Ron Pia

 

ON THIS DAY IN MICHAEL JACKSON HISTORY- FEBRUARY 23 1988 Michael kicks off the 2nd leg of his BAD Tour in Kansas City, Missouri. This will be his first ever U.S. solo concert. The newly revised shows included more songs from the BAD album than did the the first leg of the Tour which started in Japan. Michael left the sold out house of about 17,000 spellbound with his amazing vocals and moves that weren't around until he invented them. Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts for over 4 million fans across 15 countries. It grossed a total of $150 million, making it the second highest-grossing tour of the 1980s after Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason tour, and earning two new entries in the Guinness World Records for the largest grossing tour in history and the tour with the largest attended audience.It was nominated for "Tour of the Year 1988" at the inaugural International Rock Awards. Michael had made a public statement at the end of the tour that he intended for it to be his last as a touring artist, as he had plans to transition to movie making. Second leg (1988–1989)

Rehearsals for the tour's 1988 leg took place at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida from January 22 to February 18, 1988. Vincent Paterson, who had worked with Michael on several videos, was brought in to choreograph and co-direct the tour with Michael. On the last day of preparation, Michael allowed 420 school pupils to watch him rehearse after the children made him a rap music video in his honour. The first performances were to begin in Atlanta, yet Pepsi officials objected as the city was home to rival drinks company Coca-Cola. For both Atlanta shows, Jackson gave 100 tickets to the Children's Wish Foundation for terminally ill children. The first of three concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City in March served as a benefit to raise $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund. Michael presented a check of $600,000 to the fund. On March 2, 1988, Michael performed at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, receiving an enormous standing ovation after performing "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man in the Mirror". Michael's album, Bad was also nominated for Album of the Year at the ceremony.Michael began his European tour in Rome at the Flaminio Stadium on May 23, 1988. Police and security guards rescued hundreds of fans from being crushed in the crowd of 35,000.Police reported 130 women fainted at the concert in Vienna on June 2. On June 17, Michael travelled to the town of Vevey to meet Oona O'Neill, the widow of comic actor Charlie Chaplin. "I have fulfilled my biggest childhood dream", said Michael after the visit. The most successful of the European dates were those in London at Wembley Stadium. Ticket demand for the five July dates exceeded 1.5 million, enough to fill the 72,000 capacity venue 20 times Michael performed seven sold out shows, beating the previous record held by Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Genesis. More shows could have been added, but the venue had reached its quota for live performances.The third concert on July 16 was attended by Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles. On September 8, Michael was entered into the Guinness World Records, the first of three times from the tour alone. The Wembley shows were attended by a record 504,000 people. Management also presented him with a special award.On July 30, NBC aired Michael Jackson Around the World, a 90-minute special documenting the singer on tour. On August 29, after a birthday performance in Leeds, Michael donated $130,000 to Give For Life.The final European show was held in Liverpool on September 11, staged at Aintree Racecourse.