Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” Moonwalk Shatters Stereotypes at Motown 25, Prompting Personal Call from Fred Astaire

During Motown’s 25th Anniversary concert, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” Moonwalk was so earth-shattering that Fred Astaire watched it repeatedly before calling.

In the early 1980s, despite achieving significant success as a solo artist, Michael Jackson remained under immense pressure to definitively escape the shadow of his former group, The Jackson 5. Critics and the broader public continued to harbor skepticism, questioning whether he was truly capable of standing alone as a distinct, world-class superstar, or if he would forever be remembered merely as “Jackson’s frontman Michael.”

The opportunity for a definitive statement arrived at the Motown 25th Anniversary: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert in 1983. Michael refused to simply revisit old Jackson 5 material with his brothers. Instead, he walked onto the stage alone, clad in his signature fedora and diamond-studded white armbands, ready to perform “Billie Jean.” In those four electric minutes, he introduced the world to the Moonwalk for the very first time.

It was far more than a dance routine; it was a potent artistic statement that instantly established him as an independent force, operating on a level far beyond the confines of his former group.

The earth-shattering impact of the performance resonated immediately. The next morning, Fred Astaire—the undisputed greatest dance legend in American history—called Michael Jackson directly. Astaire’s praise was definitive: “You are a fierce dancer. I am like you. I watched that performance over and over again. You put fantasy into your hand.” That personal call from Astaire served as a symbolic transfer of power, officially ushering in the reign of the new King of Pop.