Who were Michael Jackson's role models?

He admired a lot of people. Musically, he was heavily influenced by Motown artists like James brown, Stevie wonder, Jackie Wilson at a young age. He also admired classical musicians like Tchaikovsky, Claude Debussy, and Chopin. Others include Sammy Davis Jr., Steven Spielberg, Elizabeth Taylor, and everyone who was close to him. In one of his later interviews in 2008, he stated that he admired performances by young artists like Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, and Usher, and was happy to have inspired them in return.