Understanding Michael Jackson

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Injuries to her as a result of Jackson�s alleged actions? Yes, it seems that the accuser�s mother gotten into the act by claiming she was somehow injured surrounding these allegations. Therefore, her medical records are in bounds whether prosecutors like it or not.

Despite recent nonsensical articles from the likes of local reporter Steve Corbett and tabloid reporter Diane Dimond, the media did not appear too concerned with covering yesterday�s hearing. Some reports, however, recount the big, bad Tom Sneddon huffing and puffing about being ready for trial, despite the fact that he�s still executing search warrants�some 100+�..looking for �evidence� that doesn�t exist.


__A trial within a trial__ What the prosecution wants to do, now, is bring in the 1993 allegation. Despite no matching description of Jackson�s body, no evidence other than the allegation, no grand jury indictment, no charges filed, no arrest, and no cooperation from the 93 accuser, prosecutors want to use speculation from the likes of Ray Chandler and Larry Feldman to shore up their �case�. But is the 1993 accuser even standing by those allegations from 1993?

For some reason, there�s been a change in tone in tabloid reporter Diane Dimond�s speculation about whether or not the �93 accuser will testify against Jackson. She used to be 99.9% sure he would testify. Now she�s claiming he doesn�t want to. What happened to that 99.9%? For the record, if subpoenaed by either side, he can�t get out of testifying.

At first, during the course of this case followed closely by some �case� observers who have shared their opinions with MJEOL, the prosecution backed away from using the 1993 investigation. One point, prosecutors stood up in court and called the 1993 investigation �irrelevant� after the defense filed a Motion to Compel to force prosecutors to hand-over documents from that investigation.

We also came to find out that prosecutors had heavily relied on speculation from the 1993 investigation to further this current �case�; to get an indictment and to get dozens of search warrants in this �case�.

Most observers have echoed a sentiment that was expressed by NY Daily News reporter Michelle Caruso�s comments. She said if prosecutors have their way, this is going to be a �trial within a trial.� However much they claim this as a benefit, some �case� observers familiar with the 1993 investigation say it may be devastating not for Jackson, but to the prosecution�s current �case�.


__Start with the loons in the mirror__ The prosecution will attempt, however unsuccessfully, to paint Jackson as a perverted and crazed loon�even if they have to act like corrupt and crazed loons in the process. That includes breaking court orders and flouting the law by breaking attorney-client privilege, invading the defense camp (at least twice), breaking the gag order and trying to act like private attorneys for the accusing family.

They also seem to want to go back in time and change history. The defense says certain information was subpoenaed by Jackson�s defense on March 17 2004. The documents arrived in court and were taken by prosecutors who then voluntarily handed it over to the defense. Now, apparently, they�ve changed their minds. Sorry no back-sies! Jeez. From the motion:
As discussed below, the records arrived in court and the prosecutor took custody of them. The plaintiff then voluntarily turned over the records to the defense. The prosecutors claim that it now has standing to complain about follow up subpoenas to get full and complete records such as billing records from hospitals is without merit. (pg 9 of .pdf | pg 4 of Declaration Yeah, this isn�t the only thing prosecutors have done that is without merit. But the prosecution has the gall to claim that the defense is invading the privacy of the accusing family. And the prosecution�s argument for invasion of privacy is ridiculous because the records they claim to want to protect have already been publicly disclosed. These records because public in a previous attempt by the family to get money from department store J.C. Penneys.

�All of the complaining family�s�records were produced in connection with the case of _____________ v J.C. Penney Inc., Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. KC 027876,� the defense writes. These particular records were reviewed by someone whose name was redacted. And the case law to back up the argument is cited in Klang v Shell Oil Co, Jasimine Networks Inc. v Marvell Semiconductor, Inc., and Roe v. Superior Court.

Since the prosecution already has a copy of certain medical records, why are they trying to keep the defense from getting this information? As a matter of fact, the defense reveals that prosecutors are lying when they claim these medical records were confidential because prosecutors got their hands on them as a result of the J.C. Penneys case too:
13. All of the complaining witness family produced their _________ records in the J.C. Penney case. The prosecution knew this because it got a copy of those records. Plaintiff�s claim that the records are confidential or that no waiver has been established is disingenuous. (pg 10 of .pdf | pg 5 of Declaration) As far back as April and May 2004, these prosecutors already promised to make a copy of said records and provide Jackson�s attorneys with a copy. Now apparently they have changed their minds. Wonder why? Did they make a mistake? Like they mistakenly invaded the defense camp by raiding Mark Geragos�s private investigator�s office? Yeah right.

Back in March 2004, Jackson�s former attorneys subpoenaed certain records that neither of the prosecutors objected to. Now all of the sudden, they have a problem. Further, back then, prosecutors �freely and voluntarily turned all of the records over to Mr. Sanger� (pg 11 | pg 6 of Declaration).


__A history of defrauding people and entities?__
It came to light in previous court docs that the accuser�s mother may have defrauded others as well, including Fritz Coleman, Chris Tucker, and George Lopez. From a Santa Barbara News-Press article dated Dec 2 2004 (Jackson lawyers prepare to attack accuser�s mom):
The attack is expected to include questioning whether the mother appropriately used money that celebrities�including comedians Chris Tucker, George Lopez, and Fritz Colement�raided at the Laugh Factory in the fall of 2000 for her son�s cancer treatments. (see Jackson lawyers prepare to attack accuser's mom - Fritz Coleman (Dec 2 2004) )

The Laugh Factory should sound very familiar. Jamie Masada is the owner. Yes, that Masada who claimed to have introduced the accuser to Jackson (false); the same Masada that made the rounds whining about the accuser needing blood and a kidney (false); the same Masada who claimed the mother and her children were sleeping on the floor with the accuser�s face swollen up (false, too).

