Michael Jackson had a lot of awards. Shelves of them. So the story of the one he gave away says something sweet about the man behind the music.
It starts with a video called “Leave Me Alone.”
The video came out in January 1989. It was a wild, funny, cut-out world of spinning images, directed by Jim Blashfield. And in 1990, it won the Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.
Now here’s where a man named Michael Bush comes in.
Bush started as Michael’s dresser in 1985. He went on to dress the King of Pop for about 25 years, and he made all the clothes you see in that “Leave Me Alone” video. The two were close.
Bush says something used to bother Michael. He couldn’t understand why MTV never gave an award to the people who designed the costumes for music videos. The ones who sewed and fit and built the looks got left out every year.
“It really got to him,” Bush said.
So one day at his ranch, Michael did something about it in his own quiet way.
He went and got that Grammy. The one for “Leave Me Alone.” He signed the bottom of it. Then he handed it to Bush and said just two words.
“Take it.”
That was all. He didn’t make a speech or any fuss about it. Bush figured it had to be a loan, that any day Michael would come looking for it.
“I kept waiting for him to ask for it back,” Bush said, “but he never did.”
Think about that. A man with every reason to keep his awards decided one of them belonged more to the person who did the quiet work behind the camera. He wanted his friend to have the trophy that the world of video costume design never handed out on its own.
Here’s the video that won it, so you can see Bush’s work for yourself.
The “Leave Me Alone” video that earned the Grammy
Watch the clothes as it plays. Every jacket and button was made by the man who ended up with that award on his shelf.
Bush has spent years sharing stories like this one. He’s got a new book on the way about his time with Michael, and preorders are open now for fans who want to read more of these behind-the-scenes moments.
But this little story may be the one that sticks. A superstar, a signed Grammy, and two simple words that turned an award into a gift.