Way back when, before Michael Jackson went under the knife and did to his face what only an actual train wreck could have, he was just a young man fronting the famous Jackson 5.

Whilst every facet of his life was lived in the public eye, Michael being the media darling, there are still a few snaps from back in the day that we have never seen before. Photographer Alix Dejean became close with the Jackson family in the 70’s, hanging on to a treasure trove of photos that he said he was personally attached to. Here’s TIME:

Dejean was closer to Michael than any of the other Jacksons, he says, which allowed him the unique opportunity to capture a subtle, human view of the future King of Pop during his formative years. “I had a lot of admiration for Michael,” Dejean says, “I loved him.”

Thanks for those old-school gems Michael, I’ll put aside my grievances at your much publicised run-ins with the law just for today.

You can see the rest of the pictures HERE.

[source:time]