Michael Jackson's Drummer Jonathan Moffett Performs 'Beat It'

Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett was Michael Jackson’s drummer for over 30 years – and we were lucky enough for him to come by to our studio and perform some of Michael’s biggest hits!

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About Jonathan:
Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett has recorded and/or toured with some of the greatest pop artists of our time, including Elton John, Janet Jackson, The Jacksons, Cameo, Lionel Richie, George Michael, Kenny G, Doug Miller, Peter Cetera, Bill Meyers, and Cirque du Soleil, besides guest appearing at popular television shows like The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, Saturday Night Live, and The Arsenio Hall Show.

Among his biggest musical feats, none come close to his extensive work with the all-time greatest pop artists of the last 100 years: Madonna and Michael Jackson. Jonathan toured extensively with Madonna and recorded drums for several of her albums, including “True Blue” and “Like A Prayer”. As for the king of pop himself, Jonathan was his drummer for The Destiny Tour, Triumph Tour, Victory Tour, 1988 Grammy Awards with Michael, HIStory Tour, Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, This Is It, & Cirque’s Immortal World Tour.

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[clankcode]

1:25 This double no-look-over-the-shoulder cymbal choke was so great it added 10 years to my life

[MikeLuke]

That cymbal choke at 1:25 just killed me. Hitting them blindly, choking them afterwards and coming back to the groove perfectly in time. Insane.

[Mikestor]

That cymbal mute at 1:26 and resume playing a millisecond later without missing the beat is INSANE.

[TylerDavid-onqr]

Everyone goes nuts over the cymbal choke early on, but the double cymbal smash at 3:02 is magic.

[personMN]

Sugarfoot: *perfect hits on cymbals behind him*

Me: *trips over own feet while walking*

[poundsofcarp]

1:25 that cymbal choke is so clean that it killed the remaining 0.01% of germs

[knc]

40 years later and this song still slaps as hard as it did in '83

[jonask.]

It is insane. Imagine what he is thinking when he plays the drums. All the memories with MJ, all comes together when he plays the drums.

[nykaenenable]

The way he hits the cymbals behind him blindly is like some Bruce Lee punch towards an enemy creeping from behind :D

[MarkyBuMusic]

1:25 - cleanest cymbal choke in drumming history.

[michelv.santos]

Michael Jackson was surrounded by kings. And one of them is you. Congratulations on everything you represented in the band and on tour. He encouraged a lot of people in music.

[JewandGreek]

After his first show with the group, Michael Jackson was in awe by Moffett's ability to keep up with his dancing, always accenting his dance moves, which gave his dancing more power and prominence. He also used his "one-handed cymbal catch" frequently, in which Moffett explained to Zildjian:

_With the Jacksons, I'll use it to accent certain moments before the vocal chorus. OR when Michael makes a move and stops real quick, I'll accent that with a catch. You've got to do it fast and drop back into the rhythm without breaking time._

[MegaDarkknght]

He move his head like metronome, and his hand following his head.. Perfect timing...

[andrewglass]

Fletcher: "Not quite my tempo"

Sugarfoot: *stares in perfect metronome* "Then fix your tempo"

[philsarkol]

I am trying to comprehend what this man does ...so tight, accurate and that high-hat sizle..the sudden stops...and all that with energy, poise and controll. Doing a show of 2 hours or more..come on ..this is a beast drummer. Respect!!

[monicabrown]

To all the kids who don’t know, the drum track on the record is Jeff Porcaro. Session legend. The guitar other than Eddie’s solo is Steve lukather with Steve porcaro on synth. Toto was the house band of the late seventies and early to mid eighties for the music industry

[rosedunn]

Guy in the background having the best day of his life.

[leokimvideo]

Puts a whole new definition to being 'in the zone'

[PerfectSense]

He's the ultimate groove player. Everything he does is precise and funky -- it's an absolute masterclass.

[KingMarcusTheThird]

Man the double back crash mute at 1:26 got me shivering. Perfectly on beat. So smooth. Perfect pocket. Amazing.