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HIStory World Tour

1996–97 concert tour by Michael Jackson


1996–97 concert tour by Michael Jackson

FieldValue
concert_tour_nameHIStory World Tour
imageHIStoryTourlogo.png
image_size250px
captionPromotional image for the tour
artistMichael Jackson
arrangers{{Flatlist
location{{Flatlist
album*HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I*
*Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix* (from the show on May 31, 1997)
start_dateSeptember 7, 1996
end_dateOctober 15, 1997
number_of_legs2
number_of_shows82
attendance4,500,000
grossUS $165 million ($ million in 2024 dollars)
last_tourDangerous World Tour
(1992–1993)
this_tour**HIStory World Tour**
(1996–1997)
next_tourMJ & Friends
(1999)
  • Kenny Ortega
  • Michael Jackson
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • North America
  • Oceania Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (from the show on May 31, 1997) (1992–1993) (1996–1997) (1999)

The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts spanning the globe with stops in 57 cities, 35 countries on five continents. The tour promoted Jackson's 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The second leg also promoted the remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. The tour was attended by over 4.5 million fans and grossed over US$165 million making it the highest-grossing tour of the 1990s by a solo artist.

Overview

The tour was announced on May 29, 1996, and marked Jackson's first concert tour since the Dangerous World Tour ended in November 1993.

Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania (1996)

Jackson's debut concert for the tour, performed at Letná Park in Prague, was one of the largest single attended concerts in his career, with over 125,000 people. On October 7, he performed for the first time ever in the Arab world and Africa as a solo artist in Tunis. During the tour's stopover in Sydney, he married Debbie Rowe in a private and impromptu ceremony. He was interviewed by Molly Meldrum in Brisbane and danced with two women during "You Are Not Alone".

North America (1997)

From January 3–4, Jackson performed his only two concerts on this tour in the US, in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Aloha Stadium, to a crowd of 35,000 each; making him the first artist in history to sell out the stadium.

Europe and Africa (1997)

During the break period, Jackson worked and released his Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix album. The second leg started on May 31, at the Weserstadion in Bremen, Germany.

Jackson performed at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark on his 39th birthday with 60,000 fans. He was presented with a surprise birthday cake, marching band, and fireworks on stage after "You Are Not Alone". The concert at Hippodrome Wellington of Ostend, Belgium, was originally scheduled for August 31, but was postponed to September 3 following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Latin America cancellations (1997–98)

There were some initial plans to take the tour, in February 1997, to such Brazilian cities as São Paulo, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília; but these plans were suspended due to promotional issues. Jackson tried to visit Brazil again in February 1998, as well as Argentina, but these too were scrapped so that he could work on MJ & Friends.

Recordings

Throughout the tour, many concerts were professionally filmed by Nocturne Productions, but none were ever officially released worldwide. One of the Seoul dates was also recorded and released exclusively in South Korea under the title 마이클 잭슨 내한공연 (Michael Jackson HIStory Tour In Seoul). The two concerts in Munich, Germany, were recorded and later broadcast by many television channels.

Set list

;1996–1997 set list

  1. "Great Gates of Kiev" (introduction)
  2. "Scream" / "They Don't Care About Us" / "In the Closet" (contains excerpts of "HIStory", "Great Gates of Kiev" and "She Drives Me Wild")
  3. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
  4. "Stranger in Moscow"
  5. "Smooth Criminal" (contains elements of "Childhood")
  6. "The Wind" (video interlude)
  7. "You Are Not Alone"
  8. "The Way You Make Me Feel" (September 7, 1996 – June 15, 1997)
  9. The Jackson 5 Medley: "I Want You Back" / "The Love You Save" / "I'll Be There"
  10. Off the Wall Medley: "Rock with You" / "Off the Wall" / "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (select 1996 and 1997 dates)
  11. "Remember the Time" (video interlude)
  12. "Billie Jean"
  13. "Thriller"
  14. "Beat It"
  15. "Come Together" / "D.S." (select 1996 dates) / "Blood on the Dance Floor" (select 1997 dates)
  16. "Black Panther" (video interlude)
  17. "Dangerous" (contains elements from "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes, Ennio Morricone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Theme", "Smooth Criminal", Janet Jackson's "You Want This" and "Interlude: Let's Dance", Judy Garland's "Get Happy", Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme", and a guitar intro from Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill")
  18. "Black or White"
  19. "Earth Song"
  20. "We Are the World" (video interlude)
  21. "Heal the World"
  22. "HIStory" (with instrumental of "They Don't Care About Us" as a curtain call and contains elements from "Great Gates of Kiev")

