Man behind Madonna's Super Bowl show: Jamie King
Madonna's Super Bowl XLVI halftime extravaganza -- Roman soldiers and all -- was the brainchild of Jamie King. Every aspect of the star-studded, 12-minute spectacle, from the choreography to the lighting, costumes and sets was overseen by King, who's been Madonna's creative director for the past 13 years and, interestingly enough, is a superstar in his own right.
Special Section: Super Bowl XLVI
This wasn't King's first Super Bowl experience. He choreographed Diana Ross's halftime show in '96. And he danced with his idol Michael Jackson in the early 90's at the Super Bowl and on tour.
These days, he's considered the most successful concert director of all time. His shows include the Britney Spears' Femme Fatale tour, Christina Aguilera's Stripped tour and Ricky Martin's Black and White tour. His tours have grossed nearly $2 billion.
When asked what a concert director actually is, King replied that he doesn't exactly know himself. "You know, when I started in this game, I started as a dancer," King said. "And then I became creative director for Madonna, which turned into director for Ricky, and Britney, and Rihanna, and Madonna. It just kept growing."
Photos: Super Bowl XLVI
Photos: Super Bowl history
King is responsible for some of pop culture's most iconic moments. The infamous kiss among Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears was Jamie's idea. And remember Ricky Martin's star-making Grammy performance? Part of the credit goes to Jamie King.
"I was asked by his management if I would do a meeting with Ricky Martin," King recalled. "And I said, 'Absolutely. I don't know who he is.' I didn't. But, you know, America didn't know who Ricky Martin was at the time. I took the job, met him, felt his enthusiasm. And I knew right then that I had to work with this guy because he's fantastic."
And now King is bringing his talents to a whole new stage, producing and starring with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony in the talent-search reality show "Q'Viva."
Singer Marc Anthony said of King, "Jamie is not only consistent, but he's absolutely visionary. The sign of a true genius is that you can't duplicate what he creates, because the process is so unique. That's what makes Jamie, Jamie."
And bringing his career full-circle, King is the director of the Michael Jackson-inspired Cirque du Soleil show, The Immortal.
"Everything I do, everything I create, is from the place of a fan," King said. "So if I get excited by what I'm creating, then I feel like I'm onto something. My instincts tell me that I'm onto something. And that's kind of how I do my job."
