Written and Composed by R. Kelly
Produced by R. Kelly for Bass Productions and Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc.
From the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future—Book I, released June 20, 1995
Released as a single August 15, 1995
THE SHORT FILM
Director: Wayne Isham
Primary Production Location: Pantages Theater (Hollywood Boulevard), Los Angeles, California
Michael Jackson’s short film for “You Are Not Alone” was the third of seven short films produced for recordings from HIStory: Past, Present and Future—Book I, Michael’s fifth album as an adult solo performer. As a single, “You Are Not Alone” reached No. 1 in nine countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Belgium and New Zealand. In the United States, the song made history as the first song to ever debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the magazine’s Rhythmic Top 40, Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts.
“You Are Not Alone” was certified Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 13, 1995. The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in 1996. The song was written and co-produced by R. Kelly, who relished the chance to work with one of his heroes. “I just couldn’t believe it,” he said in 2015. “You never believe you’re going to grow up and hear Michael Jackson singing a song you wrote! It’s still a high.”
The “You Are Not Alone” short film features Michael singing on an empty stage at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, in the desert, in front of a waterfall and on a cliff’s edge. This footage is interspersed with footage of Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, his wife at the time, as they affectionately gaze at and whisper to each other against a temple backdrop. The scenes of Michael and Lisa Marie were inspired by the 1922 Maxfield Parrish painting Daybreak, the most popular art print of the 20th century.
In 2016, the “You Are Not Alone” became one of 12 Michael Jackson short films to be VEVO Certified for more than 100 million views.
