New video shows Jackson's head catching fire

US: The harrowing video shows Michael Jackson dancing down stairs for a 1984 commercial completely unaware that his head is inflamed, an incident said to have triggered his addiction to painkillers.

The "King of Pop" was making a Pepsi advert at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 27, 1984 when the horrific accident took place, caused by fireworks that exploded too early.

Jackson suffered severe burns to his hair and scalp. "He was never the same after the accident," Us Weekly said in a report accompanying the release of the video late Wednesday. The superstar died on June 25 aged 50 from an apparent cardiac arrest.

Jackson, 25 and at the height of his "Thriller" fame when the video was shot, made the commercial with his brothers with thousands of fans in the audience. New York, AFP