In the year 1979, a young and talented drummer named Jonathan Moffett met none other than James McFieldthe musical director of the group The Jacksonsoriginally known as The Jackson 5 By then, the band was in search of a drummer, and although auditions had officially ended, McField managed to get the band of brothers Tito, Marlon, Michael, Jackie and Jermaine Jackson, a chance to hear the drummer.
Thanks to his unique ability, Moffett landed the job, something he called “a true miracle” given the circumstances. What he didn’t know was that years later, one of those “five Jacksons” would become the biggest pop star of all time. Jonathan also had no idea that the extraordinary and unrepeatable story of Michael Jackson would be written with the help of his fanfare.
Since his live appearances with the Jacksons, Moffett has earned the respect and admiration of the entire music community. Michael himself ended up naming him “Sugarfoot” thanks to his particular way of hitting the bass drum, which he also developed self-taught.
It wasn’t long before several artists were fighting over having Jonathan crashing the cymbals at their concerts, including the likes of Elton John and Madonna.
In an interview with Infobae, Jonathan shared the respect and admiration he has for these two music legends, especially with the tours they recently did and which broke several records.
“It is impressive to see how they maintain their passion and energy in each performance, ultimately They are artists who are legendary and having collaborated with both of them made me a better human being and musician.”, Jonathan said in an interview about the work of the “Material Girl” and the “Rocket Man”.
However, among all the artists who wanted to collaborate with the drummer, Michael Jackson stood out. As part of The Jacksons, Michael and Jonathan collaborated on the Destiny, Triumph and Victory tourswhere in addition to performing the group’s hits, Michael also took the opportunity to present to the audience his first solo hits, such as Off The Wall, Rock With You and Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.
Without the company of his brothers, Michael would begin an artistic career with unprecedented success, becoming a kind of religious idol for the masses. Whether it was an effort to move away from the image of him with the Jackson 5 or Moffett’s various commitments to other artists, Michael chose to join his ranks with drummer Ricky Lawson during the Bad Tour and the Dangerous Tour.
However, the synergy between Jackson and Moffett could not be compared even to Lawson’s impeccable work, so for their next tour, the acclaimed History World TourMoffett would take the drumsticks again at all of the King of Pop’s shows.
What was it that made Jonathan commit himself professionally to Michael for so many years? The answer is simple: there was no one like the King of Pop.
“Working with Michael Jackson was an unparalleled experience due to his unwavering dedication to perfection and his artistic vision. Michael had a unique ability to connect with his audience and a work ethic that was truly inspiring. Michael is and will always be unique, there will hardly be anyone like him.”.
Few things could be more rewarding than working with the man who was then the greatest living artist on the planet; but it was also a great challenge. As is well known, Michael Jackson was not only talented, he was an artist who was extremely attentive to detail; a situation that even ended up making him ill.
And in the process, this obsession with every element of the set being in its place led to friction with Moffett himself, but at the end of the day, it also resulted in shows that were as extraordinary as they were historic.
“Michael’s perfectionism could be challenging, but it was also one of the reasons his shows were so exceptional”“His attention to detail pushed us all to do our best work,” Moffett recalls of his near-lifelong collaborator. “There were moments of tension, as in any creative environment, but the end result was always worth it.”
The challenge of working with the King of Pop was not limited to impeccable staging, but also to the difficulty of translating his musical catalogue into a live show. Die-hard Jackson fans will know that Michael’s songs, from the first album to its final production, are full of percussion elements that fill his songs with a particular atmosphere.
Being an artist coming from the funk background, Michael combined drums with synthesizers, drum machines and even beatbox to create a distinctive sound. Moffett was aware of this, and as he admits, it was challenging to work with Michael Jackson; but among his entire catalog, one song stands out as the one that made the veteran drummer suffer the most.
“Smooth Criminal It is one of the most challenging songs due to its fast pace and the precision required. The complexity and energy of the song makes it a real challenge to maintain consistency with each performance,” stated Jonathan, although pieces such as I Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and The Way You Make Me Feel They also came up when mentioning Michael’s most difficult repertoire to play on drums.
But without a doubt, there is one piece that will forever remain in Moffett’s heart: Billie JeanThe musician remembers playing this piece for the first time in front of an elated crowd as the moment he realized what it meant to be part of the phenomenon called Michael Jackson.
“One of my favorite moments (as a musician) was the first time I played Billie Jean Live with Michael. The reaction of the audience, the energy on stage and the connection I felt in that moment were indescribable. It is a memory that will always be with me, without a doubt the History World Tour will always be in my heart.”
That first show of the History World Tour, held in the Czech capital on September 7, 1996, would be the first of many occasions in which Jonathan would handle the percussion at Michael Jackson’s concerts.
Various circumstances, both professional and personal, prevented the King of Pop from touring for more than a decade, but finally, in March 2009, Michael Jackson gave a press conference in London to announce his last series of shows in London (which was speculated could extend to the rest of the world), and of course, it would feature Moffett on drums.
This Is It was a small tour with which Michael Jackson would say goodbye to the stage, announced to begin in July of that year. For three months, the King of Pop prepared intensively to give a show that would meet all the expectations surrounding the great event.
Unfortunately, due to the physical and psychological demands of This Is It, Michael’s health declined considerably, and on June 25, 2009, the news of his death was announced.leaving a void in the entertainment industry that no one was able to fill.
“Michael’s death was a devastating blow. Personally, it was a profound loss as he was not only a collaborator but also a friend. Professionally, it made me reflect on my career and the incredible opportunity I had to work with the greatest artist of all time. It also motivated me to continue his legacy and share my experience with new generations of musicians,” said Jonathan about how his life changed after the death of the King of Pop.
Moffett even remembered the last time he was able to get close to Michael; this during rehearsals for This Is It.
“I will always be eternally grateful to him since days before he left I told him ‘Michael, thank you for having me here, I hope you continue to like my work.’ His response was: ‘Of course I like your work! That’s why you’re here.’ “It was the last time I was able to hug him.”
Despite Michael’s painful end, Moffett continues to honor his legacy through videos, clinics and all kinds of content where he can share with new generations the music he performed with the artist who revolutionized the industry. In fact, Jonathan has planned a tour of Latin America where he will review his long musical repertoire, not only with Michael, but with the many international artists he has worked with.
“I am very excited about the tour in Latin America. We have prepared a show full of energy and tributes to some of the most iconic songs of my career. There will be special collaborations and unique moments that I hope the public enjoys as much as I do. Additionally, I am eager to connect with Latin American fans and share with them this incredible musical experience,” said Jonathan of this unique experience of which more details will be revealed later.
