Victory Tour

The Victory Tour was the biggest and final concert tour of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 by The Jacksons. Beginning July 6, 1984, and ending on December 9 of that year, the tour included 55 concerts to an audience of approximately 2 million. It was named after the newly released Jacksons' album Victory although none of the album's songs appear on the tour's set list

Set list

A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...

 (Marlon

Marlon Jackson

Marlon David Jackson is an American entertainer singer, dancer, former member of The Jackson 5, and elder brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Personal life:...

 confirmed it was because Michael

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

 refused to rehearse or perform them). The tour reportedly grossed approximately $75 million and set a new record for the then-largest grossing tour. The 1984 Victory Tour showcased Michael's single decorated glove, black sequined jacket and moonwalk, which captivated audiences around the world early in 1983, just about a year prior.

Following a controversy with the way tickets were purchased, lead-singer Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

 donated his proceeds (approx. $5 million) from the tour to three charities, including the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research, The United Negro College Fund

United Negro College Fund

The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...

, and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times.

Ticket controversy and other business issues

The original tour promoter was a novice, Chuck Sullivan, the son of New England Patriots owner, Billy Sullivan. Regardless, the tour sold what was then a record number of tickets at $30/seat (which was viewed as extraordinarily high price at the time.) But, the promotion side of the business was plagued by problems. Nonetheless, the Jacksons themselves ended up making very good money based on excellent ticket sales and the financial deal they struck with Sullivan. The Jacksons netted approximately $36 million. Despite the ticket demand and success, Sullivan however lost millions, and at one point Sullivan stopped payment on a $1.9 million check to the band. The original itinerary included 40 dates. Based on the ticket demand, the tour was expanded to 55 days, all in major stadiums, except for two nights at Madison Sq. Gardens. The tour losses sustained by Sullivan, coupled with a huge advance paid to Michael Jackson for his non-tour merchandising rights, ultimately compromised the operation of the Patriots, forcing the Sullivan family to sell the football team by 1988.

The logistics of ticket sales were especially problematic. The original procedure was that fans had to buy the tickets in blocks of four (at a cost of $30 per ticket), with a limit of one block of four per address. In addition, tickets had to be paid for using a US Post Office

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 money order, using the original application form found in participating newspapers; copies of the forms were not allowed. Because of these requirements, some post offices had run out of money orders, and some enterprising entrepreneurs bought extra copies of newspapers with an application form, for cities that don't have a participating newspaper. Some fans went out at dawn and stole newspapers off neighbors' lawns to get the forms.

On July 5, 1984, after receiving a letter from eleven-year-old fan Ladonna Jones, in which she accuses the Jacksons and the promoters of being 'selfish and just out for money,' Michael held a press conference to announce changes in the tour's organization and also to announce that his share of the proceeds from the tour would be donated to charity. Jones later received VIP treatment at the concert in Dallas, Texas. The following is Michael's speech at a press conference on July 5, 1984, the day before the tour began:

"We're beginning our tour tomorrow and I wanted to talk to you about something of great concern to me. We've worked a long time to make this show the best it can be. But we know a lot of kids are having trouble getting tickets. The other day I got a letter from a girl in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 named Ladonna Jones. She'd been saving her money from odd jobs to buy a ticket, but with the current tour system, she'd have to buy four tickets and she couldn't afford that. So, I've asked our promoter to work out a new way of distributing tickets, a way that no longer requires a $120.00 money order. There has also been a lot of talk about the promoter holding money for tickets that didn't sell. I've asked our promoter to end the mail order ticket system as soon as possible so that no one will pay money unless they get a ticket. Finally, and most importantly, there's something else I am going to announce today. I want you to know that when I first agreed to tour, I decided to donate all the money I make from our performances to charity."

After, the procedures were modified, but all sales continued to be made by mail (except for the six final shows at Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...

, where tickets were also sold through Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...

.) Tickets were typically made available only a week to ten days in advance, and many tickets ended up in the hands of ticket brokers.

Personnel

Aside from a few months in mid-1975, the Victory Tour era marked the only time that all six Jackson brothers worked together at the same time as a band. Jackie Jackson

Jackie Jackson

Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson is an American singer and musician, a member of The Jackson 5, and the second child in the Jackson family.-Life and career:...

 missed most of the tour because of a leg injury. That injury was described at the time as a knee injury incurred during strenuous rehearsals. Margaret Maldonado (the mother of two of Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...

's children) has alleged that Jackie in fact broke his leg in an automobile accident: his first wife Enid ran him over in a parking lot after catching him with another woman. In any case, Jackie made a speedy recovery and was able to rejoin his brothers on stage for the last portion of the tour.

Michael sang all the lead vocals, except for a medley of Jermaine's solo hits.

Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen

Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

 made at least one special guest appearance, doing the "Beat It

Beat It

"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his...

" guitar solo.

At the final concert in Los Angeles, California, Michael announced that the tour was the Jacksons' last and final tour.

Shortly after the tour ended, Michael returned to his solo career and Marlon left the group to start his own solo career without The Jacksons.

Set list

The set list included songs from the Jacksons albums Destiny and Triumph

Triumph (The Jacksons album)

Triumph was the thirteenth album by The Jacksons, released in 1980 on Epic Records.-Reception:It was certified platinum in the U.S. and peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200. The Triumph album sold three million copies in its original run...

