Jimmy Jam says Michael Jackson and Prince had contrasting creative processes, but influenced and admired each other
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At the premiere for the movie Michael, the songwriter and producer talked about their legacy and competition
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Jackson died in 2009 at age 50, while Prince died in 2016 at age 57
Michael JacksonandPrincemay have been in competition with each other on the charts, but ultimately, they respected each other. That is, according to Jimmy Jam, who worked with both of them.
Speaking with PEOPLE at the Hollywood premiere ofMichaelon April 20, the songwriter and producer, 66, shares that he thinks they “probably were both competitive, but they also were very respectful of each other.”
“The way they went about doing what they do is totally different. I always say Prince would start a record at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day, the record would be totally done, mixed, ready to go. Very spontaneous. That's the way Prince did it," he shares.
On the other hand, Jimmy Jam notes that “Michael was very meticulous.”
“I remember, on ‘Scream,’ we literally spent three days changing one line, and he just said, ‘We have to challenge ourselves.’ And we finally were like, ‘Okay, we're done challenging that. It sounds great. It sounds great.’ "
Jackson died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009. He suffered cardiac arrest at home. Meanwhile, Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at Paisley Park, his home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minn., at age 57 on April 21, 2016.
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In Jimmy Jam’s mind, they were “two different individuals in the way they create,” but he insists “they both admired each other," even if they seemingly feuded during their careers, so much so that it's rumored thatPrince skipped out on the supergroup recordingof "We Are the World" in 1985 due to Jackson's involvement.
“Which doesn't mean they necessarily would have got along in the studio creating, because they did it in a different way, but Prince was definitely influenced by Michael, and I think Michael was definitely influenced by Prince,” Jimmy Jam adds.
About Prince, Jimmy Jam tells PEOPLE, “There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him or think about what would he do in a certain situation.”
Michaelhit theaters on April 24.
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