Resurfaced Video Shows What Michael Jackson's 'Real' Voice Sounded Like And It's Truly Bizarre

Michael Jackson was well-known for his angelic voice and unique high-pitched vocal range, but according to reports, the Billie Jean hitmaker sounded quite different around his close friends. A resurfaced viral clip has evoked wild reactions from fans over his magnetically powerful voice; in the video, Jackson was heard using his 'natural' deep-toned vocals while performing In the Closet track during the HIStory tour in 1997. According to FandomWire, the Smooth Criminal singer had a history of switching his vocals according to the subject and situation he was in.  

Fans were in disbelief when the clip went viral on X, they expressed their surprise over his multifaceted personality, "So the soft little girl voice was fake, huh," a netizen criticized. Another person chimed, "You mean his natural voice." "Am I the only one who thinks he used playbacks in all his concerts? It always seemed to me he lip-sync[ed] most of the time. Still [a] great showman and great songs," a fan reasoned. "This made me feel uncomfortable," an X user expressed. 

"They say he speaks softly to protect his vocal cords. But clearly, he isn’t hiding it, or else he wouldn’t do it on stage," a person stated. "Wow, was vaguely aware he used a none falseto voice at times, but that the first time I recall hearing it clearly. What a great voice," another fan wrote amazed. 

As per Newsweek, Jackson's former doctor Conrad Murray explained the real reason behind his high-pitched voice in his book This Is It! The Secret Lives of Dr. Conrad Murray and Michael Jackson. He alleged that the Thriller singer's father Joe Jackson forced his son to take growth hormones from childhood to master his tone. 

Journalist Diane Dimond, who covered Jackson's 2005 infamous child abuse trial and authored the book Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case, also disclosed that he periodically deliberately chose to change the tone of his voice, as per Today. Dimond told Access Hollywood in a video interview at the time: "Somewhere in there, especially if you bring him bad news or if you make him mad, his voice gets very, very deep. I was there one day when someone asked him about Gloria Allred, the attorney that has sort of dogged him and turned around in one foul swoop and said ‘She can go to hell’ in this big, deep masculine voice." 

British TV host and journalist Piers Morgan also confirmed that Michael changed his voice depending on his mood. The journalist recalled a telephone interview between them and stated that the Beat It singer sounded strange during some portions of their conversation. He noted that Jackson's voice “dropped several octaves, and he became a completely different person to talk to.” On Larry King Live in 2002, the singer's close friend Liza Minnelli recounted how she unintentionally heard the King of Pop's genuine voice. She disclosed that she was taken aback when she heard Michael talking to her ex-husband, David Gest, in a deep masculine tone over the phone.