Michael Jackson's Original Rhinestoned Nudie Glove

Michael Jackson had many, many rhinestoned gloves in many colors and configurations but there can only be one first.

Nudie made this glove for Michael, for his groundbreaking performance of "Billie Jean" at the Motown 15th Anniversary special.

Michael gifted it to Walter "Clyde" Orange, a founding member of the Commodores, who continually asked Michael for his autograph, which Michael would decline on the basis that he should be asking Clyde for HIS autograph.

Under the circumstances Mr. Orange now finds it fitting to get the glove out of his collection and on display for all the world to see. He will be auctioning the glove off in a few months and hopes that it will find it's way into a venerable museum like the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.

Nudie was adept at covering just about anything with rhinestones but this glove is a little unusual in that he used mesh set smaller rhinestones and attached it to the glove instead of his traditional prong set technique. What screams Nudie to me is the pearl snap at the base of the glove.

Many other items from Nudie's would find their way onto Michael's costumes. The western buckles in multitude that adorned the sleeves of his Bad leather jacket came from Nudie's . . . but what is really fitting is that Nudie gave not only the King of Rock 'n Roll his signature flash, but he bestowed it upon the King of Pop as well.

I wonder what happened to the rest of the outfit? At any rate it was the gimmick of the one glittering glove that really stuck and Michael used to great affect.