Don Mischer, the Emmy-winning director and producer who brought Michael Jackson’s legendary moonwalk to the world and redefined the art of live television, has died at 85. He passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday in Los Angeles, according to a family spokesperson.
Mischer’s name may not be familiar to every TV viewer, but his work almost certainly is. He was the creative force behind Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, the 1983 television special that featured a Jackson 5 reunion — and Michael Jackson’s solo performance of “Billie Jean,” during which he unveiled the moonwalk for the first time. The moment became an instant cultural phenomenon.
“I still remember the electricity in the room,” Mischer said years later. “Nobody had seen anything like it.”
That performance, which Mischer directed and produced, helped cement Michael Jackson’s place as a global superstar and showcased Mischer’s uncanny ability to capture lightning in a bottle. The special went on to win an Emmy and became one of the most-watched broadcasts of the year.
A decade later, Mischer teamed with Michael Jackson again to direct his historic 1993 Super Bowl halftime show, a dazzling spectacle that transformed the halftime slot into a must-see global event. Coordinating a 12-ton stage, dozens of performers, and a precise countdown, Mischer and his team had under four minutes to assemble it all on the Rose Bowl field. “We made it with like 12 seconds to spare,” he recalled. Jackson’s performance remains one of the most iconic in Super Bowl history.
Over a five-decade career, Mischer also directed Olympic ceremonies, presidential inaugurations, and awards shows like the Oscars and Emmys. But it was moments like Michael Jackson’s moonwalk that best captured his unique skill: turning a live event into cultural history.
His memoir, :10 Seconds to Air: My Life in the Director’s Chair, published in 2023, details the pressure and thrill of live television — the chaos behind the scenes, the unexpected triumphs, and the delicate choreography required to make it all feel effortless to viewers at home.
Don Mischer is survived by his wife, Suzan Reed; children Jennifer, Heather, Charles, and Lilly; and grandchildren Everly and Tallulah.
“What I do is basically create entertainment,” he once said. “I just want to be known as someone who loved doing his work, treated people well, and had a few opportunities to do some things that were outstanding.” With Michael Jackson’s moonwalk, he did just that — and more.
