Reflections on the Dance

Are You Hearing The Truth? Media Bias in the Michael Jackson/Murray Case

2011-08-31T10:37:00.010-05:00

Is the Media, Once Again, Skewing The Facts About Michael Jackson?

Recently, there have been many guests appearing on different talk shows speaking about Michael Jackson. But, is what you are hearing, correct? Is the media bringing you the people who really KNOW?

A group of us have been trying to do something about this to bring the public correct information, and I am going to share that here.

This is an important time. A man is on trial here for murder. However, if you listen to the media, it is not the doctor on trial, but rather, the victim himself.

BELOW is something you NEED TO KNOW:

A group of us all recently embarked on a campaign of sorts, to get Dr. Patrick Treacy and Dr. Barry L. Friedberg on the Dr. Drew show. In addition, there has also been some very inaccurate information being put out by these media programs of which I will cover some below.

It's very important for the public to know this, because, we, so far to this point, have been met with either the run-around or no follow-up. The question is....why? If, for instance, Dr. Treacy actually treated Michael and knows of his condition, and Dr. Friedberg is an expert on anesthesia and knows that what Dr. Murray did was reckless, in his opinion, why won't the media show that side of the story?

Those of us who embarked on this felt that, after seeing the biased accounts on different talk shows and how the media was once again trying to steer the public in a certain direction regarding Michael, and incorrectly, at that, that we needed to try to get some doctors on the show who were reputable, reliable and who had the backgrounds to talk about propofol, benzodiazapines, sedation and in Dr. Treacy's case, actually treating Michael personally.

Dr. Patrick Treacy is as many of the fan base knows, a renowned cosmetic doctor from Ireland. Dr. Treacy treated Michael personally while Michael lived in Ireland for the months following the 2005 trial. During this time, Dr. Treacy had to perform procedures on Michael that required sedation as well as treating Michael in general. He also spent some time with Michael while Michael lived in Ireland and was out to Michael's home there.

In doing so, Dr. Treacy has stated that Michael Jackson NEVER once asked him for ANY drugs and that he REFUSED TO UNDERGO SEDATION without an anesthetist present. He also saw NO DRUGS in his home and never saw Michael under the influence of any drugs.

A 3 minute video of an interview Dr. Treacy did with Discovery Channel's Aphrodite Jones:

http://investigation.discovery.com/videos/michael-jacksons-death-questioning-michaels-drug-use.html

"Any time that Michael used propofol with us, it was always in the presence of an anesthetist and he always requested that (that an anesthetist be present)" ~ Dr. Patrick Treacy

Dr. Treacy also has emphatically stated that during the time that he treated Mr. Jackson, that Mr. Jackson refused to be put under for any type of procedure and with any drug (propofol, for instance, which Dr. Treacy mentions that he used on Mr. Jackson during a procedure) without an anesthetist present. Dr. Treacy also has spoken of how Mr. Jackson would not even allow him to give him Midazolam (a drug found in his body administered by Dr. Murray) at his home in Ireland for a procedure without an anesthetist present (see the interview link above with Aphrodite Jones to listen in on that). This, I feel, is very important information that the public must know because the opposite is being said and this is coming from a doctor who knows and who treated him personally.

Here is the link to the above interview:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ReflectionsWebsite?feature=mhum#p/f/137/iPEXT8qEc-g

Dr. Barry L. Friedberg, author of "Getting Over Going Under", in his book, speaks very clearly about Michael Jackson's death and why he feels that Dr. Murray was irresponsible and that he feels Michael's death was a predictable, avoidable tragedy. He thoroughly explains the use of propofol. He also explains in his book the different benzodiazapines used and how they all interact and work and how giving multiple drugs that all impact breathing and have the well-known potential to stop breathing, especially without monitoring, is reckless. He explains fully how and why Murray's defense of trying to wean Mr. Jackson off of his propofol "addiction" was a statement based in fallacy. You can view the pages of that particular chapter at the link below:

http://www.mj-777.com/?p=7534

Dr. Barry Friedberg's website:

http://drfriedberg.com/

http://drfriedberg.com/the-book.html

More on Dr. Friedberg's book at Amazon.com

I myself contacted the PR for Dr. Drew via email to see if they might be interested in having Dr. Treacy on their program to help educate the public about Michael from someone who actually treated Michael himself. This is what I sent them:

Hi Valerie,

My name is Debbie Kunesh. I'm an entertainment writer/freelance journalist and also the creator of the Reflections on the Dance website tribute to Michael Jackson. In this capacity, I have had the privilege to interview, speak with and get to know many people who knew Michael Jackson (some for 10-25 years), people who spent a lot of time around Mr. Jackson.

One of the people I had the honor of interviewing was Dr. Patrick Treacy, who is a highly-respected, renowned cosmetic surgeon and humanitarian from Ireland. Dr. Treacy was treating Mr. Jackson for his conditions (lupus, vitiligo, etc.) while Michael lived in Ireland after the 2005 trial, and he got to know Michael on a personal level as well. What Dr. Treacy has shared in the interview I did with him corroborates what everyone who knew Michael Jackson for many years that I have spoken with, have attested to.

I would like to make a plea and a suggestion that you would consider having Dr. Treacy on the Dr. Drew show as I feel he has some very important information to share about Mr. Jackson that the public needs to know, especially with the upcoming trial of Dr. Conrad Murray due next month. With Dr. Drew having covered addiction issues so thoroughly in his shows, I personally feel this would be a good match and a forum to help get the truth out there and I hope you will consider it.

Dr. Treacy and I were also both interviewed on a radio show where he shared how Michael Jackson had never asked him for any kinds of drugs or medications of the sort during the course of their doctor/patient relationship. He never saw any drugs in his home and to his knowledge, he was the only physician treating Mr. Jackson during his stay in Ireland.

Dr. Treacy also has emphatically stated that during the time that he treated Mr. Jackson, that Mr. Jackson refused to be put under for any type of procedure and with any drug (propofol, for instance, which Dr. Treacy mentions that he used on Mr. Jackson during a procedure) without an anesthetist present. Dr. Treacy also has spoken of how Mr. Jackson would not even allow him to give him Midazolam (a drug found in his body administered by Dr. Murray) at his home in Ireland for a procedure without an anesthetist present (see the interview link below with Aphrodite Jones). This, I feel, is very important information that the public must know because the opposite is being said and this is coming from a doctor who knows and who treated him personally. I believe many would tune in to hear what Dr. Treacy has to say because this is such an important subject right now and the upcoming Dr. Murray trial makes it very timely as well.

Here are the links to that interview:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ReflectionsWebsite?feature=mhum#p/f/137/iPEXT8qEc-g

This is also transcription of a very important interview that was done with New York Times award-winning journalist Aphrodite Jones where Dr. Treacy speaks on this issue as well:

http://investigation.discovery.com/videos/michael-jacksons-death-questioning-michaels-drug-use.html

The Murray trial will start up next month and already there are media outlets making many false claims in regards to Mr. Jackson's addiction issues. Having treated Mr. Jackson personally, I feel Dr. Treacy is an excellent resource for truth and I would like to make the suggestion for you to have Dr. Treacy on the Dr. Drew show to help clear up the fallacies that the public is going to be hearing. It's very important that truth is out there.

I would also suggest that you may want to consider also having Dr. Barry L. Friedberg, author of "Getting Over Going Under" on your show. Dr. Friedberg, in his book, speaks very clearly about Michael Jackson's death and why he feels that Dr. Murray was irresponsible and that he feels Michael's death was a predictable, avoidable tragedy. He thoroughly explains the use of propofol. He also explains in his book the different benzodiazapines used and how they all interact and work and how giving multiple drugs that all impact breathing and have the well-known potential to stop breathing, especially without monitoring, is reckless. He explains fully how Murray's defense of trying to wean Mr. Jackson off of his propofol "addiction" was a statement based in fallacy. You can view the pages of that particular chapter at the link below:

http://www.mj-777.com/?p=7534

You can reach Dr. Treacy in Ireland at xxxxxxx

Thank you in advance and thank you for your time.

Debbie Kunesh

I received a follow-up phone call from Valerie's assistant fairly quickly, asking me questions about my site, about Dr. Treacy, Dr. Friedberg, etc. I was told this information would go back to Valerie and that they would talk all of this over with the show's producers. However, shortly after, I received this email:

Hi Debbie,

As I mentioned earlier today on the phone we do not do the booking for Dr. Drew's show. You would need to reach out to the booker at CNN. Unfortunately I do not have a name or number, but your best bet is to caller over there and ask for the booker on the Dr. Drew show. Have a good day.

I have removed Valerie's assistant's name to protect his privacy.

From what we had spoken about on the phone, just hours before I received this email...being asked questions about the Reflections website, questions regarding Dr. Friedberg and Dr. Treacy and my being told that this would all get forwarded to Valerie and that they would talk with the producers of the show, to now being told that we would have to contact the bookers directly at CNN and that they had no contact name or phone number, I found odd. When I spoke with the assistant on the phone, he was very cordial, but I sensed disinterest on his part, but that could have just been my own perception. However, with this being Dr. Drew's PR firm that I was contacting and the fact that apparently they did not have the contact information for the booker of his show, I did find that strange.

From here on out, Seven contacted CNN and then the booker for the Dr. Drew show, who responded cordially. You can see more about that exchange here http://www.mj-777.com/?p=8451

However, despite these efforts, neither Dr. Treacy nor Dr. Friedberg have been contacted thus far.

However, we do know that the HLN network had originally scheduled author Joe Vogel, who wrote a book about Michael's creative musical genius, to appear on one of their shows, but subsequently cancelled Mr. Vogel's appearance in favor of putting Diane Dimond on the show instead. Most know that Diane Dimond has made a career out of falsely accusing Michael Jackson and saying very vile things about him.

So, unfortunately, it seems very clear that there is an agenda to make Michael look a certain way to the public, for ratings, so that has not changed, even over 2 years after the death of Michael Jackson, and that anything that is not in favor of that, is most often denied or ignored (for instance, Dr. Treacy appearing on the show).

Dr. Drew's show was chosen because he speaks of addiction issues and recently has had on numerous guests "speaking" for Michael, if you will. However, some of what has been said by guests is questionable, and certain things presented as "fact" by Dr. Drew have been inaccurate. We felt that it was important that the public get information from people who had the right to speak on the addiction issues in regards to knowledge of addiction, medications, anesthesia and Michael himself.

truth
[trooth]  Show IPA
noun, plural truths [troothz, trooths]  Show IPA.
1.
the true  or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.
2.
conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.
3.
a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or thelike: mathematical truths.
4.
the state or character of being true.
5.
actuality or actual existence.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/truth

Take for instance, the recent guest that Dr. Drew had on, Mike La Perruque, a former security chief for Michael Jackson (La Perruque served as head of security from 2001-2004, and again for several months in 2007).

In this interview, La Perruque stated some questionable things about Michael, but one thing in particular that Dr. Drew asked him about, the vitiligo , was completely mis-represented.

PINSKY: OK. Up next, did Michael Jackson really suffer from a skin condition called Vitiligo. And, did his nose fall? We`re going to talk to Mike La Perruque about the facts versus the fictions when we come back.

Sidenote: Media slant again....if you notice in the photo I posted at the top of this blog post, you will see the media once again referring to Michael Jackson as "Jacko", very disrespectful and again to make you think a certain way, and here, Dr. Drew is actually asking if Michael's nose fell off? I think you can see where this is all steering towards, unfortunately.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: My special guest tonight served as Michael Jackson`s head of security. His name is Mike La Perruque. He was also Michael`s confidant. He knows about the truth versus the fiction. He knows about his skin condition, but before we start about his Vitiligo, you just link (ph) over to me again. I want to bring you back here. I`ve got a million more questions for you, but you said something about him trying to get away from the drugs. Tell me that again.

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. Michael worked very hard to try to get away from the drugs. I knew about him using certain prescription drugs, but he wanted to be clean. He did not like taking the medications. And, he was strongly against any kind of illegal narcotics. So, I know of two times that he worked hard working with doctors to try to get himself clean, sober, and away from the hard narcotics.

PINSKY: I tell you one of the most heartbreaking things I hear my peers tell patients sometimes is I know what`s good for you. I`m your doctor. Listen to me. You need these medicines. Did he ever hear that kind of stuff?

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. Unfortunately, yes.

PINSKY: OK. Look, Mike, I`ve got many more questions about how the doctors related to him and whether they would give you instructions or him instructions, but we`re running out of time here. Let`s get to the fact versus the fiction here. Vitiligo. Did he have Vitiligo and is that why he lightened his skin?

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. And here`s --

PINSKY: Vitiligo, by the way, is white patches. It is very pronounced on dark skinned people.

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. And you wouldn`t probably see him -- you probably wouldn`t know it, but if I got relate a story. I got called into his hotel room one day, and we were in his bedroom and he was talking about having rash on the back of his legs. So, he says it`s itchy, da-da-da-da, and while he was talking to me, all of a sudden, he just dropped his pajama bottoms.

And I started standing there just looking at him. And he`s talking about, you know, the rash on the back of his legs, and I started laughing. And he looked at me like, why are you laughing at me? You know, when I`m trying to tell you about my rash. And I said Michael, you just dropped your pants in front of me, you know --

PINSKY: And what`s he looked at?

LA PERRUQUE: And he`s standing in there with his tiny whitings (ph) on, but yes, on his leg, he had dark patches of skin.

PINSKY: Dark patches.

LA PERRUQUE: Yes.

PINSKY: Well, what`s interesting about that, that`s not Vitiligo. Dark patches what happen to dark skin`s people when they scratch, they hyperpigment. So, that goes against the Vitiligo theory. Interestingly, he did have some kind of skin problem, but all that scratching makes it get darker. It can also make it depigment, but darker, that`s opposite of Vitiligo.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune attack on the skin. So, we have to look into that a little more. How about this business about him having like major complications with plastic surgery like his nose fell off, which is, by the way, no such thing as that. Anything like that ever --

Okay, let's stop here for a moment. Dr. Drew should know better on this. If someone has dark patches of skin left, and he is originally a dark-skinned individual, then yes, he would INDEED have dark patches left over from the areas not affected by the vitiligo.

Dr. Patrick Treacy has stated as fact, for the record many times, that Michael did indeed, suffer from Vitiligo.

"Dr. Drew falsely debunked MJ having vitiligo as he had 'black' patches and vitiligo has 'white' patches. If you have white patches on black skin you are left with 'black' patches. ~ Dr. Patrick Treacy

Straight from the autopsy report: Sections of skin show no melanocytic pigment. Melanocytes, although present, are reduced in number. There is focal depigmentation of the skin, particularly over the anterior chest and abdomen, face and arms. Diagnosis: Vitiligo.

Read this for further information: http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com/AutopsyRevealsTheTruth.html

Michael Jackson very serious and business-like in a meeting with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Elie Wiesel

Passing out from stimulants?

You will also notice that La Perruque mentioned that Michael would be so high on stimulants that he would pass out and he would have to carry him out of meetings for him to sleep it off. However, there is a problem with this statement. Stimulants, "stimulate"...they make you more hyper, energetic. They don't make you drowsy. You would become drowsy with a relaxant or a depressant. Dr. Drew being an addiction expert, should have cleared up that misconception immediately. But.... he didn't.

As the name suggests, stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, as well as elevate blood pressure and increase heart rate and respiration.

How do stimulants affect
the brain and body?
Stimulants, such as dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine and Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta), have chemical structures similar to a family of key brain neurotransmitters called monoamines, which include norepinephrine and dopamine. Stimulants enhance the effects of these chemicals in the brain. Stimulants also increase blood pressure and heart rate, constrict blood vessels, increase blood glucose, and open up the pathways of the respiratory system. The increase in dopamine is associated with a sense of euphoria that can accompany the use of these drugs.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/researchreports/prescription/prescription4.html

Stimulants are medications that increase heart rate, breathing rate, and brain function. Some stimulants affect only a specific organ, such as the heart, lungs, brain, or nervous system.

Some medications are given for their stimulant effect. For example, epinephrine is given during cardiac arrest to make the heart beat.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002308.htm

The abuse of stimulants could conceivably cause physical collapse:

Amphetamines increase the heart and respiration rates, increase blood pressure, dilate the pupils of the eyes, and decrease appetite. Other side effects include anxiety, blurred vision, sleeplessness, and dizziness. Abuse of amphetamines can cause irregular heartbeat and even physical collapse. A common form of abuse of amphetamines is by people who use them to counter the effects of sleeping pills (barbiturates) taken the night before. This roller coaster effect is damaging to the body.

http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsstim.htm

The US Drug Enforcement Administration lists the following side effects of one taking high levels of uppers, or stimulants:

Therapeutic levels of stimulants can produce exhilaration, extended wakefulness, and loss of appetite. These effects are greatly intensified when large doses of stimulants are taken. Physical side effects, including dizziness, tremor; headache, flushed skin, chest pain with palpitations, excessive sweating, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, may occur as a result of taking too large a dose at one time or taking large doses over an extended period of time. Psychological effects include agitation, hostility, panic, aggression, and suicidal or homicidal tendencies. Paranoia, sometimes accompanied by both auditory and visual hallucinations, may also occur. In overdose, unless there is medical intervention, high fever, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse may precede death. Because accidental death is partially due to the effects of stimulants on the body's cardiovascular and temperature-regulating systems, physical exertion increases the hazards of stimulant use.

http://www.justice.gov/dea/concern/stimulants.html

From what I have found so far, there is no mention of passing out as a side effect of stimulant use or overdose. It seems to be accompanied by other more serious side effects like palpitations and chest pain, excessive sweating, vomiting, flushed skin, etc. It doesn't seem consistent with what La Perruque states about Michael's physical state in these meetings and in 2 separate interviews, one done in 2009, the other recently, in 2011, La Perruque also seems to contradict himself:

The account of La Perruque does not seem consistent with any of the above. La Perruque states:

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. There were a few meeting a few times where he seemed to be under the influence of some kind of stimulant, and he would basically sit there and just pass out. So, I would have to walk in and stop the meeting. And then, basically, try to wake him up and then carry him into his room. And, I would unzip his boots, put him in bed, and then, for the next couple hours, I would just sit there and watch him just to make sure he was breathing.

La Perruque is claiming that Michael would just sit there and pass out. But most stimulants cause an increase in activity of the mind and body and overdose or side effects would show other symptoms, including cardiovascular . La Perruque also states that he would just sit there in the room and watch him to make sure he was breathing, but that seems very odd as normal procedure if someone passes out would be to call a doctor.

In contrast to what La Perruque stated to Dr. Drew about Michael being high on stimulants, along with the inaccurate information about him passing out from these stimulants, Mr. La Perruque had this to say to CBS' "The Early Show" on July 7th, 2009:

La Perruque also told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez he never saw Jackson take or abuse drugs, though he had "suspicions" that drugs were incapacitating Jackson at times

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/02/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main5129382.shtml

Contrast this to what La Perruque told Dr. Drew:

PINSKY: Impacting to that response, though, I suspect, is you did see him doing drugs or you were aware he was doing drugs.

LA PERRUQUE: I was aware that he was doing drugs.

PINSKY: Were you aware of the magnitude of the problem?

LA PERRUQUE: Yes.

Sidenote: So, in 2009 he told The Early Show that he NEVER saw Jackson take, or abuse drugs, but here he is stating that he was aware he was doing drugs and was aware of the magnitude of the problem? This is a contradiction. If he never saw Michael Jackson take or abuse drugs, then how can you unequivocally state that he was aware he was doing drugs and he knew the magnitude of the problem? Suspecting drugs and knowing that someone is taking them are very different. You have to be certain and have facts before you state something as "fact".

PINSKY: And so, when you say you hope for the best, you hoped he didn`t die of it?

LA PERRUQUE: Of course.

PINSKY: Were you aware of his use of propofol?

LA PERRUQUE: No. I had never -- I never heard of the word propofol before. It came out after his passing.

And further into the interview:

PINSKY: In terms -- again, in speaking about his use of medication, the producers told me that you actually -- he would be so, I guess, intoxicated or affected by medication that, sometimes, you`d actually have to carry him out of meetings?

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. There were a few meeting a few times where he seemed to be under the influence of some kind of stimulant, and he would basically sit there and just pass out. So, I would have to walk in and stop the meeting. And then, basically, try to wake him up and then carry him into his room. And, I would unzip his boots, put him in bed, and then, for the next couple hours, I would just sit there and watch him just to make sure he was breathing.

PINSKY: Was there a doctor that you would call to come and to attend at that point?

LA PERRUQUE: No.

PINSKY: That seems strange to me.

LA PERRUQUE: He was being seen by physicians. And, I guess, because I had seen it so many times that I felt comfortable in just being able to watch him. And then, of course, if he has stopped breathing or if it did take a turn for the worse, then, of course, I would have called the 911.

PINSKY: Of course.

LA PERRUQUE: Not even (ph) waited for a doctor.

In all fairness, La Perruque did state that Michael was an excellent father and was innocent of the charges that came against him.

PINSKY: In June 2005, the jury found Jackson not guilty on all 14 charges. Mike, you have maintained throughout that he was innocent. You, guys, have chance to observe him with other children and other families. In fact, my understanding is you were almost always there.

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. I had total access. I was -- whenever he was leaving Neverland Ranch, that`s basically when I went into action. I was in charge of his travel team and then provided the protection dealing with whatever the event was, whether it was a public event or something along those lines. So, there was a lot of interaction with, you know --

PINSKY: Did you see him with this family that had --

(CROSSTALK)

PINSKY: The ones that had these allegations against him?

LA PERRUQUE: Yes. In fact, they came down to Florida, Miami, Florida, and spent two weeks with Michael just prior to him going back to Neverland Ranch.

PINSKY: All right. We have to wrap this up. Sorry to interrupt you, but you didn`t see any inappropriate?

LA PERRUQUE: No.

PINSKY: No, nothing even a hint of that trouble?

LA PERRUQUE: Not even a hit.

PINSKY: That`s what I understood you to say.

All quotes above from the Dr. Drew show come directly from the transcript: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1108/23/ddhln.01.html

I'll leave you with this....the ending of the interview we spoke of up above:

PINSKY: All right. Now, guys, we`ve got another high-profile trial in about a month. I`m guessing many of you already made up your minds about Dr. Murray, about whether he`s guilty or not in the death of Michael Jackson, but take a beat (ph) here for a second, admit that after hearing what Michael`s long-time bodyguard told us tonight, you might be thinking twice about some those opinions you formed about Michael, about Michael as a father, about past allegations.

Now it's a matter of whom you're going to believe, of course. Maybe we should all stop and reserve judgment about Dr. Murray until we hear what's presented in court. And even then, a jury is going to decide, not us. We'll be discussing it all right here, though, the evidences, the witnesses, the facts, HLN has got it all covered. Thank you all for watching tonight. See you next time.

My only question is, when are we as a collective public, and the media, going to stop and reserve judgment on Michael Jackson until we know all of the FACTS, and not just hearsay? When are we going to hear from the people who truly know and have reputable facts concerning the subject at hand and not just those who further along the misconceptions?

Writing Moonwalk...How It Came About, The Process, and Why It Almost Never Made It To Press

2011-07-15T17:07:00.001-05:00

The Story Behind The Book:

In this blog, I'm going to share with you the story of the creation of Moonwalk, Michael Jackson's sole autobiography. The following is an afterword in the actual Moonwalk book, the most recently released version, this afterword which is written by Shaye Areheart.

Areheart shares here about working with Michael Jackson and how the book, once completed, almost never made it to press.

I have scanned these pages for you as I did not want to retype numerous pages worth of information and words (which I did actually do in my blog of yesterday with Michael's quotes from Moonwalk):

"I think he suddenly felt terribly exposed. He had never said so much about himself, and his family and his life. He had never done a book before, and books are powerful. Once the words are printed, they are there forever. Would people like it? Had he revealed too much? Would he feel comfortable having the world know his feelings and thoughts? Eventually he calmed down and let it go, and we started the presses...."

Michael Jackson tells you, in his own words, who he is

2011-07-14T20:57:00.003-05:00

Media outlets are quick to tell you their sensationalized version of the King of Pop. Lies and rumors abound. You see and read so many stories....But who was Michael Jackson, really?

Was he strange? Why did he wear masks in public? Why so many odd stories about him?

The best possible way to get to know someone is to, well, get to know them. Listen to their own words, learn about them, learn about how they live their life and what kind of a person they are deep down inside directly from the person himself.

So much misunderstanding comes from not knowing a person well enough and not understanding where someone comes from. Judging without understanding their experience first. Take the time to understand someone first and everything begins to make sense.

Below are some excerpts from Michael Jackson's one and only autobiography, "Moonwalk" which should shed some serious light on all of the falsehoods out there and bring clarity to who Michael really was as a man, and a human being.

Here, you will read and hear directly from Michael himself...sharing his thoughts and feelings, telling you who he is.

I realize there is a certain population of the public who never read Moonwalk (though it was a #1 New York Times best-selling book when it came out). So I am including some important excerpts here that will help you understand who Michael Jackson truly was.

As you'll see, Michael Jackson really was not odd, weird, freakish or anything of the sort. Once people realize that sensationalism, lies and rumors are big business and big money makers, they will begin to see the truth. Once you take the time to get to know who someone really is, the lies expose themselves. Some of you may be surprised at what you read here:

Here, Michael shares his own thoughts and feelings:

Understanding Michael's Life:

" 'She's Out of My Life,' is about knowing the barriers that have separated me from others are temptingly low and seemingly easy to jump over and yet they remain standing while what I really desire disappears from my sight. Tom Bahler composed a beautiful bridge, which seemed right out of an old Broadway musical. In reality, such problems are not so easily resolved and the song presents this fact, that the problem is not overcome. We couldn't put this cut at the beginning or the end of the record, because it would have been such a downer. That's why when Stevie's song comes on afterward, so gently and tentatively, as if it was opening a door that had been bolted shut, I still go "Whew." By the time Rod (Temperton's) "Burn This Disco Out," closes the record, the trance is broken.

But I got too wrapped up in "She's Out of My Life." In this case, the story's true - I cried at the end of a take, because the words suddenly had such a strong effect on me. I had been letting so much build up inside of me. I was 21 years old, and I was so rich in some experiences while being poor in moments of true joy. Sometimes I imagine that my life experience is like an image in one of those trick mirrors in the circus, fat in one part and thin to the point of disappearing in another. I was worried that would show up on "She's Out of My Life," but if it touched people's heartstrings, knowing that would make me feel less lonely.

When I got emotional after that take, the only people with me were Q (Quincy Jones) and Bruce Swedien. I remember burying my face in my hands and hearing only the hum of the machinery as my sobs echoed in the room. Later I apologized, but they said there was no need."

Simply wanting to be accepted as a human being, and not a celebrity:

This drawing is by Michael Jackson himself. Many don't know that in addition to music and dance, Michael was also a talented artist

Here, Michael speaks about his love of art in a 1982 "Interview" magazine, interview with Bob Colacello

COLACELLO: Are you interested in art?
Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

JACKSON: I love to draw—pencil, ink pen—I love art. When I go on tour and visit museums in Holland, Germany or England—you know those huge paintings?—I’m just amazed. You don’t think a painter could do something like that. I can look at a piece of sculpture or a painting and totally lose myself in it. Standing there watching it and becoming part of the scene. It can draw tears, it can touch you so much. See, that’s where I think the actor or performer should be—to touch that truth inside of the person. Touch that reality so much that they become a part of what you’re doing and you can take them anywhere you want to. You’re happy, they’re happy. Whatever the human emotions, they’re right there with you. I love realism. I don’t like plastics. Deep down inside we’re all the same. We all have the same emotions and that’s why a film like E.T. touches everybody. Who doesn’t want to fly like Peter Pan? Who doesn’t want to fly with some magic creature from outer space and be friends with him? Steven went straight to the heart. He knows—when in doubt, go for the heart . . .

"I wanted to meet people who didn't know who I was. I wanted to run into somebody who would be my friend because they liked me and needed a friend too, not because I was who I am. "

"Making "Off the Wall" was one of the most difficult periods of my life, despite the eventual success it enjoyed. I had very few close friends at the time and felt very isolated. I was so lonely that I used to walk through my neighborhood hoping I'd run into somebody I could talk to and perhaps become friends with. I wanted to meet people who didn't know who I was. I wanted to run into somebody who would be my friend because they liked me and needed a friend too, not because I was who I am. I wanted to meet anybody in the neighborhood, the neighborhood kids, anybody.

Success definitely brings on loneliness. It's true. People think you're lucky, that you have everything. They think you can go anywhere and do anything, but that's not the point. One hungers for the basic stuff......"

"The Victory tour was my first chance to be exposed to the Michael Jackson fans since Thriller had come out two years earlier. There were some strange reactions...

I'd bump into people in hallways and they'd go, "Naw, that can't be him. He wouldn't be here." I was baffled and I'd ask myself, "Why wouldn't I? I'm on earth somewhere. I've got to be somewhere at any given time. Why not here?"

Some fans imagine you to be almost an illusion, this thing that doesn't exist....

When they see you, they feel it's a miracle or something. I've had fans ask me if I use the bathroom. I mean, it gets embarrassing. They just lose touch with the fact that you're like them because they get so excited. But I can understand it because I'd feel the same way, if, for instance, I could have met Walt Disney or Charlie Chaplin."

On His Love of Acting

This excerpt is from an interview done with "Interview" magazine in 1982:

COLACELLO: How do you compare acting to performing on the stage?

JACKSON: I love both. Acting is the cream of the crop. I love performing. It’s a phenomenal getaway. If you want to really let out everything you feel, that’s the time to do it. With acting, it’s like becoming another person. I think that’s neat, especially when you totally forget. If you totally forget, which I love to do, that’s when it’s magic. I love to create magic—to put something together that’s so unusual, so unexpected that it blows people’s heads off. Something ahead of the times. Five steps ahead of what people are thinking. So people see it and say, “Whoa I wasn’t expecting that.” I love surprising people with a present or a gift or a stage performance or anything. I love John Travolta, who came off that Kotter show. Nobody knew he could dance or do all those things. He is like—boom. Before he knew it, he was the next big Brando or something.

COLACELLO: You like to act a lot just in everyday life?

JACKSON: I love it so much. It’s escape. It’s fun. It’s just neat to become another thing, another person. Especially when you really believe in it and it’s not like you’re acting. I always hated the word acting—to say, “I’m an actor.” It should be more than that. It should be more like a believer.
COLACELLO: But isn’t that a little frightening when you believe it totally?
JACKSON: No, that’s what I really love about it. I just like to really forget.
COLACELLO: Why do you want to forget so much? Do you think life is really hard?
JACKSON: No, maybe it’s because I just like jumping in other people’s lives and exploring. Like Charlie Chaplin. I just love him to death. The little tramp, the whole gear and everything, and his heart—everything he portrayed on the screen was a truism. It was his whole life. He was born in London, and his father died an alcoholic when he was six. He roamed the streets of England, begging, poor, hungry. All this reflects on the screen and that’s what I like to do, to bring all of those truths out . .

Why the Sunglasses and Masks? Michael's basic human need for privacy amidst the groping, intrusive world of celebrity

"There's so little privacy in my life that concealing a little bit of me is a way to give myself a break from all that. It may be considered strange, I know, but I like my privacy."

"Leave Me Alone" is a track that appears only on the compact disc of "Bad". I worked hard on that song, stacking vocals on top of each other like layers of clouds. I'm sending a simple message here: "Leave me alone." The song is about a relationship between a guy and a girl. But what I'm really saying to people who are bothering me is: "Leave me alone."

The pressure of success does funny things to people. A lot of people become successful very quickly and it's an instant occurrence in their lives. Some of these people, whose success might be a one-shot thing, don't know how to handle what happens to them.

I look at fame from a different perspective, since I've been in this business for so long now. I've learned that the way to survive as your own person is to shun personal publicity and keep a low profile as much as possible. I guess it's good in some ways and bad in others.

The hardest part is having no privacy. I remember when we were filming "Thriller," Jackie Onassis and Shaye Areheart came to California to discuss this book. There were photographers in the trees, everywhere. It was not possible for us to do anything without it being noticed and reported.

The price of fame can be a heavy one. Is the price you pay worth it? Consider that you really have NO privacy. You can't really do anything unless special arrangements are made. The media prints whatever you say. They report whatever you do. They now what you buy, which movies you see, you name it. If I go to a public library, they print the titles of the books I check out. In Florida once, they printed my whole schedule in the paper; everything I did from ten in the morning until six at night. "After he did this, he did that, and after he did that, he went there, then he went door to door, and then he...."

I remember thinking to myself, "What if I were trying to do something that I didn't happen to want reported in the paper?" All of this is the price of fame.

I think my image gets distorted in the public's mind. They don't get a clear or full picture of what I'm like, despite the press coverage I mentioned early. Mistruths are printed as fact, in some cases, and frequently only half of a story will be told. The part that doesn't get printed is often the part that would make the printed part less sensational by shedding light on the facts. As a result, I think some people don't think I'm a person who determines what's happening with his career. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I've been accused of being obsessed with my privacy and it's true that I am. People stare at you when you're famous. They're observing you and that's understandable, but it's not always easy. If you were to ask me why I wear sunglasses in public as often as I do, I'd tell you it's because I simply don't like to have to constantly look everyone in the eye. It's a way of concealing just a bit of myself. After I had my wisdom teeth pulled, the dentist gave me a surgical mask to wear home to keep out germs. I loved that mask. It was great - much better than sunglasses - and I had fun wearing it around for a while. There's so little privacy in my life that concealing just a little bit of me is a way to give myself a break from all that. It may be considered strange, I know, but I like my privacy.'

"...Music was important in Gary. We had our own radio stations and nightclubs, and there was no shortage of people who wanted to be on them. After Dad ran our Saturday afternoon rehearsals, he'd go see a local show or even drive all the way to Chicago to see someone perform. He was always watching for things that could help us down the road. He'd come home and tell us what he'd seen and who was doing what. He kept up on all the latest stuff, whether it was a local theater that ran contests we could enter or a Cavalcade of Stars show with great acts whose clothes or moves we might adapt. Sometimes I wouldn't see Dad until I got back from Kingdom Hall on Sundays, but as soon as I ran into the house he'd be telling me what he'd seen the night before. He'd assure me I could dance on one leg like James Brown if I'd only try THIS step."

"There I'd be, fresh out of church, and back in show business."

His desire to unite the world/bring more love to the world and why he loved children so much:

"The best part of it (the Victory tour) for me was seeing the children in the audience. Every night there would be a number of them who had gotten all dressed up. They were so excited. I was truly inspired by the kids on that tour, kids of all ethnic groups and ages. It's been my dream since I was a child to somehow unite people of the world through love and music. I still get goose bumps when I hear the Beatles sing, "All You Need Is Love." I've always wished that song could be an anthem for the world."

"There are so many things all around us to be thankful for. Wasn't it Robert Frost who wrote about the world a person can see in a leaf? I think that's true.

That's what I love about being with kids. They notice everything. They aren't jaded. They get excited by things we've forgotten to get excited about any more. They are so natural too, so unself-conscious.

I love being around them.There always seems to be a bunch of kids over at the house and they're always welcome. They energize me - just being around them. They look at everything with such fresh eyes, such open minds. That's part of what makes kids so creative. They don't worry about the rules. The picture doesn't have to be in the center of the piece of paper. The sky doesn't have to be blue. They are accepting of people too. The only demand they make is to be treated fairly, and to be loved. I think that's what we all want."

A short Chat with Andy Warhol ("Interview" Magazine ,1982):

[Andy Warhol calls from New York.]

ANDY WARHOL: Hello?
JACKSON: Hi.
WARHOL: Gosh, this is exciting. You know, every time I use my Walkman I play your cassette on it . . . How have you been?
JACKSON: I’ve been in the studio a lot, writing lyrics and working on songs and stuff.
WARHOL: I might go see an English rock group at the Ritz tonight called Duran Duran. Do you know them?
JACKSON: No.
WARHOL: I went to see Blondie at the Meadowlands last week.
JACKSON: How was Blondie?
WARHOL: She was great. She’s so terrific. Do you know her?
JACKSON: No, I never met her.
WARHOL: Well, when you come to New York I’ll introduce her. Going on tour is about the hardest thing to do in the world.
JACKSON: Tour is something—the pacing. But being onstage is the most magic thing about it . . .
WARHOL: Did you ever think you’d grow up to be a singer?
JACKSON: I don’t ever remember not singing, so I never dreamed of singing.
WARHOL: Do you go out a lot or stay home?
JACKSON: I stay home.
WARHOL: Why do you stay home? There’s so much fun out. When you come to New York we’ll take you out.
JACKSON: The only time I want to go out is when I’m in New York.
WARHOL: Do you go to the movies?
JACKSON: Oh, yes. We’re going to be working on the E.T. album. I had a picture session with E.T. and it was so wonderful . . . He’s hugging me and everything.
WARHOL: I like Tron. It’s like playing the video games. Have you seen it?
JACKSON: Yes. It didn’t move me.
WARHOL: Well, thanks a lot. See you soon.
JACKSON: I hope so . . .

Laughter....

Michael laughing with Bill Bray, who was head of Michael's security team since he was a child

"Later, in another part of Florida, when the old tour boredom set in that I described earlier, I played a little trick on Frank (Dileo). I asked him to come up to my suite and when he came in I offered him some watermelon, which was lying on a table across the room. Frank went over to pick up a piece and tripped over my boa constrictor, Muscles, who was on the road with me. Muscles is harmless, but Frank hates snakes and proceeded to scream and yell. I started chasing him around the room with the boa. Frank got the upper hand, however. He panicked, ran from the room and grabbed the security guard's gun. He was going to shoot Muscles, but the guard calmed him down. Later he said all he could think of was: "I've got to get that snake." I've found that a lot of tough men are afraid of snakes."

Muscles the Boa Constrictor

A video of Michael's laughter during an interview. He had an amazing laugh that was contagious.

Mac Culkin and Michael play a trick on Black or White short film director John Landis

Trying to Understand the concept of Revenge:

"Heartbreak Hotel" was the most ambitious song I had composed. I think I worked on a number of levels: You could dance to it, sing along with it, get scared by it, and just listen. I had to tak on a slow piano and cello coda that ended on a positive note to reassure the listener; there's no point in trying to scare someone if there isn't something to bring the person back safe and sound from where you've taken them. "Heartbreak Hotel" had revenge in it and I am fascinated by the concept of revenge.

It's something I can't understand. The idea of making someone "pay" for something they've done to you or that you imagine they've done to you is totally alien to me. The setup showed my own fears and for the time being helped quell them. There were so many sharks in the business looking for blood in the water."

Respect for Women and Sex as one of God's gifts

"If this song (Heartbreak Hotel), and later "Billie Jean", seemed to cast women in an unfavorable light, it was not meant to be taken as a personal statement. Needless to say, I love the interaction between the sexes; it is a natural part of life and I love women. I just think that when sex is used as a form of blackmail or power; it's a repugnant (extremely distasteful or unacceptable) use of one of God's gifts."

Being in the Public Eye, A Need for Privacy and The Truth about Plastic Surgery:

"One of the side effects of the Thriller period was to make me weary of constantly being in the public eye. Because of this, I resolved to lead a quieter, more private life. I was still quite shy about my appearance. You must remember that I had been a child star and when you grow up under that kind of scrutiny people don't want you to change, to get older and look different. When I first became well known, I had a lot of baby fat and a very round, chubby face. That roundness stayed with me until several years ago when I changed my diet and stopped eating beef, chicken, pork and fish, as well as certain fattening foods. I just wanted to look better, live better and be healthier. Gradually, as I lost weight, my face took on its present shape and the press started accusing me of surgically altering my appearance, beyond the nose job I freely admitted I had, like many performers and film stars. They would take an old picture from adolescence or high school, and compare it to a current photograph. In the old picture my face would be round and pudgy. I'd have an Afro, and the picture would be badly lit. The new picture would show a much older, more mature face. I've got a different hairstyle and a different nose. Also, the photographer's lighting is excellent in the recent photographs. It's really not fair to make such comparisons. They have said I had bone surgery done on my face. It seems strange to me that people would jump to that conclusion and I thought it was very unfair.

Judy Garland and Jean Harlow and many others have had their noses done. My problem is that as a child star people got used to seeing me look one way.

I'd like to set the record straight right now.

I have never had my cheeks altered or my eyes altered. I have not had my lips thinned, nor have I had dermabrasion or a skin peel. All of these charges are ridiculous. If they were true, I would say so, but they aren't. I have had my nose altered twice and I recently added a cleft to my chin, but that is it. Period. I don't care what anyone else says, it's my face and I know.

I'm a vegetarian now and I'm so much thinner. I've been on a strict diet for years. I feel better than I ever have, healthier and more energetic. I don't understand why the press is so interested in speculating about my appearance anyway. What does my face have to do with my music or my dancing?

"...I can't help but pick up on some of the criticism leveled at me at times. Journalists seem willing to say anything to sell a paper. They say I've had my eyes widened, that I want to look more white. More white? What kind of statement is that? I didn't invent plastic surgery. It's been around for a long time. A lot of very fine, very nice people have had plastic surgery. No one writes about their surgery and levies such criticism at them. It's not fair. Most of what they print is fabrication. It's enough to make you ask, "What happened to truth. Did it go out of style?"

In the end, the most important thing is to be true to yourself and those you love and work hard. I mean, work like there's no tomorrow. Train. Strive. I mean, really train and cultivate your talent to the highest degree. Be the best at what you do. Get to know more about your field than anybody alive. Use the tools of your trade, if it's books or a floor to dance on or a body of water to swim in. Whatever it is, it's yours. That's what I've always tried to remember. I thought about it a lot on the Victory tour.

In the end, I felt I touched a lot of people on the Victory tour. Not exactly in the way I wanted to, but I felt that would happen later, when I was off on my own, performing and making movies. I donated all of my performance money to charity, including funds for the burn center that helped me after the fire on the Pepsi set. We donated more than four million dollars that year. For me, that was what the Victory tour was all about...giving back.

The Continued Quest for Privacy:

COLACELLO: It seems that what really motivates you is your desire to entertain people, to please people. What about fame and money? Could you imagine not being famous or does being famous bother you?

JACKSON: It never has bothered me except sometimes when you want peace. Like you go to the theater and you say, “Nobody’s bothering me tonight, I’m wearing my hat and glasses and I’m going to enjoy this film and that’s all there is to it.” You get in there and everybody’s watching and staring at you and at the climax of the film somebody taps you on the shoulder for an autograph. You just feel like you can’t get away . . .

"Interview" magazine 1982 interview

The Pepsi Scalp Burn

"I had planned to spend most of 1984 working on some movie ideas I had, but those plans got sidetracked. First, in January, I was burned on the set of a Pepsi commercial I was shooting with my brothers.

The reason for the fire was stupidity, pure and simple. We were shooting at night and I was supposed to come down a staircase with a magnesium flash bomb going off on either side of me and just behind me. It seemed so simple. I was to walk down the stairs and these bombs would blow up behind me. We did several takes that were wonderfully timed. The lighning effects from the bombs were great. Only later did I find out that these bombs were only two feet away from either side of my head, which was a total disregard of the safety regulations. I was supposed to stand in the middle of a magnesium explosion, two feet on either side.

Then Bob Giaraldi, the director, came to me and said, "Michael, you're going down too early. We want to see you up there, up on the stairs. When the lights come on, we want to reveal that you're there, so wait."

So I waited, the bombs went off on either side of my head , and the sparks set my hair on fire. I was dancing down this ramp and turning around, spinning, not knowing I was on fire. Suddenly I felt my hands reflexively going to my head in an attempt to smother the flames. I fell down and just tried to shake the flames out. Jermaine turned around and saw me on the ground, just after the explosions had gone off, and he thought I had been shot by someone in the crowd - because we were shooting in front of a big audience. That's what it looked like to him.

Miko Brando, who works for me, was the first person to reach me. After that, it was chaos. It was crazy. No film could properly capture the drama of what went on that night. The crowd was screaming. Someone shouted, "Get some ice!" There were frantic running sounds. People were yelling, "Oh no! The emergency truck came up and before they put me in I saw the Pepsi executives all huddled together in a corner, looking terrified. I remember the medical people putting me on a cot and the guys from Pepsi were so scared they couldn't even bring themselves to check on me.

Meanwhile, I was kind of detached, despite the the terrible pain. I was watching all the drama unfold. Later they told me I was in shock, but I remember enjoying the ride to the hospital because I never thought I'd ride in an ambulance with the sirens wailing. It was one of those things I had always wanted to do when I was growing up. When we got there, they told me there were news crews outside, so I asked for my glove. There's a famous shot of me waving from the stretcher with my glove on.

Later one of the doctors told me that it was a miracle I was alive. One of the firemen had mentioned that in most cases your clothes catch on fire, in which case your whole face can be disfigured or you can die. That's it. I had third-degree burns on the back of my head that almost went through to my skull, so I had a lot of problems with it, but I was very lucky.

What we now know is that the incident created a lot of publicity for the commercial. They sold more Pepsi than ever before. And they came back to me later and offered me the biggest commercial endorsement fee in history It was so unprecedented that it went into The Guinness Book of World Records. Pepsi and I worked together on another commercial, called "The Kid," and I gave them problems by limiting the shots of me because I felt the shots they were asking for didn't work well. Later, when the commercial was a success, they told me I had been right.

I still remember how scared those Pepsi executives looked the night of the fire. They thought that my getting burned would leave a bad taste in the mouth of every kid in America who drank Pepsi. They knew I could have sued them and I could have, but I was real nice about it. Real nice. They gave me $1,500,000 which I immediately donated to the Michael Jackson Burn Center. I wanted to do something because I was so moved by the other burn patients I met while I was in the hospital."

This, by the way, the Michael Jackson Burn Center and the money Michael donated to it, is where the "hyperbaric chamber" tabloid story comes from. Michael's money purchased the hyperbaric chamber, and Michael wanted to see it and get inside it and try it out. He was photographed doing so and the rumors started to fly!

Find more information on the facts behind all of the crazy rumors HERE

What Compelled Michael To Go Onstage Every Night:

"There've been times right before a show when certain things were bothering me- business or personal problems. I would think, "I don't know how to go through with this. I don't know how I'm going to get through the show. I can't perform like this."

But once I get to the side of the stage, something happens. The rhythm starts and the lights hit me and the problems disappear. This has happened so many times. The thrill of performing just takes over. It's like God saying, "Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Just wait. Wait till you hear this. Wait till you see this." And the backbeat gets in my backbone and it vibrates and it just takes me. Sometimes I almost lose control and the musicians say, "What is he doing?" and they start following me. You change the whole schedule of a piece. You stop and you just take over from scratch and do a whole other thing. The song takes you in another direction.

There was a part of the show on the Victory Tour where I was doing this scatting theme and the audience was repeating what I said. I'd say, "Da, de, da, de" and they'd say, "Da, de, da, de." There've been times when I've done that and they would start stomping. And when the whole audience is doing that, it sounds like an earthquake. Oh! Its a great feeling to be able to do that with all those people - whole stadiums - and they're all doing the same thing you're doing. It's the greatest feeling in the world. You look out in the audience and see toddlers and teens and grandparents and people in their twenties and thirties. Everybody is swaying, their hands are up, and they're all singing. You ask that the house lights come on and you see their faces and you say, "Hold hands" and they hold hands and you say "Stand up" or "clap" and they do. They're enjoying themselves and they'll do whatever you tell them. They love it and it's so beautiful - all the races of people are together doing this. At times like that I say, "Look around you. Look at yourselves. Look. Look around you. Look at what you have done." Oh, it's so beautiful. Very powerful. Those are great moments.

Learning to Manage his own Career:

"After my experiences with the Victory tour, I started making my career decisions with more care than ever. I had learned a lesson on an earlier tour, which I remembered vividly during the difficulties with Victory.

We did a tour years ago with this guy who ripped us off, but he taught me something. He said, "Listen, all these people work for YOU. You don't work for THEM. You are paying them."

He kept telling me that. Finally I began to understand what he meant. It was an entirely new concept for me because at Motown everything was done for us. Other people made our decisions. I've been mentally scarred by that experience. "You've got to wear this. You've got to do these songs. You are going here. You are going to do this interview and that TV show." That's how it went. We couldn't say anything. When he told me I was in control, I finally woke up. I realized he was right.

Despite everything, I owe that guy a debt of gratitude."

Billie Jean, the appearance of the Fedora and the Moonwalk, Motown 25 and Perfectionistic Expectations

"So I gathered my brothers and rehearsed them for this show. I really worked them, and it felt nice, a bit like the old days of the Jackson 5. I choreographed them and rehearsed them for days at our house in Encino, videotaping every rehearsal so we could watch it later. Jermaine and Marlon also made their contributions. Next we went to Motown in Pasadena for rehearsals. We did our act and, even though we reserved our energy and never went all out at rehearsal, all the people there were clapping and coming around and watching us. Then I did my "Billie Jean" rehearsal. I just walked through it because as yet I had nothing planned. I hadn't had time because I was so busy rehearsing the group.

The next day I called my management office and said, "Please order me a spy's hat, like a cool fedora - something that a secret agent would wear." I wanted something sinister and special, a real slouchy kind of hat. I still didn't have a very good idea of what I was going to do with "Billie Jean."

During the "Thriller" sessions, I had found a black jacket, and I said, "You know, someday I'm going to wear this to perform. It was so perfect and so show business that I wore it on Motown 25.

But the night before taping, I still had no idea what I was going to do with my solo number. So I went down to the kitchen of our house and played "Billie Jean." Loud. I was in there by myself, the night before the show, and I pretty much stood there and let the song tell me what to do. I kind of let the dance create itself. I really let it talk to me; I heard the beat come in, and I took this spy's hat and started to pose and step, letting the "Billie Jean," rhythm create the movements. I felt almost compelled to let it create itself. I couldn't help it. And that - being able to "step back" and let the dance come through - was a lot of fun.

I had also been practicing certain steps and movements, although most of the performance was actually spontaneous. I had been practicing the Moonwalk for some time, and it dawned on me in our kitchen that I would finally do the Moonwalk in public on Motown 25.

Now the Moonwalk was already out on the street by this time, but I enhanced it a little when I did it. It was born as a break-dance step, a "popping" type of thing that black kids had created dancing on street corners in the ghetto. Black people are truly innovative dancers; they create many of the new dances, pure and simple. So I said, "This is my chance to do it," and I did it. These three kids taught it to me. They gave me the basics, and I had been doing it a lot in private. I had practiced it together with certain other steps. All I was really sure of was that on the bridge to "Billie Jean" I was going to walk backward and forward at the same time, like walking on the moon.

On the day of the taping, Motown was running behind schedule. Late. So I went off and rehearsed by myself. By then I had my spy hat. My brothers wanted to know what the hat was for, but I told them they'd have to wait and see. But I did ask Nelson Hayes for a favor. "Nelson, after I do the set with my brothers and the lights go down, sneak the hat out to me in the dark. I'll be in the corner, next to the wings, talking to the audience, but you sneak that hat back there and put it in my hand in the dark."

So after my brothers and I finished performing, I walked over to the side of the stage and said, "You're beautiful! I'd like to say those were the good old days; those were magic moments with all my brothers, including Jermaine. But what I really like" and Nelson is sneaking the hat into my hand, "are the newer songs." I turned around and grabbed the hat and went into "Billie Jean," into the heavy rhythm; I could tell that people in the audience were really enjoying my performance. My brothers told me they were crowding the wings watching me with their mouths open, and my parents and sisters were out there in the audience. But I just remember opening my eyes at the end of the thing and seeing this sea of people standing up, applauding. And I felt so many conflicting emotions. I knew I had done my best and felt good, so good. But at the same time I felt disappointed in myself. I had planned to do one really long spin and to stop on my toes, suspended for a moment, but I didn't stay on my toes as long as I wanted. I did the spin and I landed on one toe. I wanted to just stay there, just freeze there, but it didn't work quite as I'd planned.

When I got backstage, the people back there were congratulating me. I was still disappointed about the spin. I had been concentrating so hard and I'm such a perfectionist. At the same time I knew that was one of the happiest moments of my life. I knew that for the first time my brothers had really gotten a chance to watch me and see what I was doing, how I was evolving. After the performance, each of them hugged and kissed me backstage. They had never done that before, and I felt happy for all of us. It was so wonderful when they kissed me like that. I loved it! I mean, we hug all the time. My whole family embraces a lot, except for my father. He's the only one who doesn't. Whenever the rest of us see each other, we embrace, but when they all kissed me that night, I felt as if I had been blessed by them.

The performance was still gnawing me, and I wasn't satisfied until a little boy came up to me backstage. He was about 10 years old and was wearing a tuxedo. He looked up at me with stars in his eyes, frozen where he stood, and said, "Man, who ever taught you to dance like that?"

I kind of laughed and said, "Practice, I guess." And this boy was looking at me, awestruck. I walked away, and for the time that that evening I felt really good about what I had accomplished that night.

I said to myself, I must have done really well because children are honest. When that kid said what he did, I really felt that I had done a good job. I was so moved by the whole experience that I went right home and wrote down everything which had happened that night. My entry ended with my encounter with the child.

The day after the Motown 25 show, Fred Astaire called me on the telephone. He said, these are his exact words, "You're a hell of a mover. Man, you really put them on their asses last night." That's what Fred Astaire said to me. I thanked him. Then he said, "You're an angry dancer. I'm the same way. I used to do the same thing with my cane."

I had met him once or twice in the past, but this was the first time he had ever called me. He went on to say, "I watched the special last night; I taped it and I watched it again this morning. You're a hell of a mover."

It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life, and the only one I had ever wanted to believe. For Fred Astaire to tell me that meant more to me than anything.

Later my performance was nominated for an Emmy Award in a musical category, but I lost to Leontyne Price. It didn't matter. Fred Astaire had told me things I would never forget - that was my reward. Later he invited me to his house, and there were more compliments from him until I really blushed. He went over my "Billie Jean" performance, step by step. The great choreographer Hermes Pan, who had choreographed Fred's dances in the movies, came over, and I showed them how to Moonwalk and demonstrated some other steps that really interested them.

Not long after that Gene Kelly came by my house to visit and also said he liked by dancing. It was a fantastic experience, that show, because I felt I had been inducted into an informal fraternity of dancers, and I felt so honored because these were the people I most admired in the world.

Man in the Mirror

"Man in the Mirror" is a great message. I love that song. If John Lennon was alive, he could really relate to that song because it says that if you want to make the world a better place, you have to work on yourself and change first. It's the same thing Kennedy was talking about when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change. Start with the man in the mirror. Start with yourself. Don't be looking at all the other things. Start with you.

"I've always joked that I didn't ask to sing and dance, but it's true. When I open my mouth, music comes out. I'm honored that I have this ability. I thank God for it every day. I try to cultivate what He gave me. I feel compelled to do what I do." ~ Michael Jackson, "Moonwalk"

Writing "Moonwalk" was not easy for Michael. Allowing himself to be this vulnerable and sharing this much was very frightening for him, and he had second thoughts, as I will soon share in the next blog. The reason he went ahead? Because he wanted people to know who he really was, despite the public's wrong perception and the media's false portrayal.

There's so much more to know...for instance, did you know that Michael was very self-conscious about his appearance as he dealt with a bad case of acne in his teen years and his changing adolescent looks that, having been a child star, people were very cruel to him about the changes they saw? The childhood he had growing up performing in stripclubs and nightclubs....gigs his father had set up to break his boys into show business? The very strict upbringing and punishment?

"We worked in more than one club that had strippers in those days. I used to stand in the wings of this one place in Chicago and watch a lady whose name was Mary Rose. I must have been nine or ten. This girl would take off her clothes and her panties and throw them to the audience. The men would pick them up and sniff them and yell. My brothers and I would be watching all this, taking it in, and my father wouldn't mind. We were exposed to a lot doing that kind of circuit. In one place they had cut a litle hole in the musicians' dressing room wall that also happened to act as a wall in the ladies' bathroom. You could peek through this hole, and I saw stuff I've never forgotten. Guys on that circuit were so wild, they did stuff like drilling little holes into the walls of the ladies' loo all the time. Of course, I'm sure that my brothers. Of course, I'm sure that my brothers and I were fighting over who got to look through the hole. "Get outta the way, it's my turn!" Pushing each other away to make room for ourselves.

Michael's mother worried for her son. "This is quite a life for a nine-year old," she would say, staring intently at my father."

"He'd (my father) would sit at home with us every day after school and rehearse us. We'd perform for him and he'd critique us. If you messed up, you got hit, sometimes with a belt, sometimes with a switch. My father was real strict with us. Real strict. Marlon was the one who got in trouble all the time. On the other hand, I'd get beaten for things that happened mostly outside rehearsal. Dad would make me so mad and hurt that I'd try to get back at him and get beatel all the more. I'd take a shoe and throw it at him, or I'd just fight back, swinging my fists. That's why I got it more than all my brothers combined. I would fight back and my father would kill me, just tear me up. Mother told me I'd fight back even when I was very little, but I don't remember that. I do remember running under tables to get away from him, and making him angrier. We had a turbulent relationship."

"I remember my childhood as mostly work, even though I loved to sing. I wasn't forced into this business by stage parents the way Judy Garland was. I did it because I enjoyed it and because it was as natural to me as drawing a breath and exhaling it. I did it because I was compelled to do it, not by parents or family, but by my own inner life in the world of music.

"There were times, let me make that clear, when I'd come home from school and I'd only have time to put my books down and get ready for the studio. Once there, I'd sing until late at night, until it was past my bedtime, really. There was a park across the street from the Motown studio, and I can remember looking at those kids playing games....

I'd just stare and them and wonder, I couldn't imagine such freedom, such a carefree life, and wish more than anything that I had that kind of freedom, that I could walk away and be like them."

If you want to know more, please visit http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com for in-depth articles, information, exclusive interviews, past interviews (print and video) done with Michael, facts vs. fiction and much more.

Susan Yu...The Unsung Hero of the 2005 Michael Jackson trial

2011-07-14T11:39:00.002-05:00

Attorney Tom Mesereau speaks about his law partner, Susan Yu

By Deborah L. Kunesh

"Susan Yu really was the unsung hero of the 2005 Michael Jackson Trial" ~Tom Mesereau

Many don't realize the incredibly important role that Tom Mesereau's law partner, Attorney Susan Yu, played in Michael Jackson's 2005 trial and acquittal.

Together, Mesereau and Yu both worked as a well-oiled machine to bring truth and justice to a case that was riddled with deception, greed and a vendetta, not to mention a media hell-bent on twisting the facts of the case and making sure that Michael Jackson would be found guilty in the court of public opinion, if not in the courtroom.

If Mr. Mesereau was the bold and shining name on the marquee, Susan Yu was the bright shining light gleaming behind the marquee letters. One, without the other, would be missing something absolutely crucial. The dynamic duo was dynamic, according to Mesereau, because of his partner.

"Susan Yu was the only lawyer I worked closely with during the Michael Jackson trial. She was the only lawyer I trusted. She was, without a doubt, the most important lawyer on the defense team," stated Mesereau.

One thing is certain. Mesereau most definitely has very deep respect and admiration for his partner in law and justice, and rightfully so.

"When I was interviewed by Michael and Randy Jackson, I said that I would only serve as Michael’s lead counsel if Susan Yu were my co-counsel," stated Mesereau. "Randy and Michael were well aware of Susan’s superior legal abilities. They repeatedly said that Susan and I were the most important lawyers on Michael’s defense team. All of the other lawyers were expendable as far as Michael and Randy were concerned," said Mesereau.

Susan Yu and Tom Mesereau in June 2005

"Each day, the only lawyers who knew what the defense strategy and tactics were going to be were Susan and I." said Mesereau. "We worked closely with our staff, all of whom lived in condominiums in the same complex. We were like a guarded encampment. We never shared our tactics or strategy with other lawyers, including local counsel.

I allowed local counsel to handle matters that I didn’t think were particularly critical. Only Susan and I handled the critical matters."

Yu also developed a close friendship with Michael Jackson throughout the course of the trial (as Susan herself notes, this came about from sharing so much grief and strong emotion due to what happened to Michael and throughout the course of the trial, and Michael's very own kind, thankful nature) and she stayed in touch with Michael even after he left the country after the 2005 trial came to a close. In the video below, Susan speaks to a reporter about Michael Jackson and the type of person he was, their friendship, representing him as a client, and being a lawyer.

Susan Yu talks about Michael and the type of person he was, working with Michael Jackson and befriending him. English begins at 50 seconds

Mesereau goes on to share some of Yu's accolades, with the complete respect that comes from a rock solid partnership and mutual trust.

"Since the Michael Jackson trial, Susan has achieved a remarkable trial record in criminal and civil court. Of particular note to Michael Jackson fans is her victory on behalf of Madame Bongo, the former First Lady of Gabon, Africa," said Mesereau.

"Madame Bongo, and her daughter, are close to the Jackson family and have stayed at the Hayvenhurst residence on numerous occasions. Susan represented Madame Bongo in a civil fraud trial after the Michael Jackson verdict. Madame Bongo was about to be defrauded out of her expensive mansion in Beverly Hills. Susan went into court and stopped the fraud."

Unbelievably, Susan came face to face once again with someone who had done so much damage to her former client and friend, Michael Jackson.

Tom Mesereau shares, "She then represented Ms. Bongo in a trial where opposing counsel was Barry K. Rothman. Yes, this is the same Barry K. Rothman that represented Evan Chandler, the father of Jordie Chandler, in 1993. Susan won her trial against Barry K. Rothman and prevented Madame Bongo from being defrauded out of her home. The trial judge made a finding that fraud existed and awarded the verdict and judgment to Susan Yu and her client."

Yu has received recognition and awards for her contributions to various community-based organizations and has been listed as one of the “Top 75 Women Litigators in California” by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the leading legal newspaper in California

Source: http://www.mesereauyu.com/?p=673

From the Mesereau and Yu website:

Over the years, Ms. Yu has successfully defended prominent clients in high-stakes cases, including: the late music legend, Michael Jackson; the former First Lady of Gabon, Africa (also the mother of the country’s current president, President Ali Bongo); actor Robert Blake; a prominent Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon before the California Medical board; a well-respected Radiologist; a successful Orthopedic Surgeon in Beverly Hills; a highly accomplished Corporate Lawyerin Los Angeles; the world’s largest home improvement retailer, Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.; the founder and former CEO of women’s knitwear, St. John Knits International, Inc.; the country’s highest grossing Real Estate Agent; one of the country’s top real estate companies, Coldwell Banker Realty; and a publicly traded, Texas-based Oil Pipeline Company.

Committed to excellence and strong dedication to her clients, Ms. Yu has consistently obtained outstanding results, both in and out of the court.

You can read more here: http://www.mesereauyu.com/?page_id=1146

Both Susan Yu and Tom Mesereau were a stellar law team that brought justice for Michael Jackson in the courtroom and overcame some heavy obstacles...a rabid media, so much deception, a family with an intent to extort. It's wonderful to see Susan Yu getting some very well-deserved recognition from her law partner and someone so highly respected in the Michael Jackson fan community.

Congratulations Susan for all of your accomplishments and thank you so much for all you did for Michael! You, along with Tom Mesereau, made sure an innocent man was exhonerated. God Bless You both!

Choreographer & Dancer Vincent Paterson Talks About The Making Of Smooth Criminal, and Working With Michael Jackson

2011-07-09T10:52:00.000-05:00

Two wonderful stories from choreographer Vincent Paterson on working with Michael:

"He is music. His body IS music."

Vincent Paterson speaking about Michael's innate dancing ability & his ability to interpret music and make it come to life

"...I had danced with MJ in two videos. I was the gang leader in Beat It, and a zombie dancer in Thriller, as well as being the assistant choreographer for Michael Peters. I was at home one night and got a phone call. A very soft voice asked for Vincent Paterson. I thought it was someone playing a joke on me, using a voice like Michael Jackson. “Who’s calling? “ I asked. “It’s Michael Jackson,” was the reply. “Who the hell is this?” I asked. Same response. “I’m gonna hang the f*** phone up if you don’t tell me who is calling,“ I said. It really was Michael Jackson. I profusely apologized.

Watch the PODCAST HERE

Wonderful podcast....a MUST LISTEN :) He shares some insight into Michael, into Michael's artistry and dancing, and so much more.

Read the story

http://boomitude.com/features/michael-jacksons-moves.html

Many Thanks to Dhez Rueda for the link to this beautiful story :)

Here is another story as well:

The 59-year-old (Paterson), who lives in California’s Hollywood Hills, occasionally hears Jackson’s soft voice in his head -- a voice he can imitate almost perfectly. “He always told me to let the music talk to you,” Paterson said. “Don’t ever impose your thoughts on the music. The music will tell you what it wants to do.”

To Paterson, Jackson was the catalyst of his success, not the Wacko Jacko, off-the-deep-end image concocted by the tabloids.

“I lived with Michael through all of those years with the press,” Paterson said. “I would sit in the trailer and he would cry. He would say ‘I don’t understand why they want to tear me apart.’”

Read the rest of this story HERE

Finding the Truth in the Aaron Carter Interviews

2011-07-08T18:33:00.052-05:00

Anything, for Money?

Many of you recently have seen video, audio or print regarding an interview done with singer Aaron Carter. This interview was done with OK! Magazine, and tabloid journalist Daphne Barak was the interviewer.

Much scandal has come from this interview and things that were alleged to have been said. This news went national and international and is all over the internet.

I'm going to share with you some of my thoughts, as well as facts and information, and also an amazing, well-written piece by The Silenced Truth about Michael Jackson website. This truth needs to be known.

The main problem with all that has gone on, is that the stories that have come out have not corroborated one another, and, the stories Aaron has shared in these recent audio interviews, do not corroborate the stories that he himself shared years ago, insisting that Michael NEVER gave him drugs, nor alcohol and that nothing untoward ever happened between himself and Michael.

Why has Aaron changed his story? Did the tabloids lie?

My goal here is to try to clear up some of the mess and bring some sanity back to what is once again, nothing more than a tabloid, sensationalized story, highlighting lies and untruths. I know some will not agree with my covering this subject, but I aim to do this in a very fair, clear, just manner because, I feel, Michael deserves truth. If we don't get the truth out there and debunk the lies and sensationalism coming out once again, the skewed stories that have changed over the course of time for everyone's benefit except for Michael's, regardless of the lack of truth contained in those stories, then who will?

The problem is, there is a portion of the public that believes these tabloid stories and they won't take the time to check to see if there is any truth to them.. They see it and immediately say "oh my God! I knew it! Here's proof of what Michael Jackson did, what kind of a person he was". This is very damaging because, like nearly everything else, they are sound bytes the media uses to make us believe something. They know we're too darn lazy to research it ourselves...and they know that any story about Michael Jackson is going to net them big profits.

NOW...what about truth? As Michael stated himself "Has the truth gone out of style?"

What we all know by now, is that tabloids LIE....they will twist people's words, add things, take things out and just outright lie to put out a story that will sell their magazine or newspaper. Also, don't quickly discredit the timing of this interview and scandal as a possible attempt to taint the jury pool for the upcoming trial against Michael's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray.

The problem is, tabloids rely on 2 things to make them successful.

The interviewee, the subject/person being interviewed, and most times this person is offered a LOT of money to do the interview...which can be anywhere in the range of 5 and 6 figures...and in doing so, they agree to insinuate, give innuendo to possible scandal, or outright lie or share negative, juicy stories about another person, most often a person of great renown whose name will sell that tabloid or newspaper. So, the tabloids need that interview subject and, they need the public to buy the crap. So the 2 needs a tabloid has are people willing to sell their soul and lie, for money or to give the publication the right to lie because they needed or wanted that money or publicity so badly, and, the gullible, willing public, wanting to fill a void with garbage news.

So, regardless of what has happened here, be it that Aaron's words were twisted or lied about, or if he indeed said some of these things, either way, Aaron Carter is responsible for his part in this in that he agreed to the tabloid interview, got paid to do it (this is the major draw of doing a tabloid interview) and, being in the entertainment business, he is well aware of what the tabloids are, and what they do. He MUST take responsibility for his part in this, even if the tabloids twisted his words.

In saying this, however, I ask that no hate be directed towards Aaron. We are all better than that. Many may not be happy with this story or the rotating, changing-by-the-minute stories, not to mention the complete lack of respect for another human being, especially someone who has passed on and can no longer defend himself against this, but, we must act out of a place of love, and dignity.

It's no secret that the tabloids are full of gossip and lies. This is how they make their money. They sensationalize and bring down others for the monetary success of their publication and their journalists. They have their major part as well in ruining reputations and slandering the character of others. The two work together synergistically. The tabloids need those who are willing to accept money to shovel out dirt. If you interview with a tabloid, you had better be aware that what you share is going to be twisted most times, and, that they will require of you to share "dirt"...if they didn't, they certainly would not be offering that kind of money to do the interviews. Everyone who knows about tabloids, knows this is how they work.

Long-time friend to Michael Jackson, David Nordahl, spoke with me about this in the interview he did with me, stating that he was approached with tabloids carrying briefcases full of money and that they made it clear they were looking for dirt on Michael. He didn't take the bait because not only did he have dignity and was a true friend, but, he said it very clearly...This is a paraphrase..."there were no such stories...there was nothing bad to say about Michael."

Dr. Patrick Treacy, who befriended Michael when he lived in Ireland after the 2005 trial, also spoke of having tabloids offering him lots of money to divulge negative stories about Jackson. He didn't bite either and also shared that there were NO negative stories to share.

Those with dignity will resist, no matter the amount of money.

Below is what was published on the OK Magazine website, highlighting what is supposed to be in the magazine article:

‘MICHAEL GAVE ME DRUGS’

Date posted: June-23-2011 17:30Comments: 0

Opening up for the first time about his controversial relationship with Michael Jackson, fellow child star Aaron Carter shares some shocking truths with OK!

On the second anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, his former friend and confidant, Aaron Carter, 23, has come clean about his close – and controversial – relationship with the pop singer, revealing all to internationally renowned interviewer Daphne Barak during a charity visit to Marbella, Spain.

Exposing their most intimate moments together, Aaron tells OK! how MJ gave him drugs and alcohol when he was just 15.

‘I never talked about it… This is the first time. I do… I miss Michael… I have spent such incredible times with him. I did things with him that nobody else did… But I was also troubled about what he did to me,’ Aaron says.

When asked whether Michael gave him alcohol, Aaron tells Daphne, ‘Yes, he gave me wine. I mean, I could have refused, but I was 15.’ As for drugs? ‘He gave me cocaine. I felt weird about that and other stuff… We spoke afterwards, hours and hours, on the phone. I admired Michael, but his behaviour bothered me a lot. Then my mother called the police…’

For the full story, pick up a copy of this week’s OK! magazine, on sale now! ~

As I've stated above, this clip is from OK! Magazine's website. That is the direct source. I will not post the link because in doing so, it will earn them money from this story for every click.

From this, we have very little idea, other than the audio/video, of what Aaron Carter actually said versus what was printed. As stated previously, the tabloids routinely change a story around and will mince words that were said in an interview to fit what they want the public to think.

We also don't know if the audio was edited, though, Aaron himself, in this interview below, claims that what he said on video is what he said, and nothing more. Aaron comes across as upset over this injustice and the lie that he supposedly had stated that Michael gave him cocaine. I understand that anger and I am grateful that it seems he tried to clear this up, but the problem is, the damage was already done by agreeing in the first place, to interview with a known tabloid. I am really not sure at this point on what to think. I was angry when I first heard and now, I just simply want the truth out there.

This interview (below) is a defense from Aaron regarding the recent OK! Magazine article. Notice closely that he vehemently denies that Michael ever gave him cocaine, and, he states that there was wine at this party, and he had some, but he NEVER STATES that Michael gave him the wine. THIS is why we have to pay such close attention.

We know that the Arvizo boys, Star and Gavin (Gavin Arvizo was the boy who accused Michael of molestation in 2003....if you want to learn more about that, click HERE), knew there was a wine cellar at Neverland and they broke into the cellar and stole wine from there. When Michael found out about this and other things the family were doing, he was outraged and this is when he started to want them to leave, they knew there were on their way out, and that's when the trouble, and allegations, began. Aaron, in this interview below, states that the article above is not true, that he never stated that.

Michael's long-time friend of 25 years, Frank Cascio, had this to say on Twitter when he heard that OK! Magazine had Aaron Carter stating that Michael had given him (Aaron) cocaine:

‎@fdcascio
Frank Cascio
I knew Michael for over 25 year and NEVER once did he use cocaine or suggest to anyone else to use cocaine. Never!!!!

Rodney Jerkins, who was also a friend of Michael's and the music producer for "You Rock My World" off of Michael's "Invincible" Album, had this to say on his Twitter:

Rodney Jerkins

ONLY1DARKCHILD Rodney JerkinsReading this interview that @iamaaroncarter did about MJ. Im so tired of people trying to make a name for them self on the count of MJ.

ONLY1DARKCHILD Rodney JerkinsPeople need to chill out and let MJ rest in peace.

What about the original interview audio interview with Aaron Carter? You can listen to that below:

In the above, original video interview, where you can clearly see that this is Aaron Carter, Aaron is asked by Barak if he saw Michael doing drugs or anything, and his answer was:

"Ugh, I mean, there was definitely...things that happened, you know, that were just different, you know, weird. He, ugh, he drank, he drank around me a little bit, and you know, he (then Barak asks him to verify that he was 14/15). Then, in a nearly inaudible question, Aaron was either asked if any of the other kids were drunk, or, if Michael was acting drunk, and he answered, "ugh, yeah." He then states that he personally didn't see any drug issues. He goes on to say that the time he spent with Michael he was fine, but then here's the kicker "well, who knows...the human body builds a tolerance" leaving that room for speculation that the tabloids demand. He then goes on to say "He could have been doing something and I didn't have a clue..."

The questioning then continues with Barak stating that Aaron only spent 2 days with him and Michael could have hidden something, with Carter stating "absolutely, he could have walked in the bathroom, it takes 2 seconds."

So, this interview was not as innocent as some think, and it definitely leaves open for speculation, Michael's character and lifestyle and, even worse, furthers along the rumors and lies that have been out there about Michael for years now. Worse yet, it's all lies, as you'll see as you continue to read this blog.

The video then switches directly to a song tribute that Carter states is a message to Michael...and I can't help but think, no song, no matter how sincere, can make up for betrayal and the damage already done to Michael's reputation by the lies and innuendos in that interview. It just doesn't cut it.

Carter states in this interview that he wants to preserve Michael's legacy...yet, with the words he is using and the fact that he willingly was interviewed by a tabloid, I'm not sure how he expected to do that :-/

Below is some additional audio that was released July 1st (the original was in June). Has the audio been fooled with? Hard to tell and very possible. There is no video accompanying this audio. But, it's very clear that in this audio, Aaron says this:

"He wanted me to stay in his room. So he got a cot, a bed, uh, and I stayed on the cot, in his room...and it's must have been 5 o'clock in the morning, he's on my bed. He's on the foot of my bed. (listen closely to how Aaron is saying this...there is no doubt it is being said in a way that insinuates that something might not be right and that he is afraid or confused)...."And I wake up (gasp), like, what are you doing? It's like, you know, I'm 15 years old, you know, like, what are you doing? Like, oh my God. So he went in his bed and I'm like okaaaaay.

Barak then asks Carter, "when he was doing this, where were they? (Michael's kids). Aaron answers..."they were right in the room next door.

BUT....What about this Aaron?

On his playdate at Neverland with Jackson, who has been charged with child molestation: "Michael and I have been friends for three years. I went to Neverland for his (45th) birthday bash. We were smashing cake in each other's faces. It was really cool. Until 5 a.m., me, him and Chris Tucker were out on four-wheelers, riding around in the mountains. Nothing happened between me and Michael. We didn't sleep in the same room, we didn't share a bed. We have a normal friendship. There's nothing sexual to it." ~People Magazine, November 2004

Did you catch that?

"Nothing happened between me and Michael. We didn't sleep in the same room, we didn't share a bed."

Why now then, is Aaron stating that they did sleep in the same room? The party was in 2003, this interview was done in 2004!!!

And THIS?

Teen pop star Aaron Carter is speaking out to PEOPLE about his troubled relationship with his mother and sister – and about his friendship with Michael Jackson.

After Carter's mother Jane told "Access Hollywood" that her son had spent an unsupervised night with Jackson at his Neverland Ranch, and Carter's sister Leslie, 18, implied that drug use may have been involved, Carter told PEOPLE: "I don't do drugs. I didn't do them with Michael Jackson and I don't do them with anyone else."

Carter, 16, had a lot more to say in a frank discussion.

On his mother and sister: "I really don't like being around them. All I hear is 'You need to go on television and make me look better.' I just think, 'Just be my mother, just be my sister.' It's all about money and publicity for them. My last word to (my mother) is that she's the adult, not me. But it seems to be switched around.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,784076,00.html

It's easy to see that this line of audio that was released July 1st (below) insinuates that Michael was doing something sinister to Aaron, when in fact, all Aaron actually states is that supposedly Michael was sitting on the foot of his bed....did this even happen? We know that in several earlier interviews, he stated that he slept in the movie theater and NEVER slept in Michael's room! Making matters even worse is that, either by his own accord, or the way the audio may have been altered, this scenario, which I doubt ever happened, is portrayed as somehow scary and that he was afraid. His voice comes across as very deliberate in that he is trying to insinuate something sensationalistic. This completely contradicts everything he has previously testified to numerous times.

Here's the audio:

Now, compare and contrast that with this interview, below, done several years ago. In this interview below, EVERYTHING that Aaron says is completely opposite of what is in the above interviews. Here, Aaron and his brother Nick Carter, are talking about the EXACT SAME PARTY/event that Aaron speaks about above, and yet, he has completely and utterly, changed every aspect of his story.

I am not crazy about Howard Stern (he of course is a shock jock, just after shocking, disgusting information and innuendos..he's basically a radio tabloid journalist), and I'm not real crazy about how Aaron acts here either in this interview as I feel that some of his behavior, laughing along, etc. are disrespectful to Michael, whom he claims is/was his friend, but you will see, that Aaron's original story here is completely opposite of what he has shared in the past month.

The transcript I include below of the above interview, from The Silenced Truth, shows what Aaron said and how he categorically DENIED any wrongdoing on Michael's part..said Michael NEVER touched him, that he never suggested they have a sleepover, that he NEVER drank wine with him or smoked weed with him. that he NEVER slept in Michael's room!

Unfortunately, his joking attitude, of stating "I think I was too old" to Howard Stern when it was stated that his hanging out with Michael Jackson was "dangerous", to me at least, really puts a very LARGE QUESTION MARK on whether Aaron Carter was ever a true friend to Michael. My guess is, I don't think so. You don't talk about your friends like this and insinuate that they might be guilty of something that perverse and disgusting, that you know for a fact, they didn't do.

Aaron also states here that he slept in the movie theater and Chris Tucker slept in another area of the movie theater (for those unaware, Michael had, in the movie theater, several rooms with beds where kids who were bed-bound and ill, could lie in the beds in the movie theater and still watch the movie)

What I want to know is, how did it go from this interview, where Aaron emphatically stated that Michael NEVER touched him, or asked him to sleep over and NEVER drank wine or did drugs, to stating that Michael may have done drugs, Michael drank in front of him sometimes, and he slept in Michael's room that night. Just how much money was all of that lying worth? :(

“(I) never (had sleep-overs with Michael Jackson. You know what, actually, Chris Tucker was there too (at the party) and Rodney Jerkins, he was producing his album. […] It was (Michael’s) birthday party. […] Well, we met him through Rodney Jerkins, he was in the studio and he wanted to meet the both of us. […] No, I don't think he was interested like everybody portrays him to be. He's definitely - he's definitely [gets interrupted by host]. […] (He) never (gave me a car). [His brother Nick jumps in to defend him] You don't even need to. You don't even need to.Because it really pisses me off that people would think about Michael like that, because... […] Well, you're wrong. You're wrong, Howard. You're wrong, Howard! […] (I was) fifteen (when I hang out with him). […] He never did (buy me a car).[…] He (just) gave me a jacket that he wore for the 2001 anniversary that he did with his brothers. […] (I never smoked weed with Michael Jackson). No, never, nu-uh. […] (Raising hand) I swear I never smoked weed with Michael Jackson. […] [I never drank wine with him.] No, it's not true, none of this is true. […] Not a damned thing. […] (He never touched me.) Never, never. […] [He never suggested we have a sleepover.]No, never, never heard anything like that.” (from The Silenced Truth website)

Why the change in story Aaron? Was it all tabloid word manuevering? I'm not sure. One thing I know though is, this is an incredible injustice to a man who never wanted anything more than to help bring awareness to the world, and healing.

The Silenced Truth also shared this on their website, from an exclusive, anonymous, yet verified source of theirs, on what really happened at Neverland that day in 2003 on Michael's birthday:

"The context in question is a bash held at Neverland Ranch in 2003 celebrating Jackson’s birthday, at which brothers Nick and Aaron carter, Frank Cascio, music producer and publisher Rodney Jerkins, comedy actor Chris Tucker, former boxer Mike Tyson among others, including a variety of admirers, were present. Jerkins also declared the following on his Twitter account: “I’m so tired of people trying to make a name for them self on the count of MJ.”

....And last, but certainly not least, here is what a (very reliable) acquaintance of Michael Jackson’s, who was also present at the mentioned 2003 birthday, has to say following this media hysteria. For security and confidentiality purposes, we are not revealing their identity, but The Silenced Truth are assuring you all they are both accurate and reliable. We are also encouraging you to forward the below statements - that counter everything that has been recently claimed by both Aaron Carter and the transparent media pundits where you can or find fit:
“He´s been lying a lot about that party. I´m not a famous person and what I say (may) have no meaning, but those who were on that party too and who are famous should really speak about what went on there. Karen (Faye) can also do that (…).
I saw Michael leave for just a few minutes to wash (his face) of (sic) that cake (he was smeared with by Aaron Carter), he was later sipping on a glass of wine, and he never finished it. They were out driving around the ranch with the fourwheelers and we were many out there having a laugh about it. When talking to Michael, he (Michael) said he didn´t even know half of the people being there, but he loved that the fans could be there. When he finally left the party after driving around the ranch, he was alone except for one security guy. He invited a few (I was among them) into the house, we were there for about an hour. He left for his bedroom and didn´t ask us to leave, it was more like "Enjoy yourself, I trust you". And there were (sic) no Aaron Carter anywhere to be found in that house during that night. He´s taken care off by (Chris) Tucker, I think, I didn´t see him after the drive around the ranch. So much more happened, but not a single minute was Michael out of sight, except when he cleaned up himself.
Sorry for ranting, I never tell people about things like this, but right now I feel so mad. (Aaron) must come forward and say he didn´t say (and do) these things (…).”
--

The above source states:

"...he was later sipping on a glass of wine, and he never finished it."

This completely corroborates with what artist David Nordahl shared with me. David was a friend of Michael's for 20 years, and he shared that he only saw Michael drink wine several times, and ONLY ONE GLASS each time!

Below is what The Silenced Truth website shared in full and I think it's well worth a read. I encourage you to read this to find out yet further truth about the truth behind these interviews:

July 1, 2011: Rodney Jerkins: “People need to chill out and let MJ rest in peace.” ...

Hello, everyone…
As you may have unfortunately learned, an interview with singer and former child star, Aaron Carter, conducted by tabloid mogul, Daphne Barak, took place around two weeks ago. and will soon be made available in full. This interview (with OK! Magazine in Australia) features almost grotesque disinformation directed by the interviewer, Barak even apparently influencing some of Carter’s responses regarding his former (famous) friend, Michael Jackson, through speculation and deliberate innuendo, in order that the exhaustingly circulated (and untruthful) portrayal of Jackson as a drug user (and addict) be rebrought and refreshed in the space of the already majorly manipulated public opinion. This interview has been conducted only a few days after the 6th year celebration of Jackson’s vindication (June 13, 2005) in a court of law on June 13, 2005
All misdemeanor counts against a minor (including of administering alcohol to a minor).

The context in question is a bash held at Neverland Ranch in 2003 celebrating Jackson’s birthday, at which brothers Nick and Aaron carter, Frank Cascio, music producer and publisher Rodney Jerkins, comedy actor Chris Tucker, former boxer Mike Tyson among others, including a variety of admirers, were present. Jerkins also declared the following on his Twitter account:
“I’m so tired of people trying to make a name for them self on the count of MJ.”
To find out about who Daphne Barack is, please click on this link, the bold headline of which being more than revelatory: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/03/24/712377/- Daphne-BarakA-meddling-tabloid-vulture-masquerading-as-a-journalist
You may also recall that Barak interviewed Jackson’s former nanny, Grace Rwaramba, shortly before his death in 2009. In video footage available on the Internet of this interview, Rwaramba expresses her frustration over being fired by Jackson’s team, yet Barak’s later publication of this 1 / 10July 1, 2011: interview would feature damaging revelations such as Rwaramba pumping her former employer’s stomach for drugs several times. The former nanny would quickly counter the preposterous quotes being attributed to her. She would state:
"I am shocked, hurt and deeply saddened by recent statements the press has attributed to me. [...] The statements attributed to me confirm the worst in human tendencies to sensationalize tragedy and smear reputations for profit."
Rwaramba’s close friend, Mallika Chopra, defended her friend by explaining how “so-called journalist”, Daphne Barak, presented herself as a confidant, baiting the nanny for foul information and manipulating it for her article.
(
http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com
)
  Has a similar situation occurred in the case of this latest interview conducted by Barak? Was he misquoted as well? This damaging story, eerily similar to previous false allegations made by subjects for pure monetary gains, has been making its insidious rounds on the Internet over the past 2 weeks, when fans of both Jackson and Carter tweeted him promptly to get him to confirm or deny the authenticity of the said interview and, most importantly, of the quotes attributed to him, that read that Jackson had given him both wine and drugs. Since yesterday, such malevolent quotes have been extensively disseminated by tabloids and other media outlets, including CNN, and Carter himself is yet to make an official statement regarding this unfortunate situation. A video of Carter’s actual interview – a so far edited and poorly taped version – has been made available, although beforehand, more apparent misquotations (unless they have been truncated in the actual subsequent video) of Carter would arise:

"I never talked about it…This is the first time. I do… I miss Michael… I have spent such incredible times with him. I did things with him that nobody else did… But I was also troubled about what he did to me. Yes, he gave me wine. I mean, I could have refused, but I was 15. He gave me cocaine. I felt weird about that and other stuff… We spoke afterwards, hours and hours, on the phone. I admired Michael, but his behavior bothered me a lot. Then my mother called the police." The alleged confessions about the drugs are actually differently expressed in the said footage. Does not it seem like some more innuendo is being thrown in?....

Here is the transcript of Carter’s statements as shown in the video (courtesy of Qbee from MJJC Staff, who adds some of her own relevant comments), which do not include some of the quoted or misquoted comments available online:

“[...]
Daphne: Question something about being weird.
2 / 10July 1, 2011: Rodney Jerkins: “People need to chill out and let MJ rest in peace.” ...
Aaron: “I mean there was definatly (sic) things that happened that were just different, weird, and, uh, he drank around me” ( why) weird ?? and why state MJ drank around him (a dose of dirt $$$) kind of harmless.
Daphne How old were you ?
I was 14 yrrs (sic) so and a .. yeah
Makes it seem a litle inappropriate [TST editor note: Carter was 15 years old.]
Daphne: But Did he ask you to drink ?
Aaron: Yeah, he did, yeah. (Pay Dirt)
He could have answered as he did in previous interviews and said NO, but NO, doesn’t pay here.
Daphne: Was their (sic) any drug issues?
Aaron starts out fine.
Aaron: I personnaly didn’t see any drug issues, you know, I never saw any injections, nothing like that, no, never saw it.
But then Aaron volunteers this .. alluding to the fact MJ could have been using drugs ..
Aaron: The time I spent with him, yes, he was fine. Ya know, but who knows, the human body builds a tolerance for things, ya know .. so, who knows, he could have been doign (sic) something and I didn’t have a clue. So, ya knows (dirt $$)
WHY volunteer this info ? He wasn’t asked for it.
Daphne says something like you were not with him all the time he could have had pills???
Aaron: Right. Absolutely. Sure. He could have walked in the bathroom and took it. Ya know .. it takes 2 seconds .
(Right & Absolutely ???????) no pause for thought (just a little more dirt $$)
There is cut in the video here .. so we don’t know what more he said .. before this.
Aaron wants to play his song probaly (sic) from his new album (The promotional perk he gets for dishing the dirt) .
Sadly, this is how it works.
Aaron: You know, I wanted to Express that ah - A message to him if he could have heard it. Ya know, (cut) and that I’m gonna protect his Legacy (Cut) It’s funy (sic) becuase (sic) a lot of the things that Michael did I wanna do. (cut)
Aaron: This is the tribute.
Daphne: sounds like she says an Ode to Michael.
Aaron sings the song.
[…]
Clap clap
Aarons says thank you”
We can only wonder what bits were cut from this interview. Most likely, flattering words about Jackson that tabloid moguls cannot afford to publicize. Daphne Barak is a tabloid journalist that pays very well for dirt. Tom Sneddon, former district attorney of Santa Barbara County, would have undoubtedly used this ‘evidence’ for the 2005 shakedown of a trial, but never did, as it never existed. Moreover, the FBI files, declassified a few months after Michael Jackson’s death, are demonstrating that no incriminations related to him have ever been discovered and documented, despite most extensive investigation.
Here is what long-time friend, Francesco (Frank) Cascio, had to say on this recent allegation on his Twitter account the other day:

“I knew Michael for over 25 year and NEVER once did he use cocaine or suggest to anyone else to use cocaine. Never!!!!”
Michael Jackson’s cousin, Anthony Jackson, wrote:
“When in doubt, listen to your heart instead of what people say" #MichaeLegacy”
In 2006, Aaron Carter (accompanied by brother Nick) appeared on the Howard Stern Show.
(Stern is another pseudo-journalist known to mercilessly poke fun and make defamatory remarks at Jackson)
Here is what Aaron C. had to say about Jackson in this interview (which you can find on YouTube):
“(I) never (had sleep-overs with Michael Jackson.
You know what, actually, Chris Tucker was there too (at the party) and Rodney Jerkins, he was producing his album. […] It was (Michael’s) birthday party. […] Well, we met him through Rodney Jerkins, he was in the studio and he wanted to meet the both of us. […] No, I don't think he was interested like everybody portrays him to be. He's definitely - he's definitely [gets interrupted by host]. […] (He) never (gave me a car). [His brother Nick jumps in to defend him] You don't even need to. You don't even need to. Because it really pisses me off that people would think about Michael like that, because... […] Well, you're wrong. You're wrong, Howard. You're wrong, Howard! […] (I was) fifteen (when I hang out with him). […] He never did (buy me a car). […] He (just) gave me a jacket that he wore for the 2001 anniversary that he did with his brothers. […] ( I never smoked weed with Michael Jackson). No, never, nu-uh. […] (Raising hand) I swear I never smoked weed with Michael Jackson. […] [I never drank wine with him.] No, it's not true, none of this is true. […] Not a damned thing. […] (He never touched me.) Never, never. […] [He never suggested we have a sleepover.] No, never, never heard anything like that.”
In a 2004 interview with PEOPLE, Carter says: “I didn’t do drugs with Michael Jackson.”
Moreover, in a 2010 interview he did with author and journalist, Sandy Lo, Aaron Carter declared the following on his late friend:
“I kind of have some animosity (that he is gone). I knew Michael personally and we grew up very similar (sic). His death, for some reason, made people realize, but only for a minute - that their negativity in this world is what brings everybody down. It’s a very touchy subject for me. Michael was a very timid person. The world made him timid, but he also felt he had to continue to keep himself out there and show his face, because he had all of those fans. He really did love his fans. That was the only thing that kept him going - was his fans and that he wanted to make the world a better place. When he said that, he wanted to help people be more positive and be more caring and giving. It didn’t really happen. People just mourned over the fact that he died instead of realizing what he did. That’s pretty much all I have to say.”
http://www.sandy-lo.com/aaron-carter...new-interview/
And last, but certainly not least, here is what a (very reliable) acquaintance of Michael Jackson’s, who was also present at the mentioned 2003 birthday, has to say following this media hysteria. For security and confidentiality purposes, we are not revealing their identity, but The Silenced Truth are assuring you all they are both accurate and reliable. We are also encouraging you to forward the below statements - that counter everything that has been recently claimed by both Aaron Carter and the transparent media pundits where you can or find fit:
“He´s been lying a lot about that party. I´m not a famous person and what I say (may) have no meaning, but those who were on that party too and who are famous should really speak about what went on there. Karen (Faye) can also do that (…).
I saw Michael leave for just a few minutes to wash (his face) of (sic) that cake (he was smeared with by Aaron Carter), he was later sipping on a glass of wine, and he never finished it. They were out driving around the ranch with the fourwheelers and we were many out there having a laugh about it. When talking to Michael, he (Michael) said he didn´t even know half of the people being there, but he loved that the fans could be there.
When he finally left the party after driving around the ranch, he was alone except for one security guy. He invited a few (I was among them) into the house, we were there for about an hour. He left for his bedroom and didn´t ask us to leave, it was more like "Enjoy yourself, I trust you".
And there were (sic) no Aaron Carter anywhere to be found in that house during that night. He´s taken care off by (Chris) Tucker, I think, I didn´t see him after the drive around the ranch. So much more happened, but not a single minute was Michael out of sight, except when he cleaned up himself.
Sorry for ranting, I never tell people about things like this, but right now I feel so mad.
(Aaron) must come forward and say he didn´t say (and do) these things (…).”
--
(!) Edited for latest news (from another tabloid, TMZ, but better than nothing..?):
“Aaron Carter’s rep claims the singer NEVER told an entertainment reporter Michael Jackson gave him cocaine and alcohol when he was 15 years old ... and says the reporter COMPLETELY FABRICATED the story.
The controversy stems from an article that ran in OK! Magazine in Australia, written by international journalist Daphne Barak
In the article, Carter was quoted as saying, "Yes, [MJ] gave me wine. I mean, I could have refused, but I was 15. As for drugs? He gave me cocaine." But Carter's rep tells TMZ,
"Nothing was said that was reported" ... and directed us toward a YouTube video of the interview with Barak ... which seems to back up Aaron's side of the story. We've reached out to Barak for comment -- so far, no response.”

--
Let us hope Aaron Carter himself will make a conclusive statement about this soon… Because as of late, by reading the video's said interview transcripts, by watching and listening to this interview (which we will choose not to post), and due to yet not addressing this grave issue personally, it is obvious that, to some quite large extents, Carter is being just as responsible as interviewer Daphne Barak and OK! Magazine....
Edit II: The second part of this leaked interview contains an even more damaging scenario and an utterly false one. Carter is alluding to intended child molestation by Michael Jackson. We are not going to be according even more attention to these salacious, money-driven accusations.
Aaron Carter has been undoubtedly paid for this interview and even more to say these kind of lies, therefore is equally to blame for such a horrid betrayal through shameless deceit.
Please, resume above reading for previous quotations of other interviews with Carter denying any kind of impropriety between him and Jackson.
….. For how long will Michael Jackson’s name and memory continue to be frivolously and shamelessly tarnished? How many more so-called friends will continue to betray him, even moreso after his (very suspicious.. and planned) death? For what mundane and evanescent price? How many more lies will his children and other loved ones have to hear? When will his soul be finally left to rest in peace?...
In the meantime, if you wish to contact the following people: Daphne Barak (see above), you can do so on this email address:
nydesk@daphnebarak.com
To contact Ok Magazine US: Editor: Richard Spencer, email: Richard.Spencer@okmagazine.com
His assistant: Sue, email: editfreelancer2@okmagazine.com
--
For some more observations on the media’s most perverse strategy to mask an actually very simple, yet profound truth about Michael Jackson, tune in soon for a follow-up bullet. … The media and their chosen accomplices are in this together. The following days, more snippets of this terrible interview will be leaked, among which, it is claimed, even more disturbing revelations. Regardless, please, prepare to arm yourselves with calmness, and know for certain that there is a large media conspiracy against Michael Jackson erupting (yet again..) and that he is innocent of all such mean-spirited allegations as proven. We will keep you posted on this story as it unfolds. ..
Kind regards…
The Silenced Truth Team

Source: The Silenced Truth

Another important read:
http://reflectionsonthedance.blogspot.com/2011/05/understanding-medias-role-in-your.html

Many thanks also to the Reflections on the Dance Facebook page friends who have shared information and links with me to make my research easier and to The Silenced Truth team for their wonderful website article and research.

Michael Jackson Attended Church with Tom Mesereau

2011-07-01T08:41:00.001-05:00

Nazir Patel Shares about the Michael Jackson He Knew and Will Never Forget

2011-07-01T08:36:00.001-05:00

we had the good fortune of knowing between October 1984 until Mar 1988.

A great human being who always spoke well of other celebrities whenever we spoke on phone during the years he kept in touch.

It was Oct 1984 when he called us at The Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto in response to a fan letter I wrote on behalf of our daughter

Andrea aged 3 and a letter that I was able to get through his father whom I met outside the hotel walking on the street. Thereafter he invited us to his Victory Tour concert as VIP guests. And started a friendship that would have him call many times. In Nov 87 he dedicated a single The Way You Make Me Feel to our daughter Andrea 7 and then invited us to a Bad concert reception in New York in March 1988. Thereafter I received a large size photo of me with him in April.

Unfortunately we never heard from him once he fired his manager at the time Frank Dileo.

However fond memories will always remain with us. We never used our friendship for any personal gains although we had offers for our story which we always refused. Until to this day I never gave up trying to get in touch with him. But his new managers were of no help and my mail probably never reached him. I was still hoping to hear from him even just a day prior to his passing away.
The last card Thinking of You I sent to an address in L.A belonging to Michael that was provided by a friendly source has not returned to me undelivered. Perhaps the people around him may have

not been delivering my mail to him. I would just like to express my condolences to his family members and especially his dad who gave this great opportunity by passing on my fan letter to his son. To us and to the world he will always be remembered as the King of Pop. We will miss him.

Michael autographed the cover of the Thriller album to Andrea , autographed the cover of the Bad album and also wrote a whole page in his handwriting to our son as well autographed many other

photos to each one of us. And I took many photos of him with my family members when he had invited us to his hotel suite in Four Seasons. We have shared those memories with friends , relatives and coworkers.

With utmost sadness I write to express my condolences to the family of Michael Jackson , a wonderful human being

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 at 11:36 pm

Andrea was 8 is in front of Michael ( Helmsley Palace NY )

SOURCE: Nazir Patel's Blog at BIGADDA The Michael Jackson We Will Never Forget

Clips of Barry Gibb and Michael recording "All In Your Name"

2011-06-29T17:39:00.000-05:00

"All In Your Name" was a song collaboration between Michael Jackson and his dear friend Barry Gibb of the Bee Gee's. It's a beautiful song with a very spiritual message. It's a treat to get some glimpses of the recording and creative processes with Barry and Michael and to be able to hear the song in it's completion is a gift. Thank you Barry for sharing this with the world.~ Debbie

From Barry Gibb's website:

Michael Jackson and I were the dearest of friends, thats simply what it was. We gravitated towards the same kind of music and we loved collaborating and he was the easiest person to write with. The more we got to know each other the more those ideas entwined and it all came to this song " All in Your Name".

"All in Your Name" is infact the message that Michael wanted to send out to all of his fans all over the World that he did it all for them and for the pure love of music. I hope and pray that we all get to hear it in its entirety. This experience i will treasure forever.

Recorded & Filmed at Middle Ear Studios in December 2002. All footage was shot by Ashley Gibb (Barry's son) on a high 8 camera. There is over 2 hours of footage.

Full Version of the song released by Barry Gibb June 25th, 2011

Video by MichaelJacksonTuneHQ

To purchase/download "All In Your Name",

please visit this link on Barry's Website

Barry's YouTube Channel

More of Michael's pure, innocent love for children

2011-06-29T16:47:00.002-05:00

Amazing Guestbook Entry I Encourage All To Read....

2011-06-29T08:39:00.001-05:00

Below is an entry that showed up late last night on the website guestbook entry. I read this and started to cry. It's a beautiful testament not only to Michael, his strong faith in Jesus Christ, and what kind of person he truly was, by another person who had the blessing of knowing him for 2 years, but it is also one of many, many confirmations I continue to receive about the validity of what is on the website and how accurately it portrays what kind of person Michael was. I take no credit for that, but thank my Heavenly Father, because this is all God's doing. He brought me the right people and the right information because, as all of you know, I never had the blessing to know Michael personally. Praise God for continuing to validate what kind of man Michael was. The truth is getting out there! God will vindicate His child...the truth cannot be hidden.

jbwills	Tuesday, 6/28/11, 11:49 PM

	I first of all I would like show my appreciation for the time and effort put forth in compiling this website. The world has been exposed to many images of Michael often being harsh and unfair. I personally have had a chance to know Michael over a two year period and I have seen an image of an individual that I wish more people had known. Most have a defined view of such an iconic figure as his media image can't be escaped. When I met him I was facing serious life challenges and transitions, way insecure. It truely was not a time I felt confident to meet such a notable public figure. In my personal struggle I found a graceous,compassionate,and honoring man. He is a gentle person that loves people. He loves to laugh and his joy, his big huge smile can light up a room. My moments with him over this period of time are filled with life as he belived in living life to its fullest. He forever has touched my heart in deep ways that have impacted my life. The expressions of Michael throughout this site are consistent to the man I knew. His faith is true and he was a humble expression of Christ's love. As he walks in heaven this day his life can give testiment to many things, but i know he'd like most of all to underscore his faith in Jesus Christ. It opens ones eyes to see the impact we have on others, to truely make a difference this is the greatest part of his legacy. He would encorage everyone to reach out and make a difference to make the most of the short years God graceously grants. The world is a bit sadder without his presence but his life still speaks.~ Amen Jb and God Bless You for sharing this. http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com/GuestBook.html

Tom Mesereau Continues To Defend Michael Jackson 2 Years After His Death And A Side Note About Their Divine Connection

2011-06-28T10:31:00.002-05:00

Michael Jackson: Two years later
By Jacob Rohn

Genius frozen in time

Looking back on it, June 25, 2009, will forever be an indelible chapter in the history of Los Angeles. The announcement of Michael Jackson’s death was a moment eternally suspended in time – a moment when the whole world would simultaneously feel a loss, so sudden and so keen, it was like losing a family member.

In Los Angeles, where Jackson passed away, the emotional blow was especially visceral. Disbelief was overcome by sorrow as reality began to set in. In a city built on fame, Jackson crafted a legacy that was closer to mythology than it was to mere stardom.

In both life – and now, two years after his death – Michael Jackson casts multiple reflections. To some he is the “King of Pop,” a magnanimous philanthropist, an icon and a superstar of the highest caliber. To others he was a criminal and a monster.

Attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr., got to know Jackson well. Mesereau defended Jackson in the pop star’s 2005 child molestation case. He is thoroughly familiar with the allegations against his former client, but also spent a lot of time with Jackson and got to know the real man in the mirror.

LA Canvas interviewed Mesereau because his track record as an attorney, coupled with his reputation as a man of uncompromising integrity, speaks volumes about his credibility.

Dozens of people utilized the coverage of Jackson’s death to get in on as much airtime as they could; Mesereau was not one of them.

The Michael Jackson he knew was a kind and gentle man, trapped by distorted public perceptions of his reclusive personal life. Mesereau opened up about his memories of the case, meeting Jackson and his thoughts on how the media handled the whole thing.

“Michael just might be the nicest client I’ve ever represented,” said Mesereau without hesitation. He added, “The biggest surprise about Michael was how down to earth he was to deal with.”

As Michael’s fame grew, so, too, did the target on his back. And with every accusation against him, members of the media constantly had him in their sights. “People took what they thought was unusual about him and tried to magnify it into criminal conduct,” noted Mesereau.

“The way he was tortured by people that wanted to profit off of his eccentricity was one of the great tragedies of our time.”

If the public thought his life was a media circus, his death provided an even more blatant example of just how selfish and abhorrent people could be. The coverage was a Who’s Who of pundits, and Michael Jackson “associates,” presenting a twisted display of unfounded thoughts on why he died, presented as fact.

“There were people, including lawyers saying they were close to him and to the family, and making all sorts of representations that were not true,” recalled Mesereau about the coverage surrounding Jackson’s death. He continued, “It was absolutely disgusting. I was hearing outside the hospital, there were people claiming they were close to him that were running from media booth to media booth trying to capitalize on his passing.”

It is impossible to overstate what Michael Jackson meant to the world. The effect of his death, much like the effect of his life, superseded race, ignored socioeconomic status, and required no cultural translation. From the hardest of criminals to the most innocent of children (some of whom were not even born when Jackson last recorded an album), Jackson’s impact was and still is universal. As both an artist and a humanitarian, Michael Jackson has humbly set world records that will probably never be broken.

While he did have serious criminal accusations lodged against him, it is often overlooked that his accusers always stood to profit from these alleged transgressions, none of which he was ever convicted.

“The biggest misconception is that he was a criminal and a child molester,” said Mesereau. “Nothing could be further from the truth. “And unfortunately, because he was so famous, and because he was an eclectic artist and an artistic genius, people took what they thought was unusual about him and tried to magnify it into criminal conduct.”

Mesereau added, “He was not a pedophile. He was not a criminal. He was not a child molester. And the way he was tortured by people that wanted to make him controversial and profit off of his eccentricity was one of the great tragedies of our time.”

Above all else, Jackson leaves behind an uncanny ability to unify people through his music. Like Michael Jackson the man, Michael Jackson the musician promoted peace, love and equality. Though he is no longer with us, his music and his permanent effect on humanity will forever be frozen in time.

Article Source: LA Canvas Article

Divine Connection

By Deborah L. Kunesh

What many do not realize is that while this trial was going on, attorney Tom Mesereau was also dealing with very real and deep personal pain. While getting ready for trial, Mesereau found out that his sister was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After being released from the hospital, she came home to find a bouquet of flowers larger than her front door with a poem tucked inside, written by Michael himself. Despite his loss after his sister passed, Mesereau went forward into trial to defend Michael’s innocence.

I wanted to share this story because it speaks so highly of 2 very special human beings and their character. Tom Mesereau, who wholeheartedly believed in Michael’s innocence and worked diligently, even through his own personal pain and loss, to vindicate someone he knew was innocent, and Michael Jackson, despite the pain he was going through of being falsely accused of disgusting acts and of having his caring, giving nature turned against him by a family whom he had helped and who the family themselves admitted that Michael’s love and care had helped heal their son of cancer, continued to be the kind, caring, generous, sweet person that he always was, reaching out to others in their pain despite the personal pain he was going through. God definitely brought these two extraordinary individuals together.

http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com/Interview-with-Tom-Mesereau.html ~

An Amazing Video That Shows Testament To Who Michael Jackson Really Was...A MUST WATCH!!!

2011-06-28T09:17:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to Beenish Khokar for following her own divine calling and inspiration in putting together this beautiful video that so clearly shows the Michael Jackson that most of the public are so unaware of due to how wrongfully he was portrayed in the media.

Lessons from Michael-The Power of Passion, a MUST READ!!!

2011-06-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

The author of the excellent article below is Edie Raether, MS, CSP, a change strategist, international speaker and author. She is an authority on optimizing potential and the Other IQ – Innovation, Influence and Intuitive Intelligence. Visit Edie at Motivational Sales Training & Keynote Speaker, Business Leadership, Negotiation Skills Training, Retreat Facilitation and Wings For Wishes or email her at edie@raether.com

Whether you were a fan of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, or one who saw only his idiosyncrasies, there are many lessons for all of us in his trials and tribulations, turbulence, yet triumph. As a teacher and healer at heart, I was in awe with the connectedness he had with millions of people from all over the world. I have been obsessed observing and studying the magnetism of this man who had been somewhat in hiding in recent years. The tragedies of such a talent can be explained another time, but it is often the price paid for fame and fortune by creative, sensitive people living in an insensitive world.

As the author of a book on influence and persuasion, Forget Selling, I see Michael Jackson as the icon of influence. His charm and charisma was mesmerizing. But what was the magic? What are the secrets to his success so we can all optimize our potential for a future of unlimited possibilities. In fact, Michael disputed that the sky was the limit, as he saw NO limits. That is secret # 1.

Lessons from Michael

1. Possibility Thinking Only. There are no limits to what you may accomplish, except those self-imposed by limitations of the mind. All of the champions I had interviewed in my book,
Winning! had a flash of their greatness at an early age.

2. Be an Imitator. It was reported that Michael could watch the movement and maneuvers of the most accomplished and imitate their work. Whether it was singing, dancing, or even marketing, he would observe, integrate, and implement.

3. Be an Innovator. After he mastered imitating “the greats,” he would take it up a notch and become even greater. That kind of creation and innovation is what sets us apart from the masses as we transcend from being just good to great!

4. Be Different and Dimensional. Whether it was wearing just one glove when the rest of the world was wearing two, if you want to rise above you must stand out and be the purple cow.

5. Make Change a Habit. Change and change again, and again. Once people have you figured out, you become boring and they become disinterested. Change and newness renews excitement and keeps people engaged. This is true for personal relationships as well as a business strategy.

6. The Element of Surprise. Kids like to play peek-a-boo, but we never lose our love for the seduction of the surprise. Michael sang songs that if with your eyes closed, you would think the angels had descended upon you. But then he portrayed the “bad guy” with equal conviction of character. Be diverse in your thinking and be willing to risk new roles to avoid the ruts and routines that steal our excitement and passion for life.

7. God Is in the Details. Like his flawless memorial service, Michael always performed to perfection and made a personal commitment to always “top” himself in the next performance. He was perfection in motion. He studied, researched, and rehearsed endlessly. As a child it was reported that he always had a pencil and paper in hand to write down quotes and words of wisdom, but he also wrote down new words and concepts as a personal assignment.

8. Be Curious.The desire to learn more with an undying inquisitiveness propels us to explore, discover, and grow. It is the spark of all innovation and fans the fires of brilliance.

9. Love Is the Way. Come always from a loving place within. Everyone who intimately knew the person, not just the personality, referred to his love and kindness. Love is the most positive, powerful force in the universe. If Emmet Fox is right, “If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.” Try it!

10. Commit to Never Quit. Know who you are (your unique gift), what you want (your vision), and have a plan or strategy of how to get there. Be the “come-back” kid. At age 50, Michael was about to come back one last time. In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never quit.” It is also wise to know what you don’t want or to have a “NOT To Do” list as well. Eliminate the distractions in your life that derail you from your purpose, passion, and mission. That may include activities and people who are no longer contributing to your ultimate success, happiness, and joy.

11. Dare to Dream…and Dream BIG. Michael grew up in Gary, Indiana, from very humble beginnings, but he dreamed big and was driven to manifest his desire to be the very best which is without dispute. Mission accomplished. He referred to Michelangelo’s wisdom in stating that the creator must die but his works will live on. What belief do you have that moves you in the direction of your dreams? In my first motivational keynote, I also referred to Michelangelo. “In every rock of marble I see a statue, I merely chisel away so that others may see what I already know. How can your dream come true, if you have not first dreamed the dream?” Your journey to greatness begins with a dream.

12. Be True to Yourself. March to your own drummer. A singer must sing, a dancer must dance, and a writer must write. Know your God-given, unique gift and don’t die with the music in you. YOU’VE GOT TO SING YOUR SONG.

As I reflect on his life, it reminds me of the magnetism, influence, connectedness, and generosity of my own father. He only had thousands at his funeral, not millions, but he lived in a small town of just 3,000 in rural Wisconsin. He was much older, 80 at the time of his passing on, and he was not a celebrity. But, like Michael Jackson, he was a person of passion. When you have passion and purpose you do become a person of power and influence. It is simple math and cannot be denied. He also loved music and danced as if he were a spirit without a body. Music is the universal language of love and thus breaks down all barriers and boundaries. It unifies people of all creeds, color, and cadences. It gives soul to the universe wings to the mind. If Emmet Fox was right, “A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all…If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.”

I found this article originally on both http://www.michaeljackson.com/dk-en/node/1129210 and http://www.facebook.com/UncoverMJ

Misconceptions about Michael, Part 2....What's In A Name?

2011-06-03T11:11:00.001-05:00

Is it Joe, Or Joseph?

Getting to the bottom of the middle name dilemma as well as tackling just one example of the exhaustive things Michael was subjected to on a constant basis.

There has been a lot of confusion over many things regarding Michael, not the least of which is, since his passing, the apparent significance of his middle name.

It should be noted that both Joe and Joseph are used as his middle name on different legal documents, including his driver's license, his will, other contracts and the autopsy report (the autopsy report lists Joseph as a middle name on some documents and just Jackson, Michael or Jackson, Michael J, on others).

This has also become a point of contention among fans, especially those believing that Michael either faked his death to escape murder or faked his death as some kind of political or artistic statement, and that he is due for a return the creative likes of which we have never seen before.

Here is just one example of the confusion that Michael's middle name, and the variances of it, are causing: http://mjkit.forumotion.net/t923-what-if-michaesl-real-middle-name-was-joe-and-not-joseph

Also, this video is just but one example in the fan community of his middle name causing a lot of confusion and second guessing:

With all of that in mind and with regards to Michael's middle name....what's the truth? And what is the significance of his middle name in all of this? It's but one discrepency, bu it's important to know what the truth is.

For instance, in the FBI files, paperwork filed refers to Michael as Michael Joe Jackson, which, according to this photo, was the name on his expired driver's license.

This is Michael Jackson's driver's license copy directly from the FBI Files online

Above is an FBI Document stating that Michael's true name is Michael Joe Jackson (most likely gleaned from his driver's license) Just to note as well, nothing ever came of any of these accusations that were in the file.

This is Michael Jackson's Driver's License application as stored in the FBI files. On this application, as well as his license, he is listed as Michael Joe Jackson, male, black hair, brown eyes, 5'9 and 120 pounds.

Source: http://vault.fbi.gov/Michael%20Jackson

Some additional sources of variances on Michael's name and signature:

BMI repertoire (listed here as Jackson Michael Joe)

Death Certificate (listed here as Michael Joseph Jackson)

Both Paris' and Prince's birth certificates apparently, if they are genuine, list Michael Joseph Jackson as the Father of the Child and Prince's birth certificate lists Prince's name as Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. Prince was named after Michael's grandfather and great-grandfather, also both named Prince.

These papers above are said to be a legal document that Joe Jackson (his full name is listed as Joseph Jackson above) signed as part of the custody agreement for Katherine Jackson to have custody of Michael's children after his passing. You will notice that this document states that Joseph is the father of the decedent, Michael Joseph Jackson.

Michael's Will lists him as Michael Joseph Jackson:

The Will: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/last-will-michael-joseph-jackson (some have contested that this will is fake, but so far I've seen no proof of that)

The official Autopsy Report has some varying versions of his name. See below:

The Autopsy Report: http://www.thetruthaboutmj.com/Autopsy_Full_Report_0208_mj_case_report_wm.pdf

For instance...Here's the breakdown:

The case report states the deceased as Michael Joseph Jackson, or correctly, as Jackson, Michael Joseph

*the Investigator's narrative as Jackson, Michael

*Medical evidence he's listed as Jackson, Michael Joseph again

*the autopsy report as Jackson, Michael (no middle name)...most official documents put the last name first for filing purposes)

*the Forensic Consultant's Report, listed again as Jackson, Michael (no middle name)

*the odontology consult, his full name, Jackson, Michael Joseph

*neuropathology, Jackson, Michael J

*the anesthesiology consultation as Jackson, Michael Joseph

*radiology the same, Jackson, Michael Joseph

*the Microscopic report, Jackson, Michael J

*the Laboratory Analysis, Jackson, Michael Joseph

*Forensic Consultant's Report: Jackson, Michael

*Summary of Positive Toxicological Findings: Jackson, Michael Joseph

You will note that the case number remains consistent on every single piece of the report....2009-04415

The minor discrepancies on the way the name was typed, either Jackson, Michael Joseph; Jackson, Michael; or Jackson, Michael J were due to different departments. Each department remained consistent in how the name was presented.

There are other items of concern mentioned by fans regarding the autopsy report that will be for another upcoming blog as it's too extensive to cover here.

Some believe this middle name difference is the key and another clue as to Michael's still being alive, even going so far as to say that McDonald's was in on the hoax because they featured this billboard (many hoax believers felt that this billboard, using the 2 discrepancies of Michael's middle name, was a sign)

This billboard appeared in the summer of 2010 and this blog by Steve Baird speaks about the significance of this billboard.

Similarly, McDonalds' current billboard ad campaign confirms that the fast food giant prefers formality, i.e., Joseph over Joe, at least when it comes to selling its premium roast coffee in competition with the likes of Starbucks and Caribou Coffee:

Source: http://www.duetsblog.com/tags/cocacola/

I bring all of this up only because it has become such a disagreeing point among fans and has caused division and lots of untruths to be spread around, and to show that, what we see and hear, is not always truth. You have to seek and search. If you use common sense and approach everything in a spirit of finding truth and taking the time to do a little research, it is not as confusing as it at first, might seem.

Many claim that Joe is Michael's middle name, and not Joseph, and have argued with me over using "Michael Joseph Jackson" in the subtitle of the website's logo. Just as a sidenote....Michael's family as well as his friends have seen the website and there has never been any contention over the name used.

Here's an old magazine article in which LaToya was interviewed, stating that Michael's "christened" name, meaning baptismal name, was Michael Joe Jackson after their father Joe (who, just as a note, is also referred to as Joseph at times, including in the legal custody document shared above)

To put this issue to rest completely, once and for all, I'll let the man himself tell you what his middle name is, as stated below in this deposition from 1994. Michael is asked to state his full name at the very beginning of the video below.

Nothing could be more truthful and definitive on this issue than Michael himself, stating in this deposition, before the courts, that his middle name is indeed, Joseph, but, for those who still doubt, I will share that I was given a copy of the memorial program that was given to guests at the funeral (not the televised memorial, but the actual funeral service) and there is a write-up in the back which states Michael's name as "Michael Joseph Jackson" and the copyright on the program is that of Katherine Jackson's, so she would have had to approve the content of this program.

As far as Michael's name being listed as Michael Joe Jackson in the 2005 trial? That is the name that Michael himself gave to the court/lawyers and that is why it was used on the 2005 court documents (this comes from a highly reputable source who had inside access).

So, Michael himself stated his name officially in this 1994 deposition as Michael Joseph Jackson, and in 2005, he gave as his name, Michael Joe Jackson. So it seems to me that he used both Joe and Joseph, interchangeably as his middle name.

The FBI documents list Michael as Michael Joe Jackson, most likely as this was the name on his driver's license.

What does this tell us? That minor variations of his name....Michael Jackson, Michael Joe Jackson and Michael Joseph Jackson, have all been used throughout the years in different documents, in the press and by Michael himself.

I would also like to note that Joe is just a derivative of the name Joseph, a shortened version of the name, and the two can be used interchangeably. I have a brother whose formal name is Joseph, but most call him Joe. My formal name is Deborah, but people call me Deborah, Debbie or even Deb. Even Michael could be Michael or Mike. I know people who have used shortened versions of their first names on legal documents and signed other documents with their full names. It's not all that unusual.

Wikipedia's page for Michael Jackson lists him this way

Birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson^[1]
Also known as	Michael Joe Jackson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

Here's another point. The copyright on "Dancing the Dream" for instance, is issued to Michael Jackson (no middle name), so would the exclusion of his middle name invalidate the copyright? Of course not!

Here is another point from a traveler whose first name was Joseph, but his ticket said Joe, so it did not match his ID: http://www.elliott.org/blog/uh-oh-josephs-ticket-says-joe-will-he-be-allowed-to-fly/

That begs the question, would it be legal for Michael to sign some papers as Michael Joseph Jackson and others as Michael Joe Jackson?

I am still searching and researching for that answer, but the obvious, at this point at least, is that evidently it was not an issue as he had used both Joe and Joseph as his middle name in legal court cases (the 1994 deposition and then in the 2005 trial) and on varying paperwork and documents. I would think if it had been a problem, then the courts would have most definitely taken up issue with him on that, no doubt.

Once I get a proper answer to this, I will address that as well. ~ Debbie

Now, to cover an entirely different subject that the above deposition video brings up....the fact that Michael Jackson had, according to his friend, painter David Nordahl's interview with me, 50-60 extortion attempts PER YEAR!

Michael went through this kind of thing regularly. Some times he didn't have to show up to court, other times he would. Every single time the charges against him (fathering someone's child...many were paternity extortion attempts...or stealing someone's song or lyrics, were all proven FALSE!)

Here is the rest of that series. This is just but a small portion of what Michael had to deal with in his life and if you listen closely, you will see, that despite the ridiculousness of the claims, that Michael remains kind and humble throughout....which very clearly shows his character.

Michael's life was complicated...because of his childhood, his immense talent and his fame. Many un-truths are printed as fact. Many other things seem confusing or are made more confusing or "spectacular" by either the press, the public, and sometimes sadly, the fans themselves. We need to stick to facts, to truth and when things are uncertain, to stand by the man Michael Jackson was (his character stands all for itself and points to ultimate truth), which was so clear if you just take the time to look (and pay no attention to the lies the press showed you) and stand by the knowledge that in time, God will bring truth forward.

The Day Michael Jackson Was Born....An excerpt from Katherine Jackson’s Book…

2011-06-03T11:05:00.002-05:00

An excerpt from Katherine Jackson’s Book…

Katherine Jackson on the day Michael was born

My experience with Marlon and Brandon didn’t dissuade me from getting pregnant again. The following year August 29, I gave birth to another son.
I remember that day well because my water broke while my neighbor Mildred White and I were driving over to see the new grammar school under construction, Garnett Elementary.
“Oh, my God, Mildred, I can’t sit in your car like this!” I exclaimed.
“Girl, don’t worry about it,” Mildred said, turning the car around.
At my request Mildred drove me home. I called my mother and she and my stepfather drove me to Mercy Hospital.
Shortly after I got there, I began having contractions. Later that night, my son was born.
“I want to name him,” my mother said. I hated her first suggestion: Ronald.
“How about Roy, then?”
“Oh, my gosh, Mama, no.”
She thought for a little while. “I’ve got it—MICHAEL.”
“That’s it,” I said.
By then I was used to seeing my babies born with funny looking heads, so I wasn’t alarmed by Michael’s. The two other things I remember about him as I held him for the first time were his big brown eyes and his long hands, which reminded me of my father-in-law’s.
“I bet I was an accident!” Michael has teased. He wasn’t.

-Katherine Jackson

Source: From the Book “My Family” by Katherine Jackson

Source twitter.com/MJJPhotos

Source of this article:

http://bestofmichaeljackson.jclondon.com/2010/08/30/an-experts-from-katherine-jacksons-book/

Misconceptions about Michael, Part 1 Kathy Hilton Speaks about Michael...

2011-06-01T09:58:00.074-05:00

This series of blog posts will focus on many of the misconceptions that surround Michael, including the speculations around whether or not he died, the drug addiction issue, and many other issues brought up in the fan community and the public at large about Michael Jackson.

Kathy Hilton, Paris Hilton's Mom and friend of Michael Jackson's, speaks about their friendship, what kind of person Michael was, his death, and the issue of drug addiction:

Pay careful attention to this blog....because it is yet another example of how the public is being duped about information and what was said in an interview, for instance, that might actually put truth out there. Certain things were clearly edited...and below is the proof.

This blog post is important because of Kathy Hilton's friendship with Michael Jackson and her sharing about the Michael she knew. But it is also important because it clearly shows the media's twisting and editing wherever possible, of what we see and hear, to make us think a certain way about events, or in this case, an individual, whose name is their dinner ticket. They know any story about Michael will bring high viewership and good news doesn't sell. So if they can take out the good and highlight any negative (or in this case, completely remove truth), then you will keep turning in to hear more trash.

Below is first the transcript of the interview, then the televised version from YouTube and below that, the version that CNN put on their website. I think you'll find this very interesting for 2 reasons. The beautiful things Kathy Hilton shares about Michael, and, the obvious twisting and editing that went on afterwards. Pay careful attention:

MORGAN: Kathy, when we come back, I want to talk to you about your very good friend, Michael Jackson.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: Back with the Hiltons. Kathy, this is fascinating. A lot of people claim to have known Michael Jackson. You actually went to high school with Michael Jackson. And you stayed close friends with him right until the end of his life. And you've never really spoken about him much in public, not that I can see. Tell me about your relationship with him.

K. HILTON: We met when I was 13 and he was 14 and developed a friendship and a bond throughout the years. And we always kept in touch. And then when I moved to New York and he would come, and we'd always go to his concerts. And, you know, we started with -- we used to make prank phone calls together. And we were little kids. We had a really great time. And then he came and visited when Paris was born. And then he ended up living at the --

MORGAN: He was there when Paris was first brought into this world. K. HILTON: She was just a few months old.

MORGAN: Really?

K. HILTON: He ended up moving into the Waldorf for six months when we were living there for eight years. And right before he died, he was at the Bel Air Hotel, where we were living while we were renovating our home. So he was there about three or four months. So we got to spend, you know, great time.

MORGAN: We talk about misconceptions with Paris. What were the misconceptions about Michael, do you think?

K. HILTON: Well, there was not a kinder, more generous, loving, sweet, smart, smart -- I can't -- the most wonderful father. At the Bel Air, he did not have any nanny at all. And when I'd go to pick up the kids to take them somewhere, he'd be brushing their hair and buttoning up the sweater and just so warm and wonderful. And I just -- I love him. His whole family, they're a really wonderful, beautiful family.

MORGAN: Where were you when you heard he died?

K. HILTON: I had just come back to the hotel.

MORGAN: How did you hear the news?

P. HILTON: My assistant told me. And I literally fell on the floor. And my sister came and picked me up and we went directly to the house, because I thought the children would be there.

MORGAN: Did you go to the hospital when you --

K. HILTON: Yes.

MORGAN: What was the scene there?

K. HILTON: The children and Mrs. Jackson and all the brothers and sisters and just everybody was in this room. And just crying and hugging each other and just in a daze. And this is a father that was so with his children. He's dedicated since they were born to raising and being with them. And then Latoya and Randy took me in to say good-bye. I think if I hadn't, I would never quite in my head believe. Because even though he's a friend, he was such a powerful person.

MORGAN: Was he still alive when you --

K. HILTON: No.

MORGAN: Did you say anything?

K. HILTON: Yes.

MORGAN: What did you say?

K. HILTON: I rubbed his head and his arms and his legs and his feet and I just -- I told him I love him so much and, you know, whispered some funny things to him, and that was it.

MORGAN: Incredibly sad end to his life, wasn't it?

K. HILTON: And he was so fabulous at the hotel. Up early every morning, playing with the kids. Really shocking.

MORGAN: Paris, did you know Michael well?

P. HILTON: Yeah, I grew up -- just my mom -- I remember -- one of the first memories I have of him was when my mom took us to the music video set of "Thriller." And we have the pictures still. I just always loved him. I used to go to his concerts and he'd bring my sister and I on stage and we'd sing up there.
I just always loved him so much. He was such an amazing man.

MORGAN: He said to me, Kathy, I'd like to go see Paris. I said, well, she's out of town. Well, I'd like to see her recording studio. And I said, OK, all right. And I said just jump in the car. It was like 8:30 at night.
I said we don't have to get any security right now. Let's just go. Rick will drive. You jump in the back. And so the kids came and we all went up and we were up there at Paris'. And he loves to look at everything. So he's looking at all the pictures on the walls. And he loves art. And in her closet and at all her collections of Pinocchio and Tinkerbell and all that. And he said she reminds me -- she -- she's -- what did he say? Something like, she reminds me sometimes a little of the way certain things that I like. And he loved the gold and the frames and --

P. HILTON: You took him in the studio.

K. HILTON: I took him in the studio and he got to see everything.

MORGAN: And he was an extraordinary talent, wasn't he? And he took your name, of course, for one of his children. How did that make you feel?

P. HILTON: I was honored.

MORGAN: Was it a direct result?

K. HILTON: You know, Latoya will tell you the story. When we were younger, we all would say that whoever has the first girl is going to name her Paris. And I had the first girl. So I got to do it first. And then when he had his daughter --

MORGAN: Have you seen the children much since he died?

K. HILTON: I saw them a couple weeks ago. We went out and had dinner. And I can't believe how big they are. We went over there about three weeks ago.

MORGAN: And are they being well looked after?

K. HILTON: Oh, are you kidding? They're in a new house and Mrs. Jackson is there. They have an incredible, beautiful home, great security. And we had a big family dinner. They went up and did their homework and came down and showed grandma and had their bath and said good night, grandma, I love you. And it was great to see them.

MORGAN: There's a kind of feeling because I guess of the impending court actions involving the doctor and his death and everything else, that he'd become sort of a pathetic character in the end, addicted to all this medication and so on. Is that an inaccurate portrayal, do you think?

K. HILTON: Well, I can tell you that when he was at the Bel Air Hotel, there was none -- there was none of that. Because I had -- he was right underneath where I was. And we talked all the time. In fact, if we would be going somewhere in the daytime, he'd say 1:00 down at the fountain. And if I was five minutes late, he was very on top of it. And he was with his kids. I believe in my heart that as he got into the concert thing, it was hard for him to sleep probably. He was not a drug addict. He had a problem going to sleep. I mean, this is not somebody that recreationally would abuse something and I guess the levels went up and up and up.

MORGAN: What do you think his legacy will be, Michael Jackson?

K. HILTON: Well, I think that now that he's gone, everybody realizes what a good person, all the wonderful things that he's done for charity. And it's interesting that we don't hear -- well, I won't get into any of that, but he's left three beautiful children.

MORGAN: Who will be his legacy, I think.

K. HILTON: Absolutely.

Source: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1105/31/pmt.01.html

Here's the video of the interview starting at the point where Kathy Hilton starts to speak about her friendship with Michael and continues on in full until she is done being asked about Michael.

Now, compare and contrast this with CNN's "edited" version:

Did you notice that? Did you notice how the video of the interview on CNN's website was cut off BEFORE Kathy could share how wonderfully Michael's children were being taken care of, what kind of person and father Michael was, and most importantly, that she states that he WAS NOT A DRUG ADDICT! ???

Much thanks to Seven Bowie for bringing this to our attention

See the corresponding transcript below that was cut out of CNN's website version of the interview. It is clearly THERE in the YouTube version (above in this blog...you can watch it for yourself) and it was seen by those who saw the interview live as it couldn't have been edited at the time as it was a live interview.

Below is what was said after the website version of the interview was cut off. You'll notice that in CNN's website version, this is what they leave you with:

MORGAN: Incredibly sad end to his life, wasn't it?

K. HILTON: And he was so fabulous at the hotel. Up early every morning, playing with the kids. Really shocking.

Do you see that? Do you see how they end the interview there to make it seem that Michael was this tragic, sad, pathetic figure and how his death was shocking. It's not only what they end with, to make you think a certain way, it's also what they LEAVE OUT! See below: