The Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special was taped at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 25, 1983. The musical special aired a few months later on NBC television on May 16, 1983. The show is best remembered for Michael Jackson’s iconic performance of his hit song “Billie Jean” in which he debuted his signature dance move: the Moonwalk.

Along with appearances by Motown founder Berry Gordy and actors such as Tim Reid, Richard Pryor, Billy Dee Williams and Howard Hesseman, other performances during the Don Mischer-directed, Suzanne De Passe-produced Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever were done by The Jackson 5, Nick Ashford, Florence Ballard, Renaldo Benson, Cindy Birdsong, Dick Clark, Bunny DeBarge, El DeBarge, James DeBarge, Mark DeBarge, Randy DeBarge, Dennis Edwards, Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, José Feliciano, Marvin Gaye, Rick James, Eddie Kendricks, William King, Ronald La Pread, Thomas McClary, Warren Moore, John Moschitta Jr., Walter Orange, Lawrence Payton and The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Lionel Richie, Claudette Robinson, Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, The Supremes, David Ruffin, Valerie Simpson, Richard Street, Levi Stubbs, Diana Ross, The Temptations, Tammi Terrell, Ron Tyson, Junior Walker, Mary Wells, Ronald White, Milan Williams, The Commodores, Otis Williams, Paul Williams, Mary Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Adam Ant.

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