. Despite the name of the tour, the Victory album was not represented. There were also songs on the list from Jermaine's and Michael's solo careers. Songs from Michael's albums Off the Wall

Off the Wall (album)

Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to...

and Thriller

Thriller (album)

Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...

were both represented. The set list did not include "Thriller

Thriller (song)

"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...

" itself because Michael did not like the way the song sounded live.

Jermaine sometimes performed the song "Dynamite" during his solo medley in place of the usual "You Like Me Don't You."

• Three concerts, although not in high quality, have leaked: The second one in Kansas City, one in Dallas, with Eddie Van Halen, and one in New York. Also, some performances in Chicago and Los Angeles, like "Shake your Body" and "Human Nature," have leaked. An MTV airing of "Billie Jean" has also leaked.

Tour dates

Date	City	Country	Venue	Attendance
July 6, 1984	Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....	45,000
July 7, 1984				45,000
July 8, 1984				45,000
July 13, 1984	Dallas		Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...	40,000
July 14, 1984				40,000
July 15, 1984				40,000
July 21, 1984	Jacksonville		Gator Bowl Stadium Gator Bowl Stadium Gator Bowl was an American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally built in 1927, it was radically reconstructed in 1994 in preparation for the Jacksonville Jaguars inaugural season and became Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, now EverBank Field. It is most notable for hosting the Gator...	45,000
July 22, 1984				45,000
July 23, 1984				45,000
July 29, 1984	East Rutherford East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....		Giants Stadium Giants Stadium Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...	55,000
July 30, 1984				55,000
July 31, 1984				55,000
August 4, 1984	New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...		Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...	17,000
August 5, 1984				17,000
August 7, 1984	Knoxville Knoxville, Tennessee Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...		Neyland Stadium Neyland Stadium Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games. The stadium's official capacity is 102,455...	68,783
August 8, 1984				68,783
August 9, 1984				68,783
August 17, 1984	Pontiac Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...		Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac Silverdome The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...	50,000
August 18, 1984				50,000
August 19, 1984				50,000
August 25, 1984	Buffalo		Rich Stadium	47,000
August 26, 1984				47,000
September 1, 1984	Philadelphia		JFK Stadium	80,000
September 2, 1984				80,000
September 7, 1984	Denver		Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the...	52,000
September 8, 1984				52,000
September 17, 1984	Montreal	Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Montreal) The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...	40,000
September 18, 1984				40,000
September 21, 1984	Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....	United States	RFK Stadium	45,000
September 22, 1984				45,000
September 28, 1984	Philadelphia		JFK Stadium	65,000
September 29, 1984				65,000
October 5, 1984	Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...	Canada	Canadian National Exhibition Stadium	40,000
October 6, 1984				40,000
October 7, 1984				40,000
October 12, 1984	Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	United States	Comiskey Park Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...	45,000
October 13, 1984				45,000
October 14, 1984				45,000
October 19, 1984	Cleveland		Municipal Stadium Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...	68,000
October 20, 1984				68,000
October 29, 1984	Atlanta		Fulton County Stadium	35,000
October 30, 1984				35,000
November 2, 1984	Miami		Orange Bowl Miami Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...	68,000
November 3, 1984				68,000
November 9, 1984	Houston		Astrodome	40,000
November 10, 1984				40,000
November 16, 1984	Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...	Canada	BC Place Stadium BC Place Stadium BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...	42,000
November 17, 1984				42,000
November 18, 1984				42,000
November 30, 1984	Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...	United States	Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...	55,000
December 1, 1984				55,000
December 2, 1984				55,000
December 7, 1984				55,000
December 8, 1984				55,000
December 9, 1984				55,000

Performers

Lead Performers

• Randy Jackson: vocals, assorted percussion
• Jermaine Jackson: vocals, bass
• Tito Jackson: vocals, guitar
• Michael Jackson: vocals
• Marlon Jackson: vocals, percussion
• Jackie Jackson: vocals, percussion (First performance in the Quebec concerts)
• Keyboards: Rory Kaplan, Pat Leonard
  Patrick Leonard
  Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
  
   & Jai Winding

Credits

• Tour Coordinator and Co-Producer with the Jacksons: Larry Larson
• Assistant Coordinator: Marla Winston
• Production Manager: Peyton Wilson
• Assistant Production Managers: Gary Bouchard & Debbie Lyons
• Stage Manager: Mike Hirsh
• Assistant Stage Manager: Pee Wee Jackson
• Production Consultant: Ken Graham
• Site Coordinators: John "Bugzee" Hougdahl, Jose Ward
• Stage Construction and Engineering: Plainview, Inc. - John McGraw
• Robotic Lighting: Design - Michael Jackson
• Eidophor Video Projection: M.B. Productions, Inc.
• Design Execution & Manufacturing: Applied Entertainment Systems
• Lighting Company: TASCO
• Site Coordinators : Bugzee Hougdahl & Jose Ward
• Sound Company: Clair Brothers Audio
• House Mixers: M.L. Procise & Mike Stahl
• Laser Effects: Showlasers, Inc., Dallas, Texas
• Musicians Costumes Design: Enid Jackson
• Magical Illusions: Franz Harary
• Video Director: Sandy Fullerton
• Jackson Crew Sportswear: Nike
  Nike, Inc.
  Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
  
  
• Community Affairs: Harold Preston
• Consultant to Community Affairs: Cynthia Wilson