Nick McCarthy
HIStorian in the Mix

Researching the Videography of Michael Jackson

Nick is a passionate researcher, film aficionado and a lifelong fan of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.  

From a young age, Nick was drawn to the electrifying energy and captivating artistry that Jackson infused into every performance.

Beginning at age 5, and seeing the music video for Earth Song and then attempting to replicate the video on the school playground, Nick has had an unwavering fascination with Michael's music, dance moves and contribution to music, film and pop culture.

As he grew older, Nick's admiration for the pop legend deepened, and he began to immerse himself in Jackson's music and the stories behind it.

When COVID hit in 2020, Nick, like many others, went on furlough leave and had time on his hands. One day, perusing his bookshelf, he pulled a biography of Michael's off the shelf and began reading. Midway through, whilst reading a chapter on Michael's music videos, a light bulb went off in Nick's head. Putting the book down, and opening up the lap-top, Nick decided to put his his combined passions of history, film and Michael Jackson to paper and reach out to those who worked with Michael during his career with a particular focus on those who contributed to and helped make and shape the seminal and ground breaking music videos at the heart of Michael's work.

Nick is currently in the process of talking with people who worked with and on Michael Jackson's music video catalogue. In these conversations and interviews, Nick seeks to delve deep into the behind-the-scenes details of the production, the creative process that went into bringing Jackson's vision to life, and the impact that these videos had on the pop culture landscape.