“Michael said, ‘I want you to lay something down.’ He puts in a little cassette tape, and he sings the solo and records it”: Session legend Paul Jackson Jr. on working with Michael Jackson – from his Jackson 5 era to Thriller, Beat It and beyond

Paul Jackson Jr of Jeff Lorber Fusion performs on stage at Ahoy at North Sea Jazz Festival on July 12, 2014 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Session veteran Paul Jackson Jr. has handled six-string duties for B.B. King, Daft Punk, Whitney Houston, Elton John, George Benson, and the Temptations, to name but a few. However, it was his work on Thriller, Michael Jackson's game-changing behemoth of an album, that kicked off his trilogy of collaboration with the King of Pop – which also encompassed 1987's Bad and 1991's Dangerous – further cementing the guitarist in pop history.

However, his working relationship with Jackson precedes Bad. At just 19, Michael Jackson was already a household name, fronting The Jackson 5. Paul was working on the Destiny record when Michael approached him to play a solo that he had come up with.