Michael Jackson 'hand-picked Simpsons impersonator'

Michael Jackson reportedly "hand-picked" his singing double when he appeared on a classic episode of The Simpsons.

Jackson was famously banned from singing in the 1991 episode, titled 'Stark Raving Dad', due to his contract with Sony.

Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa Simpson, recalled how Kipp Lennon was drafted in for Jackson.

Smith told TMZ: "[Michael] was not allowed to sing on the show, so he literally hand-picked a guy to sing like him.

"How unnerving would it be to sing like Michael Jackson in front of Michael Jackson?"

Lennon also provided Jackson's voice in the US miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream.

Jackson played Leon Kompowsky in the episode, a large white man who acts and sings like Jackson, whom Homer Simpson meets in a mental hospital.

The 'Man in the Mirror' popstar wrote the song 'Happy Birthday Lisa' specially for the episode. He was credited as John Jay Smith.

Jackson's legendary 'Thriller' jacket was sold at auction for $1.8m (1.1m) yesterday.

Watch Bart Simpson and Kipp Lennon as Michael Jackson sing 'Happy Birthday Lisa' below: