A retired California highway patrolman, Gregg Musgrove, has uncovered a treasure trove of 12 unreleased Michael Jackson songs, but legal restrictions mean fans may never hear them.
Musgrove, now a stay-at-home dad, came into possession of the recordings after an associate purchased a storage unit in Van Nuys, California. The unit had previously belonged to music producer Bryan Loren, known for collaborating with artists like Whitney Houston and Sting. Loren’s current whereabouts are unknown.
The collection includes cassette tapes and digital-audio tapes (DAT) of tracks Jackson worked on prior to releasing his Grammy-nominated album Dangerous in 1991. Some songs had only been rumored to exist, while others were partially leaked. Musgrove revealed that “a couple aren’t even out there in the world.”
Among the tracks is one titled Don’t Believe It, which seems to address rumors surrounding Jackson. Another, Truth on Youth, reportedly features Jackson in a rap duet with LL Cool J.
The tapes also include snippets of conversations between Jackson and Loren, offering insights into the creative process. “To hear Michael Jackson actually talk and kind of joke back and forth, it was really, really cool,” Musgrove told The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite the find, legal barriers prevent public release. The Jackson estate confirmed ownership of all copyrights to the recordings, noting that “nothing commercial or otherwise can be done with the DAT copies.” The estate also stated that the master recordings are stored securely in its vaults.
While the songs remain inaccessible, Musgrove plans to auction the tapes through major auction houses, expecting significant interest. Memorabilia linked to Jackson has fetched high prices in the past, such as a jacket from his Bad tour that sold for $240,000 and 55 personal items purchased by Lady Gaga in 2012.
Though the music may never be heard, the discovery offers a rare glimpse into the King of Pop’s creative legacy.
