Jamie King
1972 (age 51–52)
Early career[edit]
King started his career in entertainment as a dancer. He appeared on the Cher video for "Love And Understanding" and went on tour with Michael Jackson on his Dangerous World Tour in 1992.[1] Afterwards he worked as a director and choreographer in Prince's Glam Slam West nightclub in Los Angeles.[1] While there, King created a new show every week using songs that Prince was unable to commercially release due to legal obligations to Warner Bros. Records. It was during this time that King learned staging.[1] After seeing a performance by Prince at the American Music Awards of 1995 (that King directed and choreographed), Madonna called King to talk about the two of them working together.[1] The first time they worked together was when he choreographed her 1995 music video "Human Nature".[4]
Fitness ventures[edit]
In 2004, King teamed up with Nike to create the Nike Rockstar Workout for use in Crunch Fitness gyms across the United States.[5] In 2007, he released his Rock Your Body fitness DVD which sold 100,000 copies.[5]
Cirque du Soleil, Super Bowl, and Q'Viva[edit]
In 2011 King wrote and directed a touring show by Cirque du Soleil dedicated to Michael Jackson called Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour.[6] In 2012, he co-created the boy band IM5 with Perez Hilton and Simon Fuller[3][7] and directed Madonna's Super Bowl XLVI halftime performance. This performance marked the third time he appeared at Super Bowl for work. His first appearance was in 1993 as a dancer in Michael Jackson's performance at Super Bowl XXVII.[3] He returned in 1996 as a choreographer for Diana Ross' performance at Super Bowl XXX.
Also in 2012, he produced the Latin-themed entertainment show Q'Viva! The Chosen with Simon Fuller, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez.[8] The show was King's first experience working in television rather than stage;[8] however, the singers, instrumentalists, and dancers scouted from the show did give a one-time sold-out performance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center which King also directed.[3] King was the producer for Madonna's 2012 MDNA Tour which marked the first time since Madonna's 2001 Drowned World Tour that he had not been her tour's creative director.[9]
In 2013, King directed another Cirque Du Soleil Michael Jackson-themed show called Michael Jackson: One.[10] Unlike the touring show Immortal, Michael Jackson: One is a resident stage show housed at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Later in the year, King was the creative director for the third season of The X Factor.[11]
In 2014, King directed Bruno Mars' Super Bowl XLVIII halftime performance which marked the fourth time he had appeared at Super Bowl for work.[11]