27th January 1984 - Filming of the second Pepsi commercial "Concert" concluded at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium.
Real terror struck during the filming when a spark from the bombs [for pyrotechnical effects] set his hair on fire. Michael suffered second and third degree scalp burns.
At 6:00 PM, director Bob Giraldi called for another take of the scene with Michael dancing down the staircase. This was the last scene to be shot after four days of filming. Michael stood at his spot at the top of the stairs, and was told to stand there until the bombs went off this time, then make his descent. So after the pyrotechnics went off, Michael began to dance down the stairs. Suddenly he cried out in pain. A spark from the lightning effects had set his hair on fire. He pulled his jacket up over his head to try to put out the flames. Mass confusion followed. Fans and extras used in the audience were horrified as were his brothers and the crew. Jermaine initially thought Michael had been shot!
The first to reach Michael to help was his personal secretary, Miko Brando, Marlon Brando's son, who quickly extinguish the flames, possibly saving the singer's life. Miko did smother the flames with his hands and suffered burns on his own fingers trying to put out the flames in Michael's hair. A fan from the audience applied an ice pack on the burn.
Michael was rushed to the emergency room of Cedar Sinai Medical Center and was later moved to Brotman Memorial Hospital for treatment. Having been told a barrage of reporters and photographers awaited his arrival at the hospital, Michael told the ambulance attendants that he wanted to wear his glove when he was wheeled into the hospital. Somewhat badly burned, television news was on alert as Jackson was hospitalized overnight, footage of him being rushed from the ambulance on a stretcher – head bandaged, faced covered, hand glitter-gloved – played at regular intervals, an image that became as much a part of his legend as any of his staged performances.
Michael had suffered a palm sized second degree burn on the back of his head with a smaller third degree burn the size of a half dollar at the center. It was a serious burn that reportedly could have burned through his scalp and killed him. Michael at first refused any pain killers due to his strong disapproval of any drugs. Later, he did give in to the extreme pain and accepted medication.