Could he too be part of any shady dealings with money raised by this family? Time will tell. But Masada, by the way, reportedly opened a New York venue of The Laugh Factory in June 2004. He�s just rolling in it, isn�t he? But I digress.

If the accuser�s mother didn�t spend the money raised for the medical bills of the accuser, then she has many more problems than the world of trouble she�s already in for making false accusations against Jackson.

A very revealing report was written by Bill Heard, dated December 21 2001, entitled �Chance Encounters with Cops Lead to Merry Christmas for LA Family.� The report details this same family being the recipients of more charity: this time from the Los Angeles Police Department. Keeping in mind, this is Dec 2001. Also note the timeline with the J.C. Penney case and their subsequent $137,000 settlement given to the family.

Wanting to do something special for the accusing family, after learning their �story�, police officers took up a collection of about $200 out of their own pockets to buy gifts and school supplies for the kids. From the article: On Thursday, they dropped by the family�s apartment to find a Christmas tree that had been donated by the LAPD�s Hollenbeck Division officers, but no ornaments. And no gifts.

The officers bought a stock of ornaments with their own money, then talked to their sergeant, Eric Windham, about further help for the family.

So, at roll call this morning, Windham asked his troops to look into their hearts and their pockets for the Arvizos. They did, and out came some $200.

It was enough to buy some gifts for the kids�and a little left over for a holiday dinner. The MTA also contributed school supplies for the youngsters.
(see 2001 Article about Accuser's family LAPD - 2001 )

Now, apparently they met Jackson in late 2000. So you had Jackson, Fritz Coleman, and who knows who else donating to the family at, around, or closely after that time. And they were the recipients of charity from the LAPD as well. I guess they get around�


__Conspiracy to Falsely Accuse Jackson?__
During her testimony at a previous hearing September 17 2004, the accusing mother confirmed that she met Jackson in August 2000. Courtroom observers comments were highlighted in MJEOL Bullet #204: Accuser�s Mother Hired Numerous Lawyers before Meeting Jackson? . They said the conversation between Jackson attorney Tom Mesereau and the mother was �heated�. One even scribbled down an unofficial transcript of the convo:

TOM MESEREAU: When did you meet Michael?

ACCUSER�S MOTHER: August 2000.

MESEREAU: According to this official statement, sworn declaration that you gave to the Santa Barbara Sheriff�s department and district attorney, you retained an attorney and investigator in January 2000 for the sole purpose of finding out information about Michael Jackson and settling with him. You discussed a settlement concerning Michael Jackson before you even knew him?

ACCUSER�S MOTHER: I�I�well�

PROSECUTORS: Objection! Irrelevant.

JUDGE MELVILLE: Sustained.

It seems as if this woman hired both an attorney and private investigator BEFORE she even met Jackson in an attempt to seek a settlement for child abuse�BEFORE Jackson had even met her kid. It is information like this that will come out during a possible trial.

Besides being incredibly suspicious, it would open the door for Jackson�s attorneys to show their own pattern: a pattern of people seeking contact with Jackson, hooking up with the same attorney and psychologist, leveling allegations and threatening a lawsuit.

Why didn�t they file a lawsuit against Jackson? Because they were stopped by current DA Tom Sneddon. The civil suit cover-up was talking about in a report months ago by the Santa Barbara News Press. They report that Sneddon struck a secret deal with the accusing family�s then-attorney Larry Feldman. Reportedly, he had to �solemnly swear� not to file a civil suit until after criminal proceedings were resolved (see Civil Suit Cover-up?�Bullet #109 ).

For the record, California Penal Code Section 182-185 deals with conspiracy by two or more persons to falsely indict another person:
o California Penal Code
+ PENAL CODE SECTION 182-185

182. (a) If two or more persons conspire:
(1) To commit any crime.
(2) Falsely and maliciously to indict another for any crime, or to procure another to be charged or arrested for any crime.
(3) Falsely to move or maintain any suit, action, or proceeding.

Did they conspire to falsely accuse/indict/arrest Jackson? What else is waiting in the wings to come out about the accusing family? Have any other celebrities and/or people come forward�besides J.C. Penneys--to talk about other scams the family has run on them? Time will tell.

Subsequent MJEOL Bullets will continue to break down some of the allegations of prosecutorial misconduct leveled against the district attorney; more about the Brian Oxman declarations; prosecutors flying as far away as Australia looking for mythical �victims� in 1999; certain media personalities who have strong doubts about this �case� (some of whom were at Neverland during the prosecution�s timeline); whether or not the defense should be worried at all about the 1993 investigation, as well as a number of other topics around this incredulous �case�.

Stay tuned.

-MJEOL



MICHAEL_JACKSON_SUPPORT_GROUP
Subject: File - THE TRUTH - The Rumors About Michael Jackson

RUMORS

Michael Jackson has spent the majority of his life in the harsh glare of the public eye. He is a very shy, private person who magically transforms himself into a whirling dervish during his performances -- a perpetual motion machine when involved in a stage show.

As a result of his dedication to maintaining his privacy, Michael has limited the amount of personal publicity he willingly gives to the press. The media, however, has not allowed Michael's reticence to discuss his personal life to bar them from discussing it at great length.

Many of the rumors that have been circulated about Michael's life are patently absurd, illogical, nonsensical and totally untrue. He has explained many of them in his autobiography, Moonwalk. Nonetheless, the media seems to have an endless obsession with printing lies, rumors, innuendos and fortune-telling -- in lieu of hard, tangible, provable facts -- regarding Michael Jackson.

The following section will tell Michael's side of some of the more popular recurring stories of "bizarre" behavior and "weird" lifestyle.

