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"Soul Train Music Awards" (1993)

Date confirmed in LA Times (“Tuesday”, March 9, 1993)

LA Times (Thursday, March 11, 1993)

Even a severely sprained ankle didn't keep Michael Jackson from continuing his recent media blitz with an appearance--several, in fact--on the seventh annual Soul Train Awards telecast.

Jackson performed, presented an award and accepted three awards of his own, all while on crutches or in a wheelchair after spraining his right ankle Monday in dance rehearsal.

"I'm sorry about this . . . very sorry," said Jackson, whose string of high-profile appearances in recent weeks has ranged from a presidential inaugural celebration to an Oprah Winfrey TV interview. "I was dancing and went into a spin and twisted my ankle very badly. But I wanted to come here to thank everybody."

Besides picking up his own awards (best R&B male album, R&B male single and a special humanitarian citation) in the Tuesday night ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium, Jackson performed "Remember the Time," which he turned into a show-stopping production number despite being confined to a wheelchair.

Jackson also presented Eddie Murphy the Heritage Award for career achievement. Joking with Jackson, the comedian-actor told the audience, "Isn't it nice to see him getting out and giving people awards. . . . I'd like to thank Michael for hobbling out here and giving me this award."

Don Cornelius, executive producer of the TV special, summed up Jackson's whirlwind appearance. "Nobody was disappointed," he said backstage. "Here's a guy who was sitting in a chair with a bad leg and the energy was almost as high as it would have been if he had not been injured."

The Soul Train Awards, the most prestigious R&B awards competition, are based on a survey of 3,000 radio programmers and record retailers.

Other major winners included Whitney Houston, who gave birth last week to a daughter and wasn't on hand to accept the best female single award for her "I Will Always Love You." Boyz II Men, the young vocal quartet, was honored for best group single, for "Please Don't Go," and best music video and best song for their hit "End of the Road."

Awards were also presented to En Vogue, group album and the Sammy Davis Jr. award for entertainer of the year; Mary J. Blige, new artist; Arrested Development, rap album; Najee, jazz album, and Shirley Caesar, gospel album.

Transcript

[Eddie speaks before presenting Michael the “Humanitarian of the Year Award”

Eddie Murphy: I address these remarks to a very good friend of mine, Michael Jackson. Now Michael, everyone knows you have broken every sales record known to man and that you have the number one and number two best selling albums of all time and the number one selling single of all time and he's the biggest selling artist ever, but tonight we're not here to talk about that, we're here to talk about your achievements as a humanitarian and your concern about the well-being of children and brothers and sisters everywhere and Mother Earth herself.

[Cheers from the crowd threaten to drown Murphy out, so he cuts his remarks short]

Eddie: Hey, just show the film, huh!

[Tribute video is shown]

[After Michael appears on stage to accept award]:

Michael: Thank you. So, Eddie?

Eddie: I wanna know what happened, I don’t know about them. [gestures to crowd]

Michael (to crowd): I’m sorry about this. Very sorry.

Eddie: What happened? You can't just come out like that and not tell us what happened.

Michael (to crowd): You really want to know?

[Audience cheers]

Michael: I was dancing...

[Audience cheers]

Michael: ...then I went into a spin, and I twisted my ankle very badly. But I wanted to come here to thank everyone. But first, first, Eddie, I heard you do have a new album out, that you're the one whose 'dangerous’.

[audience cheers]

[Michael turns and begins his speech]

Ever since I was a child, I realized I had a lot of love to share from my soul. The black tradition is a tradition of soul which is a gift of love and joy. Soul is the most precious thing you can share because you're sharing yourself and the world needs that gift now more than ever. The child with AIDS, in the ghetto, is waiting for you along with the starving people in Africa and everyone else who needs healing. Make the world more beautiful by sharing with me the wonderful feeling you get when your soul is lifted up to become pure love. I accept this award on behalf of all the children of the world who are my inspiration and my hope. Thank you, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Mohan Rajani, Chuck Hirsch, Sandy Galan and Jim Morey, BET and all the black program directors and DJs for keeping my music on the air. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[After arriving on stage to accept “Best R&B/Soul Single” for “Remember The Time”]:

Thank you again, I love you all. Thank you Berry Gordy, the Sony family, Akio Morita, Mickey Schulhof, Tommy Mottola, Dave Glew, and especially Hank Caldwell. Teddy Riley, all the program directors and DJs who play my records, Sand Gallin and Jim Morey and the fans.

[Michael speaks before presenting the Heritage Award]:

Michael: At the young age of 31, Eddie Murphy has carved out a truly spectacular career in almost any direction he chose to go in, including stand-up comedy-I love you too… this is Eddie’s moment- television, film-acting, film-directing, television-producing, and music. Indeed, it would be impossible to cover all of Eddie's achievements, how brilliantly he performed in each area, but let's take a look...

[Compilation of Eddie Murphy film clips is shown, and Michael presents Heritage Award]:

Michael: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the recipient of the 1993 Soul Train Music Award's Heritage Award, Mr. Eddie Murphy.

Eddie: Isn't it nice seeing him getting out and giving people awards and stuff?... I want to thank Michael for hobblin' out here and giving me this award...

[After accepting the “Best R&B/Soul Album Award” for “Dangerous”]:

Michael: Run DMC, I think you're brilliant. I'd like to thank Don Cornelius, I love you Don, thank you. Thank you Berry Gordy, Dave Glew, and especially Hank Caldwell, Bob Jones, and last, the public, the fans. I love you all.