 Initially, he felt squeamish about recording it, much less releasing it as a single, because he disliked the idea of capitalizing on a tragedy.But after he played it for his wife Denise and for his producer, Keith Stegall, both of whom gave their approval, Jackson went into the studio to record "Where Were You" that week.On Stegall's advice, Jackson played the finished track for a group of executives at his record label.