“One of your favorite songs.”
That’s how Michael Jackson introduced the song he sang to his mother, Katherine, on her birthday in May 1984. It might be one of the sweetest things he ever did on a microphone, and it didn’t happen on a stage. It happened at a dinner table.
That spring, Michael was the most famous singer in the world. “Thriller” was everywhere, and his face was on every magazine. But for one night, none of that mattered.
Katherine was turning 54. Michael and his brothers and sisters had planned a surprise dinner for her with family friends at the Bistro Garden, a restaurant in Beverly Hills. They kept it a secret until she walked in.
Michael had one more surprise ready, and it took a plane ticket to pull off.
He flew in Floyd Cramer, the piano man from Nashville. If you grew up with Elvis Presley’s records, you’ve heard Floyd Cramer play, even if you never knew his name. He was one of the studio players behind a long run of Elvis’s hits, including “It’s Now or Never.” He also had a big hit of his own in 1960 called “Last Date.”
Katherine was reportedly one of his biggest fans. So Michael made sure he was there.
Then came the best part of the night. Floyd sat down at the piano. Michael picked up a microphone, turned to his mom and told her what was coming. The man who sang “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” was about to sing her something very different.
Someone at the party was filming. Here’s that night, just as it happened.
Michael sings to his mom at her birthday dinner
The song was “For the Good Times.”
It’s a slow, gentle country ballad written by Kris Kristofferson. Ray Price had a hit with it in 1970, and it became a country favorite. It’s a long way from “Thriller,” and that’s what makes it so special. Michael didn’t pick a song to show off. He picked the one his mom loved.
Katherine raised Michael and his brothers and sisters in a house full of music. On that night in 1984, he gave a little of it back, with her favorite song and her favorite piano player in the same room.
Michael performed for millions of people around the world. This was a performance for one.