Marlon Jackson, brother of the late pop icon Michael Jackson, shared new insight into the origins of the legendary moonwalk dance move during a recent appearance on WFAN radio.
According to PEOPLE, the 68-year-old singer recounted memories of the 1983 Motown 25 special, where Michael famously debuted the moonwalk to a global audience. Marlon revealed that Michael's brothers had already seen him practicing the move during rehearsals.
"We knew that he was gonna do [that move]," Marlon told hosts Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle.
Surprisingly, Marlon said the moonwalk was not originally choreographed by Michael himself. Instead, he explained that the move came from youth culture at the time.
"My nephew, not on my family's side, on my wife's side, was the first person that showed him the moonwalk," Marlon said. "He was eight years old."
Marlon added that the dance was originally called "the backwards slide." Later, Jeffrey Daniel of the group Shalamar taught Michael how to perform it, after which Michael renamed it the moonwalk.
Jeffrey Daniel had performed the move on "Soul Train" as early as 1979 and worked closely with Michael Jackson beginning in 1981. He also co-choreographed music videos for hits like "Beat It" and "Smooth Criminal," and traveled with Jackson to Brazil for the filming of "They Don't Really Care About Us."
Michael Jackson's 'The Essential' Reaches New Peak on UK Official Albums Streaming Chart
Nearly four years after its release, Michael Jackson's compilation album "The Essential" has climbed to a new career high on the Official Albums Streaming chart in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 3 this week, as per Forbes.
The album, which has spent an impressive 195 weeks on the chart, rose from its previous peak at No. 5. It remains Jackson's only top 10 entry on the streaming chart, underscoring enduring interest in the King of Pop's catalog.
The Official Albums Streaming chart tracks the most-played full albums and EPs across platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. The chart typically features a mix of current releases and classic compilations.
Despite The Essential's surge, Jackson has yet to claim a No. 1 on the streaming chart. Pop star Olivia Dean holds the top spot with her debut album "The Art of Loving." Fleetwood Mac's *50 Years – Don't Stop* is currently at No. 2, blocking Jackson from moving higher.
Besides "The Essential," Jackson's other albums are also present on UK charts. His iconic album "Bad" ranked No. 84 on the streaming chart and No. 95 on the Official Albums chart, which factors in sales and streams.
Other Jackson compilations like "Number Ones" maintain positions on vinyl and download charts, while "HIStory: Past, Present and Future – Book I" appears on download charts at No. 82.
Jackson's singles continue to resonate as well. "Dirty Diana" rose to No. 20 on the Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles chart, while "They Don't Care About Us" recently reached a new peak of No. 30 on the Official Dance Singles chart.
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