Michael Jackson was a fan of Rabbie Burns
– dinna ye ken?

The honest man, though e'er sae poor,

Is king o' men for a' that.

Imagine comparisons between the poetry and songs of Robert Burns vs songs of Michael Jackson.

Burns' “For A' That” vs Jackson's “We Are the World”

That man to man, the world o'er,

Shall brothers be for a' that!

Burns' “Aye Fond Kiss” vs Jackson's “Remember the Time”

Never met — or never parted —

We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Burns' Tam O'Shanter vs Jackson's “Thriller”

Here is a news article sent to me by Ron Macleod:

Michael Jackson was a fan of Robert Burns and once recorded an album of the Bard’s poetry set to music.

The album plans were revealed by his friend, concert promoter and I’m a Celebrity… star David Gest, a year ago.

Gest, once married to Liza Minnelli, told the Daily Telegraph the disc would give a modern twist to the work of the Bard.

He said: “Our favourite poet in the world is Robbie Burns.

“Michael and I were originally going to do a musical on his life
with Gene Kelly directing and Anthony Perkins as executive producer –
but they both died.

“So Michael and I put all the poems to contemporary music in his studio in Encino.”

Gest went on to reveal that he and Jackson shared a profound fondness for Burns, both greatly admiring his “brilliant mind”.

Gest continued: “We did Ae Fond Kiss, Tam O'Shanter and all that. We
turned his work into show tunes. It is beautiful and I still have the
recordings.