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December 14, 2001 : Michael gives an interview to USA Today.

Michael In The Mirror (USA Today, 2001)
By Edna Gunderson

BEVERLY HILLS — The first words from Michael Jackson seem to portend a candid dialogue. “Excuse my skin,” he says. “I just came from the dermatologist. So pretend you don’t see it.” That instruction is tough to obey when dealing with the most scrutinized figure in entertainment, especially one whose many eccentricities include donning disguises in public and heavy cosmetics for the camera. While Jackson is sporting little literal makeup today, figuratively the mask never drops completely.

What was billed as a no-holds-barred interview at times entails jousting with two fiercely protective handlers determined to keep the focus on Jackson’s artistry, despite earlier assurances by an Epic Records publicist of unfettered access. All topics were declared fair game except “the pedophilia issue.” The settlement of a 1993 suit against Jackson, alleging sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy, forbids parties to discuss details.
Jackson vehemently denied allegations at the time and has not addressed it since. The subject is never broached during this hour-long interview. Less scandalous matters — his ex-wives, his plastic surgery odyssey, even concerns he’s discussed in the past — are deemed off limits as they arise.

One roadblock is hit after Jackson waxes nostalgic about famous friends. “Frank Sinatra lived right above us. He’d see us playing basketball every day. And Fred Astaire lived around the bend. I would have a chance to talk to them and learn and listen. Those were golden moments. When I was 16, we were doing Las Vegas every night, and Elvis (Presley) and Sammy Davis Jr. would sit me and my brothers in a row and lecture us. ‘Don’t ever do drugs,’ they told us. I never forgot it.”

Reminded of his own painkiller habit, Jackson goes quiet. Manager Trudy Green, monitoring the interview with Epic executive Steve Einczig, forbids him to respond, even though he confessed the addiction and subsequent treatment in a TV statement nearly a decade ago.

She interrupts again when talk steers to Debbie Rowe, who bore Jackson two children during a marriage from 1996 to 1999. He appears to have sole custody of Prince, 4, and Paris, 3, his constant companions. Asked to comment on persistent rumors that the marriage was arranged to provide offspring, Jackson falls silent. “No, no, no!” Green protests. “This isn’t what we’re here for.” A second stab: Do the kids spend time with their mother? “He doesn’t want to talk about that,” Green interjects. “This is about Michael as an entertainer.”

Granted, the entertainer often is overlooked in the cultural obsession with Jackson’s offstage life. If he agrees to dwell on personal areas, Jackson laments, “that will become the whole story.”

Fair enough. Jackson’s professional accomplishments during his 38 years in show business merit notice, to say the least. He’s sold 65 million albums in the USA, racked up 44 solo hit singles and still holds title to history’s best-selling album, 1982’s Thriller, the global champ with 26 million copies.

Invincible, released Oct 30, entered Billboard at No. 1 with sales of 366,000 copies, about 25,000 shy of 1995’s HIStory. The album spawned radio hits You Rock My World and Butterflies but fell out of the top 10 after four weeks despite a self promotion flurry capped by the Nov. 13 airing of Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special. The two-hour CBS special, culled from a pair of New York concerts toasting his three decades as a solo artist, reached 25.6 million viewers, proof aplenty that Jackson remains an object of fascination.

Today is no exception. Onlookers at the Beverly Hills Hotel strain to glimpse Jackson as a path is cleared and he’s swiftly ushered into a bungalow, his face concealed under a hat, sunglasses and black surgical mask. He spends 40 minutes “settling in,” as Green puts it. Finally prepared for an audience, Jackson greets his visitor with a handshake, a shy smile and the odd comment about his complexion. The makeup seems confined to his cheeks and jaw line. His eyebrows are darkened and groomed; the deep brown eyelids could be eye shadow or vestiges of his original skin tone. Vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder characterized by loss of skin pigment, has left much of his face and hands pale. His tiny nose is bandaged. He offers no explanation, and questions later about his skin condition are summarily shot down by Green.

Tall and slender, Jackson wears a brown leather jacket, red shirt, pinstripe trousers and his signature white socks with black loafers. Prince, his dark hair bleached blond, is clad in similar footwear and a kiddie police uniform, complete with plastic handcuffs hanging from a belt loop.

“These keys work!” he announces before returning to his drawings at a nearby table. Seated in an upholstered chair in the softly lighted suite, Jackson appears relaxed and poised, if a tad weary. He is generous in praising peers. He’s flattered by copycats and loves Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Smooth Criminal, including the video send up of Jackson’s quirks. His eyes light up at talk of upcoming movie projects, especially plans to co-direct a film with director/actor Bryan Michael Stoller in May. He laughs about his earthquake phobia, turns glum when reflecting on a domineering father and gives weight to theories of his eternal boyhood in enthusiastic chatter about toys and theme parks.

Jackson radiates unshakable self-confidence about his musical skills and flashes irritation only when pressed about the press. A rare interview subject, he agreed to this encounter in hopes of emphasizing a message that’s frequently obscured by gossip.

“All I’m saying is heal the world, save our children,” he says.
Jackson aggressively courts media attention, yet remains frustrated by the level of scorn and speculation directed at him. It’s a pet peeve that gets a rise out of the usually soft-spoken star.

“The guy who hits the most home runs is always the target,” he complains. “It’s human nature.”

As he did in Leave Me Alone and Tabloid Junkie, Jackson condemns the prying press in Invincible track Privacy: “You keep on stalking me, invading my privacy. … Stop maliciously attacking my integrity.”

Flanked by chaperones, Jackson faces interrogation with genial resignation and no hint of butterflies.

Q: How do you respond to inaccurate articles about you?

A: I don’t pay any attention. The fans know the tabloid garbage is crap. They always say to me, “Let’s have a tabloid-burning.” It’s terrible to try to assassinate one’s character. I’ve had people come to me, and after meeting me, they start crying. I say, “Why are you crying?” They say, “Because I thought you would be stuck up, but you’re the nicest person.” I say, “Who gave you this judgment?” They tell me they
read it. I tell them, “Don’t you believe what you read.”

Q: Do these rumors persist because you don’t refute them?

A: No. I’ve done so much in the past. I did the most watched TV interview in history with Oprah Winfrey (in 1993). But (the media) tend to want to twist what you say and judge you. I want to keep it on the music and the art. I think about some of my favorite people who ever lived. If I could stand face to face with Walt Disney or Michelangelo, would I care what they do in their private life? I want to know about their art. I’m a fan.

Q: How do you shield yourself from being hurt by criticism?

A: Expecting it, knowing it’s going to happen and being invincible, being what I was always taught to be. You stand strong with an iron fist, no matter what the situation.”

Q: Critics refer to you as the self-proclaimed King of Pop. Did you choose that title?

A: I never self-proclaimed myself to be anything. If I called up Elizabeth Taylor right now, she would tell you that she coined the phrase. She was introducing me, I think at the American Music Awards, and said in her own words — it wasn’t in the script — “I’m a personal fan, and in my opinion he is the king of pop, rock and soul.” Then the press started saying “King of Pop” and the fans started. This self-proclaimed garbage,
I don’t know who said that.

Q: The New York concerts marked your first U.S. shows in 12 years. Were you nervous?

A: No. It was an honor to be back with my brothers again. The producer wanted a cavalcade of luminaries from different fields of endeavor. It was a great honor to have them salute me. It was heartwarming, a happy, fun occasion.

Q: Would you consider another tour with your brothers?

A: I don’t think so. I would definitely do an album with them, but not a tour. They would love to tour. But I want to move on to other things. Physically, touring takes a lot out of you. When I’m on stage, it’s like a two-hour marathon. I weigh myself before and after each show, and I lose a good 10 pounds. Sweat is all over the stage. Then you get to your hotel and your adrenaline is at its zenith and you can’t fall asleep. And you’ve got a show the next day. It’s tough.

Q: If you don’t tour, how will you satisfy public demand as well as your need to perform?

A: I want to direct a special on myself and do songs that touch me. I want something more intimate, from the soul and heart, with just one spotlight.

Q: How did you react when Invincible topped the chart here and in a dozen countries?

A: It was a lovely feeling. I cried happy tears to see all the love.

Q: Invincible was several years in the making. Does your perfectionism slow the process?

A: It did take a while because I’m never happy with the songs. I’ll write a bunch of songs, throw them out, write some more. People say, “Are you crazy? That’s got to go on the album.” But I’ll say, “Is it better than this other one?” You only get 75 minutes on a CD, and we push it to the limit.

Q: Did you approach Invincible with a single theme in mind?

A: I never think about themes. I let the music create itself. I like it to be a potpourri of all kinds of sounds, all kinds of colors, something for everybody, from the farmer in Ireland to the lady who scrubs toilets in Harlem.

Q: Has it become easier to write songs over time?

A: It’s the most effortless thing in the world because you don’t do anything. I hate to say it like that, but it’s the truth. The heavens drop it right into your lap, in its totality. The real gems come that way. You can sit at the piano and say, “OK, I’m going to write the greatest song ever written,” and nothing. But you can be walking down the street or showering or playing and, boom; it hits you in the head. I’ve written so many
like that. I’m playing a pinball machine, and I have to run upstairs and get my little tape recorder and start dictating. I hear everything in its totality, what the strings are going to do, what the bass is going to do, the harpsichord, everything.

Q: Is it difficult translating that sound to tape?

A: That’s what’s frustrating. In my head, it’s completed, but I have to transplant that to tape. It’s like (Alfred) Hitchcock said, “The movie’s finished.” But he still has to start directing it. The song is the same. You see it in its entirety and then you execute it.

Q: After such a long absence, did you have doubts about your current relevance?

A: Never. I have confidence in my abilities. I have real perseverance. Nothing can stop me when I put my mind to it.

Q: After Sept. 11, you wrote a benefit song, What More Can I Give? What’s the status?

A: It’s not finished. We’re adding artists, and I’m getting myself satisfied with the instrumentation.

Q: Is it your belief that music is a tool for healing?

A: It’s a mantra that soothes the soul. It’s therapeutic. It’s something our body has to have, like food. It’s very important to understand the power of music. Whether you’re in an elevator or a department store, music affects the way you shop, the way you treat your neighbor. (Prince hands Jackson a drawing. “I appreciate it,” Jackson says. “Do you have to go to the bathroom?” Prince: “No.”)

Q: Invincible hasn’t enjoyed record-breaking sales. Does Thriller cast too big a shadow?

A: Absolutely. It is tough because you’re competing against yourself. Invincible is just as good or better than Thriller, in my true, humble opinion. It has more to offer. Music is what lives and lasts. Invincible has been a great success. When The Nutcracker Suite was first introduced to the world, it totally bombed. What’s important is how the story ends.
(Prince surfaces again with another picture. “What did you promise me?” Jackson asks. “To be quiet?” Prince responds, then retreats.)

Q: How has fatherhood changed you?

A: In a huge way. You have to value your time differently, no doubt about it. It’s your responsibility to make sure they’re taken care of and raised properly with good manners. But I refuse to let any of it get in the way of the music or the dance or the performing. I have to play two different roles. I always wanted to have a big family, ever since I was in school. I was always telling my father I would outdo him. He had 10 children. I would love to have like 11 or 12 myself.

Q: What have you taught your children?

A: I try to make sure they’re respectful and honorable and kind to everybody. I tell them, no matter what they do, work hard at it. What you want to do for a lifetime, be the best at it.
(Prince is staring. “Stop looking at me,” Jackson says, smiling.)

Q: And what have your kids taught you?

A: A lot. (Parenthood) reminds you to do what the Bible has always told us. When the Apostles were arguing among themselves over who was the greatest in Jesus’ eyes, he said, “None of you,” and called over a little boy and said, “until you humble yourself like this child.” It reminds you t o be kind and humble and to see things through the eyes of children with a childlike wonderment. I still have that. I’m still fascinated by clouds and the sunset. I was making wishes on the rainbow yesterday. I saw the meteor shower. I made a wish every time I saw a shooting star.

Q: What are your wishes?

A: Peace and love for the children. (Prince returns, gazing intently. “Stop that,” says Jackson, gently turning the boy’s head away. “Can you be still?”)

Q: You’ve said you plan to home-school your kids. Given your fame, how can you provide a normal life for them?

A: You do the best you can. You don’t isolate them from other children. There will be other kids at the school (on his property). I let them go out in the world. But they can’t always go with me. We get mobbed and attacked. When we were in Africa, Prince saw a mob attack in a huge shopping mall. People broke so much stuff, running and screaming. My biggest fear is that fans will hurt themselves, and they do. I’ve seen glass break, blood, ambulances.

Q: Are you resentful that stardom stole your childhood?

A: Yeah. It’s not anger, it’s pain. People see me at an amusement park or with other kids having fun, and they don’t stop and think, “He never had that chance when he was little.” I never had the chance to do the fun things kids do: sleepovers, parties, trick-or-treat. There was no Christmas, no holiday celebrating. So now you try to compensate for some of that loss.

Q: Have you made peace with your father?

A: It’s much better. My father is a much nicer person now. I think he realizes his children are everything. Without your family, you have nothing. He’s a nice human being. At one time, we’d be horrified if he just showed up. We were scared to death. He turned out really well. I wish it wasn’t so late.

Q: Did music offer an escape from childhood worries?

A: Of course. We sang constantly in the house. We sang group harmony while washing dishes. We’d make up songs as we worked. That’s what makes greatness. You have to have that tragedy, that pain to pull from. That’s what makes a clown great. You can see he’s hurting behind the masquerade. He’s something else externally. Chaplin did that so beautifully, better than anyone. I can play off those moments, too. I’ve been through the fire many times.
(Prince is back. He leans against the chair to gawk at the king of pops. “Stop looking at me,” Jackson implores, clearly unnerved by the tyke’s scrutiny. “You’re not making this easy.” Both of them chuckle, and Jackson warns teasingly, “You may not get that
piece of candy.”)

Q: Do your religious beliefs ever conflict with the sexy nature of your music or dancing?

A: No. I sing about things that are loving, and if people interpret it as sexy, that’s up to them. I never use bad words like some of the rappers. I love and respect their work, but I think I have too much respect for parents and mothers and elderly people. If I did a song with bad words and saw an older lady in the audience, I’d cringe.

Q: But what about your trademark crotch-grabbing moves?

A: I started doing that with Bad. Martin Scorsese directed that short film in the subways of New York. I let the music tell me what to do. I remember him saying, “That was a great take! I want you to see it.” So we pushed playback, and I went aaaah! I didn’t realize I was doing that. But then everyone else started doing that, and Madonna, too. But it’s not sexual at all.

Q: How are you spending your free time these days?

A: I like to do silly things — water-balloon fights, pie fights, egg fights. (Turning to Prince) You got a good one coming! I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of that. At my house, I built a water-balloon fort with two sides, a red team and a blue team. We have cannons that shoot water 60 feet and slingshots that shoot the balloons. We got bridges and places to hide. I just love it.

Q: After 38 years in show business, fans still mob you. Are you immune to adulation?

A: It’s always a good feeling. I never take it for granted. I’m never puffed up with pride or think I’m better than the next-door neighbor. To be loved is a wonderful thing. That is the main reason I do this. I feel compelled to do it, to give people some sense of escapism, a treat to the eye and the ear. I think it’s the reason I’m here.

Q: Why do you think people are jealous?

A: If you look back in history, it’s the same with anybody who’s achieved wonderful things. I know the Disney family well, and Walt’s daughters used to tell me it was difficult when they were in school. Kids would say, “I hate Walt Disney. He’s not even funny. We don’t watch him.” Charlie Chaplin’s kids, who I know well, had to take their children out of school. They were being teased: “Your grandfather is stupid. He’s not funny. We don’t like him.” He was a genius! So you have to deal with this jealousy. They think they’re hurting you. Nothing could hurt me. The bigger the star, the larger the target. At least they’re talking. When they stop talking, you have to worry.

Q: How did you gear up for the physical demands of your special concerts (which aired as a two-hour CBS special)? Do you exercise?

A: I hate exercise. I hate it so much. The only thing I do is dance. That’s an exercise. That’s why I like some of the karate stuff or kung fu. It’s all a dance. But sit-ups? I hate it.

Q: Were you intimidated by and of the other superstars on the bill?

A: No. I enjoy watching performers. It’s all school for me. I never stop learning. It was really inspiring.

Q: Are you more enamored with modern music or vintage stuff?

A: I like the earlier stuff. It’s more melodically conscious. Today people rely on a beat or a rhythm, which is nice, but I said this time and time again, melody will always be king. You have to hum it.

Q: You’ve teamed with a huge variety of musicians. What attracts you to a particular collaborator?

A: If I see some potential in their ability as an artist or musician, I’ll give them a hook or a line or a phrase and see how they play it or execute it. Sometimes we go all day and it’s still not right.

Q: Did you learn that lesson from your parents?

A: Our parents taught us to always be respectful and, no matter what you do, to give it everything you have. Be the best, not the second best.

Q: You are often pursued by mobs of fans. Are you ever scared for your own safety?

A: Never ever. I know exactly what to do when it gets really rough, how to just play them. As long as they can see you, they’re crazy, but you can put yourself in the eye of the hurricane. If you duck and they can’t see you, they calm down.

Q: Your inner circle seems to consist of very young friends and much older ones. What connects you to people like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor?

A: We’ve had the same lives. They grew up in show business. We look at each other,and it’s like looking in a mirror. Elizabeth has this little girl inside of her who never had a childhood. She was on the set every day. She loves playing with a new gadget or toy, and she’s totally awe-inspired by it. She’s a wonderful human being. So is Brando.

Q: What happened to your plans to build theme parks in Europe or Africa?

A: We’re still working on a couple of projects. I can’t say right now where. I love theme parks. I love seeing children coming together, having a good time with their parents. It’s not like it used to be, when you put your kids on the merry-go-round and sat on the bench eating peanuts. Now you enjoy it with them. It builds a unity to the family.

February 2002 : Michael is on the cover of the March issue of VIBE magazine with an exclusive interview & photoshoot that took place in December 2001 at Neverland.

I first met Michael Jackson some 33 years ago when Diana Ross introduced the Jackson 5 — then a brand-new Motown act — to 350 music and media folk at the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills. My husband, Ken, and I were then publishing Soul, one of the first national black-entertainment newsmagazines.

Ten year old Michael already knew how to charm a crowd. Acknowledging Diana’s support, he said, “After singing for four years and not becoming a star, I thought I would never be discovered — this is, until Miss Ross came along to save my career.”

Just four months later, the Jackson 5’s first single, ‘I Want You Back’, soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, followed two months later by ‘ABC’. Thousands of letters from across the country poured into our mailbox. Responding to the Jackson’s first tour, one reader wrote: “Those youngsters performed in a manner that could be harmful to one’s health. The heart can only stand so much soul, and their performance was definately an overdose.”

Over the next decade, Soul kept up with the Jackson family as a guest at parties, weddings, and concerts. We were also regular visitors to the family home, where Michael — soft-spoken, polite, curious, and quiet — was usually off by himself, drawing or playing with his snakes and other pets, while his older brothers, cousins and visitors played basketball. But when Soul stopped publishing in 1980, I lost touch with the family.

And then Michael became a pop-culture superstar, changing the face of music, dance, fashion, and music video with hit after hit. He was idolized and chased by fans and media wherever he went. He took an art form, refined and packaged it, and became an international icon. The American Music Awards recently named him the Artist of the Century. When it comes to the King of Pop, the world is insatiable.

You can tell a lot about someone by the people who work for him. Arriving at Michael’s 2700-acre Neverland Valley Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif., north of Santa Barbara, I’m greeted by some of the 70-odd members of Michael’s exceedingly friendly staff, which helps the self-proclaimed King of Pop maintain the comples and welcomes busloads of visitors a year, mostly kids who suffer terminal illnesses.

Dressed in black slacks, white socks, black loafers, and a soft yellow shirt, Michael greets me with a warm smile hello and a big hug. He then excuses himself to see about his son, Prince, 5, and daughter Paris, 3, who have just returned from a long walk and are excitedly chattering to their dad about their day.
The governess, who closely resembles Michael’s mother, Katherine, suggests I have a brief look around the ranch before dark. So I take off in a battery-powered golf cart, while Michael spends some time with his babies.

I discover an amusement park, playground, train station, arcade, swiming pool, Jacuzzi, bumper-car tent, and various areas where anumals roam free. I spot a llama, a parrot, a cheetah, a pony, and several deer.
Michael is ready to talk when I return 45 minutes later. I’ve brought along a bound volume of Soul, and he looks at the old photographs and laughs at himself, his brothers and a picture of Diana Ross. “Do you remember interviewing me when I was little?” he asks, reminding me of the time Soul talked to him through his ‘interpreter’, Janet. “It wasn’t a game, it was real,” he says. “I felt afraid. I felt that if my sister was there, the person would go easier on me.”

Often very animated, Michael goes from a whisper to raucous laughter in a split second. The only matter that he refuses to address is his plastic surgery. “That’s a stupid question,” he says. “That’s one reason I didn’t do interviews for years.”

At a time when stars routinely boast about their Bentleys and blingbling, Michael is singularly modest. He brushes off a question about his financial health — there have been recent reports of trouble — saying only, “I’m taken care of fine.” Michael makes money when he sleeps. He owns half of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which includes most of the Beatles catalog as well as songs by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Babyface, and Elvis.

At 43, Michael is indisputably back. ‘Invincible’, his first album in four years, was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. His two sold-out tribute shows at Madison Square Garden last September (just before the terrorist attacks) were later aired as a CBS special watched by more than 25.7 million viewers, making it that network’s highest-rated music special of all time.

As we resume the conversation that began so many years ago, I discover that, in spite of all the flash and tumult of Michael’s time in the spotlight, he’s remarkable unchanged still caring, inquisitive, and sensitive.

Jones: How is it to be competing for sales with the likes of ’N Sync and Britney Spears, children who were basically born at the height of your fame?

Michael: It’s a rarity. I had No. 1 records in 1969 and ’70, and still entered the charts in 2001 at No. 1. I don’t think any other artist has that range. It’s a great honor. I’m happy, I don’t know what else to say. I’m glad people accept what I do.

Jones: What are your thoughts on the current state of R&B?

Michael: I don’t categorize music. Music is music. They changed the word R&B to rock n’ roll. It was always been, from Fats Domino to Little Richard to Chuck Berry. How can we discriminate? Its what it is — great music, you know.

Jones: Are you feeling hip hop?

Michael: I like a lot of it, a lot of it. I like the music. I don’t like the dancing that much. It looks like they’re doing aerobics.

Jones: How did you decide to feature Biggie Smalls on ‘Unbreakable’, off ‘Invincible’?

Michael: It wasn’t my idea, actually. It was Rodney Jerkins’, one of the writer/producers working on the album. It was my idea to put a rap part on the song, and he said, “I know just the perfect on — Biggie.” He put it in, and it worked perfectly.

Jones: Why did you choose Jay-Z for the remix of the first single, ‘You Rock My World’?

Michael: He’s hip, the new thing, and he’s with the kids today. They like his work. He’s tapped into the nerve of popular culture. It just made good sense.

Jones: What was it like for you to appear at New York’s Hot 97 Summer Jam concert as Jay-Z’s guest?

Michael: I just showed up and gave him a hug. There was a tumultuous explosion of applause and stomping, a lovely, lovely welcome, and I was happy about that. It was a great feeling — the love, the love.

Jones: Does it bother you to see people emulate you, such as Usher, Sisqo, Ginuwine, and even Destiny’s Child?

Michael: I don’t mind it at all. These are artists who grew up with my music. When you grow up listening to somebody you admire, you tend to become them. You want to look like them, to dress like them. When I was little, I was James Brown, I was Sammy Davis Jr., so I understand. It’s a compliment.

Jones: Did you know that you were creating timeless classics when you were recording ‘Thriller’ and ‘Off the Wall’?

Michael: Yes, not to be arrogant, but yes. Because I know great material when I hear it, and meoldically and sonically and musically, it’s so moving. They keep the promise.

Jones: Do you feel there’s a greater acceptance of black artists these days?

Michael: I think people have always admired black music since the beginning of time, if you want to go back to Negro spirituals. Today, the market is just accepting of the fact that that’s the sound. From Britney to ’N Sync, they’re all doing the R&B thing. Even Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees he always tells me [immitating a British accent], “Man, we do R&B.” I say, Barry, I don’t categorize it, but it’s great music. I understand where he’s coming from. I love great music — it has no color, it has no boundaries.

Jones: You seem to be enjoying life as a single parent.

Michael: I never had so much fun in all my life. That’s the truth. Beacause I’m this big kid, and now I get to see the world through the eyes of the really young ones. I learn more from them than they learn from me. I’m constantly trying things and testing things on them to see what works and what doesn’t. Children are always the best judges to monitor something. If you can get the kids, you’ve got it. That’s why Harry Potter is so successful — it’s a family-oriented movie. You can’t go wrong there. We want a wide demographic, and that’s why I try not to say things in my lyrics that offend parents. I don’t want to be like that. We weren’t raised to be like that. Mother and Joseph [Michael’s father] wouldn’t say stuff like that.

Jones: What do Prince and Paris listen to?

Michael: They listen to all of my music, and they love classical, which plays all around the ranch. They like any good dance music.

Jones: How would you feel about your children becoming pop icons, based upon your experience?

Michael: I don’t know how they would handle that. It would be tough. I really don’t know. It’s hard, since most of the children of celebrities end up becoming self-destructive because they can’t live up to the talent of the parent. People used to always say to Fred Astaire Jr., “Can you dance?” And he couldn’t. He didn’t have any rhythm, but his father was this genius dancer. It doesn’t mean that it has to be passed on. I always tell my children, You don’t have to sing, you don’t have to dance. Be who you want to be, as long as you’re not hurting anybody. That’s the main thing.

Jones: Which artists — past and present — inspire you?

Michael: Stevie Wonder is a musical prophet. All of the early Motown. All the Beatles. I’m crazy about Sammy Davis Jr., Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson — the real entertainers, the real thing, not just gimmicks, showstoppers. When James Brown was with the Famous Flames, it was unbelievable. There are so many wonderful singers — Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis. Real stylists. You hear one line, and you know who it is. Nat ‘King’ Cole, great stuff. Sam Cooke — they are all ridiculous.

Jones: How involved were you in selecting the artists to perform in your 30th anniversary special?

Michael: I wasn’t involved at all.

Jones: How were you able to let go of something so big and so special?

Michael: Trust.

Jones: What was your experience on September 11?

Michael: I was in New York [after performing at Madison Square Garden on September 7 and 10], and I got a call from friends in Saudi Arabia that America was being attacked. I turned on the news and saw the Twin Towers coming down, and I said, Oh my God. I screamed down the hotel hallway to our people, Everybody get out, let’s leave now! Marlon Brando was on one end, our security was on the other end. We were all up there, but Elizabeth Taylor was at another hotel. We all got out of there as quickly as we could. We jumped in the car, but there were these girls who had been at the show the night before, and they were banging on the windows, running down the street screaming. Fans are so loyal. We hid in New Jersey. It was unbelievable — I was scared to death.

Jones: On another tip altogether, what do you do for recreation?

Michael: I like water-balloon fights. We have a water-balloon fort here, and we have a red team and a blue team. We have slings and cannons, and you are drenched by the time the game is over. There’s a timer, and whoever gets the most points is the winner. If I’m going to do some kind of sport, I have to laugh. I don’t do anything like basketball or golf. Basketball is very competitive, and so is tennis; they make you angry. I’m not into that. It should be therapeutic. I also like to go to amusement parks, hang out with animals, things like that.

Jones: Do you have a fantasy of something that you’d like to see in your lifetime?

Michael: I would like to see an international children’s holiday to honor our children, because the family bond has been broken. There’s a Mother’s Day, and there’s a Father’s Day, but there’s no children’s day. It would mean a lot. It really would. World peace. I hope that our next generation will get to see a peaceful world, not the way things are going now.

Jones: Has singing ever stopped being fun and become work?

Michael: It’s always been fun. Unless I get physically sick, it’s always fun. I still love it.

Jones: Many of us see you as a historic figure, an innovator who has set a standard that still exists in music. Where does Michael Jackson go from here?

Michael: Thank you, thank you. I have a deep love for film and I want to pioneer and innovate in the medium of film — to write and direct and produce movies, to bring incredible entertainment.

Jones: What kinds of movies? Are you looking at scripts?

Michael: Yes, but nothing has been finalized yet.

Jones: Are you ever lonely?

Michael: Of course. If I’m onstage, I’m fine there. But you can have a house full of people and still be lonely from within. I’m not complaining, because I think it’s a good thing for my work.

Jones: Tell me about the inspiration for ‘Speechless’. It’s very loving.

Michael: You’ll be surprised. I was with these kids in Germany, and we had a big water-balloon fight — I’m serious — and I was so happy after the fight that I ran upstairs in their house and wrote ‘Speechless’. Fun inspires me. I hate to say that, because it’s such a romantic song. But it was the fight that did it. I was happy, and I wrote it in it’s entirety right there. I felt it would be good enough for the album. Out of the bliss comes magic, wonderment, and creativity.

Jones: Do you collect anything?

Michael: I like anything to do with Shirley Temple, the Little Rascals, and the Three Stooges. I love Curly. I love him so much that I did a book on him. I got a hold of his daughter, and we wrote the book together.

Jones: Is there anything that you would like to say to VIBE readers?

Michael: I love Quincy Jones. I really do. And also, I want to tell the readers not to judge a person by what they hear, or even what they read, unless they hear it from the person himself. There is so much tabloid sensationalism. Don’t fall prey to it, it’s ugly. I’d like to take all the tabloids and burn them. I want you to print that! Some of them try to diguise themselves, but they are still the tabloids.

Jones: Finally, how do you channel your creativity?

Michael: I don’t force it, I let nature take its course. I don’t sit at the piano and think, I’m going to write the greatest song of all time. It doesn’t happen. It has to be given to you. I believe it’s already up there before you are born, and then it drops right into your lap. It’s the most spiritual thing in the world. When it comes, it comes with all the accompaniments, the strings, the bass, the drums, the lyrics, and you’re just the medium through which it comes, the channel. Sometimes I feel guilty putting my name on songs — written by Michael Jackson — because it’s as if the heavens have done it already. Like Michelangelo would have this huge piece of marble from the quaries of Italy, and he’d say, “Inside is a sleeping form.” He takes a hammer and chisel, and he’s just freeing it. It’s already in there. It’s already there.

June 01, 2002 : Michael gives an interview to Gold Magazine. In the interview he talks about a new movie project named “Wolfed”

Michael Jackson is the ‘King of Pop’, the man who made the biggest-selling album in history; a man whose dance routines and tunes have entranced people in every corner of the globe, from Johannesburg to Jakarta, from London to L.A.

But he is also an enigma. A child star with his siblings in the Jackson Five, he comes from an immensely talented family and, as youngest son [Randy is younger ;-)], carved for himself the most successful solo career of all of them. He is one of the few world-famous children who have gone on to become world-famous adults; and now he is reinventing himself again, as a film star.

Despite his fame, despite the fact that he has been performing, creating and improvising almost since he was old enough to walk, Jackson is shy of publicity. He may have hordes of fans and photographers surrounding him whenever he steps out in public, but he is an intensely private man who lives with his family on his fairy-tale Neverland ranch in California. In this rare interview, he talks candidly to Magdalena, the ‘Gold Girl’, about fame, the burden of his childhood stardom, his view on the media, and his future in film.

Magdalena: Do you most see yourself as a musician, an entertainer or an entrepreneur?

Michael: Probably all of the above, because I love entertaining and I always will love entertaining. I love becoming a slave to rhythm. Because dancing is about interpreting the sounds and accompaniments of the orchestra. You know, you become the sound, you become the bass, you become whatever you hear, and you do it bodily. But I try not to get so caught up in it all that you don’t think about your future. So many great entertainers have just been taken in the past, and they ended up lonely, sad and broken. I’ve always said to myself, I never want to be that way and I’m going to try my hardest to learn about the business side, support myself, invest my money, save. Who knows what tomorrow brings? You want to be protected financially so you can support yourself.

Magdalena: Would you like to be remembered as a great entertainer?

Michael: I love movies and I love art — and an architect is an entertainer, the guy who builds a rollercoaster is an entertainer. He knows where to build the slopes, and the big anticipation when you go up… He makes you go, “Oh my God!” when you get to the top before you come down. It’s just the same as structuring a show or a dance.

Magdalena: Does it ever become a burden to be one of the most recognized stars in the world?

Michael: There’s nowhere in the world I can actually go and have privacy. The thing that hurts the most is the fact that your privacy is taken away from you. To use the silly expression, you live in a fishbowl, but it’s true. I do disguises… People know them all, it’s very hard, very hard.

Magdalena: What kind of disguises?

Michael: Fat suits, buck teeth, glasses, afros, prosthetics, make-up jobs, everything. Just to sit in the audience and experience it the way an audience would experience a show; I want to feel how they feel.

Magdalena: Do they find you out?

Michael: Sometimes, yes. In the beginning, no. Then they start looking me in the eyes. I put these things on and then they start looking behind the glasses… Girls are very smart, you know. You can trick a guy quicker than you can trick a girl. Women can just pick it up. They know the way you move your body, the way you walk, the way you gesture. I hear them go, “Look at the way he moves his hand”, or “Look at the way he was walking”, and I think, “Oh no.”
Magdalena: If you were invisible for a day in London, what would you do?

Michael: Oh boy. Who would I like to slap? Let me see [laughs]… I think I’d find one of the tabloid paparazzi and kick his ass, ‘Moonwalk’ style. I’d really like to knock them off one of those little scooters they ride around on, I really would, knock the cameras right out of their hands. They’re so annoying. I’d go for them first, yeah. They drive you nuts. You can’t get away from them. It’s terrible.

Magdalena: Who has inspired you the most professionally, and who do you relate to?

Michael: Probably Walt Disney; because when I was little I grew up in an adult world. I grew up on stage. I grew up in night clubs. When I was seven, eight years old I was in nightclubs. I saw striptease girls take off all their clothes. I saw fights break out. I saw people throw up on each other. I saw adults act like pigs. That’s why to this day I hate clubs. I don’t like going to clubs — I did that already, I’ve been there. That’s why I compensate now for what I didn’t do then. So when you come to my house, you’ll see I have rides, I have a movie theatre, I have animals. I love animals — elephants and giraffes and lions and tigers and bears, all kinds of snakes. I get to do all those wonderful things that I didn’t get to do when I was little, because we didn’t have those things. We didn’t have Christmas. We didn’t have sleepovers. We didn’t have school, we had private school when we were touring. I didn’t go to a state school. We tried it for two weeks and it didn’t work. It was very difficult. It’s hard growing up a celebrity child. Very few make that transition from child star to adult star. It’s very difficult. I relate to Shirley Temple. I met her in San Francisco and I sat at her table and I cried so bad. She said, “What’s wrong Michael?” I said, “I love you. I need to be around you more.” She goes, “You’re one of us, aren’t you?” and I said “Yes, I am.” Somebody else said, “What do you mean?” and she said, “Michael knows what I mean.” And I know exactly what she meant — to have been there as a child star and to have graduated to have succeeded in making that transition to fame as an adult is very difficult. When you’re a child star people don’t want you to grow up. They want you to stay little for ever. They don’t want you to work afterwards. It’s very hard.

Magdalena: Tell me more about your interests in theme parks — what is it about them that interests you?

Michael: My favorite thing about theme parks — and I have a pretty good outlook on it because I’ve traveled the world many times over — is I love seeing people simply come together with their families and have fun. It really does bring them closer together. I go for fun, but I also go to study. I go after hours to most parks because I can’t go in the regular hours. They’re kind of like a ghost town.

Magdalena: I hear you have some ideas for a theme park in Las Vegas?

Michael: I’ve done many projects in Las Vegas, and what I think I’ve done is I’ve widened the demographic there. Because when I was a little kid — I was no more than eight years old — my brothers and I would go to Las Vegas, and at that time kids weren’t even allowed to walk on a casino floor. So we used to stay up in our rooms, bored, with nothing to do while everyone else gambled. There was only one place for kids in Vegas at the time, called ‘Circus Circus’. It was a hotel and the theme they had there was clowns. So there was a trapeze man and there were chimps doing the little unicycles. When I got older we played Vegas a lot — we performed there many, many times — and I thought about it and I said, “It’s really not fair that there’s nothing here for children,” so I started to conceive a couple of ideas for certain hotel owners. And now it’s like the family-themed vacation kingdom, it really is.

Magdalena: Who are your favorite people?

Michael: I love people who have really contributed to the pleasure and happiness of the planet and mankind, people with light — from Walt Disney to Gandhi to Edison to Martin Luther King. These are people with light, people who really cared about children, bringing families together, and love. That’s what I try to say in my music and in my songs. If you go to one of my concerts, my shows, you will see 200 000 people swaying, holding candles, saying, “We want to heal the world,” and “We love you.” I’ve seen it around the world from Russia to Germany to Poland to Africa to America. We’re all the same. People cry in the same places in the show. They get angry in the same places in the show, they get the pathos in the same places.

Magdalena: Was Fred Astaire your friend?

Michael: Yes. Fred Astaire was my neighbor. I used to see him every day when I was riding my little motorscooter. He always told me, he would always say when I was a little kid, “You’re gonna be a big star.” He told me that he thought I was an incredible entertainer and a great mover. And he always used to say, “You’re the best,” and I’d say, “No, you’re the best.” I remember the first time I did the ‘Moonwalk’. Fred called me at home. He was screaming on the phone, raving. He said it was the best performance he’d ever seen. I said, “Oh, come on.” He said, “Michael, you put them on their ass.You’re a hell of a mover. You’re a hell of a dancer.” I said, “Well, coming from you, I don’t need any awards.” Because I was nominated for an Emmy for that performance, and I didn’t get it, but it didn’t matter to me because Fred Astaire said he loved my performance, and that’s all the award I needed.

Magdalena: If you could work with anyone, alive or dead, who would that be?

Michael: If I could work with anybody it would be Charlie Chaplin, who I love so much. Also, Laurence Oliver was a genius, really.Those two guys, I think. And also the king, Brando.

Magdalena: Last year you put together a short film, ‘You Rock My World’, with the assistance of Marlon Brando. What was it like working with the master?

Michael: Brando is a good friend of mine. He’s very much like me. He doesn’t go many places. He comes to Neverland or he stays in my house in Mulholland Drive, or he goes to Tahiti. His son worked for me for more than 20 years, and his other son was in my class in private school. He’s just a giant. You see, Brando’s smart, because when he works with me he always says, “I know what buttons to push to get emotion from you.” He knows me so well. He knows how to get me ticked off, so he’ll say certain things to get me really geared up. He’s a genius. He’s a king. He’s the last of that generation. He’s a brilliant man, a lovely person. I love him and he’s my good friend.

Magdalena: You had a cameo in ‘Men In Black II’, was that fun to work on?

Michael: The ‘Men In Black’ project really was a lot of fun because I introduced myself as the new guy.

Magdalena: It was obvious from the video of ‘Thriller’ that you have a great interest in the visual arts.

Michael: Everything I do I like either to direct myself, or work closely with the director — we co-direct and come up with the ideas together. If you look at ‘Ghosts’, it says co-written by Michael Jackson and Stephen King. We wrote it on the telephone, Stephen and I — he’s a lovely guy, he’s amazing. We wrote it on the phone, just talking together.

Magdalena: Who are the figures in the movie business you most admire, and why?

Michael: I just love Robert De Niro. I think he’s such a multi-faceted actor. He can play anything from a comedian to a priest to a psychopathic killer to an idiot to a charming uncle to just anything. And of course, any of the great dancers.

Magdalena: Who would be your ideal leading lady, and why?

Michael: An actress? [laughs] You and I should do a film together. Let’s do it, I’d love that…

Magdalena: There was talk of you going to the moon to perform an authentic ‘Moonwalk’ here. Is there any truth in this?

Michael: [laughs] There is some truth in it. It’s not a rumor. I’ll just say that.

Magdalena: You outbid Paul McCartney for the Beatles archive. What was so special about it?

Michael: No, I didn’t, he didn’t bid for it. It was for sale and I liked it and I bought it, like buying a piece of art.

Magdalena: Tell me more about your passion for children’s charities. Which organizations do you support?

Michael: Well, I have a charity for kids that I created myself, called ‘Heal the World’. And whenever I do a concert or anything pertaining to entertainment, I give a certain amount to ‘Heal the World’ — you know orphanages, hospitals, kids who need a lung or a liver, we’ll find it, we’ll pay for the surgery. On tour, I do as many hospitals and orphanages as I do concerts. We go to 12-years-olds and we take boxes and boxes and boxes of toys, a bunch of Michael Jackson posters and paraphernalia. They love it.

Magdalena: How much more do you feel you want to achieve in your life?

Michael: I’m never satisfied. There are so many different avenues and so many different things that I want to do. I’ve done a lot, but I don’t think it’s enough, which is why I don’t put up any awards or anything in my house. You won’t see any awards in my house, I put them all away in storage. Because if you get caught up in that, you start to feel like, “Oh, man, I did it.” There’s so much more, so many more mountains to climb.

Magdalena: If one of your children came to you and said, “Dad, I want to be a pop star,” what’s the best advise you could give them?

Michael: The best advise that I would give them is it’s a lot of hard work, and be prepared, because it’s not all joy all the time. And that you’ve got to have rhinoceros skin, because the bigger the star, the bigger the target. The tabloid press are bastards, and you’ve got to have rhinoceros skin to deal with that kind of ignorance mentality. They do it simply to sell papers, because bad news sell, not good news. They simply make it up. If they don’t have anything, they just make it up. I’m nothing like the way the tabloids have painted me out to be, nothing. Nothing like that. They’re the ones who are crazy. They’re ignorant. I always say to my fans “Let’s have a tabloid burning. Let’s make a big mountain out of tabloids and just burn them.” The real fans who love me know that garbage isn’t true. They know. They’re smart.

Magdalena: Have you always wanted to do film? If your family had not been such successful musicians, would you have turned to it earlier in your life?

Michael: I’ve always wanted to do film, but the tours got in the way. That’s why I want to take several years off just doing film. I’d like to get six great movies behind me, and then I’ll do a little bit of touring, then I’ll do more filming.

Magdalena: What kind of ideas do you have for film?

Michael: I have ideas for film and movement and dance and things that people have never seen. I can’t wait to just surprise people. That’s why I’ve been dying to start a film production company, and I’m very excited that that’s what we’re doing with ‘Neverland Pictures’. I get to just have a clean slate and play and create and sculpt.

Magdalena: Tell me a little bit about the werewolf idea in your films, and how does it relate to video?

Michael: I haven’t read the script yet for ‘Wolfed’ — it’s one of the movies that we’re going to be making and I’m really excited about it. I’m so happy to be working with Sammy Lee. We’re doing some great projects together in film, and I’m really excited.

Magdalena: And ‘Wolfed’ will be the first film?

Michael: As of now, our schedule says that ‘Wolfed’ will be the first film. That’s going to be fun. I want it to be really scary. Rick Baker wants to do all the visual effects. He has seven Academy awards. Rick is very excited about it too — he did ‘American Werewolf in London’. He won an Oscar, and he said, “Michael, that was nothing.” That’s nothing compared to what he can do today. And he did ‘Thriller’ and he said of that, “It’s nothing.” He can go way beyond that. He did all the Eddie Murphy films, ‘Clumps and Nutty Professor’ and all that ‘Men In Black’ stuff, too. He does all that.

Magdalena: So tell me how you would like to be remembered?

Michael: How would I like to be remembered? As a person who came and brought light to the world, some escapism. Also as the ‘voice for the voiceless children’, because I love them. I’m living for the children. If it weren’t for the kids, I would throw in the towel. A baby, a child — now that’s amazing. They’re little geniuses, you know, little geniuses. They really are.

Magdalena: Do you enjoy being a father?

Michael: It’s my favorite thing. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Magdalena: The other day I saw you pick up your daughter when she was sleeping. You just picked her up, and I could see the joy in your face…

Michael: Oh, I love them. The Jacksons have a lot of kids. I have a lot of nephews and nieces. There’s a lot of us!

Magdalena: What is your relationship with your brothers and sisters?

Michael: I love my brothers and sisters. When I’m with them we laugh. It’s like a different version of yourself. We can just laugh and giggle and talk about old times. We’re not together as much as we’d like to be. We’re all busy. We’re all in show. We’re always doing something. If I’m in town, Janet’s out of town. If we’re both here, my brother’s somewhere else. Everybody’s running around, you know.

Magdalena: Are you a family man? What do you like doing with your family?

Michael: My personal family? My Children? We love just sitting together, talking, shooting the breeze. We sit by the lake. I take them for a walk every day at my house. We sit by the lake and we throw rocks in the water and we just talk.

Magdalena: What do you think is the deepest form of love someone can feel? And have you felt it?

Michael: Wow, I think that’s really a matter of opinion. Have I felt the deepest form of love? I don’t know what would be the deepest… [long pause] and interesting question… [repeats question a few times]. I love my children very, very much, and I always look in their eyes and tell them that — I think that’s the most important thing.

June 15, 2002 : Michael attends a fan-club event with Uri Geller at the Equinox nightclub in London where he speaks for the first time of his problems with Sony and his CEO Tommy Mottolla.

Anyway, I first let me say, I really don’t like to talk that much. I really don’t. I prefer performing than talking.

Let me just say this… The tradition of great performers… the tradition of great performers from — I really want you to know what I say! — from Sammy Davis Junior, to James Brown, to Jackie Wilson, to Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly. The story is usually the same though. These guys worked really hard at their craft, for the story ends the same. They are usually broken, torn and usually just sad, because the companies take advantage of them, they really do.

And… Sony…Sony… Being the artist that I am, at Sony I’ve generated several billion dollars for Sony, several billon. They really thought that my mind is always on music and dancing. It usually is, but they never thought that this performer — myself — would out think them.

So, we can’t let them get away with what they’re trying to do, because now I’m a free agent… I just owe Sony one more album. It’s just a box set, really, with two new songs which I’ve written ages ago. Because for every album that I record, I write — literally, I’m telling you the truth — I write at least 120 songs every album I do. So I can do the box set, just giving them any two songs.

So I’m leaving Sony, a free agent,… owning half of Sony! I own half of Sony’s Publishing. I’m leaving them, and they’re very angry at me, because I just did good business, you know.

So the way they get revenge is to try and destroy my album! But I’ve always said, you know, art — good art — never dies. …Thank you.

And Tommy Mottola is a devil!

I’m not supposed to say what I’m going to say right now, but I have let you know this. Please don’t videotape what I am going to say, ok? Turn that off please. Do it, do it, I don’t mind! Tape it!

Mariah Carey, after divorcing Tommy, came to me crying. Crying. She was crying so badly I had to hold her. She said to me, “This is an evil man, and Michael, this man follows me.” He taps her phones, and he’s very, very evil. She doesn’t trust him. He’s a horrible human being. And we have to continue our drive until he is terminated. We can’t allow him to do this to great artists, we just can’t.

I just wanted to let you know, I appreciate everything you’ve done, you’ve been amazing.

You’re so loyal! Diana, everybody, Waldo, all the people here! I love you all. You’ve been amazing, I love you!

But still, but still, I promise you, the best is yet to come!

July 9, 2002 : Michael goes to Al Sharpton’s National Action Network headquaters in Harlem where he speaks again of a conspiracy in the record industry against black artists.

Michael’s speech against racism!
Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters in the Harlem neighborhood of New York

… I remember a long time ago in Indiana, [when I was] like 6 or 7 years old, and I had a dream that I wanted to be a performer, you know, an entertainer and whenever I’d be asleep at night, and my mother would wake me up and say, ‘Michael, Michael, James Brown is on TV!’ I would jump out of bed and I’d just stare at the screen and I’d do every twist, every turn, every bump, every grind.

And it was Jackie Wilson; the list goes on and on you know, just phenomenal, unlimited, great talent.

It’s very sad to see that these artists really are penniless because they created so much joy for the world. And the system, beginning with the record companies, totally took advantage of them. And it’s not like they always say: ‘they built a big house,’ ‘they spent a lot of money,’ ‘they bought a lot of cars’ — that’s stupid, it’s an excuse. That’s nothing compared to what artists make.

And I just need you to know that this is very important, what we’re fighting for because I’m tired. I’m really, really tired of the manipulation.

I’m tired of how the press is manipulating everything that’s been happening in this situation. They do not tell the truth, they’re liars. And they manipulate our history books. Our history books are not true, it’s a lie. The history books are lies, you need to know that. You must know that.

All the forms of popular music from Jazz, to Hip Hop to Bebop to Soul, you know, to talking about the different dances from the Cake Walk to the Jitter Bug to the Charleston to Break Dancing — all these are forms of Black dancing!

What’s more important than giving people a sense of escapism, and escapism meaning entertainment? What would we be like without a song? What would we be like without a dance, joy and laughter and music?

These things are very important, but if we go to the bookstore down on the corner, you won’t see one Black person on the cover. You’ll see Elvis Presley. You’ll see the Rolling Stones. But where are the real pioneers who started it?

Otis Blackwell was a prolific phenomenal writer. He wrote some of the greatest Elvis Presley songs ever. And this was a Black man. He died penniless and no one knows about this man, that is, they didn’t write one book about him that I know of because I’ve searched all over the world. And I met his daughter today, and I was honored. To me it was on the same level of meeting the Queen of England when I met her.

But I’m here to speak for all injustice. You gotta remember something, the minute I started breaking the all-time record in record sales — I broke Elvis’s records, I broke the Beatles’ records — the minute [they] became the all-time best selling albums in the history of the Guinness Book of World Records, overnight they called me a freak, they called me a homosexual, they called me a child molester, they said I tried to bleach my skin. They did everything to try to turn the public against me. This is all a complete conspiracy, you have to know that.

I know my race. I just look in the mirror, I know I’m Black.

It’s time for a change. And let’s not leave this building and forget what has been said. Put it into your heart, put it into your subconscious mind, and let’s do something about it. We have to! It’s been a long, long time coming and a change has got to come. So let’s hold our torches high and get the respect that we deserve. I love you. I love you.

Please don’t put this in your heart today and forget it tomorrow. We will have not accomplished our purpose if that happens. This has got to stop! It’s got to stop, that’s why I’m here with the best to make sure that it stops. I love you folks. And remember: we’re all brothers and sisters, no matter what color we are.

August 29, 2002 : Michael goes to New York City to appear at the MTV Video Awards Ceremony, held at Radio City Music Hall, where Britney Spears presents him a birthday cake for his 44th birthday but Michael misundetstands and gives a thanking speech for the Artist of the Millenium award.

Britney Spears started with the following words:

I am thrilled to be here with you in New York on such a special night. And it’s more special because it just so happens to be someone special’s birthday. This is someone who’s inspired me and just about everyone in this room and the world. I consider him the artist of the millennium. He’s a true innovator who pioneered the true art of music video, broke down countless barriers and sold more records than any other artist along the way. So, happy birthday my friend, the King Of Pop.

Then Michael came on stage to the intro to Billie Jean and received a standing ovation from the audience. He hugged Britney Spears, took the award from the table with the cake and walked to the microphone for his acceptance speech:

Well…um…God Bless you. Um…I love you too [to the fans yelling at him]. Thank you very much, Britney Spears you’re wonderful. If… when I was a little boy in Indiana, if someone had told me… if someone had told me that one day I would be getting, as a musician, the ‘Artist Of The Millennium’ award I wouldn’t have believed it [laughs]. This is really amazing. I can’t believe it. Thank you so very much.

But there’s a couple of people I have to thank who made this possible [he reaches into his pocket for a piece of paper, and unfolds it]. First I’d like to thank God who makes all things possible. My mother, Joseph Jackson, Katherine Jackson, Trudy Green, Howard Koffman, the genius of John McClain, John Branca, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Quincy Jones, I love you. David Blaine your magic is real and I believe in you. And I’d like to thank… I think James Brown is a genius. And all the fans around the world, I love you. God bless you. Thank you.

November 21, 2002 : Michael attends the Bambi Awards with Wiesner & Bashir where Boris Becker presents him the Pop Artist Of The Millenium award. During the ceremony, the video for “What More Can I Give” is premiered.

Dear Dr. Burda, dear Dr. Turnhofer, ladies and gentlemen, I have many good reasons for my visit to Germany. Coming back to Berlin, so full of energy, it’s very special to me. Berlin, Ich liebe Dich [Berlin I love you].

September 11th has changed our world. Not long ago the Berlin wall came down, but recently new walls were built. In 1989 people in Germany said: “Wir sind ein Volk.” [We are one people].*

We are Germans, we are Armenians, French, Italians, Russians, Americans, Asians, Africans and many other nationalities.

We’re Christians, Jewish, Muslims, Hindus.

We’re black, we’re white.

We are a community of so many differences. So complex, and yet so simple.

We do not need to have war.

And to the children of Germany I want to say this: We need you. The world needs you. Please go for it. Go after your dreams. Go after your ideals. You can become everything you wanna become. Become an astronaut, become a scientist, a great doctor, and of course, become an artist. Maybe you get a Bambi award like me then.

I want you to know, I love Germany! You are very special in my heart, so much really. Always appreciate the gift of life. Be happy and have fun.

I love you.
Thank you very much.

The November 28, 2002 (No. 49) issue of German magazine, Bunte, featured an exclusive interview with Michael Jackson. Michael had been in Berlin beforehand to receive a special Bambi award. Below are excerpts from the interview which was conducted from his hotel room.

Michael speaking about wearing his new glasses in public at last week’s Bambi Awards:

That was embarrassing. I wore my new reading glasses for the first time in public.”

Michael explains how his children respond with having to have security accompany them everywhere and why people scream for them:

Paris is imitating me now. When I call ‘I love you’ to the fans she also calls ‘I love you,’ ‘I love you too from the bottom of my heart.'”

Michael discusses his children’s love for the ‘Spiderman’ movie:

They love the Spiderman clothes. They have seen the movie about a dozen times. It is terrible. I already know the movie by heart. I’m trying to vary the cinema program a bit by showing them Disney movies, but they always only want to see ‘Spiderman.'”

And Michael finally speaking out on his recent music shopping experience in Berlin:

Incredible. It doesn’t matter where I am, I am always followed. I would like to buy some more CDs in Berlin.”

December 9, 2002 : Live from Neverland, Chris Tucker presents Michael a special award to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Thriller during the Billboard Awards.

Cedric: All right everybody, it’s that time. We’re about to take a trip to the Neverland Ranch with my friend, Chris Tucker-y’all.

Chris Tucker: Twenty years ago Michael Jackson was already a successful artist with seven number one hits to his name, four with the Jackson 5 and three on his own. But nobody was prepared for what would come next … [in Michael’s voice] ’cause this is Thriller, Thriller … [vocal sound effects]

Michael Jackson: [laughing]

Chris Tucker: Sorry. ‘Thriller’ stayed on the Billboard 200 for nearly two years, spending a record 37 weeks at number one. It won dozens of awards including a record 8 Grammies. He gave me one of them. It set another Billboard record when seven of his nine tracks reached the top ten and Michael became the first artist at Billboard chart history to simultaneously and single handily album charts both on black and pop charts. I messed that up, I know y’all seen it but that’s all right.

Chris Tucker: Quite simply, ‘Thriller’ still remains the biggest selling album in the history of the world, period. That’s why I’m thrilled to present this award to the King Of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson: Thank you so much. I’m very honored. I’m very happy. I thank all of the people that appreciate my work. I thank the Billboard Awards. I’ve always admired you. And to the fans around the world, I love you. I couldn’t be me without you. Thank to God. Chris Tucker your my favorite.

Chris Tucker: Could I keep the award for a couple days?

Michael Jackson: Yeah, we gotta share it.

Chris Tucker: At my house?

Michael Jackson: No, we have to share it.

Chris Tucker: Where can I stay at Neverland?

Michael Jackson: Anywhere you wanna stay.

Chris Tucker: All right, I’m in cabin three.

Michael Jackson: [laughing] Okay. Thank you so much!

Chris Tucker: Thanks y’all.

Cedric: Hey, what’s up y’all? They told me they still have Michael Jackson on the wire. Where Mike at? What’s up, Michael?

Michael Jackson: I’m here.

Cedric: Hey what’s up, Michael?

Michael Jackson: Hey, how are you?

Cedric: That’s the King right there, bro. How you doin’ man? Mike, I just wanna ask a question that’s been on everybody’s mind I’m sure, I know it’s on mine. Mike, where’s Bubbles at Mike? How the monkey doin’? Ain’t nobody heard from the monkey in a while Mike. How the monkey doin’ Mike?

Michael Jackson: [laughing] He’s at Chris Tucker’s house.

Cedric: Chris Tucker got the monkey. Man, right on man.

Chris Tucker: What’s up brother?

Michael Jackson: I’m a big fan of yours by the way.

Cedric: Right on Mike, big fan here too Mike. I know all the songs.

Chris Tucker: [talking like Michael] Me too Cedric, I love you!

Cedric: You know this maaaaaaan.

Michael Jackson: [laughing quietly] You know this man.

Cedric: Right on, Chris Tucker and Michael Jackson, the new ‘Rush Hour’.

Chris Tucker: Let’s do it! Forget Jackie!!

Michael Jackson: [laughing]

December 23, 2002 : Michael makes a Christmas televised message via The German channel ZDF to his fans and the world asking us to not only love but to care for those in need and continue to help him in his efforts to HEAL THE WORLD for children.

In December 2002, Michael Jackson recorded a Christmas message and sent it to German magazine ‘Bunte’.

Good evening children and Merry Christmas,

When I create music I always hope that my music will give joy to many people. If that happens I am very happy. Giving joy makes one happy. Unfortunately there are many children that are not happy. In Germany and in other countries.

During Christmas this is especially hard for those children because it is on Christmas when they see what they miss. For some it may be just a small present, for some it may be a warm meal, for some it may be a family, for some it may be just a little bit of love.

That is why I need you! I need your help. Let us work together and help those children. Let us reach out to those who are alone – Let us all tell them: “You are not alone”.

This year it is I, only I speaking to you, children in Germany and sending you a few little gifts. If you help me, then next year, we will do the same but in many more countries. We will speak together – maybe we will sing together – and we will give gifts together. Let us think big. Let us find many people to join our effort.

Here and all over Europe and then all over the world. We can do it! I know we can do it!

To all of the grown ups I like to say this: To us, so many things seem important. Sometimes, we think we are important. We are not important. Nothing is more important than our children! They are the future. They can heal the world. It is our obligation to be there for them. To advise them. To motivate them. To help them and to love them. Let us encourage them to go for their dreams. And let us as parents, friends and relatives help them to have good dreams.

I look forward to the new year, to working with you children and to create an organization that will help other children.

I promise, I promise you, if you come along, it will make you feel good and it will be so much fun!

Merry Christmas! I love you from the bottom of my heart!

Thank you so much!”