Alterations

  • Songs originally considered for the first leg of the tour included "Man in the Mirror", "She's Out of My Life", "Jam", "Childhood", "Will You Be There", "Dirty Diana", "State of Shock" and "2 Bad". "Morphine" was also rehearsed twice for the 1997 leg but was also removed.
  • The medley of "Come Together" and "D.S." was removed after the Adelaide concert on November 26, 1996. "Blood on the Dance Floor" replaced them for most of the 1997 leg before being removed after August 19. Prior to this, it was omitted from the Vienna concert on July 2.
  • "Rock with You", "Off the Wall" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" were performed on select dates, before being permanently removed from the set list after June 13, 1997.
  • "The Way You Make Me Feel" was performed on select dates until after June 15, 1997.
  • Starting on September 3, 1997, the instrumental of "Gates of Kiev" was replaced with "Smile", in memory of Princess Diana.
  • On August 22, 1997, "Ben" was played at the beginning of the Tallinn concert.

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceSeptember 7, 1996September 10, 1996September 14, 1996September 17, 1996September 20, 1996September 24, 1996September 28, 1996September 30, 1996October 2, 1996October 7, 1996October 11, 1996October 13, 1996October 18, 1996October 20, 1996October 22, 1996October 25, 1996October 27, 1996October 29, 1996November 1, 1996November 5, 1996November 9, 1996November 11, 1996November 14, 1996November 16, 1996November 19, 1996November 22, 1996November 24, 1996November 26, 1996November 30, 1996December 2, 1996December 4, 1996December 8, 1996December 10, 1996December 13, 1996December 15, 1996December 17, 1996December 20, 1996December 26, 1996December 28, 1996December 31, 1996
PragueCzech RepublicLetná Park125,000 / 125,000
BudapestHungaryNépstadion50,000 / 50,000
BucharestRomaniaStadionul Național70,000 / 70,000
MoscowRussiaDynamo Stadium50,000 / 50,000
WarsawPolandLotnisko Bemowo120,000 / 120,000
ZaragozaSpainEstadio La Romareda45,000 / 45,000
AmsterdamNetherlandsAmsterdam Arena250,000 / 250,000
TunisTunisiaEl Menzah Stadium60,000 / 60,000
SeoulSouth KoreaOlympic Stadium100,000 / 100,000
TaipeiTaiwanZhongshan Soccer Stadium80,000 / 80,000
KaohsiungChungcheng Stadium30,000 / 30,000
TaipeiZhongshan Soccer Stadium
SingaporeNational Stadium26,000 / 35,000
Kuala LumpurMalaysiaStadium Merdeka80,000 / 80,000
MumbaiIndiaAndheri Sports Complex70,000 / 70,000
BangkokThailandImpact Lake Front Concert Grounds40,000 / 40,000
AucklandNew ZealandEricsson Stadium86,000 / 86,000
SydneyAustraliaSydney Cricket Ground86,000 / 86,000
BrisbaneANZ Stadium40,000 / 40,000
MelbourneMelbourne Cricket Ground130,000 / 130,000
AdelaideAdelaide Oval30,000 / 30,000
PerthBurswood Dome60,000 / 60,000
ManilaPhilippinesAsia World City Concert Grounds110,000 / 110,000
TokyoJapanTokyo Dome180,000 / 180,000
FukuokaFukuoka Dome80,000 / 80,000
Bandar Seri BegawanBruneiJerudong Park Amphitheater40,000 / 60,000+
DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceJanuary 3, 1997January 4, 1997May 31, 1997June 3, 1997June 6, 1997June 8, 1997June 10, 1997June 13, 1997June 15, 1997June 18, 1997June 20, 1997June 22, 1997June 25, 1997June 27, 1997June 29, 1997July 2, 1997July 4, 1997July 6, 1997July 9, 1997July 12, 1997July 15, 1997July 17, 1997July 19, 1997July 25, 1997July 27, 1997August 1, 1997August 3, 1997August 10, 1997August 14, 1997August 16, 1997August 19, 1997August 22, 1997August 24, 1997August 26, 1997August 29, 1997September 3, 1997September 6, 1997October 4, 1997October 6, 1997October 10, 1997October 12, 1997October 15, 1997Total4,520,158 / 4,600,000
(98%)
HonoluluUnited StatesAloha Stadium70,000 / 70,000
BremenGermanyWeserstadion85,000 / 85,000
CologneMüngersdorfer Stadion60,000 / 60,000
BremenWeserstadion—{{efnname=Bremen}}
AmsterdamNetherlandsAmsterdam Arena
KielGermanyNordmarksportfeld55,000 / 55,000
GelsenkirchenParkstadion50,000 / 50,000
MilanItalySan Siro65,000 / 65,000
LausanneSwitzerlandStade olympique de la Pontaise35,000 / 35,000
BettembourgLuxembourgKrakelshaff45,000 / 45,000
LyonFranceStade de Gerland25,000 / 25,000
ParisParc des Princes95,000 / 100,000
ViennaAustriaErnst-Happel-Stadion50,000 / 50,000
MunichGermanyOlympiastadion150,000 / 150,000
SheffieldEnglandDon Valley Stadium43,031 / 48,000
LondonWembley Stadium212,601 / 216,000
DublinIrelandRDS Arenaurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=_gkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14title=Billboarddate=August 30, 1997 }}
BaselSwitzerlandSt. Jakob Stadium50,000 / 50,000
NiceFranceStade Charles-Ehrmann30,003 / 36,260
BerlinGermanyOlympiastadion78,187 / 78,187
LeipzigFestwiese54,483 / 55,000
HockenheimHockenheimring85,000 / 85,000
CopenhagenDenmarkParken Stadium47,402 / 47,402
GothenburgSwedenUllevi50,000 / 50,000
OsloNorwayValle Hovinurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA112title=Billboarddate=September 13, 1997 }}
TallinnEstoniaTallinn Song Festival Grounds75,000 / 75,000
HelsinkiFinlandHelsinki Olympic Stadium91,106 / 96,000
CopenhagenDenmarkParken Stadium50,161 / 50,161
OstendBelgiumHippodrome Wellington55,000 / 60,000
ValladolidSpainEstadio José Zorrilla20,000 / 26,000
Cape TownSouth AfricaGreen Point Stadium70,000 / 70,000
JohannesburgJohannesburg Stadium106,495 / 108,000
DurbanKings Park Stadium50,000 / 50,000

