Ryan Wilks
A friend of Michael Jackson has shared why the ‘Thriller’ artist wore his signature glitter glove.
The ‘Smooth Criminal’ singer – who sadly died aged 50 in 2009 – is widely respected as one of the most iconic musicians of the 20th century.
Throughout his career, Jackson was awarded 13 Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, five Billboard Music Awards and 24 American Music Awards.
But the question remains as to why he always wore his iconic glitter glove…
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The renowned vocalist frequently donned extravagant ensembles during his live shows and music videos.
However, it was a solitary white glove adorned with rhinestones, typically sported on his right hand, that truly became a distinctive hallmark for Jackson.
As reported by The Independent, Jackson introduced the glove into his wardrobe in 1983 on the occasion of Motown’s 25th-anniversary celebration.
In a subsequent interview a couple of years later, he explained, “I felt that one glove was cool… wearing two gloves seemed so ordinary.”
Yet, Cicely Tyson, the esteemed actor who passed away in 2021 at 96, disclosed an alternate insight during the 1980s, relating to a conversation with a fashion designer who collaborated with Jackson.
Tyson reveals that she was informed about a designer crafting a glove specifically for Jackson, intended to conceal his vitiligo.
During an interview with CNN in 2009, Tyson explained: “All of a sudden, he [the designer] said, ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael.”
“The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that’s how that glove came into being.”
Tyson said the glove had been specially created to cover signs of Jackson’s condition, explaining: “The glove was to camouflage it. That’s how that glove came into being.”
Asked how she knew that, she responded: “I was there when he was creating it.”
According to the NHS, vitiligo is a chronic condition characterised by the emergence of depigmented white patches on the skin.
It arises due to insufficient melanin, the skin pigment.
While it can impact any skin area, it predominantly manifests on the face, neck, hands, and areas where the skin folds.
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In a rare conversation with American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Jackson personally acknowledged his own experience with the skin condition.
He candidly expressed feeling pained by the way it was being talked about in the media.
He said: “I’m a black American. I am proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race, and I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity of who I am.
“This is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It is something I cannot help, OK?
“But when people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me. It’s a problem for me that I can’t control.”
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