Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, Jackson debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.

Jarre was born in Lyon on 24 August 1948, the son of composer Maurice Jarre, and French Resistance member and concentration camp survivor France Jarre (nee Pejot). His parents separated when he was five years old, his father moved to the United States, and Jarre remained with his mother in the suburbs of Paris. Jarre would not meet his father again until he was eighteen. He was born into a family of artists; his Grandfather, André Jarre, was an oboe player, an engineer, and an inventor. André perfected the first audio mixer, used at Radio Lyon, and also gave Jean Michel his first record player. For the first eight years of his life, for six months of each year he resided at his Grandparent's flat along the Cours de Verdun, in the Perrache district of Lyon. The young Jarre would watch street performers from the window of the flat, and has cited their music as an influence on his art (traces of this can be found on his album Équinoxe, particularly "Équinoxe Part 8").

The Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson. The band originated from Boston, Massachusetts, and were signed to Elektra Records in 1977.

The original name of the band - Billy Dilly's Band. Was formed in August 2001. Began his career with the street jams, performances in pubs and small establishments. Thanks to an exact copy of aesthetics, style and proper musical material of Tom Waits, the band steadily gaining an army of fans. Its visual group leader Billy Novick is also copied from the famous American musician.

Yazoo was formed in late 1981 by Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet in Basildon, Essex, England. Clarke was previously the main songwriter for Depeche Mode, who also came from Basildon and who at that point had recorded one album and three singles for Mute Records, including the hits "New Life" and "Just Can't Get Enough". The name 'Yazoo', according to Moyet, came from the labels of old blues albums: Yazoo Records. Yazoo was signed to Mute Records in the United Kingdom and to Sire Records in the United States. Yazoo's initial foray into the US was disastrous when they received a £3.5 million lawsuit threat over the band's name. Yazoo renamed to Yaz for the US market because the name was already in use by a small American rock band.