The Wiz (film) certain we didn't use anything from it. They made a brilliant movie, and even though our concept is different – they're Kansas, we're New York; they're white, we're black, and the score and the books are totally different – we wanted to make sure that we never overlapped in any area." Michael Jackson, a former Motown star and close friend of Diana Ross was cast as the Scarecrow. By the start of development on "The Wiz" in 1977, he and his brothers The Jacksons, had left Motown for Epic Records, though Jackson had yet to make a solo album since
Michael Jackson videography Michael Jackson videography American entertainer Michael Jackson (1958–2009) debuted on the professional music scene at age five as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still part of the group. Jackson has been referred to as the "King of Music Videos" in subsequent years. Jackson had seven of his solo albums promoted with music videos. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular culture and the first African American entertainer to have a strong crossover fanbase on MTV. The popularity of his music videos that aired on MTV, such as