Michael Jackson: Truth behind the Moonwalk

The origin of Michael Jackson’s famous moonwalk has finally been clarified. According to the superstar’s brother, the legendary “air walk” actually traces back to an eight-year-old child.

While visiting WFAN radio last week, Marlon Jackson, 68, shared how the King of Pop rehearsed the move before debuting it to the public in 1983. Marlon revealed that the family knew Michael was planning something extraordinary for the Motown 25 special, where he would ultimately unveil the iconic step.

However, Michael wasn’t the sole architect of the idea. Marlon disclosed that a nephew—from his wife’s side of the family—was the first person to show Michael the movement. Michael was captivated by the “backwards slide” performed by his young relative. To perfect the technique, Michael then sought out Jeffrey Daniel, a professional dancer who had mastered the move.

“Then Jeffrey Daniel taught Michael how to do the backwards slide, and Michael renamed it the moonwalk,” Marlon explained.

History was made on March 25, 1983, during Michael’s performance of “Billie Jean” at Motown 25. The moonwalk became an overnight sensation and remains one of the most imitated dance moves in the world. What began as a simple movement by an eight-year-old has since evolved into a permanent fixture of pop culture history.