Motown's 25th year: Yesterday, Today, Forever

Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever is a 1983 television special, produced by Suzanne de Passe for Motown Records, to commemorate Motown's 25th year (Motown was founded in January 1959). The program was taped before a live audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1983, and broadcast on NBC on May 16. Among its highlights were Michael Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" (which popularized the moonwalk), Smokey Robinson's long-awaited reunion with The Miracles, a Temptations / Four Tops "battle of the bands", Marvin Gaye's inspired speech about black music history and his memorable performance of "What's Going On", a Jackson 5 reunion, and an abbreviated reunion of Diana Ross & the Supremes, who performed their final #1 hit, "Someday We'll Be Together" from 1969. The show was co-written by de Passe with Ruth Adkins Robinson who would go on to write shows with de Passe for the next 25 years, including the follow-up label tributes—through "Motown 40", Buz Kohan was the head writer.Show more

The special was the highest-viewed prime time show in the United States for the week. 9pm to 11pm; Rating: 22.8; Viewers: 33.9 million

Michael Jackson, who had recently released his worldwide best-selling album Thriller, was reunited with his brothers to perform a medley of their hits "I Want You Back", "The Love You Save", "Never Can Say Goodbye", and "I'll Be There". Jermaine was also there, finally performing with his brothers for the first time since leaving the group in 1975, and brother Randy joined the group for the medley as well (When Jermaine left the Jackson 5 for a solo career, Randy had replaced him). Michael originally turned down the opportunity to perform at the show believing he had been doing too much television at the time; but at Berry Gordy's request, Michael agreed to perform under the condition he was allotted time for a solo spot, to which Gordy agreed.

As the other members of the Jackson 5 left the stage, Michael transitioned dramatically into his own solo spot. Widely hailed as his breakthrough performance as a solo artist, he danced while singing to his own pre recorded vocals of "Billie Jean", which at the time was in the middle of a seven-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100 music charts and was the only non-Motown song performed on the show. This was also the first time he performed what would become his most famous signature move, the moonwalk.

Michael's concert performances of "Billie Jean" in the years since Motown 25 were always formatted on his performance on this special, from the opening pose with the fedora, black sequin jacket, and glove, to the moonwalk routine in the song's bridge.