I've been a dedicated MJ fan for 40+ years...ask me anything!

[Galactus123]

Which one of the 2001 concerts did you see? 7th or 10th September? How was it?

 

[Spidey]

Do you have any other inside information about the time we might not know?

I share your feelings about TII and seeing more footage. I saw the film in cinema and cried all the way through.

I have no other TII inside information, unfortunately. The only other "inside" thing I've had access to (post MJ's death), was being able to listen to "Hot Fun in the Summertime." I posted about that a while back. I love that song so much and I REALLY hope it gets released. Not a ton of MJ on it, but it's awesome when he is there. I doubt it will get released if they still following the "multiple takes" rule set forth by LA Reid.

 

[Spidey]

@Spidey was it the opening night of the kansas city ‘victory’ concert that you saw?

how did you react to the kreton creatures vs the spider that ate michael?

were there any songs that you were looking forward to hearing, but weren’t performed?

Yes, looking back, it must have been the opening night. Again, I was quite young, so my memories are more "flash points" than having a full recollection of the entire thing. I don't remember the creatures or spider specifically, but I do recall something terrible happening to him and being so upset that he had been "taken." So maybe that was it? I should rewatch the tour at some point and see if more comes back to me. I was just very happy that MJ got to sing songs from Thriller...I didn't care at all about J5 stuff. At the time, I loved "Beat It" more than anything...even Billie Jean. So I was so happy to see/hear that. I REALLY wanted MJ to throw his hat at me at the end of Billie Jean, but he didn't throw it at all! So I was really let down. I think my parents told me he would throw his hat into the audience, so I was determined I would have that. LOL

 

[Spidey]

I really enjoy reading your Q&A and i am thrilled you are talking about your memories @Spidey especially the Victory tour bit. I was not there for that bit. [Or the BAD bit] so everything is appreciated.
Here is a question... though, you don't have to answer if you deem it too personal of course. i say it, [with the love!]

Do you think that supporting m for over 4 decades shaped your mind,thoughts, values & core beliefs /how you are as a person? Did you see him as a teacher of sorts'/? ...If so , what did he teach you that perhaps other artists at that time couldn't?
You have kept him in your heart for so very long and i think that is charming & i couldn't resist asking this .. and I dearly LOVE that you were around his energy / met him. I love it.

Thank you for your comments. Connecting with Michael Jackson for most of my life has definitely shaped me as a person. I'm an artist myself (artwork and photography/film), so I always follow Michael's example of trying to learn from the best and trying to not only do my best in everything, but do it better than people before me. I'm not MJ, so that doesn't always work out. LOL. But I've also tried to follow his example of being true to who you are as a person. Not being afraid to show your true self, no matter what people think. And trying to be kind to everyone. And I've also found it natural to remain connected to my "inner child" in terms of my perspective on life and enjoyment of things. I've also found myself following MJ's example of finding and trusting in certain collaborators or partners and sticking with them for as long as it makes sense. I definitely see Michael Jackson as a teacher/role model in many ways and wish he was still around to continue to provide new influences.

 

[Hot_Street]

For those of you wanting to know what it has been like following Michael Jackson since his Thriller days, ask away..

What was it like holding Invincible in your hands on release day?

 

[wendijane]

Thank you for your comments. Connecting with Michael Jackson for most of my life has definitely shaped me as a person. I'm an artist myself (artwork and photography/film), so I always follow Michael's example of trying to learn from the best and trying to not only do my best in everything, but do it better than people before me. I'm not MJ, so that doesn't always work out. LOL. But I've also tried to follow his example of being true to who you are as a person. Not being afraid to show your true self, no matter what people think. And trying to be kind to everyone. And I've also found it natural to remain connected to my "inner child" in terms of my perspective on life and enjoyment of things. I've also found myself following MJ's example of finding and trusting in certain collaborators or partners and sticking with them for as long as it makes sense. I definitely see Michael Jackson as a teacher/role model in many ways and wish he was still around to continue to provide new influences.

