Sixteen years after his tragic death, the impact of the multi-talentedMichael Jacksoncontinues to be felt through his music. Even after over a decade and a half of being gone, we continue to analyze Jackson’svariety of songs that are still relevant today, and how his first significant career controversy still led tothe transformation of music videos forever.
The singing, songwriting, producing, and dancing of the King of Pop’s prime days were so iconic, in fact, that it’s still a shock to learnhis second-best-selling album of all time(1987’sBad) almostwent winless at the 1988 Grammy Awards. This wasn’t the only interesting moment of significance that ultimately emerged around the release and reaction toBad, however.
When Jackson embarked on the BadWorld Tour in 1988, one of the biggest stops on the road occurred on July 16th, 1988, at London, England’s famed Wembley Stadium. On this night, Jackson chose to takehis highly popularBadsingle “Dirty Diana” out of the concert setlist, and for one, very specific reason.
Michael Jackson Removed “Dirty Diana” Out Of Respect For Princess Diana
The English Royal Was In The Wembley Audience That Night
“Dirty Diana” was a major hit for Jackson at the time, with overtly provocative lyrics based aroundthe idea of groupies who hang around concerts and musicians. The hard rock exterior of “Dirty Diana” was reminiscent of Jackson’s song “Beat It” from his 1982 LPThriller, and ultimately went to number one on the US charts (while also charting internationally).
When Jackson learned that British royals Princess Diana and her then-husband Prince Charles would be attending the 1988 show at Wembley that evening, he chose to remove “Dirty Diana” from the setout of his feelings of high regard for the Princess. However, when the King of Pop met Diana before the show, her response to Jackson’s choice was surprising.
Princess Diana Actually Wanted To Hear “Dirty Diana” Live
And Specifically Requested The Song
Jackson and Princess Dianahad a lengthy friendship over the yearsbefore her death in 1997 (largely over the phone), but only met once in person during this show at Wembley Stadium. Diana was reportedly a huge fan of Jackson’s work, having allegedly played some of his songs on consistent repeat before the concert.
This wasn’t out of the ordinary for the Princess of Wales, who was considered to be quite the lover of popular music. During her life, it’s been said that she developed other close friendships with musical artistslike Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and George Michael.
When Princess Diana and Jackson finally spoke in person before the massive stadium event, the singer said in an interview years later with journalist Barbara Walters that Diana pulled him asideto specifically ask if he’d be playing “Dirty Diana” that night. Jackson responded that he had decided to take the track out of the show due to her presence.
To Jackson’s surprise (and disbelief), Diana was completely fine with “Dirty Diana,” informing Jackson thatit was actually her favorite song. Despite Princess Diana’s enthusiasm for the track (telling Jackson he should play it), he claimed he wasn’t able to put “Dirty Diana” back into the setlist that night simply because it was too close to showtime at that point.
Did Jackson End Up Performing The Song Anyway?
Information On The Subject Differs On The Setlist
While Jackson said he was unable to insert “Dirty Diana” back into that night’s setlist at Wembley and claimed he didn’t play it (despite Princess Diana’s insistence that he should),the truth of the matter might be different. While the topic is still debated, audio and video footage seems to show that he, in fact, perhaps did play “Dirty Diana.”
Given how long and strenuous touring cycles like theBadWorld Tour were, this irregularity could easily be attributed to Jackson making an error simply because of how many shows and songs he played on the tour. Some have also alleged that because Jackson performed multiple nights at Wembley Stadium,the performance was from a different evening Diana didn’t attend.
Regardless of what ultimately occurred on the stage that night in 1988 at the massive stadium venue, it was this preshow moment betweenMichael Jacksonand Princess Diana that provided the most noteworthy spark. Not only did it make for a classic anecdote in music history, it also showedthat Diana had a sense of humor about her.
To further demonstrate that point, as the conversation went on between the two, Prince Charles approached to ask what they were talking about. Diana allegedly responded playfully by saying “Oh, nothing,” and walking away. Maybe that was all it tookto set their future friendship fully in stone.
