Remembering John McClain: The Music Executive Behind Janet Jackson's Rise and Michael Jackson's Posthumous Success
John McClain, the influential music executive and co-executor of Michael Jackson's estate, has passed away at 71. He was instrumental in shaping the careers of Janet Jackson and Dr. Dre, and in managing Jackson's legacy after his death.
John McClain, a co-executor of Michael Jackson’s estate, died in Los Angeles on Tuesday at the age of 71. Diana Baron, a representative of the estate, confirmed McClain’s death, citing complications from a fall as the cause.
After a distinguished career behind the scenes, McClain became a close confidant of the Jackson family in the early Eighties, notably setting up Janet Jackson for superstardom. In his will, Michael Jackson named McClain as one of his estate's executors, alongside lawyer John Branca. McClain played a crucial role in guiding Jackson’s posthumous resurgence, including the release of archival albums, two Cirque du Soleil shows, the Broadway hit MJ: The Musical, and the recent biopic, Michael. According to Forbes, Jackson’s estate has earned over $3 billion since his death in 2009.
“I am profoundly grieved at the loss of my partner and brother John McClain,” Branca said in a statement. “One of the great innovators in the world of music and music marketing, John was a visionary, seeing past the mundane and into the future."
“When we were named in Michael’s will, I knew that he would bring great insight into Michael’s music and that his friendship and dedication to Michael would underscore all the great projects that we could bring to the world,” he continued. “He brought a passion and sense of conviction to all that he did and was the most generous of friends. It is difficult to imagine a world without him.”
Tracey Edmonds, entertainment producer for Edmonds Entertainment, commented on Instagram: “He recently produced the MEGA HIT, Michael, and I’m so happy that he got to witness its success before he passed! He was one of the smartest and wittiest men I ever met, but on-top of ALL THAT… he was such a KIND and THOUGHTFUL SOUL in my life.”
Born in Los Angeles to parents involved in the city’s jazz scene, and raised by his aunt, McClain’s musical journey began with piano lessons at age 3. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix, he switched to guitar as a teen and entered the Jackson family's inner circle, befriending Michael. McClain’s guitar skills led him to the R&B group the Silvers, where he became musical director. He later played guitar in sessions for Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, and Shalimar.
In 1984, McClain became the director of Black music for A&M Records. During his time there, he signed The Human League, Atlantic Starr, and Jesse Johnson, among others. However, his most significant success was with Janet Jackson.
Recognizing the talent of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, members of the Prince-associated funk group The Time, McClain fostered their production career by connecting them with Janet Jackson. This collaboration propelled her from the 1984 album Dream Street to a Number One hit with Control, featuring the hit title track and “Nasty,” both co-written by Jackson with the producers. They repeated this success in 1989 with Rhythm Nation 1814.
In a 1987 Spin interview, McClain downplayed his role in Janet Jackson’s resurgence, explaining his vision for her career: “I told her, ‘Let Whitney [Houston] and Patti [LaBelle] sing their lungs out,” he said. “Just concentrate on being a female Michael Jackson, and you’ll give the people something that’s even more exciting.”
Sylvia Rhone
Sylvia Rhone, chairwoman of Time Warner’s Elektra Entertainment division, told the Los Angeles Times in 1998: “John McClain put A&M back on the map in a blink. The man is a genius.”
After moving to Interscope in 1989, McClain inspired Dr. Dre to form Death Row Records, playing the rapper’s demo tape for Jimmy Iovine, and encouraged Interscope to explore gospel and R&B music with releases by Kirk Franklin and Teddy Riley. He returned to A&M in 1997, working with Atlantic Starr, Barry White, Ice Cube, Kurupt, and Shaquille O’Neal. A stint at DreamWorks, starting in 2001, saw him collaborating with Ron Isley and Burt Bacharach.
The 1998 Times article mentioned McClain's negotiation to bring Jackson’s label into A&M, even though Jackson was still linked with Sony. They were also working on a Jackson 5 album, a year after their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, with hopes of releasing it by the end of the year, though it never materialized.
When Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, his 2002 will named McClain as a co-executor of the estate alongside Branca. Although Jackson’s mother, Katherine, initially contested their appointments, a judge eventually ruled in their favor.
McClain, who maintained a low profile allowing Branca to be the estate’s spokesperson, helped organize the release of two posthumous albums, Michael (2010) and Xscape (2014), and collaborated with Branca on cultivating Jackson's legacy through theatrical releases and movies. His recent success was as a producer of Michael, the hit biopic, which Box Office Mojo reports has grossed $321 million domestically since its April release.
“I’m not the kind of guy who needs to take a survey to figure out whether a song is good or not,” McClain told L.A. Times in 1998. “I’m a musician. And what I aim to do at A&M is bring back the art form. I want this company to bring in great songwriters and players who know how to improvise. I want A&M to create music that makes the hair on your forearms stand up.”
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