Victory Tour (The Jacksons Tour) - Ticket Controversy and Other Business Issues

Ticket Controversy and Other Business Issues

King, Sullivan and Joe Jackson came up with a way to generate additional revenue from ticket sales. Those wishing to attend would have to send a postal money order for $120 ($270 in modern dollars) along with a special form to a lottery to buy blocks of four tickets at $30 apiece, ostensibly to curtail scalpers. Upon receipt the money was to be deposited into a standard money market account earning 7% annual interest; it would take six to eight weeks for the lottery to be held and money to be refunded to the unsuccessful purchasers. Since only one in ten purchasers would win the lottery and receive tickets, there would be more money in the bank for that time period than there were tickets to sell, and they expected to earn $10–12 million in interest.

Joe and his sons were all in favor of the scheme—except Michael, who warned them that it would be a public relations disaster. The $30 ticket price, already higher than most touring acts charged at the time, was compounded by the requirement to buy four. This put tickets out of reach of the many of his fans who were poor African Americans. That community was joined by many commentators in the media in vociferously criticizing the Jacksons over the scheme. Nevertheless, when newspapers published the form for tickets to the first show in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium in late June, fans lined up at stores before they opened to buy them. A local radio disk jockey said some newspapers were even stolen from lawns.

On July 5, 1984, after receiving a letter from eleven-year-old fan Ladonna Jones, who accused the Jacksons and their promoters of being 'selfish and just out for money,' Michael held a press conference to announce changes in the tour's organization and also to announce that his share of the proceeds from the tour would be donated to charity. Following a controversy with the way tickets were purchased, lead-singer Michael Jackson donated his proceeds (approx. $5 million) from the tour to three charities, including the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research, The United Negro College Fund, and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times.

Jones later received VIP treatment at the Dallas concert in. The following is Michael's speech at a press conference on July 5, 1984, the day before the tour began:

"We're beginning our tour tomorrow and I wanted to talk to you about something of great concern to me. We've worked a long time to make this show the best it can be. But we know a lot of kids are having trouble getting tickets. The other day I got a letter from a girl in Texas named Ladonna Jones. She'd been saving her money from odd jobs to buy a ticket, but with the current tour system, she'd have to buy four tickets and she couldn't afford that. So, I've asked our promoter to work out a new way of distributing tickets, a way that no longer requires a $120.00 money order. There has also been a lot of talk about the promoter holding money for tickets that didn't sell. I've asked our promoter to end the mail order ticket system as soon as possible so that no one will pay money unless they get a ticket. Finally, and most importantly, there's something else I am going to announce today. I want you to know that when I first agreed to tour, I decided to donate all the money I make from our performances to charity."

After, the procedures were modified, but all sales continued to be made by mail (except for the six final shows at Dodger Stadium, where tickets were also sold through Ticketmaster.) Tickets were typically made available only a week to ten days in advance, and many tickets ended up in the hands of ticket brokers.