Michael Jackson Almost Died While Working on 'Billie Jean': What Happened?

Michael Jackson nearly died while working on his hit song, "Billie Jean," but he was saved by someone in the end.

Jackson released his chart-topping album, "Thriller," in 1982, and it included the hit track "Billie Jean," which reportedly delivered a bizarre story. Before dealing with the song's controversy, the late "Smooth Criminal" hitmaker almost lost his life when he was still writing it.

Michael Jackson's Life Saved by a Child

Jackson opened up about working on the "Thriller" album with Nelson Hayes to complete the record in his autobiography "Moonwalk." At that time, he was thinking about how he would create "Billie Jean" as they drove down the Ventura Freeway, a kid riding a motorcycle reportedly pulled up to deliver him the bad news.

The kid informed them that his car was on fire, prompting him to pull over as soon as they noticed the smoke. Jackson and Hayes then found the bottom of the Rolls-Royce on fire, just in time to avoid an explosion.

"That kid probably saved our lives," Jackson wrote. "If the car had exploded, we would have been killed. But I was so absorbed by this tune floating in my head that I didn't even focus on the awful possibilities until later."

But although his life was in danger, Jackson recalled silently composing "Billie Jean" in his mind and proved how "involved" he was with the song.

"Billie Jean" soon piqued people's interest due to the song's message, which is about a mother telling Jackson that he is the father of her child. Despite the bizarre background, the song became a game changer as its music video inspired the music industry to create cool music videos to ensure a track's success.

The Guardian reported that Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" also opened the opportunity for Black performers to appear on MTV after it was aired on the channel on March 10, 1983.

"Billie Jean" Music Video Director Knew It Would Change The World

Steven Barron, the video director of the music video, penned in his memoir "Eggs n Chips & Billie Jean" how shocked he was that the network - which had been playing white rock artists' songs - refused to premiere "Billie Jean."

Fortunately, CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff helped the music video to make it to the network by threatening MTV that he would pull his label's artists from it if "Billie Jean" would not be in the rotation.