Most people never think about where a singer like Michael Jackson learned to take care of that voice. For years, behind it, was a man named Seth Riggs.
Riggs was a vocal coach in Los Angeles who trained some of the biggest names in music. The man who connected him with Michael was Quincy Jones, the legendary producer behind “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.” Quincy wanted the two of them working together, and he wanted it serious. Two hours a day, six days a week.
But the very first time Riggs went to meet Michael, nothing about it was normal.
The front stairs at the Jackson house were torn apart, in the middle of being rebuilt. So there was no ordinary way in. Riggs ended up climbing a ladder, walking across the roof and taking three short steps up to a tiny door that opened right into Michael’s bedroom.
He knocked. A soft voice called out “Hello?” Riggs said, “Michael, this is Seth.” And Michael said, “Oh, come in.”
What he found on the other side of that little door wasn’t what he expected.
When Riggs stepped inside, Michael was holding a little monkey. The animal had just had an accident, and Michael was quietly cleaning up after it, right there, like it was the most normal thing in the world. No staff, no fuss. Just Michael and his pet.
Riggs later remembered exactly what went through his head. “So, I thought, ‘Oh my God, what is this going to be?'”
It turned out to be one of the most important partnerships of Michael’s whole career. Riggs stayed his voice teacher for the rest of Michael’s life. On the “Bad” world tour he warmed Michael up three times a day, keeping that famous voice strong night after night.
Riggs told the full story himself in a 2017 interview, and it’s worth hearing in his own words. He remembers the ladder, the roof, the little door and the quiet “Hello?” that started it all.
The first clip is Riggs talking about his years with Michael, the kind of close, behind-the-scenes memories only someone that near to him would have.
Seth Riggs talks about working with Michael Jackson
And if you’ve ever wondered what one of those actual sessions sounded like, there’s real footage too.
This next one is a genuine 1994 warm-up between Michael and Seth Riggs, filmed in the studio. You can hear exactly how the two of them worked together.
A real 1994 vocal session between Michael and Seth Riggs
It’s a funny, very human way for one of music’s great singing partnerships to begin. A famous star, a half-finished staircase and a little monkey who picked the wrong moment. Riggs told that story for years, and once you’ve heard him tell it, you’ll understand why.