminal concert documentary "Stop Making Sense."

1984: The Jacksons Victory Tour

Michael Jackson was in the midst of a historic solo career when he joined his brothers for this smash concert tour of North America. It drew massive crowds and primarily featured songs from Jackson's albums "Thriller" and "Off the Wall." Their stop at Washington D.C.'s RFK Stadium was practically a citywide event, complete with fireworks and helicopters .

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1985: Live Aid

Spanning multiple venues around the world, this benefit concert event helped raised money to relieve Ethiopia's famine crisis. It featured a slew of big-name artists and a historic set by the rock band Queen . The recent blockbuster biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" impressively recreated the band's legendary performance before a crowd of approximately 72,000 (with reportedly over a billion more watching on TV).

1986: Jean-Michel Jarre in Houston, Texas

French electronic artist Jean-Michel Jarre turned the city of Houston itself into a sprawling venue with this epic concert event. Held in support of his 1986 album "Rendez-vous," it broke a Guinness World Record for the largest crowd ever to witness a sound-and-light display .

1987: Billy Joel Soviet Union Tour

Piano man Billy Joel made history when he became one of the first Western artists to mount a full-blown concert production in the Soviet Union. It kicked off in Moscow's Olimpiyskiy Stadium and ultimately consisted of six performances. During the second show, Joel famously experienced something of a meltdown over lighting issues.

1988: Tina Turner at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Still in the midst of a miraculous career comeback, superstar Tina Turner embarked on the Break Every Rule world tour between 1987 and 1988. Her performance before a crowd of over 180,000 in Rio de Janeiro didn't necessarily break every rule, but it did break a Guinness World Record for the most paying concert-goers to see a single artist.

1989: The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour

The Rolling Stones have delivered no shortage of impressive concert tours over their decades-long career, including this one from 1989 (and 1990). It marked a live comeback for the band and proved that they could still rock a huge crowd. An infamous show at L.A.'s Memorial Coliseum was disastrous for opening act Guns N' Roses, with Axl Rose calling out his bandmates for drug use while on stage.

You may also like: One-hit wonders of the 2000s

1990: Madonna Blond Ambition Tour

Madonna was both blonde and ambitious when she mounted her third world tour, this one in support of 1989's "Like a Prayer." A lavish stage production, each show broke down into thematic segments and incorporated a variety of artistic influences. The 1991 documentary "Madonna: Truth or Dare" revealed extensive behind-the-scenes footage of her life and work around this time.

1991: Lollapalooza

Co-created by Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, the first Lollapalooza music festival stopped in over 20 North American cities over the course of a summer. Performances from Nine Inch Nails, Living Colour, Violent Femmes, and other acts helped take alternative music into the mainstream. In 2020, Spin magazine dubbed it the greatest concert of the last 35 years .

1992: Nirvana at the Reading Festival in Reading, England

Nirvana's headlining gig at this U.K. music festival was preceded by all kinds of negative press, including rumors of drug addiction and ill health. Kurt Cobain tackled the gossip head-on by rolling out in a wheelchair and feigning sickness before launching into one of the band's most memorable performances. The rest is grunge history.

1993: Janet Jackson World Tour

Three years after the record-breaking Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 , Janet Jackson embarked on another wildly successful world tour. It kicked off in Cincinnati and concluded over a year later with three shows at London's Wembley Arena. "The video-age arena spectacle is in good hands," wrote New York Times critic Jon Pareles of the show at Madison Square Garden.

1994: Woodstock '94 on Winston Farm near Saugerties, New York

Held on the 25th anniversary of Woodstock, this massive music festival promised "2 More Days of Peace and Music." What it delivered was expensive tickets, corporate sponsorships, gate-crashing, overcrowding, three confirmed deaths, multiple hospitalizations, and copious amounts of mud . The majority of attendees were reported to have a good time nevertheless.

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1995: Rod Stewart at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rod Stewart celebrated New Year's Eve with this free open-air concert, which drew a record-breaking crowd of over 3.5 million people. It made up part of his A Night To Remember Tour and featured hit songs such as "Maggie May" and "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy."

1996: Oasis at the Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire, England

Rock band Oasis was coming off the successful sophomore album "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" when they headlined this outdoor music festival. They broke local attendance records by playing to an estimated 125,000 people per night over the course of two shows. Band member Noel Gallagher later said the years that followed were like a "comedown" from this event.

1997: U2 at Koševo Stadium in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The city of Sarajevo received its first major pop concert after the Bosnian War with the arrival of Irish rock legends U2. Just before showtime, the gates opened to allow 10,000 non-paying attendees (who couldn't afford tickets) to enter. It was also broadcast on local TV networks.

1998: Tibetan Freedom Concert at RFK Stadium in Washington DC

This concert for a cause spanned two days and helped raise as much as $1.2 million to support Tibet's fight for independence. A thunderstorm led to cancellations and injuries on the first day while the second day ran more smoothly. It was the third annual event of its kind, with performances by Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and numerous others.

1999: Woodstock '99 at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York

The subject of two recent documentaries , this infamous music festival buried the spirit of Woodstock and then burned its grave. Sweltering heat, restricted water access, and sexual assaults were just three among the legion of problems that unfolded over the course of four days. By the time Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst told the crowd to "break stuff," they were all too ready to oblige.

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2000: Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England

Musical icon David Bowie returned to the Glastonbury Festival for the first time in nearly three decades when he co-headlined the 2000 iteration. It debuted a new Pyramid Stage along with other improvements, but also suffered from gate-crashing and over-attendance .

2001: The Concert for New York City at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York

The world was still reeling from the events of 9/11 when Madison Square Garden hosted this star-packed benefit concert. Organized by Paul McCartney , it featured a performance from the ex-Beatle himself along with a slew of other famous talents. In addition to raising over $30 million for victim family relief , it honored first responders.

2002: Party at the Palace at the Buckingham Palace Garden in London, England

Buckingham Palace celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with this thrilling concert event, often described as one of the best in British history . Live attendees were chosen by way of a lottery system while approximately 200 million TV viewers tuned in around the world. Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor opened the night with a rooftop performance of "'God Save the Queen."

2003: The Chicks Top of the World Tour

This all-female country band was grappling with the backlash to their anti-war comments when they kicked off a 2003 world tour. In spite of the controversy, it was the top-grossing country tour of the year . Opening acts included Joan Osborne and Michelle Branch, respectively.

2004: The Montreal Jazz Festival in Montreal, Canada

On its 25th anniversary, this popular concert event drew a reported 2 million visits and broke the Guinness World Record for the world's largest jazz festival. Spanning 10 days and multiple stages, it featured performances from roughly 3,000 artists. Canadian pianist and singer Diana Krall released a recording of her concert on DVD.

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2005: Live 8

In the spirit of Live Aid, this benefit concert event touched down on multiple venues and television networks around the globe. Its most iconic moment came when the classic Pink Floyd lineup reunited for a five-song performance. The goal of the event was to pressure G8 world leaders into putting more money and effort toward fighting poverty in Africa.

2006: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California

The foremost music festival of the modern era hit a benchmark in 2006 with a comeback performance by French electronic duo Daft Punk. Their legendary set atop a pyramid-style stage "irrevocably changed the course of music," Far Out magazine once wrote . Depeche Mode and Tool were the co-headliners that year.

2007: Led Zeppelin at O2 Arena in London, England

Led Zeppelin's surviving members were joined onstage by Jason Bonham (son of original drummer John Bonham) for this historic reunion. It made up part of a larger tribute concert honoring Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun. The band later released a concert film and album of the performance called "Celebration Day."

2008: Radiohead In Rainbows Tour

Radiohead's 2008 tour behind the album "In Rainbows" strived to be the world's first "carbon neutral tour" by reducing emissions. It was also a masterclass in performance, with fans citing the show in Japan's Saitama Super Arena as being particularly strong. The setlist for that show featured two encores and a whopping 25 songs in total.

2009: Farm Aid at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri

Comments made by Bob Dylan during 1985's Live Aid inspired this annual benefit concert , which raises money for American farmers. The 2009 iteration featured performances from Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Wilco, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), and others.

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2010: Sonisphere Festival

This traveling music festival made history in 2010 by bringing the "big four" of thrash metal —Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax—together at the same venues. Performances at Bulgaria's Vasil Levski National Stadium were captured on video for a concert film.

2011: Kenny Chesney Goin' Coastal Tour

Four-time winner of the Billboard Touring Award, country singer Kenny Chesney kicked off this concert tour in support of his studio album "Hemingway's Whiskey." It sold out numerous shows and became one of the year's highest-grossing acts. The Zac Brown Band co-headlined for select performances.

2012: Jay Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne Tour

Hip-hop collaborators Jay-Z and Kanye West followed their 2011 album "Watch the Throne" with this successful tour of the same name. At a show in Paris, the duo performed one of their most beloved songs 11 times in a row to a rapturous crowd.

2013: Leonard Cohen Old Ideas World Tour

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen reluctantly hit the road in the late stage of his career, only to discover a newfound love for live performance. His Old Ideas World Tour ran for over a year and touched down across his entire catalog. A spectacular celebration of the art of song, it was his final concert tour before his death in 2016 .

2014: Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival at Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennessee

Like its predecessors, the 13th Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival delivered four days of live performances across multiple genres. Some of the major acts included Elton John, Vampire Weekend, The Avett Brothers, Phoenix, Skrillex, Arctic Monkeys, The Flaming Lips, Jack White, Lionel Richie, and Kanye West.

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2015: Prince at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan

Playing Detroit for the first time in over a decade, an energized Prince served up two and a half hours of funked-up hits at the Fox Theatre. The Detroit Press wrote that the artist treated the venue "like his own personal house party" and cultivated a "loose, improvisational feel." Prince embarked on his Piano & A Microphone Tour the next year and then tragically died that April.

2016: Beyoncé The Formation World Tour

Beyoncé followed a famous performance at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show with this global stadium tour in support of her chart-topping album "Lemonade." Each show unfolded in narrative chapters and employed a huge LED screen, various audio-visual props, multiple costumes, socio-political themes, and exhilarating dance numbers. She was later named by Pollstar as the top touring artist of the last decade .

2017: One Love Manchester at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Stretford, England

Pop star Ariana Grande co-organized this benefit concert shortly after a terrorist bombing at her show in Manchester Arena. Simultaneously broadcast and streamed, it raised £18 million for victims' families . Performers included Grande herself along with Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Mac Miller, Coldplay, and others.

2018: Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour

Taylor Swift's stadium tour in support of her studio album "Reputation" became the highest-grossing tour in U.S. history . The shows interweaved Broadway-style bombast with a recurring gothic theme and earned Swift some of her highest critical accolades to date. Her stop in Dallas was recorded and released as a concert film on Netflix.

2019: An Evening with Fleetwood Mac World Tour

This hotly anticipated world tour was preceded by controversy when guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was fired due to reported scheduling conflicts. Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers joined the band in Buckingham's place. The group sold out shows around the world before delivering a final performance at the 10th annual Concert for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco's Oracle Park.

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2020: Billie Eilish Where Do We Go? World Tour

Billie Eilish's fifth concert tour kicked off in support of her debut studio album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" What was supposed to be a trip around the world was canceled after just three shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic . "To see a teen idol at the peak of popularity in a live setting is nothing short of insane," wrote New Miami Times reviewer David Rolland of the first show .

2021: Day N Vegas Music Festival at the ​​Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas, Nevada

First launched in 2019, this hip-hop music festival took place over the course of three days at the northern end of the Las Vegas strip. In 2021, the respective headliners were Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, and Travis Scott. Two months later, Travis Scott's separate Astroworld Festival led to the tragic death of 10 attendees .

2022: The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts

The music industry was rocked to its core by the unexpected death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in March of 2022. A pair of subsequent tribute concerts opened with a performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" by Dave Grohl's daughter Violet (accompanied by Alain Johannes on guitar). Guest appearances included Joan Jett, Travis Barker, Liam Gallagher, Alanis Morissette, Pink, and many others.

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Christian Walker hits 16th and 17th career homers at Dodger Stadium, Diamondbacks rout Dodgers 12-4

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker, right, hits a three-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Michael Petersen, left, watches along with catcher Will Smith and home plate umpire Jordan Baker during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr., left, and Christian Walker, right, celebrate as Jake McCarthy watches after Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, is tagged out by Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno as he tried to score from third on the line out by Miguel Rojas during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, left, is congratulated by Shohei Ohtani after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, second from left, hits a three-run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Cristian Mena, left, and catcher Gabriel Moreno, right, watch along with home plate umpire Jordan Baker during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo dives for a ball hit for a single by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andy Pages during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno, left, is congratulated by Geraldo Perdomo, center, and Eugenio Suarez after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, right, attempts to score from third on the line out by Miguel Rojas before being tagged out by Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Gavin Stone throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández, right, hits a solo home run as Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Cristian Mena, left, and catcher Gabriel Moreno, second from left, watch along with home plate umpire Jordan Baker during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Cristian Mena throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, center, is congratulated by Will Smith, left, and Shohei Ohtani, right, after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, left, looks back after being tagged out by Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno as he tried to score from third on the line out by Miguel Rojas during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drops his bat as he heads to first for a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr., left, heads to second after hitting a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Yohan Ramirez steps off the mound during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Christian Walker hit a go-ahead homer in the fourth inning and a three-run blast in the ninth — his 16th and 17th career shots at Dodger Stadium — and the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a rough start to rout Los Angeles 12-4 on Wednesday night.

Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr . added two-run homers for Arizona, down 4-1 before Diamondbacks starter Cristian Mena retired a batter in his major league debut.

“A real gutsy performance,” Walker said.

The D-backs were coming off a walkoff loss in the series opener Tuesday.

“This team did not get fazed,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We started chipping away.”

Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández hit back-to-back homers in the first for the NL West-leading Dodgers. After four of their first five batters had hits, they had only two more the rest of the game. Arizona pounded out 16 hits.

Walker went 4 for 5, falling a triple shy of the cycle, with four RBIs and three runs. With two out in the fourth, he sent a 3-2 pitch from Ryan Yarbrough (3-2) to left for a 5-4 lead. Walker hit his 20th homer of the season in the ninth, a two-out shot off Michael Petersen.

“It’s otherworldly,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Walker. “He doesn’t give anything away. He’s one of the guys I really enjoy watching play.”

Walker has seven homers in eight games against the Dodgers this season, and his 17 career homers at Dodger Stadium since 2018 are the most among opposing players. He has homered in four straight games in Los Angeles.

“It’s a good place to hit, see the ball well,” Walker said. “A big part of it is the lineup and the protection around me in the lineup, it gives me the freedom to take some big swings and try to change the score. It’s helpful coming up with guys on a lot.”

Bryce Jarvis (1-2) got the victory in relief.

Arizona got most of its offense from the bottom of the lineup. Eugenio Suárez, Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo combined for seven hits, including Moreno’s homer in the third.

The Dodgers’ only hits after the first were a double by Miguel Rojas in the sixth and Freeman’s single in the eighth.

Mena allowed a single, walk, back-to-back homers and a single to the first five Dodgers. The 21-year-old right-hander struck out two and walked three in three innings.

“I still have to learn, but that’s something important to me — just forget about what just happened and focus on the next inning,” Mena said.

Dodgers rookie Gavin Stone gave up four runs and seven hits in three innings, needing 49 pitches over the first two innings. He struck out three and walked three.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) was set to throw a bullpen Thursday.

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (6-4, 2.83 ERA) was scheduled to make his second start since coming off the IL in the series finale Thursday against Dodgers RHP Landon Knack (1-1, 2.08).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb