Michael Jackson was known for complete control on stage, but one story from the tour paints a very different picture behind the scenes. Biographer Christopher Andersen wrote that Jackson would call musicians using what he described as his “sexiest Diana Ross voice,” flirt with them and convince them that an attractive woman had noticed them performing and wanted to meet after the show.
The prank reportedly went much further than a quick phone call. Jackson would arrange a meeting place visible from his hotel room, then watch through binoculars as the musician waited for someone who never appeared. Andersen wrote that Jackson later played the recorded conversation for the group, finally revealing who had been behind the voice.
Russell Crowe Used To Get Prank Calls From Michael Jackson | The Graham Norton Show
There is no known public recording of the Diana Ross impersonation itself, so the story rests on Andersen’s published account and the musician he quoted. Still, another celebrity later described Jackson making prank calls firsthand. Russell Crowe said Jackson repeatedly called hotels where he was staying even though the two men had never met.
That makes Crowe’s story a useful second layer. On The Graham Norton Show, the actor recalled Jackson tracking down his hotel rooms and calling with silly jokes. It does not prove the Diana Ross prank, but it independently shows that phone calls were part of Jackson’s humor.
Andersen also described other pranks aimed at Jackson’s longtime manager Frank DiLeo. According to the biography, Jackson sometimes took $100 bills from DiLeo’s wallet and threw them into concert crowds. Another story had Jackson bringing an eight-foot boa constrictor near DiLeo even though the manager was reportedly terrified of snakes.
It is a funny contrast with the perfectionist behind Thriller, Bad and Dangerous. Away from the stage, Michael Jackson was also remembered as someone who loved getting a reaction from people around him. The Diana Ross prank may be the wildest example. Watch the video above and hear Russell Crowe describe Jackson’s prank-calling habit himself.