'HIStory' World Tour Records

.: Michael Jackson's 'HIStory' World Tour is the biggest world tour any performer had ever done!


'HIStory' World Tour Performers

Performers / Singers:

Kevin Dorsey
Vocal Director and Asst. Musical Director [Worked on Bad, Dangerous & HIStory Tours]

- Signed Artist/writer deal with Quincy Jones and Qwest Records.
- Performed with, arranged and produced for artists such as Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston.
- Film work (performing and arranging music and/or vocals) includes: Forest Gump, Lion King, Appollo 13, Out Of Africa, The Colour Purple, Power Of One, Ghost Busters Part II, When Harry Met Sally...
- Assistant Musical Director on 1993 "Dangerous" World Tour.
- Started working with The Jacksons on the "Victory" tour in 1984, and has been working with Michael Jackson ever since.

Dorian Holley
Vocalist [Bad, Dangerous and HIStory Tours]

- Recorded with Puff Johnson, Lionel Ritchie, Gladys Knight, Nona Hendryx, Aaron Neville, Johnny Carson, Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Dolby, Jellybean, Robert Townsend, K.T Oslinm, Jay Leno, Dolly Parton, Michael Bolton, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder.
- Composed film, TV and radio jingles.
- Toured with Rod Stewart, James Taylor.
- Composed and produced for S.H.E, new artist on the Shaquille O'Neal label.

Fred White
Vocalist [HIStory Tour]

- Live performances: Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Stephanie Mills,
Toto, Vesta, Bonnie Raitt, Michael McDonald, George Michael, Tramaine Hawkins, Patti Austin, Babyface, Stevie Wonder.
- Videos: Bonnie Raitt "Nick Of Time", Phil Collins "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven",
"Hang In Long Enough" Concert in Berlin.
- Recordings: Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Al Jarreau, Johnny Mathis, Gerald Albright, Jasmine Guy, Randy Travis, Patti Labelle.

Marva Hicks
Vocalist [HIStory Tour]

- Singer and actress.
- World Tour with Stevie Wonder as background vocalist and featured singer.
- Recorded album on Polygram, with one top ten hit
"Never Been In Love Before".
- TV appearances inlude LA Law, Star Trek, Alien Nation,
The Bold & The Beautiful.

Performers / Bandcrew:

Brad Buxer
Musical Director/Keyboards [Dangerous & HIStory Tours]

- Arranger for Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, David Hasselhoff, Yoshiki, Teena Marie.
- Member of Stevie Wonder's band since 1985.
- Member of Michael Jackson's band since 1992.
- Producer and musical director for Superbowl 27's Halftime show featuring Michael Jackson, as well as for Superbowl 30 featuring Diana Ross.
- Recorded "Blood On The Dance Floor", "Stranger In Moscow", "They Don't Care About Us", "Black Or White", "Heal The World" with Michael Jackson.
- Musical director and arranger for soundtrack to "Ghosts" film.

Jennifer Batten
Guitar [Bad, Dangerous & HIStory Tours]

- Video credits include Natalie Cole's "Wild Women Do", Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker", Sara Hickman's "Take It Like A Man".
- 1987 "Bad" Tour with Michael Jackson's band touring the world for years playing to over 4.4 million people.
- 1992 joined Michael Jackson again for his "Dangerous" Tour.
- Played with Michael Jackson in the Superbowl 27's Halftime entertainment to 1.5 billion people in 80 nations around the world - the largest television audience in history.
- Solo albums: "Above, Below And Beyond", then recorded an album with blues rock band The Immigrants produced by Michael Sembello. Toured with The Immigrants. Latest solo album: "Tribal Rage"
1996 joined Michael Jackson again for his "HIStory" Tour.

David Williams
Guitar [Dangerous & HIStory Tours]

- Back up band with The Temptations.
- Performed on "Off The Wall", "Thriller", "Triumph", "Victory",
"Bad" and "Dangerous", and on Bryan Ferry's "Mamouna" Tour.
- Performed in the 1993 Superbowl with Michael Jackson.
- Co-ordinated musicians for Madonna's 1990
"Blond Ambition" Tour.
- Wrote and/or produced cuts for Earth, Wind & Fire,
The Jacksons, George Howard, Boz Scaggs, Michelle Gayle.
- Recorded with Bryan Ferry on "Baton Noir", "Taxi",
"Mamouna", plus album and new single for "All For One".

Isaiah Sanders
Keyboards [HIStory Tour]

- Pianist, composer and arranger.
- Toured with The Emotions.
- Long term member of Stevie Wonder band, recording six platinum albums with him.
- In 1993 he began touring with Michael Jackson on "Dangerous" World Tour.
- Recorded with artists such as Dionne Warwick, Jermaine Jackson.
- House band musician to Coolio, Jon Secada, Bob Dylan, D'Angelo, Zane and Eternal.
- Written various TV commercials.

Freddie Washington
Bass Guitar [HIStory Tour]

- Lists of credits include Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie & Kenny Loggins.
- Platinum Album awarded for his song "Someone For Me" recorded by Whitney Houston.
- Gold Album Award for the song "Forget-Me-Nots" as featured in Tom Hanks film "Big" and "Better Late Than Never" and featured in Eddie Murphy's "Coming To America".

