Outside the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on February 28, 1984, a fan’s camera caught Michael Jackson arriving with Brooke Shields. He had on dark glasses and what his estate calls his “finest crystal covered blue-and-gold military coat, with matching crystal glove.” She was laughing as they made their way in.
Brooke was 18 and already a movie star. A few weeks earlier, in January, the two had shown up together at the American Music Awards. Now she was his date for the biggest night of his career.
Michael and Brooke Shields arrive at the 1984 Grammys
This fan clip runs 2 minutes and 42 seconds. In the first minute you see Brooke laughing as she walks in next to Michael, who’s still in his sunglasses.
Michael had 12 nominations that night, the most anyone had ever received in one show. More than 51 million Americans tuned in, and no Grammys broadcast has drawn a bigger audience since. He kept getting up from his seat. He won Album of the Year for “Thriller” and Record of the Year for “Beat It,” and he went home with eight Grammys, a record for a single night.
His seventh trip to the stage was for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, for “Thriller.” This time he brought company. He called his sisters La Toya, Janet and Rebbie up to stand with him and pointed out his mother, who was too shy to come up. “I have three sisters,” he told the crowd. “I’d also like to thank all my brothers who I love very dearly, including Jermaine.” Then he slid off his sunglasses and said with a smile, “For the girls in the balcony.” The hall screamed.
Michael brings his sisters on stage and takes off his sunglasses
This is the official GRAMMY Rewind clip of his “Thriller” win. His sisters come up at about 0:56, and the sunglasses moment starts at about 2:52. La Toya comes up first, Michael waits for Janet and Rebbie, and once all three are beside him he asks them if he should take the glasses off.
Brooke wasn’t the only guest Michael brought that night, though. Billboard’s Paul Grein looked back on the show in 2024 and listed who sat with him in the front row: “his date for the night, actress Brooke Shields; Emmanuel Lewis, the 12-year-old star of the hit sitcom Webster,” plus Quincy Jones, who produced “Thriller.”
Emmanuel was the star of “Webster,” a hit on ABC, and families saw his face in their living rooms every week. At 12, he stood only about three feet tall. He dressed for the night like a mini Michael. He wore a tuxedo with tails, a gold cummerbund and gold socks that the auction house that later sold them described as “in the style of Michael Jackson.”
The two were close. “Michael is the best friend you could ever have,” Emmanuel reportedly told People magazine in 1984. Michael knew what that kind of fame felt like at that age. He was 11 when he sang lead on the Jackson 5’s first No. 1 hit.
Backstage at the Grammys, February 1984
This 10-minute fan upload was shot on Dan O’Dowd’s camera behind the scenes that night. It shows Michael backstage in his blue and gold coat, with guests in tuxedos crowding in around him.
Emmanuel’s outfit resurfaced at Oak Auctions in 2013, cummerbund and gold socks included. The listing said he’d worn it “to the 1984 GRAMMY Awards with Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields.” It sold for $920.40.