Michael Jackson is one of the most famous human beings that has ever lived. When you think about him — you don’t just compare his impact with the pop stars that came after him like Mariah Carey and Drake. To understand him, you need to look back to the Julius Caesars and Marie Antoinettes. But if you asked some of his closest peers — like Lionel Richie — it came at a great personal cost.
The entertainment industry has always been cutthroat. And for people like Jackson, in particular, most of his close peers were also seen as competition. Even friends like Paul McCartney, who started out as a confidant, ended up rivals after Jackson bought rights to The Beatles’ music. But with Richie, for some reason their relationship never soured, and together they even crafted one of the most beloved humanitarian songs in We Are The World.
