Did Michael Jackson Rip 'Thriller' Off This Unknown '80s Singer?

You probably have never heard of Alfonzo Jones. But if you heard him sing, you'd probably think you were listening to Michael Jackson.

From the falsetto to the disco beats to the "woohs" and "ahs," Jones' music is almost a dead ringer for the legendary King of Pop's. His 1982 album Alfonzo sounds like it could easily be the B-side to Jackson's Off the Wall — and the album's cover looks suspiciously similar to the iconic cover of Thriller.

Alfonzo Jones Thinks His Album Cover Inspired 'Thriller's

While it's unclear whether the album — which came out the same year as Thriller — beat Jackson's to the shelves or which photo was taken first, Jones seems confident that he inspired it. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing: The biggest singer on the planet took a picture like me,'" he told Rolling Stone. "I wasn’t bitter because I was amazed.”

While Jones seems to believe he was the cover's muse, the photographer, Dick Zimmerman, claims he'd never seen it — and thinks it's actually the other way around. “Alfonzo could have been influenced by my cover image," he told Rolling Stone, "but after 44 years I have a feeling that Thriller has outlived many additional similarities visually and musically, and perhaps will outlive any other plagiaristic imitations in the future!”

Alfonzo Jones Claims He Inspired 'P.Y.T.'

Jones claims to have inspired more than just the cover. He also claims he recorded an early demo of "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" with Quincy Jones (no relation), who produced Thriller. "They would want me to sing it where they can get an idea of the song and how they wanted to approach it,” he said. “When I started [singing], they just started laughing. They were like, ‘Wow, this is incredible. Michael’s going to like the song.'” 

Since everyone who was reportedly at this recording session has died, there's no way to verify Jones' claim. “I guess only God, Alfonzo, and Michael will truly know what the answer is," Roots drummer and musicologist Questlove told Rolling Stone, "but I will say that I won’t totally dismiss Alfonzo’s theories."

Did Alonzo Jones Inspire 'We Are the World'?

According to Jones, Jackson was also a fan of his ballad "Change the World." Recalling a run-in with the late King of Pop, Jones said, "Michael Jackson said that song is straight from God. He said that face-to-face to me."

Obviously, two of Jackson's biggest hits are "Heal the World" and "We Are the World." Did Jones inspire those songs too? Questlove thinks it's possible, saying, "I know that that title has wound up in some way, shape, or form in the Jackson canon."