OXYGEN CHAMBER

Accounts of Michael sleeping in an oxygen chamber were explained during a 90-minute live interview held in February 1993 with Oprah Winfrey. During the interview, entitled "Ninety Prime Time Minutes with the King of Pop," Michael admitted purchasing the hyperbaric chamber as a therapeutic aid for burn victims.

He donated the chamber to the Brotman Medical Center in Culvert City, California after he had been admitted for treatment of severe burns to his scalp suffered during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. He denied having purchased it for himself and when it was explained that the rumor was that he didn't want to grow old, Michael replied, "That's stupid. That's stupid. It's completely made up. And I'm embarrassed."

The photographs taken of him inside the chamber were easily explained. He had entered the chamber to check it out and "hammer around" but, he explained, he did not sleep in any kind of chamber, he was not afraid of growing old. He has also denied any knowledge of how the story came to be printed in the first place, denying the rumor that he had started the story as a publicity stunt emphatically and directly.

Of course, following the interview, most major publications that featured the story insinuated or stated directly that Michael Jackson had lied about this and many other statements during the intimate chat with Oprah. Logically, if there is one man who does not need publicity stunts, Michael Jackson is that man. Everything he says, thinks, feels, does, or doesn't do is reported widely all over the world, to his chagrin.

ELEPHANT MAN'S BONES

During the same interview described in the oxygen chamber section above, Michael denied ever trying to purchase Mr. Merrick's skeletal remains. He explained that the story of John Merrick touched him profoundly, "it made me cry because I saw myself in the story, but, NO, I never tried to buy the Elephant Man's bones. What would I do with a bag of bones?"

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

During the above-mentioned interview, both Michael and Elizabeth Taylor denied the rumors that Michael had proposed marriage to her. In Ms. Taylor's words, "and I never proposed to him." To Ms. Winfrey's question about what had "brought about such a bond" between them, Ms. Taylor replied that they became close as a result of having very similar childhoods.

"I was a star when I was nine years old -- had an abusive father. That brought us close in the very beginning." She also stated emphatically in reference to Michael Jackson, "he is the least weird man I have ever known." When asked what she most wanted the world to know about Michael Jackson, Ms. Taylor responded, "What a giving, caring, generous man he is. And how good he is."

FACIAL SURGERIES

Michael answered Oprah Winfrey's questions abou his facial surgeries by saying, "It's only two things. If you want to know about those things ... read my book. It's in my book."

Actually, Michael has admitted to having had two rhinoplasties. The first was the result of a fall on stage in 1979. Michael broke his nose, according to reports -- it had to be rebuilt. Simple ... straightforward ... logical ... no mystery here.

The second was a direct result of the first -- it had been botched. He couldn't breathe properly -- for a singer, this is very serious. Granted, on both occasions, cosmetic procedures were performed at the same time. But both were necessary medical procedures to remedy damages incurred during an accident.

One of the major reasons for the performance of cosmetic procedures may have been the psychological abuse to which Michael was subjected as a youth. Brothers can be exceedingly and excrutiatingly cruel to one younger, less hard-skinned, and more talented than they -- his older brothers' favorite nickname for Michael was "BIG NOSE" and his father frequently referred to him as "ugly."

Such baiting can have lasting effects on young, impressionable people -- perhaps even forming their self-images for the rest of their lives. A popular biographer describes such an incident during Michael's early teens when the lighthearted teasing and comaraderie between the brothers turned viciously embarrassing when the conversation turned to nicknames in the presence of the reporter and photographer from a magazine with a national distribution. Such wounds bleed deeply and profusely -- and for too long -- as we all know from first hand experience.

SKIN SHADE

Michael has explained his pigmentation abnormalities as a skin disorder known as vitiligo, which is closely related to albinism. Small ovular patches of the skin lose their pigment as a result of the failure of skin cells, called melanocytes, to produce and store melanin.

Melanin is largely responsible for uniform pigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes and is also influential in protecting human skin from the harmful environmental radiation present in the ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight.

Gradually, these small patches enlarge enormously, resulting in an overall lack of pigment in affected areas. As a result of his pigmentation abnormality, Michael has to be VERY CAUTIOUS when exposed to direct sunlight.

MARRIAGE

On May 26, 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married in a private ceremony outside of the United States. No announcement was made regarding the nuptials until nearly three months later, in August, 1994, when Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson did announce that she and Michael were, indeed, husband and wife.

Naturally, the media immediately ran rampant with accounts of this latest in, according to their views, a long line of "publicity stunts" concocted to repair damage to Michael Jackson's "tarnished" image in the wake of molestation allegations made against him in 1993. One wonders how logical it is to stage a "publicity stunt" and then keep it totally secret for nearly three months. No one has been able to answer that question to my satisfaction yet.

In January, 1996 an announcement was made by Lisa Marie Presley- Jackson's publicist and lawyer that the marriage between Lisa Marie and Michael would be dissolved by decree of divorce. Speculations regarding the reasons for the divorce and who would benefit the most from the property settlement occupied press accounts for weeks.

We, Michael's fans, may never know what went wrong. And, as his fans, we would do better to bear no ill will toward either of the participants in this common tragedy than to speculate about the reasons for the split or the personal property settlements. We, the board of the Michael Jackson Internet Fan Club, wish them both happiness and pray for their continued health. We are grateful for the eighteen months of joy that they obviously gave each other.

Considering the amount of pressure put upon this young couple from the day of the announcement of their secret wedding in the Dominican Republic, both from within and outside of the relationship, it would be hard to find a better reason for the split.

