The Fried Chicken Chain Michael Jackson Loved Ordering From Frequently

Back when Michael Jackson's solo career was first kicking off in the early '80s, the personal chef who accompanied him on his 1984 "Victory" tour said it was pretty difficult to feed the guy. At the time, he was a vegetarian, but he really didn't care for vegetables, although he would eat meat-free pizza and enchiladas. Later in his career, however, he had abandoned vegetarianism and was finally able to cut loose with a food he loved so much, he'd eat it at any time of day: fried chicken from KFC.

A 2003 passenger profile from a plane Jackson flew on (which may have been a private jet since he was known to use them) listed KFC original chicken breasts as part of his preferred breakfast menu, while this item also appeared at lunch and dinner. It was typically accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and biscuits with strawberry jelly and "spray butter" (a '90s condiment that was actually more like sprayable margarine). It's unclear, however, as to whether any or all of these sides were supplied by KFC or prepared by his own chef. For breakfast, Jackson would have the spread supplemented with scrambled eggs, which were also served with strawberry jelly, gravy, and more of that spray butter. It's unlikely that these would have come from Jackson's favorite fast food chain, however, since KFC didn't introduce any breakfast items until 2008 (and only in the U.K.). Even today, the chain features chicken and waffles as an entree (the revamped version is one of 2025's best fast food menu items), but it still doesn't sell eggs.

That 2003 flight log certainly speaks to Michael Jackson's fondness for fried chicken as a travel meal, but fast food fried chicken remained on the menu even when he was at home, where his private chef had access to a full kitchen. On one occasion, he invited Magic Johnson over for dinner and had his chef prepare a healthy meal of grilled chicken for his guest. Jackson didn't eat any of the entree, however, but later requested a takeout order of KFC. (Or Kentucky Fried Chicken, as it may have been known at the time — the brand shortened its name in 1991, but not everyone adopted the new moniker right away.) When the fried chicken arrived, Johnson admitted that KFC was also a favorite of his, so the two friends split the bucket.

In later years, KFC would introduce grilled chicken, but it gave up on the item due to disappointing sales since the two MJs weren't the only ones to acknowledge that the fried kind tastes a whole lot better. Not only did the shared meal assure that Johnson didn't leave the table unsatisfied, but it turns out to have been pretty significant in other ways, as well. For one thing, it may have marked the occasion that Johnson agreed to appear in the 1992 music video "Remember the Time." For another, finding out that the pop icon had similar food preferences was so meaningful to the NBA star that he shared the anecdote at Jackson's 2009 memorial service. He even went so far as to call it "the greatest moment of [his] life."