In a surprising twist, Gregg Musgrove, a 56-year-old stay-at-home dad and former California highway patrol officer, has stumbled upon a treasure trove of unreleased Michael Jackson songs. Musgrove made the discovery while sorting through an abandoned storage unit he purchased in the San Fernando Valley.
The unit, once owned by Bryan Loren—an American producer who collaborated with Jackson on the Dangerous album—contained cassette tapes and digital audio tapes (DATs) featuring 12 previously unheard tracks by the late pop icon. These songs were reportedly created between 1989 and 1991.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Musgrove expressed his amazement at the find.“I’ve gone to all the fan sites. Some of these songs are rumored to exist, some have leaked snippets, but a couple aren’t even out there in the world,” he said.
He described the emotional experience of listening to the recordings:“I would get goosebumps because nobody’s ever heard this stuff before. To hear Michael Jackson actually talk and joke back and forth—it was really, really cool.”
Despite the excitement, the chances of these songs being released publicly are slim. Musgrove revealed that Jackson’s estate owns the copyright to all of his recordings and compositions. According to the estate, they already possess the master recordings of these tracks in their vault, making any commercial use of the newly found tapes impossible.
This discovery comes on the heels of a major deal earlier this year, in which Jackson’s estate sold half of the singer’s publishing and recorded music catalog to Sony. The deal reportedly valued the assets at over $1.2 billion, underscoring the enduring legacy and value of Jackson’s music.