Michael and Lisa Marie, to the shame of the journalistic profession, was actually asked on national television if they had sexual relations by a "reputable, serious journalist," who, unwilling to ask the question herself, had the passersby on the street ask it. Such information is not within the public domain -- and never has been. The degrading and humiliating comments made by journalists, talk show hosts and reputable announcers regarding the marriage were enough to make an angel weep for shame.

In November 1996, Michael married Debbie Rowe, his friend of fifteen years and the nurse in his dermatologists office in a private ceremony in his hotel suite in Sydney, Australia during his scheduled tour stop in that city.

In February 1997, Michael Jackson's first child was born at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. The healthy boy, named Prince Michael Junior in honor of Michael's grandfather and great-grandfather, made his appearance on February 13, 1997 in a natural birth attended by his father.

The couple's second child, a girl, to be named Paris Michael Katherine is due in May of this year. She is named Paris because that is where she was conceived!

ALLEGIATIONS OF MOLESTATION

In August, 1993, allegations of child molestation were brought against Michael Jackson. According to Mary Fisher of "Gentleman's Quarterly," the allegations were only elicited from the child after a "highly irregular" session in his father's dental office under the influence of a "highly unstable, hypnotic drug" called Sodium Amytol, which has been proven in previous cases to instill false memories in its victims. The whole article can be viewed here . This is the most complete factual article that has been written regarding the allegations to date.

The uproar in the international press over this story was an experience that this author, for one, never ever wants to witness again. Michael Jackson was hung, drawn, and quartered by the world's press community on no evidence of any wrongdoing ... and in the cruelest, most humiliating manner possible.

He was eviscerated with pen and ink in an example of celebrity-bashing seldom equaled. Appalling and hair-raising accounts of perversions were disseminated throughout the world about a man who had lived an exemplary life in the harsh glare of the media for the majority of his life. During the entire affair, few (with the exception of Mary Fisher, mentioned above) took a logical, sensible view. The sensational would sell more papers.

The criminal case ended in October 1994 with no charges of any kind being brought against Michael Jackson after the Santa Barbara and LA authorities interviewed close to 50 children who had been befriended by Michael Jackson, dozens of Jackson's friends and associates and employees, and conducted a body search and photograph session. The civil suit ended when Michael Jackson and the representatives of the boy who brought the allegations settled the suit out of court for an unspecified amount.

Throughout the 13-month investigations, Michael Jackson maintained his total innocence with dignity and humanity. He never degraded or humiliated his accusers -- he never lashed out in anger over their duplicity -- he held his head high with pride and proclaimed his innocence briefly and succinctly. His behavior in this situation speaks more to his innocence than any words that I could write.

During a televised live interview broadcast by PrimeTime Live with Diane Sawyer, Ms. Sawyer questioned Michael about the allegations. "Did you ever sexually engage, fondle, have sexual contact with this child, or any child?" Michael's response was clear and emphatic, "Never, ever! I could never harm a child. That's not what's in my heart, that's not who I am ..."


MICHAEL_JACKSON_SUPPORT_GROUP
Subject: File - THE TRUTH - The Humanitarian Michael Jackson

HUMITARIAN

HEAL THE WORLD ORGANIZATION


Michael is also legendary for his humanitarian commitment to children the world over and for the exceptional, symbiotic relationship he enjoys with his international fans. He has contributed to many organizations through the years, including the United Negro College Fund, (resulting in more than 97 scholarships being awarded to deserving young people whose college educations would have been impossible without his largesse)

Make a Wish Foundation, resulting in hundreds of ill or deprived young people realizing their dreams of meeting Michael Jackson and regular invitations to Los Angeles area children to come and play in his Amusement Park and Zoo, Dreamstreet, DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), upon whose Governing Board Michael Jackson has served for years ... as well as allowing the use of his most popular compositions in national campaigns against drunk driving ("Beat It")and drug abuse ("Bad").

In 1991, Michael Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation. Its goal is, in Michael's words, "healing -- pure and simple." Heal the World provides immediate relief efforts to needy children around the world.

Under the auspices of this international children's charity, Michael has spearheaded several airlifts of food and medical supplies to wartorn Sarajevo, instituted a mentoring, immunization and drug abuse education program entitled "Heal LA" for embattled Los Angeles after the Rodney King debacle and paid for Hungarian four-year-old, Bela Farcas', liver transplant.

Many in the media have suggested that Michael's legendary humanitarian work is undertaken to further publicize the most famous human being on the planet or as tax write-offs. Such suggestions are laughable ... as well as irrelevant.

Although Michael Jackson has opened his wallet ... and his home ... to deprived, disadvantaged or ill children the world over, his most significant contribution ... and one that remains an inspiration to many millions of fans ... is his time and his attention, a much more valuable commodity than mere money.

At nearly every city on his world tours, Michael Jackson visits toy stores and music shops, purchasing thousands of dollars worth of toys and cds. The world's media, particularly in the United States, views these visits as "bizarre" or "weird."

Again, the judgment is irrelevant. The shopping sprees are necessary. Usually, his next stop is a children's hospital ... or orphanage ... or school ... where he distributes his purchases to sick and disadvantaged children, often staying up late to insert batteries and ascertain that each of the toys works properly before distributing them.

He doesn't just drop them off ... or send them with couriers ... he visits each child, spending time talking and laughing with children too young ... or too sick ... to understand that their visitor is Michael Jackson, superstar. Such devotion is all too rare in our world.

His genuine delight in the presence of children can be experienced by watching footage of these visits ... witnessing his hand caressing the bald head of a young cancer victim gently ... watching his timid smile as he approaches ... or the way his face lights, as if from within, when children are present ... providing evidence to the open-hearted of his sincerity in this regard.