Personnel

Lead performer

  • Vocals, dance, choreographer: Michael Jackson

Dancers

1996 leg

  • LaVelle Smith
  • Cris Judd
  • Travis Payne
  • Damon Navandi
  • Courtney Miller
  • Jason Yribar
  • Anthony Talauega
  • Richmond Talauega
  • Shawnette Heard
  • Lori Werner

1997 leg

  • LaVelle Smith
  • Cris Judd
  • Anthony Talauega
  • Richmond Talauega
  • Stacy Walker
  • Faune Chambers

Band members

  • Musical director: Brad Buxer
  • Assistant musical director: Kevin Dorsey
  • Keyboards: Isaiah Sanders, Brad Buxer
  • Drums: Jonathan Moffett
  • Guitars: Jennifer Batten, Greg Howe (1996 leg – replaced Jennifer Batten in Amsterdam (October 2), Tunis and Seoul), David Williams
  • Bass: Freddie Washington

Vocals

  • Vocal director: Kevin Dorsey
  • Vocals: Kevin Dorsey, Dorian Holley, Marva Hicks (1996–1997 leg), Darryl Phinnessee (1996 leg), Fred White (1997 leg)

Credits

  • Executive director: MJJ Productions
  • Artistic director: Michael Jackson
  • Assistant director: Peggy Holmes
  • Choreographed by: Michael Jackson & LaVelle Smith
  • Staged & designed by: Kenny Ortega
  • Set designed by: Michael Cotton & John McGraw
  • Lighting designer: Peter Morse
  • Security 1996: Darrell Featherstone
  • Security 1997: Bill Bray
  • Costumes designed by: Dennis Tompkins & Michael Bush
  • Hair & make-up: Karen Faye and Tommy Sims
  • Stylist: Tommy Sims
  • Tour producer and personal manager: Tarak Ben Ammar
  • Personal management: Gallin Morey Associates
  • Music video directors: Steve Barron, Joe Pytka, John Landis, Bruce Gowers, Martin Scorsese, Bob Giraldi, John Singleton and Nick Saxton
  • Kingdom Entertainment

Notes

References

;Bibliography

References

  1. Grant, p. 188
  2. Brooks, p. 81
  3. Grant, p. 202
  4. (May 30, 1996). "Will Jackson's tour make HIStory?". The Boston Globe.
  5. Thomas, Devon. (June 30, 2010). "Michael Jackson Statue Plans Draw Protests by Czechs". [[CBS News]].
  6. (October 7, 2013). "Lundi 7 Octobre, Michael Jackson en terre tunisienne".
  7. (2009-06-25). "Jackson was king at two Aloha Stadium concerts in 1997".
  8. (1997). "마이클 잭슨 내한공연". Sony Music.
  9. Grant, Adrian. (2009). "Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary". [[Music Sales Group.
  10. Taraborrelli, J. Randy. (2004). "The Magic and the Madness". [[Headline Publishing Group.
  11. (November 5, 1997). "HIStory World Tour: Live in Seoul". Saerom Entertainment.
  12. (August 23, 1997). "Billboard".
  13. (August 30, 1997). "Billboard".
  14. (September 13, 1997). "Billboard".
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