Michael Jackson’s pals finally reveal why singer wore iconic single glitter glove

A friend of Michael Jackson once claimed to know exactly why the legendary late singer wore just one glove.

The iconic singer would often don OTT outfits for his live performances and music videos, but a single, white glove covered in rhinestones – usually worn on the right hand – became somewhat of a signature accessory for Jackson. 

Thriller hitmaker Michael Jackson was best known for sporting a single white glove coated in crystals along with his glitzy sequinned jackets and fedoras while on stage. When you think of Michael Jackson, plenty of things come to mind – Thriller, the moonwalk, and his famous white glove.

Tyson confirmed that a fashion designer who worked with MJ in the 1980s had revealed the real reason.

She told CNN in 2019: “All of a sudden, he [the designer] said, ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael.’

“The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that’s how that glove came into being. The glove was to camouflage it.”

Tyson said she was “there when he was creating it”, and said the garment helped to conceal the skin pigmentation issue Jackson was living with.

The long-term condition causes pale white patches to appear on the skin, caused by a lack of melanin.

It’s most common on the face, hands, neck, and skin creases, according to the NHS.

Speaking about his condition, Michael said: “I’m a black American. I am proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race, and I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity in who I am.

“This is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It is something I cannot help, OK? But when people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me… It’s a problem for me that I can’t control.”

That very glove was sold at auction for an eye-watering figure back in 2009, raking in $350,000 at a memorabilia auction, while one of the singer’s jackets fetched a whopping $225,000.Further crystal-studded gloves fetched around $190,000 in subsequent auctions.