Jonathan Moffett
Drums [HIStory Tour]

- Toured with The Jackson Family in 1979.
- From 1979-1990 he has performed in concert on 16 major tours including the world famous Jacksons "Victory" Tour.
- Has also toured with Patti Austin, Cameo, Lionel Richie, Madonna, Jermaine Jackson, Elton John, George Michael and Janet Jackson.

Tour Photographer: John K. Isaac
Show Conceived & Created by: Kenny Ortega and Michael Jackson
Artistic Director: Michael Jackson
'HIStory' Tour Choreographed by: Michael Jackson and LaVelle Smith

Creation Of The 'HIStory' World Tour 1996-1997

Show Conceived & Created by: Kenny Ortega and Michael Jackson
Artistic Director: Michael Jackson
"HIStory" Tour Choreographed by: Michael Jackson and LaVelle Smith
Choreography For "Dangerous" & "They Don't Care About Us": Travis Payne and Michael Jackson
Staged & Directed by: Kenny Ortega and Michael Jackson
Assistant Director: Peggy Holmes
Set Designed by: Michael Cotton and John McGraw
Lighting Designer: Peter Morse

Peter Morse, the lighting designer who has worked with Madonna
and Janet Jackson among others, fine tuned the show for several weeks with Michael Jackson.
"Michael wanted a theatrical look to this show, while maintaining
the technology of the 90's, so the lighting is made up of the latest
in technological advancements but the lights hang in a traditionally theatrical way. The lighting is designed specifically to give a very white light. Most theatrical lighting is warm or yellowish by comparison, on this set the light is 'daylight level' or
5600 degrees kelvin."

Costumes Desgined by: Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush
Stylist: Tommy Simms
Artist Manager: Tarak Ben Amar

Technical Facts

.: There are 160 people working on the Michael Jackson "HIStory" World Tour. In every city another 200 professional stage hands and 200 security officers are hired locally.

.: The logistics for such a huge show require an almost military-style organisation! In any given week, three different stages are either up, going up or coming down. Moving the custom designed steel and scaffolding requires 7 trucks per stage each weighing 200 tons which takes 3 days to build, 24 hour to set up the elements of the show [backline, lights, sound, band gear, pyro, video] and 24 hours to de-rig. Once built, the set weighs 550 tons. A further 22 trucks carry the backline, sound, lights, rigging, video, pyrotechnics and band gear. That's a total of 43 trucks carrying 1200 tons of equipment!

.: There are 14 people working the lights who are controlling about 1000 fixtures and assorted equipment under the direction of Michael Keller, the lighting director. The whole system uses about 35 kilometres of cable and weighs 3200kg. It takes 5 trucks to transport all the equipment, and load in of the lighting system takes about 8 hours the day before the show, with all fixtures getting individually focused after dark.

.: The sound system, designed by Clair Bros Audio, consists of 150 S-4 cabinets totalling 400 000 watts of power and weighing 30 tons. There are also 50 sub low cabinets specially designed to create a sensoround effect. The sound engineer, Trip Khalaf has worked with Madonna, Steely Dan and Queen.

.: The stage was built by UK based Edwin Shirley Staging, who transmitted by computer graphics back to England any changes and modifications needed for construction of the stages during the rehearsals held in L.A.

.: Pyrotechnics are an important element of the show, 4 people handle over 500 shots a night, the noise effects are comparable to a TNT explosion bringing down a 3 storey building. For Pyritz, the company who have worked on every Michael Jackson tour, safety is of prime concern, and their safety record proves it. The stage may well look like it's totally destroyed, but no damage actually occurs.

.: Michael Jackson travels with his own television studio provided by Nocturne Productions. 4 broadcast cameras capture Michael's every move on stage transmitting them to 2 large Jumbotron screens flanking the stage on either side. Directed by Paul Becher, the screens enable the audience to see every detail of what's happening on the stage no matter where they are sitting. The video portion of the show include a computer generated opening specially made for each city, while certain scenic elements are played back on a moving Jumbotron over the stage.

.: When asked what satisfies him most, Chris Lamb, the
production manager, in charge of every aspect of putting on
the biggest show on earth, says it very succintly: "It's hearing the thunderous applause of the audience on the first night and
then hearing it again and again at every show."

.: 1,4 million people went to the Michael Jackson "HIStory" Tour which started in Prague on September 7, 1996.
A further 2 million people are expected to come during the
second leg of the tour which started in Bremen on
31st May 1997, and sales of tickets in Germany alone have
already reached 500,000...

Production

Tour Produced by Quinta Communications S.A.
Quinta Business Affairs: Brigitte Segal
Tour Executive: Paul Gongaware
Tour Finance: Norman Dugdale
Production Manager: Chris Lamb
Tour Manager: Bernie Boyle
Tour Publicist: Mitch Vannoni

Tour Support

Lighting: Light and Sound Design
Computer Lights: The OBIE Company
Moving Lights: Vari*lite
Sound: Clair Bros. and Audio Rent
Video: Nocturne
Generators: Showpower
Stage & Trucking: Edwin Shirley
Cam-Track: Ocean State Rigging
Freighting: Rock-It Cargo
Catering: Eat Your Hearts Out
Travel: Mike Hawksworth