Thriller hitmaker Michael Jackson was best known for sporting a single white glove coated in crystals along with his glitzy sequinned jackets and fedoras while on stage

MICHAEL JACKSON ANNOUNCES FINAL TOUR IN 2009

When you think Michael Jackson, plenty of things come to mind – Thriller, the moonwalk, and his famous white glove.

Covered in glitter, Jackson sported the single glove for many of his stage performances, making its debut during a performance of Billie Jean in the early 80s.

Now the hitmaker’s friends have revealed that he had a very good reason for wearing it.

Usually worn on his right hand, the glove added an extra bit of glitz and glamour to his over the top ensembles, from sequinned jackets to fedoras.

But actor Cicely Tyson, who sadly passed away in 2021, said there was more to his glove than just fashion, despite Jackson himself claiming: “I felt that one glove was cool… wearing two gloves seemed so ordinary.”

Michael Jackson’s friends have revealed why he wore his iconic glove (Image: Getty Images)

Tyson confirmed that a fashion designer who worked with MJ in the 1980s had revealed the real reason.

She told CNN in 2019: “All of a sudden, he [the designer] said, ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael.’

“The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that’s how that glove came into being. The glove was to camouflage it.”

Tyson said she was “there when he was creating it”, and said the garment helped to conceal the skin pigmentation issue Jackson was living with.

The star was known for his out-there ensembles (Image: Michael Ochs Archives)

The long-term condition causes pale white patches to appear on the skin, caused by a lack of melanin.

It’s most common on the face, hands, neck and skin creases, according to the NHS.

Speaking about his condition, Michael said: “I’m a black American. I am proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race, and I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity of who I am.

Michael was proud to be a black American (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

“This is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It is something I cannot help, OK? But when people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me… It’s a problem for me that I can’t control.”