50 Years Ago, 13-Year-Old Michael Jackson Sang “Ben” At The Oscars

To follow the major milestones in Michael Jackson‘s career means going back to the very beginning of the late singer’s life. Few can say they sung at the Oscars – but Jackson did, giving a memorable performance of the song “Ben” when he was just 13.

It’s been 50 years now since that performance, delivered back when he was part of the Jackson 5. It’s also coming up on 14 years since Jackson died at the age of 50. Take a walk down memory lane to revisit this remarkable moment.

Do you remember when Michael Jackson sang “Ben?”

The 45th Academy Awards were held on Tuesday, March 27, 1973; the Oscars this year became defined by Marlon Brando boycotting the ceremony, sending Sacheen Littlefeather to explain his grievances with the way Native Americans were portrayed in the media. That was also the first year two African Americans were nominated for Best Actress. 85 million viewers also saw the first time in Oscars history that, at the end, all Oscar winners were brought out onto the stage for a final applause.

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It also boasted a star-studded lineup of performers, including John Williams, Angela Lansbury, and Michael Jackson. Jackson sang the song “Ben,” from the 1972 horror film of the same name. While actors were honored with dazzling gilded trophies, the audiences really won at this ceremony, getting treated to an early glimpse at the powerful performer Jackson was destined to be – and they got a front row seat to this display of skill when he was just 13.

Michael Jackson has a history of making history at big events, from the Oscars to the Super Bowl

This moment and the song associated with it were big deals for Jackson. “Ben” was his first ever solo song to reach number one. It was written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf. Attached to a movie starring Lee Harcourt Montgomery, the song “Ben” would win a Golden Globe for Best Song that very same year.

It’s been roughly 51 years since the movie, and in 2020, the official Twitter page for Michael Jackson celebrated with a post reading, “It was Michael’s first solo #1, won a Golden Globe, and made even more of the world aware of the power of Michael Jackson.”

Jump ahead 20 years, and this teen became a man whose ’93 Super Bowl show is still regarded as one of the best. When Jackson performed the halftime show, viewership increased between halves for the first time in the game’s history.