Kevin Bacon penned heartbreak ballad for Michael Jackson as a kid

Kevin Bacon wrote his first song at the age of 11 in the hopes of having Michael Jackson record it.

The movie star has garnered praise for his acting work over the years, starring in hits such as 1984 musical-drama Footloose and 2003 mystery Mystic River, but Kevin has never forgotten his musical roots and regularly performs alongside his brother Michael in their band The Bacon Brothers.

While the duo has a folk-country sound, Kevin reveals the first song he wrote as a young boy was actually a sad tune titled, All the World Looks Lonely Through Lonely Eyes.

"I'm a giant Jackson 5 fan. The first song I ever wrote, in my mind, I wrote it for Michael Jackson," he shared during an appearance on America's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (29Aug16). "I was 11, so it didn't make its way to Michael."

Kevin, 58, was close in age to the late King of Pop, who died in 2009, at the age of 50, and he was a big fan of Michael's more sentimental songs growing up, including his first solo number one, 1972's Ben, from the film of the same name.

"I was a very, very romantic child. I mean, I remember always being heartbroken from the time I was little...," he laughed. "Being in love with the girl in school, the teacher, the girl next door, (I Dream of Jeannie's) Barbara Eaton in a bottle... I was always in love, so the songs I wrote were always heartbreak songs."

Following his interview, Kevin showed that his acting and singing skills extend to a very solid Tom Petty impersonation, taking to the stage with host Jimmy, who was dressed as Mike Campbell, Tom's long-time collaborator and guitarist. The pair performed an "original" version of Tom's 1989 hit song Free Fallin', called Free Horses, as part of a sketch segment called First Drafts of Rock.