Such open reactions cannot be faked ... nor can they be hidden. To those who do not see, I express my sincerest sympathy. Their blindness extends far past their visual apparatus ... it is a blindness of the soul.

Michael Jackson was awarded the VH1 "International Artist" Honor in November 1995 in honor of his international humanitarian contributions.


MICHAEL_JACKSON_SUPPORT_GROUP
Subject: File - THE TRUTH - The Biography Of Michael Jackson

BIOGRAPHY

Show business accepts innocence only if it can be sentimentalized. Michael Jackson's world of fantasy is easier to dismiss with malicious gossip than understand with sympathy.

Michael Joseph Jackson has become one of the most recognizable, if not the most recognizable, figure in the entertainment industry. His name is known throughout the known world and his fans are legion. Even at the young age of 37 years, he has become a living legend in our world, famous not only for his amazing musical talents and accomplishments spanning a period in excess of twenty-five years, but also for his unparalleled commitment to the many and various humanitarian and ecological concerns which plague our beleaguered planet.

His music is heard emanating from radio broadcasters from Afghanistan to Zululand and every place in between. He has toured the world many times and garnered every award known to the recording industry with several, such as the American Music Award's Michael Jackson International Artist of the Year Award and the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award being named after him.

He is the holder of the Guinness Book of World Records award for the largest selling album in history, "Thriller", still unsurpassed at over 46 million copies sold over a decade after its release ... as well as the Guinness Book of World Records award for the largest selling single in History, "We Are the World", a collaborative, all-star recording which has earned over $60 million for world famine relief ... and he is the holder of the world's record for the largest musical tour.

Along with being the best known and, arguably, the most accomplished live performer the world has ever seen, Michael Jackson is also, undoubtedly, the least understood and most often misrepresented public figure to ever grace this planet. He is frequently misquoted in published accounts of his life.

His words are often taken out of context; his actions are held up for ridicule and scorn by the international press corps; his lifestyle choices and sexual inclinations are daily fare for the worldwide yellow journalistic profession.

Michael Jackson's unparelleled fame notwithstanding, it is discouraging to realize the amount of ignorance with which he is viewed by much of the world's press community ... and, therefore, by the world's citizens. In the words of Jay Cocks, writing for Time Magazine in March 1984, "Show business accepts innocence only if it can be sentimentalized. Jackson's world of fantasy is easier to dismiss with malicious gossip than understand with sympathy."

The world press community (both legitimate and gutter) has chosen Mr. Cocks' easy way to cope with Michael Jackson's talent, popularity, creativity and persona; he challenges that choice within his music, films, performances and personal lifestyle.

This brief biography is an attempt to make Michael Jackson real for the majority of his fans worldwide. It is not intended as a totally objective view because its author cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be called objective with regards to Michael Jackson. Rather, it is a rough sketch of the facts of Michael Jackson's life -- a portrait painted in words and thoughts.

THE EARLY YEARS - THE JACKSON 5 - 1969 THRU 1975

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, the seventh of nine children born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana (U.S.A.) Michael's father, Joseph, was a steel-mill worker in this working-class city near Chicago, Illinois, but his heart was devoted to music.

Joseph played guitar and sang in a rhythm and blues group called "the Falcons" in strip clubs and burlesque houses in the Chicago area. Katherine worked part-time as a sales clerk in a local retail establishment in Gary. She was a highly devout, practicing member of the Jehovah's Witness faith.

Michael's birth was preceded by his older sisters, Maureen (nicknamed Rebbie within the family)and LaToya and his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon. He was followed by brother, Randy, and sister, Janet.

Together, the Jackson brothers would make music history, first as the Jackson 5 and then as the Jacksons ... but Michael would surpass them all in his solo career.

The Jackson home in Gary, Indiana was a small four-room house consisting of a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms. Katherine and Joseph shared one bedroom, the five brothers shared the second bedroom, and the two oldest girls slept on a hideaway bed in the living room.

The children had a very strict upbringing due to Katherine and Joseph's escalating unease with the dangers of the streets of Gary. They attended a school within walking distance of their house and were required to return directly from school to their small home.

They were not allowed to visit their friends' homes or to participate in after- school activities, such as baseball or basketball. But, with their father's love of music and their mother's wonderful voice, they were allowed an abundance of music as a pasttime.

As the children grew older, the four oldest boys began to imitate their mother, harmonizing with her on country and western favorites in their home. Tito discovered Joseph's guitar in the closet and began tinkering with it, finally learning to play well enough to accompany his siblings as they sang.

Eventually, the inevitable happened -- a string broke while Tito was playing Joseph's guitar and, after being punished severely by Joseph, Tito was asked to show Joseph what he could do with it. Joseph was impressed with his young sons' abilities and began to train them rigorously, rehearsing them after school, often long into the night.

At a very early age, Michael began to show signs of the turn his life would take. Katherine recalled that, at the ripe old age of a year and a half, he would hold his bottle and dance to the rhythm of the washing machine. His grandmother reminisced that he began to sing at the age of three, "And what a beautiful voice he had. Even back then, he was a joy to listen to."

According to brother Tito, Michael's lightning moves originated in ducking and swaying to avoid his parent's punishing blows. "He was so quick that if my mother or father used to swing at him, he'd be out of their way. They'd be swinging at air."

Michael was always impressed with his older brothers' musical rehearsals and began to imitate them at a very early age. He sang his first solo, "Climb Every Mountain" from the "Sound of Music" for a school program at the age of six years and , even at that young age, his vocal timbre was enough to bring tears to his teachers' eyes.

He joined his brothers shortly after, singing harmony with them on songs made famous by the Temptations, the O'Jays and James Brown.

Joseph began to book his sons into some of the same strip joints and burlesque houses throughout the Gary and Chicagoland area that the "Falcons" had played and the young Jacksons, fronted by six-year-old Michael, became professional entertainers. They rehearsed daily (after school) under the watchful eye of their strict, tyrranical father.

They spent their weekends traveling to clubs to perform, often arriving home very early on Monday morning to resume their school schedules a couple of hours later. During these rehearsals, they sharpened ... refined ... their raw talent, acquiring the professional stagecraft that only constant practice can impart.

The Jacksons joined talent shows and, eventually, won a city- wide show which brought them to the attention of Ben Brown, owner of SteelTown Records, who recorded their first album. The Jackson brothers were thrilled to hear their record played on the radio and Michael has recalled his joy in his autobiography, Moonwalk.

After performing the club circuit and talent shows throughout the Midwest, the young brothers won a talent show and were allowed to play on the same bill as Bobby and the Vancouvers. It was Bobby Taylor who brought the Jackson 5 to Motown and auditioned them for Suzanne De Passe, although the Motown Press Department disseminated the legend that Diana Ross had discovered them.

Diana Ross did, indeed, present them to the public, both as a sponsor of their first album, "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5" and on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, has recalled his first meeting with the Jackson 5 in the following words, derived from his 1995 autobiography, "To Be Loved: The Music, The Magic, the Memories of Motown"

"When I look at it today, I can still remember the intensity we all felt standing there that July morning watching those five young boys fom Gary, Indiana perform. Nine-year-old Michael, eleven-year-old Marlon, fourteen-year-old Jermaine, and fifteen- and seventeen-year-old Tito and Jackie meant business. All of them moved, sang and played their instruments like winners.

They tore into the Temptations' "Aint Too Proud to Beg" - all moving together like little David Ruffins, but with a style all their own. When they sang "I Wish It Would Rain" and "Tobacco Road," they made the songs sound like they were written just for them. They wound up with little Michael doing James Brown's "I Got the Feeling." His dazzling footwork would have certainly made the Godfather proud.

This little kid had an incredible knowingness about him that really made me take notice. He sang his songs with such feeling, inspiration and pain -- like he had experienced everything he was singing about. In between songs he kept his eyes on me the whole time, as if he was studying me."

The Jackson 5 signed with Motown and during their tenure with the Detroit and Los Angeles-based music giant, they recorded the following albums:

Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 (1969) - contains Who's Loving You and I Want You Back

ABC (1970) - contains ABC/The Love You Save

Third Album (1970) - contains I'll Be There/ Mama's Pearl

The Christmas Album (1970)

Maybe Tomorrow (1971) - contains Never Can Say Goodbye

Goin' Back to Indiana (1971)

Greatest Hits (1971) - compilation of greatest hits

Looking Through The Window (1972)

Skywriter (1973) - contains Corner of the Sky/Touch Me

Get It Together (1973)

Dancing Machine (1974)

Moving Violation (1975)

Joyful Jukebox Music (1976) - contains We're Here to Entertain You

In addition to recording with his brothers, Michael also recorded the following solo albums with Motown:

Got to Be There (1972) - contains Got To Be There/Aint No Sunshine

Ben (1972) - contains Ben/In Our Small Way

Music & Me (1973) - ontains With a Child's Heart/Morning Glow/Music & Me

Forever, Michael (1975) - contains One Day in Your Life/We're Almost There

Best of Michael Jackson (1975) - compilation of greatest hits

In his autobiography, Moonwalk, Michael Jackson has described his childhood as "mostly work." The Jackson brothers were rehearsed and managed by their overly-strict father, whose insistence on perfect performances ... in school work as well as in rehearsals and talent shows ... frequently ended in physical and/or verbal violence.

Michael was eleven-years-old when the group signed with Motown in 1969 (although the Motown press corps published his age as nine, explaining that he would be much cuter and more appealing to the public if he were two years younger. They called it "public relations."

Regardless, his voice and his effervescent, youthful charm endeared him to a public who was eager to embrace him. He gives a rare glimpse of his youth in his statement that in the summer of 1970, the Jackson 5 performed in 45 cities, with 50 more cities being added later in the year.

Forty-five cities within a ninety-day period meant that he and his brothers were performing concerts [on average] every second day during that summer. Travel to and from the concerts accounted for a portion of the non-performing day. And this does NOT account for recording sessions, picture sessions, interviews, or the interminable rehearsals Joseph Jackson insisted upon.

It also does not account for the fact that, unlike many lead singers of the time, Michael was present at EACH of these recording sessions. He recorded with his brothers and his is the beautiful, clear treble in the backgrounds of all of the Jackson 5 early hits. Later, he would return to the recording studio while his brothers played basketball or tinkered with cars to lay in the lead tracks and round off the recordings.

Michael Jackson describes his relationship with his father, Joseph, as "turbulent", understating rather than sensationalizing that relationship. But, much later, during a televised interview, he replied to his interrogator's questions regarding this relationship with the words, [I was] "frightened ... very frightened.

There were times when he would come to see me, I would get sick. I would start to regurgitate." When asked if such occasions occurred "as a child ... or as an adult," he responded with one word ... "both." He was 35 years old at the time of the interview.

TTHE JACKSONS - 1976 TO 1984

In 1976, the Jackson 5 left Motown Records because, in Michael's words, "we didn't like the way we were being recorded." Berry Gordy's personal management of the siblings recording sessions and 'The Corporation's' creative songwriting had been withdrawn in favor of Diana Ross's acting career and his move to Hollywood to dabble in the film-making industry.

The Jacksons felt his inattention sorely. Though sixteen-year- old Michael had met with Berry Gordy to request approval to write and produce their own music, Gordy refused to allow the Jackson 5 this freedom. Perhaps, because of their youth, Gordy felt justified in refusing to allow them the artistic freedom such creativity demands.

It is no secret that many Motown artists had to struggle with Mr. Gordy for artistic control over their releases on his label. Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye all did battle with the Motown head to achieve their artistic liberation.

Regardless, the Jacksons left Motown to sign with EPIC records in 1976. Jermaine, having married Berry Gordy's daughter, Hazel Gordy, remained with Motown and was replaced both in the studio and on tour with Randy, the sixth Jackson to enter the entertainment field. Michael describes the first show they did without Jermaine in his autobiography, Moonwalk:

"I clearly remember the first show we did without him because it was so painful for me. Since my earliest days on the stage -- and even in our Gary living room -- Jermaine stood at my left with his bass. I depended on being next to Jermaine. And when I did that first show without him there, with no one next to me, I felt totally naked onstage for the first time in my life."

During their tenure with EPIC, the Jacksons worked with Gamble and Huff as producers on their first two albums, except for two songs each which were composed and produced by the Jacksons. Their last three albums were composed and produced exclusively by the Jacksons.

The Jacksons (1976) - contains Blues Away (Michael's first published composition)/Style of Life

Goin'Places (1977) - contains Different Kind of Lady/Do What You Wanna

Destiny (1978) - contains Blame It on the Boogie/Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)

Triumph (1980) - contains Can You Feel It/Lovely One

Victory (1984) - contains Torture/Always/State of Shock

Live (1981) - the only LIVE album ever released by Michael Jackson (in conjunction with his brothers)

MY WAY - 1979 TO PRESENT

In 1979, Michael starred as the Scarecrow in "The WIZ," an updated version of "The Wizard of Oz", starring Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. He moved to New York, far from the reach of Joseph Jackson, and began to experience life on more independent terms, enjoying outings to plays and dance clubs.

During the filming, he renewed his old acquaintanceship with Quincy Jones. Later, Q and Michael would join forces to make musical history repeatedly. With Quincy as producer, Michael would record:

Off the Wall (1979) - contains Don't Stop Til You Get Enough/Rock With You/Off the Wall

Thriller (1982) - contains Beat It/Thriller/Billie Jean/The Girl is Mine/Lady in My Life

ET Children's Storybook (1982) - contains Someone in the Dark

We Are the World (1985) - all star recording session for the relief of famine in Africa

Bad (1987) - contains Bad/Liberian Girl/Another Part of Me/I Just Can't Stop Loving You/Man in the Mirror/Dirty Diana/

The extraordinary collaboration with Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson broke so many records that it would be difficult to list them all. Suffice it to say that with Quincy, Michael rose to his present, unprecedented status as �The Greatest Entertainer in the World.'

Thriller is the best-selling album in the history of the recording industry. It won an unheard-of seven Grammy Awards and many international awards throughout the world -- and is still selling well over one million copies per year more than thirteen years after its release. The latest figures I've seen list Thriller at over 46 million copies sold worldwide.

Michael Jackson's "Bad" album held the second place in worldwide sales for quite a few years, becoming the first album in HIStory to generate five #1 hits, but I understand that it has now been supplanted by "Dangerous", Michael's fourth solo album on EPIC Records (22 million and 23 million albums sold, respectively, according to the most recent sales figures released.

Dangerous (1992) - contains Jam/Heal the World/Give In To Me/Keep the Faith/Dangerous/Gone Too Soon

HIStory: Past, Present and Future,Book 1 (1995) - contains Michael's first duet with sister Janet, Scream, as well as You Are Not Alone, the first song in HIStory to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, Earth Song, a song Michael penned to express "the Earth's pain" and Stranger in Moscow

Blood on the Dance Floor (1997) - contains eight remixes from the HIStory album along with five new releases three of which refer to his latest short film project, Ghosts.

Michael Jackson's fourth solo release, "Dangerous" contains Jam/In the Closet/Heal the World/Will You Be There/and a host of other truly memorable tracks, including Gone Too Soon, Michael's tearful farewell to his young friend, Ryan White, a hemophiliac who died at the age of 18 from AIDS, contracted by a compromised transfusion of blood plasma.

The song is dedicated to Ryan both on the album and on the short film compilation as well as in Michael's performance on the occasion of President Bill Clinton's Inauguration in 1992.

Michael Jackson's fifth solo release on EPIC Records was released on June 21, 1995. "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1" is a truly remarkable collection of music featuring a duet with sister, Janet, called "Scream" and fourteen original tracks in addition to fifteen greatest hits on a two-disc set.

During its first six months, "HIStory" sold more than 8.5 million copies worldwide. Current (February 1996) sales figures list "HIStory" at 11.9 million copies worldwide. "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1" is Michael Jackson's pain-filled and angry response to the unremitting scorn and ridicule to which he has been subjected by the world's press community since his very earliest days on the stage.

From the date of it's release, "HIStory" has attracted the ire and criticism of many of the critics in the United States. Yet, the album's single releases have broken record after record. "Scream" debutted at #5 on Billboard's HOT 100 chart, breaking a 25-year old record set by the Beatles with "Let It Be".

"You Are Not Alone" debuted on the same chart at #1, shattering Michael's own record of approximately six weeks' duration, a totally unprecedented occurrence in the annals of the history of the recorded arts and sciences. The third single released from HIStory, "Earth Song", was not released as a single in the United States, but it set records in the rest of the world, having held the #1 spot on the United Kingdom charts for 6 weeks through the Christmas season of 1995.

The album itself, although roundly denounced as an unsatisfactory effort by a "washed up has been" by America's music critics has recently been nominated for six Grammy Awards, being labelled "a great album" by the nominating committee ... and that "washed up has been" was awarded the American Music Awards Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist award on January 29, 1996.

