Michael Jackson - Earth Song

Michael Jackson Interview

Barbara: Up until last week the most photographed people in the world were Princess Diana and Michael Jackson. Now only one remains to talk about what it means to live under that kind of scrutiny. Since the allegations of child abuse made against Michael Jackson four years ago, he has been, if possible, even more pursued. By the way, we checked with the district attourney's office in Los Angeles and Sanat Barbara and learned that there is no active case against Mr. Jackson today.
Michael Jackson himself is notoriously shy about giveing interviews, but on my way home from covering Princess Diana's funeral, I met with him in Paris to discuss the paparazzi and his personal recollections of the Princess.
When it comes to the paparazzi, Michael Jackson says he feels a bond with Princess Diana. The paparazzi have been a part of his life since he was a small child, the youngest of the Jackson 5. He has been a superstar for 3 decades. At 39, he continues to sing and dance all over the world and the paparazzi follow him all over the world. He has been on a European Tour for the last five months playing for over 2 million people. The night Princess Diana died, Michael Jackson cancelled his concert, but his last two concerts were dedicated to her. He does not pretend that she was a close friend. She was a fan.
Michael: I met her first at a...um (clearing his throat) ...concert...in London. She was very kind, very loving, very sweet.
Barbara: What did you two talk about?
Michael: I wrote a song called "Dirty Diana". It was not about Lady Diana. It was about a certain kind of girls that hang around concerts or clubs, you know, they call them groupies.
Barbara: Groupies.
Michael: I've lived with that all my life. These girls...they do everything with the band, you know, everything you could imagine. So I wrote a song called "Dirty Diana". But I took it out of the show in honour of her royal highness. She took me away and she said, "Are you going to do 'Dirty Diana'?" So, I said, "No I took it out of the show because of you." She said, "No! I want you to do it...do it...do the song."
Barbara: So she had a sense of humor with you?
Michael: Yeah, of course. And she told me it was an honour to meet me. And I said, "It's an honour to meet you."
Barbara: How did you hear of her death?
Michael: Um...I woke up (in a quiet and reflective voice) and my doctor gave me the news. And I fell back down in grief, and I started to cry. The pain...I felt inner pain, in my stomach, and in my chest. (his voice starts to break slightly) So, I said, "I can't handle this...it's too much." Just the message and the fact that I knew her personally. Then on top of that one I said, "There's another one...real soon...I feel it coming...there's another one....it's another one coming and I pray it's not me...please don't let it be me." And then Mother Theresa came...
Barbara: Are you psychic...is that what you're saying?
Michael: I don't want to say that, but I've done it before.
Barbara: And you thought it might be you?
Michael: Yes. (looks down at his folded hands) I've been living that kind of life all my life. The tabloid press...that kind of press...not the press...the tabloids, the paparazzi, that type. I've been running for my life like that, hiding, getting away. You can't go that way 'cause they're over there...well lets go this way and pretend we're going that way...and we'll go that way. Someone should say, "Hold on! Stop! This person deserves their privacy. You're not allowed to go in there!" I go around the world dealing with running and hiding. You can't...I can't take a walk in the park...I can't go in the store...you can't...I have to hide in the room. You feel like you're in prison.
Barbara: What's been the most intrusive thing? What's the worst?
Michael: They have always been...they go as far as to hide things in places. They'll slide a machine up under the toilet...Tch, tch, tch, tch...(Michael makes the sound of a camera) and you go, "Oh my God!" They've done that.
Barbara: When you came into this hotel you had to come in, or you felt you had to come in, through the kitchen.
Michael: I've been doing it for years. In many lobbies, I've never seen the front door. Never.
Barbara: Did you ever try to outrace the paparazzi?
Michael: To outrace them?
Barbara: Yes.
Michael: They follow you. They chase us on thier scooters, "Vruuum, vrumm."
Barbara: Cutting infront of you?
Michael: Yes. And I have to say to the driver...I say, "Slow down." I jump in and I say, "You're going to kill us." I say, "Slow down." I've done that many times, "You're gonna kill us." So he jumps out of the car and yells at these people.
Barbara: You know, there is an argument that you rely on publicity to sell your albums...for your concerts, that you want it.
Michael: When I approve of something, yes.
Barbara: But you can't always control the press. You can't approve everything. You can't invite them in again and again, and then at a certain point, close them out.
Michael: Yes, you can.
Barbara: Well how do you do that? What's that line?
Michael: By doing that. This is their time for this...and this you should not do. You should not say, "He's an animal...he's a..." You should not say, "He's Jacko." I'm not a 'Jacko'. I'm Jackson.
Barbara: How do you feel when they call you...
Michael: Yeah, Wacko Jacko, where did that come from? Some English tabloid. I have a heart and I have feelings. I feel that when you do that to me. It's not nice. Don't do it. I'm not a "wacko".
Barbara: There are those that would say that you add to the attention.
Michael: No, I don't.
Barbara: Well, the masks...the mysterious behavior.
Michael: There's...no, there's no mysterious behavior. There's a time, when I give a concert...I like to have as many people who would like to come can come and enjoy the show. And there's a time, when you like to be in private...when you put on your pyjammas and go to sleep, cut the light (makes a sound of a light going out) and you lay down, that's your private space. You go to the park. I can't go in the park, so I create my own park at Neverland...my own water space...my movie theatre...my theme park...that's all for me to enjoy.
Barbara: I don't wnat this to sound insulting. I'm just gonna be straight with you. But you are somewhat eccentric to say the least. The way you dress, the way you look, it invites attention. The whole appearance as you grew up was...larger than life...more extreme. Don't you think that draws the paparazzi to you?
Michael: No. (shaking his head) No, maybe I like to live that way...I like to dress that way. I don't want the paparazzi, really. But if they come, be kind, write the right...kind of thing to write.
Barbara: Michael, is it the journalist's role...or the press' role to be kind?
Michael: To be kind?
Barbara: Because the press also has to look into things, be tough. It can't always be kind.
Michael: (laughs) What you saw...what happened to Lady Diana...you tell me. There should be some boundaries, some kind of way. The star needs some space. Some time to relax. He has a heart...he's human.
Barbara: You cancelled the concert you were about to do when you heard of Diana's death.
Michael: Yes.
Barbara: And when you finally did a concert, you dedicated it to her. What did you say?
Michael: In my heart I was saying, "I love you Diana. Shine. And shine on forever, because you are the true Princess of the people." And in words I did not say it, but I said it for three minutes in showing a big picture on the jumbotron screens...Sony, big huge screens...and her picture was there shining...and the crowd went bananas (makes sound effects of the crowd's noises) And I played the song "Smile" and "Gone Too Soon".
Barbara: Give us some of the lyrics, if you can.
Michael: "Shiny and sparkly, and splendedly bright, here one day, gone one night...Gone too soon."
Commercial Break
Barbara: You have said, "I grew up in a fishbowl. I will not allow that to happen to my son." Yet, when your son was born, you sold pictures to the National Enquirer and to other European papers, tabloids. Why did you do that?
Michael: Why?
Barbara: Why?
Michael: Because there was a race. There were some illegal pictures out. Illegally, somebody had taken pictures of a baby...millions of dollars...said, "Here's Michael's son."
Barbara: And it wasn't, as I recall.
Michael: And it wasn't. So, I took pictures of the baby. I said, "They're forcing me to get his pictures." There's helocopters flying above us...flying over my house...flying over the hospital, um, machines and satellites all over. Even the hospital said, "Michael, we've had every kind of celebrity here...but we've never had it like this. This is unbelievable." And so I said, "Here, take it." And I gave the money to charity
Barbara: So, rather than...what you're saying is...what you did was to get them off your back.
Michael: Yeah...and now they want to do it again...and I don't want..maybe I don't want to show him to the world like that. I want him to have some space...where he can go to school. I don't want him to be called "Wacko Jacko" that's not nice. They call the father that. That isn't nice...right?
Barbara: You said you don't want your child to be called "wacko jacko's son". How are you going to prevent it, so they don't do it to him?
Michael: That's the thing...that's the idea. Maybe you should come up with a plan to help me.
Barbara: You're his daddy.
Michael: There you go. They created that. Did they ever think I would have a child one day...that I have a heart? It's hurting my heart. Why pass it on to him?
Barbara: Do you like being a father?
Michael: I love it!!
Barbara: Are you very involved with him?
Michael: (laughs) Yes!
Barbara: Do you want more children?
Michael: Yes. (an embarrassed laugh)
Barbara: You have been in the spotlight since you were a baby yourself.
Michael: Yes.
Barbara: If your son shows any talent - by the way does he show any talent at nine months?
Michael: Well, I'll tell you this much...when he's crying, to keep him from crying, I have to do one thing.
Barbara: What?
Michael: I have to stand in front of him...and dance.
Barbara: Really?
Michael: Yes. And he stops crying. His tears turn to laughter, and he's happy. (claps his hands) He smiles.
Barbara: And do you do your moonwalk with him?
Michael: Yeah. I do all kind of movements (imitates his dancing) (laughs)
Barbara: And then he stops crying?
Michael: And then he stops crying!
Barbara: You must do a lot of dancing.
Michael: (laughs) I do a lot of dancing, yes.
Barbara: Michael, if this little boy says, "Daddy, I want to go on stage."
Michael: (laughs and slaps his leg)
Barbara: After what you've been through?
Michael: I'd say, "Hold on, now. Hold on. If you do go that way, expect this...expect this...expext that." (counts on his fingers)
Barbara: You'd lay it all out?
Michael: I'd lay it all out. I'd say, "See you're gonna get all this, (points to one of the cameras) and all this (points to another camera) and all this (points to a third camera) You ready to do that?" "Yeah, I can't wait." Then I would say, "Go...and do it better than I did."
Barbara: But know what you're in for...
Michael: Know what you're in for.
Barbara: Our interview was over. We had told no one it was happening, nor had the Paris hotel. But when Jackson tried to sneak out through a back door, there was a huge crowd...already waiting.
Hugh Downs: Babara, we know now that Diana did not have adequate protection on that last day. What kind of protection did Michael Jackson have?
Barbara: Well, we saw at least four bodyguards...and he needed them. And by the way, I talked with a female superstar and she told me that when she goes out she has four bodygaurds, at least...and a car infront of her, and a car behind.
Hugh: That's what they really need isn't it?
Barbara: Unfortunately, it is.
Hugh: Now you told me that he told you why he wears only one glove.
Barbara: Yes.
Hugh: What's behind that?
Barbara: Well, he has a sense of humour, as I think you could see. He said, "Why one glove? Cooler than two!"

Michael Jackson - Beat It

Biography

Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, died June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California), often referred to as The King of Pop, is the biggest-selling solo artist of all time, with over 750,000,000 sales. Jackson is an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and double inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His awards include 8 Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy Awards, and 26 Billboard Awards. He is also credited for popularizing many physically complicated dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk, and has influenced and spawned a whole generation of a wide variety of artists including Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and Usher, among others.

Jackson’s musical career began in 1967 as lead singer of The Jackson 5, when the group made their first recording with a local label before signing up with Motown Records in 1968. He made his first solo recordings in 1971 while still a member of the group. But it was Off The Wall (1979) which marked the start of his full-fledged solo career, and he formally parted with his siblings in 1984. In his solo career, Jackson recorded and co-produced the best-selling album of all time, Thriller (with worldwide sales over 100 million), received thirteen Grammy awards and charted thirteen #1 singles in the U.S. Throughout his four-decade career, Michael Jackson has been awarded numerous honors, including the World Music Awards Best-selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium. He is also a double-inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997, and in 2001 as a solo artist. He is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s, TIME magazine described Jackson as “the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley”. He has had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world while also tearing down racial barriers and paving the way for modern pop music.

From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, on which he built an amusement park and private zoo for the enjoyment of economically disadvantaged and terminally ill children. In 1993 and 2003, separate accusations of child molestation that allegedly occurred in Neverland were made against Jackson, which drew intense negative media coverage. While he was never charged for the first case, Jackson was tried and vindicated in 2005 of the latter allegation, but moved out of the US shortly thereafter. He later returned to Las Vegas in early 2007.

Over the past few years Jackson has made numerous public appearances including MTV Japan’s VMA awards where he accepted the legends award; the World Music Awards where he accepted the Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records; James Brown’s funeral where he paid tribute and delivered his sermon; and a fan appreciation event in Tokyo, Japan, where he also greeted troops at US Army base Camp Zama. In early 2008, Jackson issued Thriller 25th Anniversary, a critical, and commercial success that is currently the second-biggest selling album of 2008 with over 2.1 million copies sold worldwide.

On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles, California. The cause of death is currently believed to be cardiac arrest. At the time of his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London’s O2 arena, from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. During a publicity press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.

In the hours following Jackson’s death, his record sales increased dramatically. His seminal album Thriller climbed to number one on the American iTunes music chart, while another eight have made it into the top 40. In the UK, where Jackson would have performed less than three weeks after his death, fifteen of his albums occupied the top 15 spots on the Amazon music chart. Social music network website Last.fm also saw a dramatic increase in Michael Jackson plays per hour after the announcement of his death.

Michael Jackson - Hollywood Tonight