Dancer recalls Michael Jackson's last day of life

[Xtarlight and Mpenziwe]

Dancer recalls Michael Jackson's last day of life

The pop legend that Daniel Celebre rehearsed with gave no hint that he'd be dead within a day

By Richard Ouzounian Theatre Critic
Published On Tue Oct 20 2009

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/0b/83/a7c267894d8e943adefcaf71ee98.jpeg

What was Michael Jackson's state of mind 13 hours before he was pronounced dead?

"He was happy, he was smiling, he was laughing with us," remembers Daniel Celebre, who was a principal dancer in the superstar's This Is It comeback tour.

Celebre had been rehearsing with Jackson in Los Angeles "for three months, eight hours a day and he always danced full out. His energy was amazing, man."

In fact, on June 24, the last day of Jackson's life, director Kenny Ortega staged the show and "we ran through the whole thing and finished at about 1:30 in the morning," Celebre, a dancer based in Toronto, recalled in an interview yesterday at the midtown BDX dance studio.

"The feeling was unbelievable. Michael was at the top of his game. People who had known him for years said he'd never danced better.

"We even ran `Thriller' for the first time in costume and the people from wardrobe were in the audience crying. They told us `You guys don't understand how amazing it looks.'"

When asked if Jackson seemed tired or under strain, Celebre shook his head emphatically. "Every day he looked fly, but that day, he was better than ever. He looked young, man. His form was so perfect."

Every evening Jackson and the dancers would say goodnight to each other. That night was no exception. "We always hugged. I said `Hey Mikey, I love you,' and he said, `I love you too, bro.'"

And that's the last Celebre ever saw of Jackson.

The next day is a hard one for the 24-year-old to remember, because it ended a longtime dream.

Celebre was born in Nobleton, Ont., from "a large and close-knit Italian family." His mother took him to jazz and tap lessons at the age of 4. Soon he was into hip hop, breakdancing and his favourite, electric boogaloo, "which I tried to do just like Michael Jackson."

He did lots of club, promotional, TV and movie work, playing opposite Hilary Duff as the dance double for the male lead in the climactic scene of The Lizzie McGuire Movie when he was only 18.

But in 2007, "I stopped dancing, for personal reasons. I wanted to be the best dancer I could be and all people wanted were the stunts I could do. `Can this guy spin on his head? Can he do the flip?' Of course I could, but I knew I could be so much more than that and so I just walked away."

His father had taken over La Salumeria, the Italian deli on Yonge near Davisville, so Celebre joined him there. On April 10, he was "slicing some mortadella" when he got a call from his agent in California.

"I know you've been turning down every job I've offered you for two years, but you always said the only person you'd come back for is Michael Jackson. Well, you've got an audition for him tomorrow. Get out here."

At first, Celebre resisted, but his father said, "Daniel, you're going on the plane tomorrow. Hurry up."

He was giddy with excitement, rather than nail-bitingly nervous.

"Everybody else on the line was stressing out. I just kept dancing. `What are you nervous about, people?' I'd tell 'em. `This is Michael. Let's have fun.'"

They whittled the dancers from 500 to 250 and finally to 10. After he made the last cut, he met Jackson.

"I shook his hand. It was huge, man. He had the glasses, the hair, the black suit. We stood there and I thought, `You're nothing but love, man.'"

Celebre loved the rehearsals and hard work that made everybody better and better. And then came June 25.

"We were all sitting in our dressing rooms, ready to start rehearsals. I was watching a clip of Mikey doing `Ease on Down the Road' from The Wiz on my computer.

"We never had the TV on, but somebody had put it on 'cause Farrah Fawcett had just passed. Then we started to get the news about Mikey.... People were running down the halls screaming. Some fell to their knees. Everybody was crying. Everybody."

The rehearsals were filmed and will now be released as the much-anticipated movie This Is It on Oct. 28, but Celebre hates recalling the funeral, the memorial, "all those things that rub my nose in the fact that he's gone."

Celebre prefers to recall the first day of rehearsal.

"He told us he was taking us on an awesome adventure ... and he did."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/theatre/article/712673--dancer-recalls-michael-jackson-s-last-day-of-life

[Gonetoosoon]

:cry:

[Laura_Jo]

Wow this just doesn't get any easier. Thanks for the article though guys. I liked the bit about his 'huge' hands. :wub:

[8701girl]

:cry:
Awww :hug: im trying not cry myself right now

[snorlaaax]

This all is just so fucking cruel. Why Mike *^%^&*

''We stood there and I thought, `You're nothing but love, man.'"

[MJLover1990]

Beautiful article! :wub: :(

[souldreamer7]

blah... It was Mikes time.. :(

[elusive moonwalker]

the media still wont push the fact that murray killed him. there was nothing wrong with him that would have killed him until murray did what he did thats a fact

[IMWhizzle]

:cry:..

[Sophielo]

Very nice article but so sad. I still can't get my head around the fact that Mike was singing and dancing on the 24th but 24 hours later he's dead.

[Clarity26]

Thanks for it. :)

[Dimity]

Everyone loved Michael so much. I'm glad at least that his last days were spent surrounded by people who loved and respected and inspired him.

[jadore]

I just can’t take this anymore :cry: at least the thing about the hand made me smile.

[music65]

The last part about everybody crying made me cry.

[marajade]

Oh God.....

I am about to break down and cry in the office... :(

[Andrew Ryan]

Where are the fans who say that Mike was killed because he was underweight....MJ was in fine health!! damn the doctor...he should be locked up!

[lilsusie]

BULLSH1TTiNG expert

[The One.]

:cry:

Everyone loved Michael so much. I'm glad at least that his last days were spent surrounded by people who loved and respected and inspired him.
Yep.

Thanks for posting the article.

[lilsusie]

Everyone loved Michael so much that they turned a blind eye to his weight problem. lol

[mjjmsc]

i'm crying now...we miss you so much Michael...
and Michael didn't have a weight problem-he was 136 pounds man!

[helena22]

Reading the part about them saying goodnight to each other...I got teary-eyed...:( I'm hurting:cry:

[tinkerbella]

Crying again....

[cryingangel]

This is too cruel. Michael didn't deserve this, no one deserved this. Right now, I once again feel that there is no justice in life.
Murray won't pay for sh*t, but I hope he has the most miserable life one could have.


Liked the comment about the huge hands... dear Michael...

[aliana101]

Where are the fans who say that Mike was killed because he was underweight....MJ was in fine health!! damn the doctor...he should be locked up!

He was underweight IMO. But the f****** doctor killed him. :cry:

[mier]

Where are the fans who say that Mike was killed because he was underweight....MJ was in fine health!! damn the doctor...he should be locked up!

wether he was underweight or not, this had nothing to do with his death.
Even if he wouldn't have died because of dr Murder ehm Murray, he wouldn't have died of other healt issues.
Maybe he would've got overtired after doing a lot of shows but dying? No.
His heart was strong.

Reading stories like this makes it hurt more and more.
MJ was going to show the world why he was still the king of pop.

[Bea]

Thanks for this article.Just so sad...made me cry

[SIDEWALK]

my heart just lost another peice. :(

[lilsusie]

i'm crying now...we miss you so much Michael...
and Michael didn't have a weight problem-he was 136 pounds man!
I don't believe he weigh 136pounds. That's blalantly a lie.

[prismsagainst5live]

:cry: i feel so much pain for those dancers...ahhhh

miss him so much

:cry:

[jilliebean]

I don't believe he weigh 136pounds. That's blalantly a lie.

Whatever.... :smilerolleyes:

[billyblues]

I can't understand all the comments about him being underweight. Sure he was slim, but that wasn't the cause of his death.

Why I'm saying this? I have at least 2 friends who are as thin as Michael and they're healthy as one can be. One was the bassist of my old band and the other's a great friend of mine who we call "Jeve". No, don't get me wrong, he was 'thin', but that's not saying he wasn't healthy...
And thanks for posting this. Very emotional indeed. :(

[Angela_MJJ]

It hurts reading articles like this but thanks for posting it :cry:

[Michaelismagic]

"He told us he was taking us on an awesome adventure ... and he did."

just cant stop weeping!! oh Michael :cry:

[mjdove]

I don't believe he weigh 136pounds. That's blalantly a lie.you are NOT ABLE to say it's a lie. As you say BELIEVE, YES it is a BELIEF.

And I would be sooooo glad, if certain people would stop that ...
I would prefer that those from THis Is It NOT wouldn't go around EVERYWHERE to make the movie down, please give us the chance to form an own opinion. For those, the rest of the fans WE ARE NOT BLIND!

[meena76]

Wow this just doesn't get any easier. Thanks for the article though guys. I liked the bit about his 'huge' hands. :wub:

No it doesn't, don't no what to believe.

[elusive moonwalker]

Where are the fans who say that Mike was killed because he was underweight...i dont think theres many fans who actually think that more a case of going off what mj told fans himself about how he was feeling and ppl being upset and p***** off that at the time everyone was saying theres no problems etc. yet now we have philips and to an extent ortgega saying the opposite.they were obviously lieing and because in their eyes nothing was done we now have this situation we are in now. ppl cared more about the shows happening than mj.

ppl know that i hold murray totally repsonsible but that doesnt make me not be angry/upset about what was supposedly going on. what mj was telling fans. how mj looked which to me was totally under weight for what he was going to take part in(and now ortega has stared talking about that while b4 it was everything is great interms of mj weight) . at the end of the day he wouldnt have been taking diprivan if he wasnt doing these shows so of course ppl are going to want to put some of the blame for what happened on the shows even though it only indirectly contributed to what happened as obviously murray was the sole figure that caused it.mj may have weighed 136 pounds to me the figure is irrelevent cause he looked underweight if he weighed 150 and still looked like he did in the rehearsal pics id still ay he was underweight.of course its pretty pointless talking about senarios now but i doubt we would have got through 50 shows without spending some time outside of a uk hospital instead of being in the 02.

[meena76]

I can't understand all the comments about him being underweight. Sure he was slim, but that wasn't the cause of his death.

Why I'm saying this? I have at least 2 friends who are as thin as Michael and they're healthy as one can be. One was the bassist of my old band and the other's a great friend of mine who we call "Jeve". No, don't get me wrong, he was 'thin', but that's not saying he wasn't healthy...
And thanks for posting this. Very emotional indeed. :(

I agree!!!

[meena76]

This is too cruel. Michael didn't deserve this, no one deserved this. Right now, I once again feel that there is no justice in life.
Murray won't pay for sh*t, but I hope he has the most miserable life one could have.


Liked the comment about the huge hands... dear Michael...

I hope so, he shouldn't get away with his part in this.

[Adore]

always one person trying to bring the mood of a TII thread down, I've noticed. :smilerolleyes:

[Laura.L.]

:boohoo
That was beautiful, but once again it made me think WHY?? How could this happen??

[terrell]

<<<<<We never had the TV on, but somebody had put it on 'cause Farrah Fawcett had just passed. Then we started to get the news about Mikey>>>>>>>> I know the feeling. I was at work when the news came about Farrah under the soap opera Young and the restless. I then said she is now at peace because she suffered for so long (Ed MacManan died on the monday). I then said, One more person is going to die. It always comes in 3's). When I got home, I looked at Orpah, then Doctor Phil who was talking to a couple who was dealing with the guilt of their son drowing. I then turned to CNN to hear more on Farrah. Next thing I see on the ticker tape is MJ. At first, I smile and thought "PR move" but then it started getting serious. It was so fast. NExt thing, Michael was Dead. I hit the floor. My phone started ringing because everyone knew I loved Michael for so long and I was going to london to see him and finally met him face to face. I am still dealing with the shock. My dream is gone.

[terrell]

And to think DR. MURRAY caused all this.

[MJsAngelOfMusic]

sighs..I know how we feel but think of the family, friends and people who saw him everyday..just being with one day before to find that out. It's so not right and unfair :(

[blankyluvdoodoo]

:(......i miss him so much

[Em_Mj]

:( omg!! so unfair.

[michaels wendy bird]

God i didnt think my heart could break in to any more pieces! :( I am pleased michael was with people that told him they loved him!

[Carinemjj]

Thanks for the article.. oh damn... :cry:

[elusive moonwalker]

:boohoo
That was beautiful, but once again it made me think WHY?? How could this happen??

f. ing murray and who ever put this idea into mjs head years ago that u could use this to sleep.my heart is forever gonna be broken over this. if only we got to see him in one show. i dunno maybe that would be even worse. as if losing him in this way wasnt bad enough .for it then to have happened when it did. this world is so cruel and unfair:cry:

[ensleyave]

Good article. I miss him too.

[indranee]

Dancer recalls Michael Jackson's last day of life

The pop legend that Daniel Celebre rehearsed with gave no hint that he'd be dead within a day

By Richard Ouzounian Theatre Critic
Published On Tue Oct 20 2009

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/0b/83/a7c267894d8e943adefcaf71ee98.jpeg

What was Michael Jackson's state of mind 13 hours before he was pronounced dead?

"He was happy, he was smiling, he was laughing with us," remembers Daniel Celebre, who was a principal dancer in the superstar's This Is It comeback tour.

Celebre had been rehearsing with Jackson in Los Angeles "for three months, eight hours a day and he always danced full out. His energy was amazing, man."

In fact, on June 24, the last day of Jackson's life, director Kenny Ortega staged the show and "we ran through the whole thing and finished at about 1:30 in the morning," Celebre, a dancer based in Toronto, recalled in an interview yesterday at the midtown BDX dance studio.

"The feeling was unbelievable. Michael was at the top of his game. People who had known him for years said he'd never danced better.

"We even ran `Thriller' for the first time in costume and the people from wardrobe were in the audience crying. They told us `You guys don't understand how amazing it looks.'"

When asked if Jackson seemed tired or under strain, Celebre shook his head emphatically. "Every day he looked fly, but that day, he was better than ever. He looked young, man. His form was so perfect."

Every evening Jackson and the dancers would say goodnight to each other. That night was no exception. "We always hugged. I said `Hey Mikey, I love you,' and he said, `I love you too, bro.'"

And that's the last Celebre ever saw of Jackson.

The next day is a hard one for the 24-year-old to remember, because it ended a longtime dream.

Celebre was born in Nobleton, Ont., from "a large and close-knit Italian family." His mother took him to jazz and tap lessons at the age of 4. Soon he was into hip hop, breakdancing and his favourite, electric boogaloo, "which I tried to do just like Michael Jackson."

He did lots of club, promotional, TV and movie work, playing opposite Hilary Duff as the dance double for the male lead in the climactic scene of The Lizzie McGuire Movie when he was only 18.

But in 2007, "I stopped dancing, for personal reasons. I wanted to be the best dancer I could be and all people wanted were the stunts I could do. `Can this guy spin on his head? Can he do the flip?' Of course I could, but I knew I could be so much more than that and so I just walked away."

His father had taken over La Salumeria, the Italian deli on Yonge near Davisville, so Celebre joined him there. On April 10, he was "slicing some mortadella" when he got a call from his agent in California.

"I know you've been turning down every job I've offered you for two years, but you always said the only person you'd come back for is Michael Jackson. Well, you've got an audition for him tomorrow. Get out here."

At first, Celebre resisted, but his father said, "Daniel, you're going on the plane tomorrow. Hurry up."

He was giddy with excitement, rather than nail-bitingly nervous.

"Everybody else on the line was stressing out. I just kept dancing. `What are you nervous about, people?' I'd tell 'em. `This is Michael. Let's have fun.'"

They whittled the dancers from 500 to 250 and finally to 10. After he made the last cut, he met Jackson.

"I shook his hand. It was huge, man. He had the glasses, the hair, the black suit. We stood there and I thought, `You're nothing but love, man.'"

Celebre loved the rehearsals and hard work that made everybody better and better. And then came June 25.

"We were all sitting in our dressing rooms, ready to start rehearsals. I was watching a clip of Mikey doing `Ease on Down the Road' from The Wiz on my computer.

"We never had the TV on, but somebody had put it on 'cause Farrah Fawcett had just passed. Then we started to get the news about Mikey.... People were running down the halls screaming. Some fell to their knees. Everybody was crying. Everybody."

The rehearsals were filmed and will now be released as the much-anticipated movie This Is It on Oct. 28, but Celebre hates recalling the funeral, the memorial, "all those things that rub my nose in the fact that he's gone."

Celebre prefers to recall the first day of rehearsal.

"He told us he was taking us on an awesome adventure ... and he did."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/theatre/article/712673--dancer-recalls-michael-jackson-s-last-day-of-life

"I shook his hand. It was huge, man. He had the glasses, the hair, the black suit. We stood there and I thought, `You're nothing but love, man.'"

:cry:

[shaugnie]

Oh Jeez!!!!
That got the tears flooding, it just dosent get amy easier does it!
Thanks for posting!

[indranee]

I don't believe he weigh 136pounds. That's blalantly a lie.

do you have to do this to every thread? :(

[MJfan10]

:cry: but the hand bit made me :)

[michaels wendy bird]

Why do people need to ruin every thread with talks about Michaels weight etc there is a thread for that to be spoken about if i kept going off topic i would get a bashing seems some people are allowed to do more then others!

[Izzy_LovesMJ]

:cry: :cry:

[LauraLovesMJ]

"We never had the TV on, but somebody had put it on 'cause Farrah Fawcett had just passed. Then we started to get the news about Mikey.... People were running down the halls screaming. Some fell to their knees. Everybody was crying. Everybody."

:boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo:

The ONLY consolation to all of this is knowing that Michael knew how successful he was going to be, and that he was dearly loved. :cry:

[FedoraHatGirl2058]

Dancer recalls Michael Jackson's last day of life

The pop legend that Daniel Celebre rehearsed with gave no hint that he'd be dead within a day

By Richard Ouzounian Theatre Critic
Published On Tue Oct 20 2009

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/0b/83/a7c267894d8e943adefcaf71ee98.jpeg

What was Michael Jackson's state of mind 13 hours before he was pronounced dead?

"He was happy, he was smiling, he was laughing with us," remembers Daniel Celebre, who was a principal dancer in the superstar's This Is It comeback tour.

Celebre had been rehearsing with Jackson in Los Angeles "for three months, eight hours a day and he always danced full out. His energy was amazing, man."

In fact, on June 24, the last day of Jackson's life, director Kenny Ortega staged the show and "we ran through the whole thing and finished at about 1:30 in the morning," Celebre, a dancer based in Toronto, recalled in an interview yesterday at the midtown BDX dance studio.

"The feeling was unbelievable. Michael was at the top of his game. People who had known him for years said he'd never danced better.

"We even ran `Thriller' for the first time in costume and the people from wardrobe were in the audience crying. They told us `You guys don't understand how amazing it looks.'"

When asked if Jackson seemed tired or under strain, Celebre shook his head emphatically. "Every day he looked fly, but that day, he was better than ever. He looked young, man. His form was so perfect."

Every evening Jackson and the dancers would say goodnight to each other. That night was no exception. "We always hugged. I said `Hey Mikey, I love you,' and he said, `I love you too, bro.'"

And that's the last Celebre ever saw of Jackson.

The next day is a hard one for the 24-year-old to remember, because it ended a longtime dream.

Celebre was born in Nobleton, Ont., from "a large and close-knit Italian family." His mother took him to jazz and tap lessons at the age of 4. Soon he was into hip hop, breakdancing and his favourite, electric boogaloo, "which I tried to do just like Michael Jackson."

He did lots of club, promotional, TV and movie work, playing opposite Hilary Duff as the dance double for the male lead in the climactic scene of The Lizzie McGuire Movie when he was only 18.

But in 2007, "I stopped dancing, for personal reasons. I wanted to be the best dancer I could be and all people wanted were the stunts I could do. `Can this guy spin on his head? Can he do the flip?' Of course I could, but I knew I could be so much more than that and so I just walked away."

His father had taken over La Salumeria, the Italian deli on Yonge near Davisville, so Celebre joined him there. On April 10, he was "slicing some mortadella" when he got a call from his agent in California.

"I know you've been turning down every job I've offered you for two years, but you always said the only person you'd come back for is Michael Jackson. Well, you've got an audition for him tomorrow. Get out here."

At first, Celebre resisted, but his father said, "Daniel, you're going on the plane tomorrow. Hurry up."

He was giddy with excitement, rather than nail-bitingly nervous.

"Everybody else on the line was stressing out. I just kept dancing. `What are you nervous about, people?' I'd tell 'em. `This is Michael. Let's have fun.'"

They whittled the dancers from 500 to 250 and finally to 10. After he made the last cut, he met Jackson.

"I shook his hand. It was huge, man. He had the glasses, the hair, the black suit. We stood there and I thought, `You're nothing but love, man.'"

Celebre loved the rehearsals and hard work that made everybody better and better. And then came June 25.

"We were all sitting in our dressing rooms, ready to start rehearsals. I was watching a clip of Mikey doing `Ease on Down the Road' from The Wiz on my computer.

"We never had the TV on, but somebody had put it on 'cause Farrah Fawcett had just passed. Then we started to get the news about Mikey.... People were running down the halls screaming. Some fell to their knees. Everybody was crying. Everybody."

The rehearsals were filmed and will now be released as the much-anticipated movie This Is It on Oct. 28, but Celebre hates recalling the funeral, the memorial, "all those things that rub my nose in the fact that he's gone."

Celebre prefers to recall the first day of rehearsal.

"He told us he was taking us on an awesome adventure ... and he did."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/theatre/article/712673--dancer-recalls-michael-jackson-s-last-day-of-life
Oh my, that was hard to read,

I fell down on my knees too as i heard the news then after i really realized it, cried for hours :cry:

[indranee]

:boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo:

The ONLY consolation to all of this is knowing that Michael knew how successful he was going to be, and that he was dearly loved. :cry:

yes, that's also my ONLY consolation in this. that he knew how much he was still loved and adored and needed. that he was still the King.

it's my only comfort.

[FedoraHatGirl2058]

:boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo:

The ONLY consolation to all of this is knowing that Michael knew how successful he was going to be, and that he was dearly loved. :cry:
Yeah, i agree, he knew he was going to hit the world :boohoo:

[terrell]

<<<<I don't believe he weigh 136pounds. That's blalantly a lie.>>>> WHy not? I am 137 and a female. He is a male. I believe he was 136. Just because he did not look it does NOT mean he was not 136.

[LauraLovesMJ]

He was underweight IMO. But the f****** doctor killed him. :cry:Exactly!

I do however think MJ was just as thin during Thriller, Bad, Scream and the 2005 trial, or possibly even thinner, so his weight really isn't the issue. MURRAY killed him because the dumb **** didn't know what the hell he was doing! And quite frankly, I'm a little worried that if people/police try to spread the blame out to everyone who was around Michael in his last days, that NO ONE will end up being held accountable, because the blame has been diffused too much.

MURRAY killed him and he needs to hang high for that! :mad:

[lulu]

OMG... it makes me cry... :boohoo: :boohoo:

I can`t even think about 28th when I will see Mike on the screen... I will cry and cry and cry... :boohoo:

[LauraLovesMJ]

yes, that's also my ONLY consolation in this. that he knew how much he was still loved and adored and needed. that he was still the King.

it's my only comfort.Mine too. The rest of it just makes me SO sad, because it should have NEVER happened. :sad: I hope the police are being quiet right now only because they are building an air-tight case against Murray.

Yeah, i agree, he knew he was going to hit the world :boohoo:I love knowing that his confidence was up there too. God, this would've turned everything around for him. :sad:

[Pitcorthie]

Oh God why now? :cry:
Thanks for posting that beautiful article.I hope they didn't film the part of them hearing the news,that will bring back so many painful memories for us all :cry:
I too am not looking forward to the memorial etc part in the film, I am really dreading this film in a way but I do need to see it but it will feel so final after the film :cry:

[katrine]

:(
THanks for posting!!!

[michaelloverforever1980]

Omg just reading that wow just cant stop crying :boohoo: xxx

[DanceOfZenab1994]

This just cuts like a knife.

[FedoraHatGirl2058]

Michael looked thinner than what he was, there were times when i saw MJ and he looked extremely thin, and then i saw him and his back was HUGE, so it all depends on the clothes he was wearing... BUT he was alway thin, always was, he was an energetic man, there was no way way he was fat, even when he love to eat junkie food, have you ever seen MJ fat, NO, he was more likely to be thin

[stineLOVESmichael]

I can't imagen how it must have been like in that dressing room when they heard the news "rumours" at the time about Michael!
and then..the confirmation. :( I'd die right there. I almost did here in my livingroom aswell.

[2600becs]

:cry:
i wish i'd had the chance to tell michael i love him...just like the dancers did

[ellie09]

what more can i say ?! ;(

Hope you're in peace, Michael, whereever you are now...

[GoldenLady]

and here we go again :cry:
I wish I could of shook those "huge" hands.

[Pitcorthie]

:cry:
i wish i'd had the chance to tell michael i love him...just like the dancers did

Michael knows how much you love him :hug:

[mjzfille]

Am in tears again, I wonder how we all gonna cope at the movies...

[2600becs]

Michael knows how much you love him :hug:

thanks for that :angel: i hope you are right. i wish i believed in god or heaven like a lot of people here. it must be so reassuring to have faith like that.

[Tin Angel]

Oh no... :( I'm hurting so much right now. I read the whole thing in tears. Why is this still so hard? :cry: Everything it's so unfair. Why did things had to happen this way? It's so difficult to understand.
I love you so much, Michael, I wish someday I can hold on your hands too.
Maybe in heaven. :cry:
Thanks for posting...

[Green_Bean]

Thanks for posting this. Maybe it's selfish but I just wish I could have had the chance to see him......damn.


I'm going to be a puddle at the movies

[Samtkaninchen]

Beautiful article! http://freenet-homepage.de/Pegasus.13/sy_crylips.gif
Oh, he called him Mikey ... just like I do ... aaaaaahhh, it hurts so much ... :cry:

[indranee]

:cry:
i wish i'd had the chance to tell michael i love him...just like the dancers did

this is what kills me. that I didn't get the chance to tell him that I'd stuck by him all these years. that in my own way I'd fought for him with everyone I knew who didn't believe in him, who'd derided him, who'd shown their hatred for him. I'd fought and fought and fought with them tooth and nail all these years. I'd hoped to one day tell him that my love for him, hidden as it may have been from him, burns ever more bright.

I never got to tell him that. but you know what? I think he knows. and if I believe in anything, I believe that he knows that even more now.

I think we all feel this... that he knew. the pain's there, but I think we can take comfort in that. the way he touched his chest during that 02 Press Conference and told us he loved us from the bottom of his heart... it told me that he knew.

I'm just gonna have to hold on to that thought.

[Johanne]

That was heartbreking to read, it brought tears to my eyes... As he said.. he was nothing but love. I want Michael back :cry:

[ExoticPrincess]

Bottom line is this.....

If Dr. Murray was an ethical doctor with some sense, he would'nt have been pumping Michael up with so much sedatives and Propovol hence leading to his death.

This is all his fault and I so do wish people in the media would acknowledge this fact loud and clear!

[ItsALLforLOVE]

The last part about everybody crying made me cry.

Me too.

[MJJ:G.O.A.T]

Bottom line is this.....

If Dr. Murray was an ethical doctor with some sense, he would'nt have been pumping Michael up with so much sedatives and Propovol hence leading to his death.

This is all his fault and I so do wish people in the media would acknowledge this fact loud and clear!

God forbid anything NOT be Michael's fault to the media. :smilerolleyes:

The part about people screaming, falling to their knees and crying is terrible. :(

[Fluffy_Oz]

That was just so heart-wrenching to read...
I can imagine what a shock it must have been for them. I can so vividly recall myself on June 25th... :cry:
So unreal.

[AnnieRUOkay89]

Wow that hurt. :cry:

[MJ*PP]

this is so f'up. I can''t believe this is actually reality, this is happening..just simply, why? :cry:

[King_of_Pop]

That's a really sad article.

[billyblues]

this is what kills me. that I didn't get the chance to tell him that I'd stuck by him all these years. that in my own way I'd fought for him with everyone I knew who didn't believe in him, who'd derided him, who'd shown their hatred for him. I'd fought and fought and fought with them tooth and nail all these years. I'd hoped to one day tell him that my love for him, hidden as it may have been from him, burns ever more bright.

I never got to tell him that. but you know what? I think he knows. and if I believe in anything, I believe that he knows that even more now.

I think we all feel this... that he knew. the pain's there, but I think we can take comfort in that. the way he touched his chest during that 02 Press Conference and told us he loved us from the bottom of his heart... it told me that he knew.

I'm just gonna have to hold on to that thought.

Don't worry, Michael surely knows that we all LOVE him, from the bottom of our hearts. And I'm really sure that wherever he is, he's smiling, proud and happy to know he has fans like us. We were there for him, all the time and even if we didn't have the chance to tell him, he's happy to know and he'll be there for us, forever.

[starlightdancer]

Why is it that every thread has to be ruined about that 'underweight - they killed michael' stuff?

Good way to ruin a thread.

Thanks for the article. It's wonderful to hear a dancer (who was there with Michael everyday) speak out so wonderfully about Mike. :smile:

[Silouette]

"We never had the TV on, but somebody had put it on 'cause Farrah Fawcett
had just passed. Then we started to get the news about Mikey....
People were running down the halls screaming.
Some fell to their knees. Everybody was crying. Everybody."

Oh lord. I can picture it. :(
Their minds must of been blown when they heard that.

Daniel Celebre gave a great account on what it was like to be
with Michael. The man, the dance, the King.
He'll have some great memories and some sad ones too.

[GinnyJackson]

blah... It was Mikes time.. :(

Not his time...and excuse me but "Blah"?

[Naad]

:cry: so surreal

[xthunderx2]

articles like this..intended to make people happy...just make me sadder....I just cannot get my head around the fact that Michael is no longer here...he should still be here....when people talk about that last 24 hours...it just hurts all the more....Murray is to blame...why did he kill Michael and leave so many people to feel this pain...:cry:.......However thank you for this article anyway...:)

[indranee]

Don't worry, Michael surely knows that we all LOVE him, from the bottom of our hearts. And I'm really sure that wherever he is, he's smiling, proud and happy to know he has fans like us. We were there for him, all the time and even if we didn't have the chance to tell him, he's happy to know and he'll be there for us, forever.

you know it's really hurting today all over again. everyday I think that maybe I can get over it just a little bit. then I read articles like this, and it's like I start bleeding all over again. something really changed on June 25th for us. and I think it's not just losing him, it's like we lost the fight... all of us... he and we. we lost the fight in a way. that's what I feel like right now. maybe I won't in a while. maybe I'm just reacting right now. but to hear Daniel call him Mikey and to picture them crying, falling to their knees, oh dear god. it's too much to bear all of a sudden.

[MJstarlight]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I was hoping to hear from one of the dancers

:cry:

[iblush]

i got teary eyed from reading this, thanks for posting

[PrettyYoungThang]

breaks my heart.... why oh why did you have to go Michael? Right when we were about to meet you again, love you again, joined to you, us in the audience and you on stage.... why? :(

[KJ777]

I think it's not just losing him, it's like we lost the fight... all of us... he and we. we lost the fight in a way. that's what I feel like right now.

That's how I feel too. Although I do feel he's in a better place and at peace which does comfort me. It's still difficult for those that loved him and those he left behind. It's like where do you go from here? What now? I don't have the answer to that, but I can't help but be angry about it because I feel that those that loved him are still having to battle in defense of and for the person Michael really was...not what others choose to portray him to be.

Anyway, thanks for the article, it sounds as if the dancers he worked with got to know a bit about him, his vision, and had love and respect for him as an artist.

[sannahchu]

Thanks for sharing........I'm sure his experienced with MJ will be the highlight of his career ever as a dancer.......coz MJ took him in an awesome adventure that he'll cherished his whole life through......

[Indra]

At least, from this article, it seems like he was happy in a way when he went and the fact that ge got to do what he loved the most during his last days with us makes it a little bit easier.... just a little. I miss him so much...

[Michael Jackson Moonwalk]

:cry: How quickly a dream come true turned into a nightmare!!

I like this article especially details like, people crying in the wings when they rehearsed Thriller! And Mikey giving everyone hugs and saying 'goodnight, i love you bro' - How beautiful and just SAD :(

But the best line 'You're just love' :wub: :wub: :wub:

Oh Lord.......

Past few days I've felt real real sad, like it's only just hit me. *SIGH*

[Michael Jackson Moonwalk]

:cry: so surreal


You said it my friend :no:

[elusive moonwalker]

I think it's not just losing him, it's like we lost the fight... all of us... he and we. we lost the fight in a way. that's what I feel like right now.
the last 10 years have been nothing but one fight after the after. from the mess with vince to the ulitmate fight in 05. and then u get to this where finally at last something good for mj and us and this happens. its like some sick joke has been played on all of us. you couldnt write a film script like this. we always fought for mj and now all we are left with is all the evil doers who hurt and persecuted him are still here and hes not. theres no jusitce in this world and this is the one thing more than anytrhing that upsets me as i have tears rolling down my face as i write this. the hurt is unbearable

[Rockin.]

articles like this..intended to make people happy...just make me sadder....

you know it's really hurting today all over again. everyday I think that maybe I can get over it just a little bit. then I read articles like this, and it's like I start bleeding all over again. something really changed on June 25th for us. and I think it's not just losing him, it's like we lost the fight... all of us... he and we. we lost the fight in a way. that's what I feel like right now. maybe I won't in a while. maybe I'm just reacting right now. but to hear Daniel call him Mikey and to picture them crying, falling to their knees, oh dear god. it's too much to bear all of a sudden.

the last 10 years have been nothing but one fight after the after. from the mess with vince to the ulitmate fight in 05. and then u get to this where finally at last something good for mj and us and this happens. its like some sick joke has been played on all of us. you couldnt write a film script like this. we always fought for mj and now all we are left with is all the evil doers who hurt and persecuted him are still here and hes not. theres no jusitce in this world and this is the one thing more than anytrhing that upsets me as i have tears rolling down my face as i write this. the hurt is unbearable

I feel completely the same.

[StaceyMJ]

This is killing me...it really is. :cry: I have no words.

[Cinnamon234]

That's so sad to read. I miss Michael :cry:.

[TheLastTear]

`You're nothing but love, man.'"


Miss you Mikey :(

[Diana Hart]

I'm about to break down and cry .:cry:

[aliana101]

the last 10 years have been nothing but one fight after the after. from the mess with vince to the ulitmate fight in 05. and then u get to this where finally at last something good for mj and us and this happens. its like some sick joke has been played on all of us. you couldnt write a film script like this. we always fought for mj and now all we are left with is all the evil doers who hurt and persecuted him are still here and hes not. theres no jusitce in this world and this is the one thing more than anytrhing that upsets me as i have tears rolling down my face as i write this. the hurt is unbearable

I know...so difficult to be optimistic after this. :( Finally there was a light! And it got smashed into 10000000 pieces.

[Em_Mj]

"Michael Jackson's last day of life"

I cannot accept that quote, or any quote regarding him no longer here :cry: it's too much. Michael deserved this chance :( It's not fair. I can't accept he's no longer here. I miss him too much.

I'm heartbroken

[StephluvsMJ]

I know...so difficult to be optimistic after this. :( Finally there was a light! And it got smashed into 10000000 pieces.

:( :cry: :weeping:

[Reganxx]

:( I dunno what to think x

[terrell]

I know...so difficult to be optimistic after this. :( Finally there was a light! And it got smashed into 10000000 pieces.
So true. I believe MJ would have done great and that was suppose to happen; however, stupidity from doctor who was hired and did not do his job help crushed it.

[mjjer]

Daniel Celebre also spoke about working on This is It with MJ on Canada AM, 4 minute interview here:
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/this-is-it/#clip225218

"Dancer Daniel Celebre took part in countless grueling rehearsals for Michael Jackson's planned 'This Is It' tour. Celebre said Jackson's true artistry was only evident in-person."

He tells a cute story about one of their "exchanges".

[144,000]

indeed, the tale of two cities. the tale of two stories. one story where Michael was spry, is told by dancers who were right there with him, every day...

another tale of MJ being dazed, confused, sickly, and high on drugs, told by people who say they are fans, and confidants..

[Dangerous Incorporated]

In fact, on June 24, the last day of Jackson's life, director Kenny Ortega staged the show and "we ran through the whole thing and finished at about 1:30 in the morning," Celebre, a dancer based in Toronto, recalled in an interview yesterday at the midtown BDX dance studio.

All other stories say Michael left for home at midnight.

"We even ran `Thriller' for the first time in costume and the people from wardrobe were in the audience crying. They told us `You guys don't understand how amazing it looks.'"



Why wasnt that on TII then?

[lilsusie]

Those dancers are hired by AEG. Of course they are going to tell lies as who would want to go against a corporation? Plus, they are under AEG contract with handsome salary.

If Zaldy's photos aren't evidents that MJ's not well, I don't know what is. In fact, the TII footages show MJ's not well. He's skeletal, severely underweight. Anyone who says otherwise should go and check their eyes.

[MJSOPRECIOUS]

Yeah...this just ripped open my heart again :cry:

[144,000]

Those dancers are hired by AEG. Of course they are going to tell lies as who would want to go against a corporation? Plus, they are under AEG contract with handsome salary.

If Zaldy's photos aren't evidents that MJ's not well, I don't know what is. In fact, the TII footages show MJ's not well. He's skeletal, severely underweight. Anyone who says otherwise should go and check their eyes.

those dancers obviously have no reason to work for AEG anymore. and i have a copy of TII...so...eye of the beholder. there are those who would ask me to check my eyes..and there are those who would ask you to check yours.

as far as the dancing and singing..i agree with the dancers, completely.

[kes1984]

he certainly did have HUGE hands!!

[eStyle]

Awww :hug: im trying not cry myself right now

Yes, me, too! :cry:

[hilliver]

There is a tiny crumb of comfort in knowing that Michael had such happiness at the end of his life, the bad days were behind him and he knew that once more he would be getting the respect he deserved.

This is why I can't face seeing This Is It, all that promise for the future gone, in the time it took some money hungry quack to inject a few mills. of fluid into him. I can't look at that photo of a grinning Murrey without wanting to rip him apart with my bare hands, and I am not a violent person.

[eStyle]

the last 10 years have been nothing but one fight after the after. from the mess with vince to the ulitmate fight in 05. and then u get to this where finally at last something good for mj and us and this happens. its like some sick joke has been played on all of us. you couldnt write a film script like this. we always fought for mj and now all we are left with is all the evil doers who hurt and persecuted him are still here and hes not. theres no jusitce in this world and this is the one thing more than anytrhing that upsets me as i have tears rolling down my face as i write this. the hurt is unbearable

You totally expressed how I feel!... :(

[gerryevans]

Those dancers are hired by AEG. Of course they are going to tell lies as who would want to go against a corporation? Plus, they are under AEG contract with handsome salary.

Work for AEG or not, they were fans of MJ as well as we are. They did care for him. He was the idol for many.

The fact is most of us work for someone. If we had a fellow co-worker that we GENUINELY cared about who we saw was close to death and then died, if we were asked about him, we might not tell all the negatives we saw for fear of losing our job, but neither would ALL of us publicly attest he was doing great, he was fantastic, he was at the top of his game his last few days.

Some might, but NOT ALL of us. And every single person, even those that have said disparaging remarks about happenings on that set, have said that the last few rehearsals were great, that Michael was happy and in great spirits. He was back. They could see it. They could feel it. They were all invigorated by it.

Michael was loved by many on that set. Not all of them would lie about his state of mind.

[magiktori]

Oh Jeez!!!!
That got the tears flooding, it just dosent get any easier does it!
Thanks for posting!
no it doesent first time i cried about this in a long while but man it still hurts awound that will never fully heal

[MJultimatemusiclegen]

All other stories say Michael left for home at midnight.


Why wasnt that on TII then?

they probably didnt film it like the idiots they are. But tbh they didnt know the tragedy that was to unfold the next day. If this is true that last night was probably better than all the footage in this is it put together

[*Billie Jean*]

People were running down the halls screaming. Some fell to their knees. Everybody was crying. Everybody.That line is just heartbreaking, I can imagine just hearing about someones death suddenly it's devastating.

[Em_Mj]

:cry: when they recall how everyone starting crying and fell to their knees TEARS my apart! it's how i reacted.

[MJultimatemusiclegen]

:cry: when they recall how everyone starting crying and fell to their knees TEARS my apart! it's how i reacted.

i just sat there in my chair as i watched the news and didnt move for about 3 hours, bad times, seriously seriously bad time :(

[mjsexbomb]

Seriously, michaels stomach was empty when he was given those drugs (due to him not eating). if he had of eaten properly then im sure his body could have taken the drugs and he would still be alive today.

It is partly murrays fault but michael himself is also to blame :mello:

[eStyle]

i just sat there in my chair as i watched the news and didnt move for about 3 hours, bad times, seriously seriously bad time :(

I was sittin' in front of my laptop and that night, I wasn't in the mj forum I was before, I always used to be there almost every day just like here, too! But that night, I just didn't go online there, so I knew nothing! I was just surfing around and makin' things but no news sites. My Messenger was active and out of a sudden I got a message from a friend I know from this forum and he asked me if I believe the news. And I was like "What news?". After all this, after he had told me I was just so shocked and couldn't believe it... At first I was laughin' bout it sayin' that it's not true and only some garbage from the media again. But after surfing the internet over and over again and from one news site to another it was final then...it was confirmed that MJ has died and I just broke down!... :cry:

I'm sure if I hadn't had Live Messenger online that night, I wouldn't have ever known or heard about that in that night - only the next day!

[Speechless]

How will we ever get over this? How can the world recover from this tragedy. So much promised by this rehearsal footage but never to be delivered. I had seen Michael 5 times in concert over the years and had tickets for two of his This Is It concerts. I am devastated that Michael never got to strut his stuff at the O2 and show the world he still had it. So, so sad. What must his children be going through?

[eStyle]

How will we ever get over this? How can the world recover from this tragedy. So much promised by this rehearsal footage but never to be delivered. I had seen Michael 5 times in concert over the years and had tickets for two of his This Is It concerts. I am devastated that Michael never got to strut his stuff at the O2 and show the world he still had it. So, so sad. What must his children be going through?

Soooooo true...don't even know what to say anymore, this is just..........dunno......loss for words.......

[Sifa_Dias]

How will we ever get over this? How can the world recover from this tragedy. So much promised by this rehearsal footage but never to be delivered. I had seen Michael 5 times in concert over the years and had tickets for two of his This Is It concerts. I am devastated that Michael never got to strut his stuff at the O2 and show the world he still had it. So, so sad. What must his children be going through?

You get over it by stopping to focus on his death, on what happened, on Murray, on all the speculation, on what could've been. And by starting to focus on how much richer the world and our lives have been because Michael walked this earth. By remembering the good he represented, and taking that good and incorporating it in your own life, which is the ultimate tribute to him.

We must accept that we don't know any enough to judge this situation properly, and we never will. We will never get the "justice" or "fairness" that we feel we should get. That hole will not be filled, and that's a hard fact. This is part of grieving a loss, and it's acceptance. However much we hurt, there are people like his children and his mother, that suffer infinitely more than we ever will, and they too have to find a way to move on, and they are.

It starts by not focusing on the ONE day that was dark, but by focusing on the 50 YEARS that were light.

[144,000]

You get over it by stopping to focus on his death, on what happened, on Murray, on all the speculation, on what could've been. And by starting to focus on how much richer the world and our lives have been because Michael walked this earth. By remembering the good he represented, and taking that good and incorporating it in your own life, which is the ultimate tribute to him.

We must accept that we don't know any enough to judge this situation properly, and we never will. We will never get the "justice" or "fairness" that we feel we should get. That hole will not be filled, and that's a hard fact. This is part of grieving a loss, and it's acceptance. However much we hurt, there are people like his children and his mother, that suffer infinitely more than we ever will, and they too have to find a way to move on, and they are.

It starts by not focusing on the ONE day that was dark, but by focusing on the 50 YEARS that were light.

we can focus on the light.
but we can't just 'get over' the dark, and not want to seek justice. we're wired for both.
we don't know if the family is 'moving on'. we can't see what they're doing outside of brothers' reality show.

it's like MJ says of the earth. we can't just 'get over' the burning of the forest. we're wired to find ways to deal with both the negative and the positive.
i don't think that people should feel guilty if they feel the need to experience both sides, and deal fully with them...positive, and negative.

[Sifa_Dias]

we can focus on the light.
but we can't just 'get over' the dark, and not want to seek justice. we're wired for both.
we don't know if the family is 'moving on'. we can't see what they're doing outside of brothers' reality show.

it's like MJ says of the earth. we can't just 'get over' the burning of the forest. we're wired to find ways to deal with both the negative and the positive.
i don't think that people should feel guilty if they feel the need to experience both sides, and deal fully with them...positive, and negative.

I never said people should feel guilty. There's just a lot of focus on the negative, which can be dangerous and not healthy. I simply gave my answer to someones wonderment.

[144,000]

I never said people should feel guilty. There's just a lot of focus on the negative, which can be dangerous and not healthy. I simply gave my answer to someones wonderment.

it's even more dangerous to 'get over' the negative, and just...move on. it's still inside the peoples' conscious, and festering. it's gotta get out, somehow.
there are plenty of people focusing on a lot of positive, too. they are keeping up the legacy...they're remembering the moves, and the excitement. they're being charitable for good causes. there's an equal amount of both going on here.

[PCR]

Too much for me today.... I am completely devasted and my heart is broken all over again... :cry: :cry: ..... I shouldn't have tried to see my TII DVD.... I just couldn't finish and now this.... I just... there are no words to express my pain and sadness

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r450/littleAkatsuki/Sad_3.jpg

[Thetruthbetold]

Too much for me today.... I am completely devasted and my heart is broken all over again... :cry: :cry: ..... I shouldn't have tried to see my TII DVD.... I just couldn't finish and now this.... I just... there are no words to express my pain and sadness

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r450/littleAkatsuki/Sad_3.jpg

please don't feel sad when u watch TII please watch the part when MIchael talkes about love to the dancers when he does his little speech then u will get his message in that movie too.

[Seven]

I miss you Michael :boohoo:

[MicHil]

yuck.

[DARKLIGHTDAN]

:( nice read :(
That last line was the best bit... :(

[starone_angel]

Too much for me today.... I am completely devasted and my heart is broken all over again... :cry: :cry: ..... I shouldn't have tried to see my TII DVD.... I just couldn't finish and now this.... I just... there are no words to express my pain and sadness

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r450/littleAkatsuki/Sad_3.jpg
I know sweetheart! :better:
I tried to watch it too but I couldn't finish it! I had a terrible day... I am sad, it's too painfull... :no:

It was so hard to read this...:boohoo: I miss him so much!

[StaceyMJ]

Sending you all love and hugs. :hug:

[Billie_Jean09]

Sending you all love and hugs. :hug:

Thank you StaceyMJ.
Back to you.:better:

There is an eerie silence.............. Michael is gone too soon. :(

He was snatched away from us at his peak....it's just too sad for words.

[Laura_MJfan]

awww man :(

[sweet princess]

Very nice article but so sad. I still can't get my head around the fact that Mike was singing and dancing on the 24th but 24 hours later he's dead.
Neither can I...:no: God, I wish this had never happened. Hugs to you dear. :hug:

[iuliadirlau]

gone too soon my friend! all my love for you!!!! i can't explain what i feel ...you are my angel ,my soul...forever.....!!!!

[Rockin.]

those dancers obviously have no reason to work for AEG anymore

They have a 2 year contract, and they are still working for AEG... hence the memorial, the funeral (although they would obviously have wanted to do that anyway), their appearences on tv shows, with Travis, the dancing inmates thing, the shows with other artists performing under contract with AEG, eg. Whitney Houston, and others..


I wish I never looked at this thread again..

[Ernestine]

They have a 2 year contract, and they are still working for AEG... hence the memorial, the funeral (although they would obviously have wanted to do that anyway), their appearences on tv shows, with Travis, the dancing inmates thing, the shows with other artists performing under contract with AEG, eg. Whitney Houston, and others..


I wish I never looked at this thread again..

LOL..I don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing for them but its interesting.I thought they were doing it just do to do it. They are a talented group of dancers I must say.

[Emerald]

''We stood there and I thought,`You're nothing but love, man.'":heart:

:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

:angel: