"He influenced me in so many ways, more than just music ... as a humanitarian, as a philanthropist, as an artist, as an individual who transcended culture. I wouldn't be who I am today without Michael Jackson."
--- Usher
"They say if you ever want to be great, you've got to study who the greats studied, so, of course, I studied his moves — studied them down to a T. But there was much more to him than that. Really, he created an eclectic style of life and, throughout the years, from his childhood to his adulthood, he managed to continue to be successful, but also to continue to push the limits and push everyone's expectations."
--- Usher
"You can't say that you are an artist in this century and [not be] influenced by Michael Jackson. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to share the stage with him, to know him personally, and I am always going to remember him. I'll be a fan for life ... "
“Michael Jackson has been a part of my life for as long I have heard music. He in my mind is the ultimate entertainer of our generation. I can remember exact moments of my life based on Michael Jackson songs and videos.”
--- Pete Wentz
“I really want to meet Michael Jackson so badly. I’m Michael Jackson obsessed. All I watch is 'Moonwalker’ – it’s my favorite movie of all time.”
--- Pete Wentz , interview with The Advocate, 2007
"There will never be another. He was the royalty of American culture. I could measure the growth of my life based on him. I have never felt such public grief for someone I have never met. A legend. I practiced his moves in the mirror ... We lost the last legendary entertainer of my generation. I feel lost without his presence. Sorry if this is kind of jumbled and emotional. I don't even know what to say."
A most recent poll conducted by Rolling Stone website among its readers has once more confirmed that Michael Jackson is UNBEATABLE!
"It should come as no surprise that the King of Pop won this poll by a significant margin. Michael Jackson's superhuman level of talent extended to an uncanny and utterly natural gift for dancing.On top of possessing remarkable grace, Jackson was also wildly innovative."
Record Company Founder: Jackson's Dancing, Voice Were "Captivating"
Q: The first time you saw that videotaped audition of the Jackson 5 back in 1968, did you automatically know, wow, they and particularly Michael really have it? A: Well, first of all, on that audiotape, I taped that. And when they rehearsed for me and I ran for a tape recorder because I knew they were something so special that I would have to have a history of this audition. Q: What was so captivating to you about the Jackson 5 and particularly Michael Jackson? A: The whole dance routines, the whole precision of the group was extremely good. But, of course, Michael, who was doing everything, the James Brown steps, the splits, the movements, and all of that was just so captivating. And when I heard his voice, I thought the voice didn't really go so much with all the dancing he was doing. Q: When you say his voice didn't really go with his dance moves, what do you mean by that? A: The fact that he was doing the dances, he could have been doing, you know, just a lot of different kind of songs, blues, this, that, the James Brown type song, I'm sure you know that type of song relative to the other songs, the Frankie Lymon-type song or the kid song. What they ended up doing "I Want You Back" and "ABC" and the bubble gum-type songs that they at their age we felt should have been done by them. Q: They just had one hit after another during that period of time. And I understand Michael, even at the age of 9, was extraordinarily driven. Where do you think that drive came from? A: Michael was full of fun, but he was a studier. He would study everybody. And as the other kids might be playing with each other, hitting each other, doing something, Michael was always focusing on whatever I or anybody else was saying about what they should be doing. And he was a man beyond his years. He was... when he did the song "Who's Loving You" the Smoky Robinson song, he sounded like he had been living that song for 50 years. We could not believe this old man in this young kid's body.
(Note: the above site is in Portuguese but can be translated to English)
1984 - Brazilian Chef Remi Vila Real and Michael Jackson
Chef Remi shares her memories of Michael
I met Quincy once at a dinner I cooked for some other musician. He loved my food and asked me if he could come and do something very important. He told me that he wanted to be Michael Jackson's producer but every time he invited Michael to his house, Michael would never eat. He asked me if he could get Michael to eat some of my food. He said that Michael was a vegetarian and very picky about what he ate. I said I would try.
I went to Quincy's house and there I met Michael for the first time. I took him aside and told him, "Let me make you something very special. I know how to cook very healthy food from Brazil. All natural, all vegetarian. You will like it." He agreed. I made him some black beans, collard greens, farofa and some other things and he ate four plates full!
Quincy was kissing me all night long and from that time, he has called me many times to cook for him.
I was living in West Los Angeles in a small apartment when I got a phone call. The person on the phone asked me to look outside. He said: "See the limousine? Get in it, now!" I told him I could not because I was taking care of a person off the street and could not leave him. They said that they would send someone to look after the person right away and for me to get into the car. I told them I had to change my clothes because I was all dirty from cleaning. They didn't care. Finally I agreed when the man arrived to take care of my guest and I was taken to a big building in Beverly Hills and up to the very top penthouse. It was very luxurious.
The man on the other side of the desk handed me a ticket and said "you are going to the airport right now. Here is your ticket." I asked him why. He explained to me that Michael Jackson was having stomach aches and specifically requested me to be his "nutritionist" on the "Victory" tour. He was feeling sick to his stomach and refused to go on stage until they sent me to be his private cook. They were all very nervous. They said they were losing millions of dollars in canceled shows and I had to go right then.
I told them I could not and could only go in the morning. After a lot of arguing, they agreed to let me go home and they picked me up early in the morning and I was off to Birmingham, Alabama.
I spent eight weeks with Michael and his family on the road during the tour. It was an incredible trip I will never forget.
Michael and I became friends and I saw him number of times after that. I visited him in the hospital when his hair caught on fire and I saw him once in a while at an award's show or party. I even cooked for Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor alone in Michael's house. That was very special.
--- Remy Vila Real
Here's a news article clipping that was published on June 30th 2009 ; it's not in English but I'm pretty sure it's related to, or a similar account, to the above post.
"Through Quincy Remy met Michael Jackson during a dinner party. Michael and Remy hit if off right away as by this time Remy was a baptized and devout Jehovah’s Witness, a faith that Michael was keenly aware of through his mother Katherine. Through Remy’s friendship and business relationship with Michael she got to meet other high profile stars. People like Elizabeth Taylor, Yul Brynner and his wife along with Paul McCartney and many others. Remy was then hired to work as Michael Jackson’s nutritionist in 1981 and 1984 during the Triumph and Victory tours. After the tours were over Remy was still being called upon to cook for the Jackson’s which she did with pleasure as she is very fond of them and has an enormous amount of respect for them."
Michael, with his mother Katherine, brother Tito and Chef Remy
"The wonderful things that he did for this entire world. I think he brought a new insight as to the things that we really should be paying attention to. He did it brilliantly, and I think that's his legacy. "
--- Dionne Warwick, answering the question What's Michael Jackson's legacy?
Excerpt from La Toya'sdedication of her book"Starting Over ";
"Michael, you are the epitome of Godliness.You have been an inspiration to us all. You have taught us all so much by your kindness, your actions, and your love for mankind. You cared tremendously for those who were sick, spending so much of your personal time with them just to put smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.Your many contributions to so many charities throughout the world have helped provide those less fortunate with food, clothing, shelter,and life-saving medicine. Your stardom was so profound and so overwhelming, and your incredible talent brought us all joy and left a mark on this earth. You are truly a prime example to the world of what Godliness is like. We can all take a lesson out of your book of love and become a better person. You were so gifted, yet very humble. With all your accolades and accomplishments, you still remained humble. People took advantage of you, and you knew you were in danger, yet you continued to remain humble. Michael, every human being on this earth should learn from you. You only wanted to give us love and light."
"Many of us will be more successful in life if we study his life and his approach on things and how he did things, whether with his own art or in the business side of things."
A comment on Forbes article regarding MJ's business genius:
“I have great fascination for Michael Jackson when it comes to his business side. I'm glad you brought up this topic because very few people know that the debt you mentioned is actually a BUSINESS LOAN which he made ($300 million USD) in order to purchase a 2nd, much modern music catalog in 2006-2007. This is not extraordinary when you have assets worth 1 billion and above, Donald Trump has more loans than he does. Based on the terms of the loan with Bank of America, that loan is being paid for MONTHLY for a span of 6 years, and he did it by funnelling the earnings of the NEW catalog he bought to pay for the loan itself. If you realize what he is doing, that is another genius move he adopted from his great businessmen friends – taking advantage of LEVERAGE. Acquiring something without letting out a single centavo of your own money.
I believe that unlike MANY or probably the REST of the business people in the world, he is not driven by money.This is what made him successful in everything he ever did. Rather, he uses money to help others rather than to keep it for himself which explains why his entire $200+ Million earnings for the Dangerous Tour WENT TO CHARITY.Thats 70+ concerts in jampacked stadiums in the world which he performed with blood, sweat and tears absolutely FREE because all earnings went to charity. Same with his Victory Tour earnings- countless hours of hardwork he did for FREE to help others making up his total charitable contributions to $350 Million USD- the largest ever for an entertainer in History. I dont see anyone else doing that kind of hardwork for FREE, only Michael does that.
The ATV catalog is much more than Beatles songs, its thousands and thousands of songs that were popular in the 50s, 60s 70s and 80s. Add the 2nd modern catalog and you have virtually EVERYONE who is ANYONE in the music industry right now: Taylor Swift, Eminem, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber songs which his estate is profiting from right now. He doesn't even need to release new music, because he earns from virtually everyone in the TOP 10 of billboard artists year after year. He bought this 2nd catalog WAY BEFORE these names became famous which means he had perfect unbeatable foresight. No business tycoon can match when it comes to the music business, Michael Jackson KNOWS IT ALL when it comes to music and entertainment: What the public likes, what the public dont like, even what the public dont know they like which they eventually LOVE - HE KNOWS.
His shy demeanor is just a facade of a tiger businessman inside. He rarely speaks, but he ALWAYS listens and observes and absorbs. Many of us will be more successful in life if we study his life and his approach on things and how he did things, whether with his own art or in the business side of things. It's very easy to believe tabloid stuff about his finances but isnt it funny that tabloids have been reporting him bankrupt since 2000 YET you can never find Michael Jackson with an IRS issue–NONE. Think about all the other celebrities who went bankrupt and one common denominator is IRS debts they all had. Everyone has been reporting he will be selling his ATV share since 2000 but he died already and when billionaires and media moguls lined up to offer billions to purchase his 50% stake, his own Estate DECLINED them all.
Michael Jackson’s only weakness is not spending or shopping, its TREATING everyone better than they deserve. This is why he became a target for leeches and scums".
"My favorite moment with him (Michael Jackson) would have to be when we were hunting for Easter eggs. One of the memorable times was him taking me to spend the day with Elizabeth Taylor. She’s my idol and reminded me so much of my mother. As kids, we would make prank phone calls and do silly things. He taught Kyle how to do the moonwalk when she was 4 years old. He was completely misunderstood. When he was at the Waldorf [hotel in NYC where the Hiltons lived], there were fans waiting outside in the rain with photos and I told him about them. He had a big meeting to attend but he signed pictures for them and even sent out an umbrella. That’s what he was like – so lovely. He raised beautiful, sweet children too. I will truly miss him."
“Michael was truly the greatest performer. When he hit that zone, no one could touch him. I remember him doing three shows in a row and Justin Timberlake was supposed to join him onstage, but when Justin came out, he just froze and Michael was poppin’! Awesome! He didn’t need the special effects or anything else; he was the real performer.
And you could see him going into that spiritual zone backstage when he was getting ready for a show. He was always calm, relaxed, smooth. He would do his own makeup and take a few minutes alone in his dressing room where he had a picture of The Three Stooges that he liked on the wall. Then he would very calmly emerge and just blow the audience away. Even in Japan on his comeback tour when he was a little nervous about how people felt about him then, he always had the utmost professionalism and was always on time, and again, just blew them away.
I’ve had the opportunity to talk with people like Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey, but the relationship with Michael was very special. Every time I left him, I’d be sad seeing him standing on the porch waving good-bye. He was always so welcoming, so hospitable. He was never about selfishness or harming anyone.He was always about trying to be closer to God, to be Christ-like. He loved more than he was loved and was always trying to get closer to God, to do the right thing, even though it wasn’t always what he wanted to do. And whenever he was tested, he looked for his strength within, from bringing God into his body and putting Him first in his life.Michael was really very spiritual and put God in control of his life.
He was truly blessed by God.
Japan has more orphanages than any place in the world and Michael wanted to do something for them while he was there, so we picked one to visit that just so happened to be supported by Bill and Melinda Gates. Michael would arrive with no publicity and with multiple toys for each child. His own kids would go with him and he would be educating them as to what was going on. The kids were delighted, but Michael would also take the time to personally shake the hands of each of the nuns at the orphanage thanking each of them for taking care of the children.
And people just melted around him. One time when he was taking his kids to Disneyland, word had gotten out that he was coming and everyone knew his favorite ride was Peter Pan, so there was gridlock by the time he arrived. But he just held his hands up and the crowd opened up like parting the Red Sea. Then he would watch the parade from the Main Street rooftop and eat hot dogs and French fries with his kids. I thank God everyday that I was graced by this angel and am reminded even more so that we can’t take our time here for granted. There is no tomorrow promised and you’ve gotta let people know you love them. That’s what Michael was about.”
--- Qadree El-Amin, Executive Producer, Southpaw Entertainment
"This book is dedicated to the loving memory of my son, Michael Jackson. These pages contain photographs from our private family collection, and are illustrated with my personal stories about Michael from his early childhood, right up through his remarkable career. Over the course of Michael's life, I've reserved my comments about my son. Now, after his death, I have decided to share my story for two reasons.
Firstly, I hope this book sheds insight into the person that Michael truly was, the person who I've always known him to be. Sharing my memories with Michael's fans is my way of passing on his message and legacy in a way that he would approve. And it is my hope that his fans come to know the real Michael, rather than the person that the media portrayed him to be. Those who knew my son well will attest that Michael was one of the best persons you'd ever want to meet and be around. He loved everyone; he was a good father and a very good son.
Michael was generous, kind, considerate, funny, intelligent, warm and extremely humble. His acts of kindness and generosity were something he hardly spoke about; when in fact he was truly one of the greatest philanthropists of our time. At one point, he was active in 39 charities, and the Guinness Book of Records recognized him for his donations in the philanthropic world. Michael often saw the good in people and trusted many in the early part of his career, sometimes leading to pain and betrayal in his life.
The second reason for writing this book is to celebrate the remarkable artist my son Michael was, and to acknowledge the contribution he made throughout his life to music, the arts, people, and the planet. Michael was a true artist with a vision to heal the world through music. Being on stage was what he loved to do, and I am happy that he shared his gifts with his fans whom he loved very deeply.
Beyond our hardships, our family loved Michael dearly, and each of us shared a special bond with him. Through our memories, we will always cherish Michael."
--- Katherine Jackson
"The world knew my son, but then again, they didn't... this is my chance to share the stories that are near to my heart. For his fans, and his children."
"Michael Jackson was a human phenomenon. To me, he is up there with the seven wonders of the world — a god of dance. I remember when he popped out of the floor and stood still for five minutes at the Bucharest concert — I had never seen an aura that strong before." > --- Jared Grimes, tap dancer
“I think he was an angel that was sent to us, and I think that we might have to reflect on how well we took care of him. People like to say ‘oh people around him were bad and they didn’t do right by him’ but I think it’s a collective too because I don’t know the last time and I can’t remember any other artist that attracted that much energy and projected that much power. That was that creative, and affected so many people … was such a diplomat for America and a champion for the American culture and African-American people, worldwide. You know, people wanted to move to America because of Michael Jackson, industry changed, music industry changed because of Michael Jackson, that’s a gift to us and you know, I’m concerned that the good Lord may not send another one because maybe we didn’t take good care of him. That’s just me.
The amazing thing, I was only meant to be on the film, the project for three days and it turned out to be like three and a half weeks, almost a month of filming and the thing I took from it the most was watching Michael Jackson perform at performance level in his rehearsals. I said ‘wow that’s the consummate artist right there, that’s the pinnacle of where I would like to go and the kind of skills I would like to have as an artist that I can come and my rehearsals are performances, you know. So, I took that from him and that’s what I’ve been trying, to be consistent with in my work as well.”
"I read the AV Club article on MJ's Bad. Hyden starts out with a compelling question: Why the insanely vitriolic response to this album? But then proceeds to offer most of the same reductive, petty, predictable nonsense that's been written about MJ for decades.
As usual, most of this is mythology, speculation, and pseudo-pscyhoanalysis. I actually interviewed people who worked on this album. They speak of an artist and person who is multi-dimensional: passionate, kind, funny, shy and HUMAN, not a caricature or corporation.
Did MJ want to sell 100 million copies? Yes. But why? That's the question critics never really consider. The assumption is that he was this vain, calculating, materialistic "entertainer" targeting demographics.
The truth is that since he was young, he was told black artists couldn't be the best. He wanted to prove them wrong. He wanted to be the best: commercially AND artistically. He believed in his music and wanted it to reach as many people as possible.
I address all this in my book. Bottom line: the MJ media caricature is nothing like the artist who worked tirelessly on Bad for 3 years."
Note: JOE VOGEL is the author of the forthcoming book "Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson." For more about this book, please see previous post dated March 15, 2011.
originally published atAllHipHop.com, June 03, 2011
Tatiana Yvonne has written a new book titled "King of My Heart" about her time and experience with the late great, Michael Jackson. Tatiana was a Julliard trained ballerina and a successful cover girl model in Japan long before her “overnight success” as Michael Jackson's leading lady in the video “The Way You Make Me Feel.”
But it was the video that made her an instantly recognizable figure and inducted her into Hollywood's inner-circle. Rumors of a blossoming romance seemed substantiated by an ongoing association between the two, even after the video as Michael invited her on The Bad Tour. Then in the next instant it all seemed to come crashing down.
The origin, it would seem, was “the kiss that was seen around the world.” A unscripted, public kiss during the Bad Tour, denoting the chemistry that had began to spark between them. Though Michael did not appear to disapprove, Tatiana's accounts, it was believed Michael's handlers felt it was bad for his image.
Even though Tatiana's story does not contain salacious details of a torrid affair s in spite of the fact the she has numerous pictures that insinuates an obvious chemistry, Tatiana's credibility has been challenged and she has been stigmatized from day one.
Perhaps this says less about Tatiana and more about the media and public at large with regard to Michael. Even after Lisa Marie's emotional open letter and appearance on Oprah after his death professing how profound her love was for him, or P. Diddy's comical story about how Michael crashed his party in pursuit of Beyonce, there are still those naysayers who refuse to allow Michael to be viewed as a genuine human being capable of love and being loved. Tatiana's is one of many stories told after the passing of the King of Pop that gives insight to the man, adding a building block to the reconstruction of his image.
As Michael warmly caressed me from behind, the magnificence of his cologne stirred my emotions. When I sensed that he wore it just for me, an indescribable euphoria swept across my psyche. My bliss was heightened when I learned from his parents and close friends that he said he was in love with me.
The purity of his minty whispers fell like angel's breath upon my ear. The radiance of his smile lit my heart. How could anyone possibly resist surrender to the innocence of his aura? While our bodies quietly posed motionlessly for the picture, our souls danced excitedly within us. For that private moment in a public place, we were Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jackson.
But all was not well. I received an evil gaze from a jealous employee standing just out of the frame, off to the side. Her icy stare still resonates with a chill. Ominous clouds were forming. I had no idea she'd represent sinister forces threatening to sabotage our royal wedding; and wearing his coat he gave me during the shoot would not shield me from the wrenching heartache to come.
At that moment, the genesis of a fairytale love affair began slowly transforming into a nightmare. The Hollywood script would read: "The exuberant bride-to-be morphed into the lovelorn queen denied her crown."
And now, though my King is gone, his love still reverberates within my heart. This is my story of lost love as never told before.
--- Tatiana Yvonne
And another excerpt from Tatiana's interview byAllHipHop.com;
AllHipHop.com: The way people view Michael has always been very polarized. They are are either viewing him as subhuman and being dehumanizing or deifying him.
Either way people don't humanize him enough to believe a beautiful woman such as yourself could fall for him. Since his death there have been many stories of him being flirtatious. Would you say his behavior qualified as flirtatious?
Tatiana: Oh completely. You tell me. The scene where we run through the car my heel had gotten stuck in the car's upholstery and Michael grabbed my leg trying to help me pull my foot out of the upholstery. I was so taken aback and so in awe that he touched my leg in such an intimate way that I pulled away and ended up falling outside on my butt. The next thing I know Michael had grabbed me up and was wiping my butt off with is hand not in a derogatory way but in a flirtatious way. When I looked back he had a devilish grin. He was a normal red-blooded male.
