Michael Jackson Glove: Why Did Michael Jackson Wear A Single ...

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Michael Jackson’s single glove characterised a certain time in the singer’s career. His hands, it seems, had a journey of their own, going from bare to a single glove, then white tapes were placed on his fingertips in the Dangerous era. But the single glove became as legendary as the moonwalk and the Thriller red jacket, though few have truly known the reason why it became part of Michael’s 1980s look.

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Why did Michael Jackson wear a single glove?

There are various differing accounts for why the glove was worn.

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Some have suggested it was due to necessity over Michael’s medical reasons, while others have suggested he used it to ‘manipulate’ the press.

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However, one man has suggested it was as simple as the fact that Michael liked the look of it.

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Michael Jackson - why he wore a single glove

Michael Jackson - why he wore a single glove (Image: Getty)

Michael Jackson wearing a single glove in the Bad years

Michael Jackson wearing a single glove in the Bad years (Image: Getty)

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John Kehe, Monitor's design director, said he was an eyewitness to Michael’s decision to wear a single glove after seeing another man wearing one for technical reasons.

John was designing the music video for Can You Feel It, Michael’s song with the reunited The Jacksons.

Michael met John, who was the music-head of a film production company in Hollywood, for a meeting at the production facilities of Robert Abel & Associates, where Michael a man wearing a single white glove while scanning through film.

John said: “Rick [Ross, the chief film editor] was wearing a short white cotton glove on his left hand as he ran the film through his fingers, looking for the yellow grease-pencil marks he had made on various frames of film to be edited.

“To have a little green box of these disposable gloves sitting on the editing bench was standard practice for film editors in those days.

Michael performing on stage in his glove

Michael performing on stage in his glove (Image: Getty)

“Michael, who hadn't shown any particular enthusiasm for the tour so far, seemed suddenly transfixed by the glove and politely asked a number of questions about it, concluding with, ‘Could you spare one?’

“But of course. The rest, they say, is HIStory… A number of mysteries still surround Michael Jackson's strange life, and some questions may never be answered.

“I'm just glad I could shed some light on one of them.”

Michael first wore the glove on his left hand at Motown’s 25th anniversary TV special in 1983, where the singer performed Billie Jean.

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Michael Jackson with tapes on his hands

Michael Jackson with tapes on his hands (Image: Getty)

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This is also the first time Michael performed the moonwalk, though only for a brief moment.

Later, Michael wore a white glove on his right hand, which became a regular feature of his outfits during the Bad tour.

Contrary to John’s version of events, some have suggested this glove, and the white tape on Michael’s fingers were used to cover up changing skin tone on his hands.

In further contrast, his former bodyguard Matt Fiddes has suggested an entirely different reason for all of these items, which was to make a splash in the media.

Matt told Metro: “He knew how to manipulate the media. He knew exactly how to get the front pages.

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“He used to have a meeting as soon as he got to a [city]. 90 percent of the time it worked, by putting a mask on his face, or sticky tape on his hands – or tape on his nose was a favourite one.

“He would say he wanted his life to be the greatest mystery on Earth. It’s backfired on him now, though, that’s the sad thing.”

While the various reasons could be true, Michael rarely addressed it himself, only to once say: “I felt one glove was cool. Wearing two seemed so ordinary.”

The glove sold at auction in the USA last year for more than £85,000.

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