Which just goes to show that you should never take a critic's or reporter's word as gospel. Listen and investigate and judge for yourself. The third single (U.S.) and fourth single (world) to be released from "HIStory" is being readied and scheduled for late February. The short film to accompany "They Don't Care About Us" was filmed in New York and Brazil.

In September 1996, Michael Jackson embarked on his third solo world tour in Prague, Czech Republic. The first leg of the tour is scheduled to extend through January 1997, with the second leg to commence in late May, extending through September 1997 spanning the continents of Europe and Australia and Japan.

During a tour stop in Australia, Michael surprised the world with the announcement that one of his long-held dreams would be realized in the birth of his son in February 1997. One week later, Michael walked down the proverbial aisle again in a private ceremony in Sydney, Australia, marrying Debbie Rowe, the mother of his soon-to-be-born son. The child was delivered at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles,California in a natural birth, reportedly attended by a very emotional father.

PERFECTIONISM:

It is not only Michael's musical ability which sets him apart from other artists. Michael Jackson is also well-known for his devotion to detail, his perfectionism. Michael refuses to release marginal material to his international fans. He pours himself, body and soul, into each and every project he undertakes.

He doesn't care about deadlines or schedules -- if it is not right, if it does not make him feel complete, satisfied -- it is not good enough for his fans. This attitude has frequently been responsible for the lengthy delays accompanying his releases.

It is also this perfectionism which is partly responsible for his much publicized and criticized hospitalizations. His most recent hospitalization occurred December 6, 1995, when he was admitted to the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City after collapsing on stage mid-song while rehearsing for his HBO special.

Michael had been suffering from a viral infection of the intestinal tract for several days before his collapse, but instead of resting and letting the special take care of itself, Michael continued to rehearse, sometimes between 12 and 15 hours a day, to perfect his show for us, his fans. By ignoring his physical distress, Michael seriously endangered his life, causing severe dehydration, heart arrythmia, shock, and liver and kidney damage from the electrolyte imbalance.

He seems to have recovered his health, but this incident is just another illustration of his perfectionist nature. In a world which seems to accept, and even encourage, mediocrity, this devotion to giving his best places Michael in a class all his own among his colleagues.

HUMANITARIAN COMMITMENT

Michael is also legendary for his humanitarian commitment to children the world over and for the exceptional, symbiotic relationship he enjoys with his international fans. He has contributed to many organizations through the years, including the United Negro College Fund, (resulting in more than 97 scholarships being awarded to deserving young people whose college educations would have been impossible without his largesse) ...

Make a Wish Foundation, resulting in hundreds of ill or deprived young people realizing their dreams of meeting Michael Jackson and regular invitations to Los Angeles area children to come and play in his Amusement Park and Zoo, Dreamstreet, DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), upon whose Governing Board Michael Jackson has served for years ... as well as allowing the use of his most popular compositions in national campaigns against drunk driving ("Beat It")and drug abuse ("Bad").

In 1991, Michael Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation. Its goal is, in Michael's words, "healing -- pure and simple." Heal the World provides immediate relief efforts to needy children around the world.

Under the auspices of this international children's charity, Michael has spearheaded several airlifts of food and medical supplies to wartorn Sarajevo, instituted a mentoring, immunization and drug abuse education program entitled "Heal LA" for embattled Los Angeles after the Rodney King debacle and paid for Hungarian four-year-old, Bela Farcas', liver transplant.

Many in the media have suggested that Michael's legendary humanitarian work is undertaken to further publicize the most famous human being on the planet or as tax write-offs. Such suggestions are laughable ... as well as irrelevant. Although Michael Jackson has opened his wallet ... and his home ... to deprived, disadvantaged or ill children the world over, his most significant contribution ... and one that remains an inspiration to many millions of fans ... is his time and his attention, a much more valuable commodity than mere money.

At nearly every city on his world tours, Michael Jackson visits toy stores and music shops, purchasing thousands of dollars worth of toys and cds. The world's media, particularly in the United States, views these visits as "bizarre" or "weird." Again, the judgment is irrelevant. The shopping sprees are necessary.

Usually, his next stop is a children's hospital ... or orphanage ... or school ... where he distributes his purchases to sick and disadvantaged children, often staying up late to insert batteries and ascertain that each of the toys works properly before distributing them. He doesn't just drop them off ... or send them with couriers ... he visits each child, spending time talking and laughing with children too young ... or too sick ... to understand that their visitor is Michael Jackson, superstar.

Such devotion is all too rare in our world. His genuine delight in the presence of children can be experienced by watching footage of these visits ... witnessing his hand caressing the bald head of a young cancer victim gently ... watching his timid smile as he approaches ... or the way his face lights, as if from within, when children are present ...

providing evidence to the open-hearted of his sincerity in this regard. Such open reactions cannot be faked ... nor can they be hidden. To those who do not see, I express my sincerest sympathy. Their blindness extends far past their visual apparatus ... it is a blindness of the soul.

Michael Jackson was awarded the VH1 "International Artist" Honor in November 1995 in honor of his international humanitarian contributions.

SUGGESTED READING

"Moonwalk" by Michael Jackson published by Bantam/Doubleday/Dell 1988

"Dancing the Dream: Poems and Reflections" by Michael Jackson published by Bantam/Doubleday/Dell 1992

"Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness" by J. Randy Taraborelli published by Ballantine Books 1991

"Michael Jackson: The King of Pop" by Lisa D. Campbell published by Branden Books 1993

"Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour" by Lisa D. Campbell published by Branden Books

"Was Michael Jackson Framed: The Untold Story by Mary Fisher, Gentlemen's Quarterly , October 1994

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