My pleasure. I think this is a beautiful reply @Spidey many thank you's for answering so diligently and it is very true we sort of do become our role models in the end , especially if we have kept them in our hearts for so long and they were with us all through childhood/ beyond. A part of them never really leaves us. and that inner child thing? ...It's a special kind of taught knowledge, essence ,and vibe that only MJ fan's know. I really thank you for sharing your journey and i am looking forward to reading much more.

 

[wendijane]

What was it like holding Invincible in your hands on release day?

That's a fabulous one @Hot_Street

 

[Spidey]

i came across this thread on google and made an account especially to ask you questions, ive always wanted to ask someone who was alive at the time what it was like!!

i was born in 2003, so i missed basically every major michael jackson moment unfortunately. i hope you don't mind how many questions i ask!


on the day he released his albums, what was it like at record stores? were there long lines of people waiting to buy it?

how would you watch his music videos whenever you wanted to back then? did you have to just wait until it came on tv or could you buy them like a dvd?

what was the energy like when he first came onstage during his concerts?

was there any particular michael music video that stood out to you more than any other at the time?

were there any fanclubs for him in person? if so, did you attend and what were they like?

when a new michael jackson video came out, was it like an event where everybody you knew was talking about it?

what did you think of invincible when it was released, and what was the energy surrounding the whole release like?

thank you if you answer any of these!

This is awesome! Happy to provide some insight.

I was in the stores for Day 1 releases of Bad, Dangerous, History, BOTDF, Invincible, and even some of the greatest hits packages. There earlier releases were definitely packed with people waiting to buy. I would say all the way through History. I would go to record or even department store, and people would be not only buying the released album, but also his older albums. It was hard to find all his stuff. What I remember the most is that there were all types of people buying the albums...young, old, black, white, you name it. It was also cool to see people buying all types of media...tapes, records, CDs. That's something you don't really experience anymore with music. People literally swamped around the music section, talking about their favorite artist, album, etc. I miss that. History had a big release and I had reserved it. There were a lot of people buying that album. The later albums did have the massive turnouts, but still sold well for the stores.

I didn't have cable growing up, so I used to always try to go to my friend's house just to watch MTV. Fortunately, they played MJ all the time, so I saw most of Michael's videos a lot, even without having cable. And I was always there for the "worldwide" premieres of videos like "Black or White" that made it on Network TV. I used to rent VHS copies from my local movie rental store of the "Making of Thriller" and "Moonwalker" all the time. Once the Dangerous short film VHS came out, I bought that as well as the History one. It was so cool being able to finally watch these videos over and over again.

The energy was INSANE when MJ appeared. Even just a hint of him appearing would blow the lid off the entire arena. If a video of him played or a sound que indicated he might be on his way out, the crowd went NUTS. Everyone things how awesome it is that MJ stood so still for so long during Dangerous or the SuperBowl...but he literally had to do it just to wait for the crowd to come down! It was such a cool feeling. Just tremendous excitement, noise, and energy that really didn't even let go until the concert was finished!

Thriller definitely stood out to me as a music video unlike any other. It was literally a movie like a blockbuster is today. It had its own screenings, "behind the scenes" video, merchandise, etc. And then the content itself was just incredible. A mixture of genres, moods, performances...it was just insane.

I never attended any fan clubs in person. But I did subscribe to a French Michael Jackson fan magazine called "Black and White." My family used to live in France during the summers, so I could read French pretty well. This was a great fan magazine with a lot of awesome articles, information, and incredible pictures. I never attended a fan club in person.

There were a lot of new MJ videos coming out during Dangerous and History. It was so cool to be alive when these videos would come out and hear people reacting/talking about them. Kind of like how people talk about TV shows or episodes today. All my friends would talk about them at school. I remember the ones that were the biggest "hit" with my peers were "Black or White, Jam, Remember the Time, Earth Song, You Are Not Alone, Scream, and They Don't Care About Us." It was cool because everyone would talk about MJ...what he was doing in the video, what the song was about, and what he looked like. I remember having the HARDEST time trying to watch Ghosts. It was a couple of years before I could get a hand on a copy to watch b/c it was never officially released in the US. I finally got a copy on VHS in France that I had to transfer to a USA format just to be able to watch it. It was just so cool in general to talk about the work of Michael Jackson instead of the rumors or negative press about him. Now, I feel like whenever people talk about MJ's work, they do so with an asterix. I hope the movie changes that.

I was excited for Invisible. I had been waiting for YEARS for it to come out because he was recording for so long. We would keep catching wind of him recording here or there, or he himself would hint at a release. Like the World Music Awards in 2000, or his appearance on Wetten Daas in 1999. I was more excited for that album than I had been since Dangerous. It had been far too long since his last full album and I was excited for a fresh/modern Michael Jackson. The rumors/hopes for the album were out of control. And by then, the Internet was coming alive, so it was easier to follow news about the release online. When "You Rock My World" leaked online, I went nuts. I thought the song was amazing and a cool song that was an homage to his Off the Wall era, but with a modern take. This is what I wanted! I bought a CD in every color and raced home to listen to it on my stereo from start to finish. I wanted the album to redeem Michael. By that time, he was no longer "cool" in America and people were starting to question his musical relevance in the midst of the popularity of artists like Nsync, Backstreet Boys, Brittany Spears, etc. I did like the album a lot. I really loved how hard it opened (like most of his albums do) with Unbreakable. I thought Heartbreaker was good, but long. I didn't care too much for Invincible. I thought for a title track it should/could have been stronger. I liked the ballads better, which was a first for me on an album. I wanted more songs that I knew would blow the world up, but I just didn't hear them. And the rumors had been that this album was so different, so futuristic, that I was let down in that regard. I thought it felt a bit "dated" in the sound even though it had just come out. But I still enjoyed it and listened to it nonstop. I desperately wanted there to be music videos made. The leaked concept for Unbreakable involving Mel Gibson sounded awesome. I liked the video for You Rock My World, but didn't like his appearance because his mouth seemed partially paralyzed and he had had more nose work. I was starting to get concerned that he was not going to be back on top again. But I remained a devoted fan and still loved the music. The energy around the release was still big. The Times Square record signing was massive. It was cool to see him ring in the bell for the NasDaq. And of course the MSG concerts were just incredible. But, for me, it was just missing that touch of Michael "magic" that his other albums had.

 

[summer]

I’ll start from the beginning era by era because that makes it easier to write about everything, without forgetting anything (hopefully). Feel free to ask additional questions if you want to know more about anything!



Thriller era:

I wasn’t a fan yet but I remember having heard about someone called ”Michael Jackson”. I had no idea who he was, but I remember having heard from somewhere that there is this guy called ”Michael Jackson” and he only eats two strawberries a day and that he could die because of it and I was so worried about him. (Shows you how far back the tabloid stories go and their reach….) I also remember my sister having had a poster of MJ on her wall (the picture of MJ in a white suit with the tiger). My sister later told me that EVERYONE was wearing MJ jackets (Beat It, Thriller type) back then, but I have no recollection of it. The first ”MJ song” I ever heard was ”We Are The World”. I didn’t know who wrote it or who sang on it at the time, I just knew it was BIG because everyone was talking about it and singing it everywhere. My sister went to the same performing arts school as I also later did and I remember them performing ”We Are The World ” at the theater back then. It was a big production and everyone sang one part, my sister included, and I still remember a part of their choreography to it because for some reason I was at their rehearsals watching it. I just remember the song was BIG and important. That’s the impression I got. I can’t remember really ever singing the song myself though or hearing my sister play it at home. (For context, for the younger ones…there was no internet back then. Also hardly anyone had a VCR. And no CDs back then. And as a child, to get to buy albums (vinyls), you had to rely on your parents and vinyls weren’t cheap, so it was not like you could just go buy all these albums. It just wasn’t possible. You maybe got one for Christmas if you were lucky and you pretty much listened to what you had. At least that’s how it was in our household then and for everyone else I knew. Gloria Gaynor’s ”I Am What I Am” was my jam back then because it was on a vinyl my sister had and I used to play that song over and OVER again as loud as I could and would sing along at the top of my lungs to it and jump around to it! Just immediately fell in love with the structure and sound and beat and energy of the song! And my sister would play Paul McCartney’s ”No More Lonely Nights” EVERY single night over and over again so since we shared a room, that’s what I was listening to as well. So I can’t remember having heard any MJ songs back then, other than ”We Are The World”.

 

[Spidey]

Which one of the 2001 concerts did you see? 7th or 10th September? How was it?

I was there on opening night, Sept 7th. That's one of the best MJ moments in my life. I took my mom and we drove 8 hours to NYC.
I remember calling a phone number (I guess Ticket Master?) to get tickets the moment they went live. I was SHOCKED I got through. I paid $800 a ticket in 2001! Apparently that's like $1400 in today's money. LOL. We drove up the night before, stayed in a hotel near MSG, and then got to the concert super early. I was pretty close to the front. I remember I could see Nsync sitting in the audience about 100 feet from me. So we had pretty good seats. Not on the floor, but not in the nosebleeds either. We were also on the side MJ was sitting on with his family and Mac. The arena was INSANE. Just constant energy. And we waited a LONG time for it to start. Apparently MJ had a similar episode that he had for the TII announcement. But once it started, it was just incredible. It was so amazing to see all these incredible artists singing all his songs and performing or him. I still have the fan book from that night. And then when he came on with his brothers, it just exploded. Everyone singing along, screaming for Michael, dancing, etc. It was awesome. The television special actually does it justice, in my opinion. You feel the energy and the hype. And then to go from that high to that 90 degree emotional drop a few days later with 9/11 was unreal.

 

[Spidey]

That's a fabulous one @Hot_Street

Sorry I missed this question. It was cool! I enjoyed all the different colors. And I loved the inner sleeve with those awesome shots of Michael Dancing. I really love the cover to that one. It was a good feeling. But my favorite album to hold/look at was Bad. That cover is just so awesome. Especially the Bad single cover. And I love the inner sleeve images of Michael in the Bad album. I can't describe the feeling of holding Bad in my hands because it was so awesome.

 

[mjawb2009]

Oh man. I have literally followed Michael Jackson daily for at least 35 years. For TII, I was following him HOURLY. I was lucky because I had a friend in LA at the time (I am on the East Coast) who was in the Hollywood industry, so he had some inside information he would pass along to me. For example, he knew when he was rehearsing in the Staples Center before it hit the media and also knew about Lou Ferrigno helping to train MJ. TMZ and the like were ALL over him every day. You would often see videos of him leaving Klein's office or out shopping. Once, he was in a wheelchair in PJ's wearing a dreadlocks wig and the press jumped all over that. He would occasionally speak to the camera or the fans waiting for him. But I felt like something was wrong. The rumors were that he was sick...and I couldn't help but wonder that when I saw how slowly he sometimes moved or spoke. I was really worried about him. But then, I watched the TII announcement....MJ was soooooo late....(now we know why). Since I had seem him in NYC in 2001 at the opening 30th Anniversary concert, I knew to be patient with Michael for momentous events. But the TII announcement was really cool, despite the tardiness. I knew at that moment that it was going to happen. I had my tickets (for my birthday) and was so excited. It felt like MJ could finally redeem himself. Up until that announcement, there were so many horrible rumors about him in the American press (even that he can cancer or had only a few months to live). And of course, he had been through the trial that nearly killed him just a few years before. But here, at this announcement, he looked excited, looked like he was healthy, and looked like he still had that magic. I remember participating in the fan "song vote" and that was fun. One of the coolest things (as a fan) was the auction of all the stuff in Neverland. A digital catalogue came out and it was so cool to see all the things that were part of Michael life (even though I felt guilty for looking at those things knowing the sale wasn't happening for the best reasons). That wasn't really related to TII, but it was all part of that build up and excitement. When I saw TII in theaters, I cried all over again as if he had just died. It was so sad to see what could have been. And the reasons he was doing this concert. It made the cancelation that much harder to bear. I don't think I want to see any more footage knowing all the horrible things he was going through at the time. All the health stuff, the anxieties, the abuses, the stresses. I just can't enjoy that footage. And I know how much of what we ultimately have seen was manipulated. So I don't want to revisit that.

Thanks so much for the information
Just a quick follow up @Spidey did you interact with MJ during the process?

 

[summer]

Bad era:

Fast forward to 1987. The Bad era. The year when I became a fan. The Bad album had either just come out or were about to be released. There was a lot of publicity about the album and they were announcing the premiere of the Bad video. It was being talked about on the radio, on TV…just EVERYWHERE. There was a huge buzz about it. So the day came when it was going to be shown on TV for the first time ever. They first showed a documentary about Michael’s life (starting from the beginning…Jackson Five, the Jacksons…Thriller). By then we had a VCR and for some reason I taped it all. I guess because it had been talked about so much, I thought it must be worth saving! By the time the documentary ended….I was like ”WOW!!!!! THIS GUY IS AAAAMAZING!!!! ” I was IMMEDIATELY a fan and SO EXCITED to see the Bad video!!! And I was just absolutely BLOWN AWAY after I saw the video!! I had never seen anything like it and it was the COOLEST thing I’d ever seen!!!

The next day at school EVERYONE was talking about the Bad video. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E!!!!! They were all just absolutely blown away by it too and EVERYONE thought it was the coolest thing EVER!!! We had an MJ poster (the Bad album cover photo of Michael) on our class room’s wall for 2-3 years too. (Yes, because my school was cool like that and we were allowed! )



So….since I obviously immediately was a fan, I had to get the Bad album! So I asked my parents if I could get it and they bought it for me as a cassette so that I would also be able to listen to it on my walkman. (To the younger ones….A walkman was the size of a big book with headphones and a shoulder strap where you could put a cassette tape into it to listen to music while walking.) And I listened to the Bad album from start to finish over and over and OVER again. I also got Terence Trent d’Arby’s debut album and Prince’s ”Lovesexy” album from my parents because I wanted to get them too and for a short while I had posters of all three of them on my wall. Really liked their albums too, still do….but…..I quickly realized that they just couldn’t compare to Michael. The more I listened to Michael and the more I learned about him…the more impressed I got. I just kept going ”Wow!!!” and basically never stopped! And Prince and Terence Trent d’Arby had got to go from my walls and MJ took over until my walls were FULL of posters of him. Then there was the Smooth Criminal video…(WOW!) The Way You Make Me Feel (WOW!)….Dirty Diana…(WOW!)….Come Together….and I might have been young but…oooh boy…I was absolutely IN LOVE!!! Even before I was a fan, I had been a HUGE fan of old movies. Huge fan of movie musicals. Huge fan of dancing. So it really was like a ”match made in heaven” musically and entertainment wise too. And ever since I can remember, I had always wanted to help people…so the more I learned about Michael and about what a KIND, good human being he is and how he helps others….it felt like he was almost like a ”soul mate” of sorts. Like, everything about him just clicked and I could totally connect to. Everything about him was just right up my alley! He just seemed amazing in every way. And yes….I instantly had a total crush on him!!!



Since I had just become a fan, I tried to find EVERYTHING about him, get every album he had ever recorded. That was also when I remembered the poster my sister had had on her wall a few years back and I went to check out our vinyls at home and sure enough….there it was…THRILLER!!!!! So I listened to the whole ”Thriller” album and was blown away! I begged my parents to buy me the ”Off The Wall” album and I LOVED that one too!! My sister’s boyfriend had seen the ”Forever, Michael” album as a cassette somewhere, so he bought it for me and you can imagine my face when I got it!!! And I loved THAT album too!! (”You Are There” was my favorite. )



Whenever we had to do a presentation at school…mine was ALWAYS about Michael Jackson, The Jackson Five and The Jacksons! I studied the whole Jackson family like it was science!! Like, I’d sit and memorize everyone’s whole names. Not just Tito or Jackie, etc. But ”Sigmund Esco is Jackie….Toriano Adaryll is Tito”..etc.. So I made sure everyone around me knew everything about Michael and all the Jacksons!



The Bad tour was of course also talked about everywhere and I BEGGED my parents to let me go see Michael, but they said I was too young, so I wasn’t allowed to go. I was GUTTED!!! At some point I was able to get a copy of the Yokohama concert from Bad tour and I’d turn the volume ALL the way up and stand in front of the TV, pretending I’m at the show…and would watch the show from the beginning until the end and sing along and jump up and down to the music and clap and wave…just like if I was at the show!! (Hey….a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!! If I’m not allowed to go to the actual show….I can at least PRETEND!! ) I’d watch it whenever I could! Over and OVER again! I just couldn’t get enough!! Sometimes I would not notice that my parents had called me and opened the door since I didn’t answer and they were like ”What are you doing?!” And I’d be soooo embarrassed! They soon got used to it though and knew exactly what I was doing! And I’d dance to MJ’s music EVERY DAY and play the music as loud as I could get it. My parents weren’t thrilled and we had more than a few arguements about it! I swear, the beginning of ”Black or White” is like STRAIGHT from our house!!!! ”Turn that noise OFF!!!! But dad….this is the best part..!!!” Like…literally…almost word for word like straight from our house!!



For New Year’s, my parents invited their friends over. I was watching the Bad video when one of them came into the room and saw the video and she was like ”OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!!”. And she asked me to rewind it to rhe beginning…she kicked the carpet to the side and started doing the whole Bad routine along to the video!!! Needless to say she was immediately my favorite person!



There were also the L.A. Gear commercials around that time….We didn’t have MTV but my best friend had the channel, so when ever I was at her house, I asked her if she could turn on MTV in case there was ”anything MJ” on there and so that’s how I got to see the commercials too. I saw the black L.A.Gear shoes at the store and I was DYING to get them but they were pretty expensive.



After the Bad tour it got quieter and there wasn’t that many news about Michael. He went to the Oscars with Madonna and I remember he signed a deal with Sony around that time too because I remember how it was everywhere on the news how he had signed the BIGGEST deal any artist had ever made. There were also rumors that he was recording a new album called ”Decade”.



Oh….and I went to Disneyland for the first time ever. I was only interested in Captain Eo though!! I watched it at least 16 times in a row!! I loved it!!! To see Michael in 3D right in front of you, so close you think you could toich him….When ever it ended…I ran out..and ran right back to the entrance to go watch it AGAIN! I was also wearing a Bad Tour t-shirt that I had gotten from somewhere, so it wasn’t obvious AT ALL that I was a fan!! I also got a kiss from Goofy for the shirt! I met Goofy and the person inside saw the shirt and I heard a kissing sound from inside the mask and got a big hug! Goofy was a fan too!!!

 

[1958MJJmoonwalker7]

I have even been around him physically twice. Once, he actually knocked me down to the ground by accident, which is an amazing story in and of itself. The other time was outside a recording studio in Virginia Beach in the late 90s.

Lucky!!!!!

 

[PixieJ]

I have even been around him physically twice. Once, he actually knocked me down to the ground by accident, which is an amazing story in and of itself. The other time was outside a recording studio in Virginia Beach in the late 90s.

Can you tell us about the time he knocked you down?

 

[wendijane]

Can you tell us about the time he knocked you down?

Bet me to it love haha

 

[summer]

Can you tell us about the time he knocked you down?

Yes, I’d love to hear that story too!!

 

[Moonstreet]

I randomly came across this thread. I rarely visit any more, but as there are people asking genuine questions, I hope you dont mind me answering some of the questions too. For those who may not know me, I'm from Ireland and been a fan since Thriller era. I went to the Dublin History concert, met fans from MJNI the UK fanclub, then joined that fanclub. Then joined the online fan communities in 1999, and started travelling Europe and America to see Michael. From 1999 to 2009 I was a very active member in both the online fan communities and real life fan communities.

How do you cope with fake Michael Jackson songs? Like ... you know.

Very similar experience to Spidey At the time of first album release in 2010, like many fans I was following all the updates online. It didnt have the same excitement as Invincible but at the time it was seen as something positive. But then fans who I knew both online and in real life were having negative reactions, so that was it for me. I have not bought ANY posthumous album, and have made a conscious decision to not listen to any post humous music. That first album caused such a huge split in the fan community which has never healed and is part of the reason that many people became less active on this forum and others.

What are your thoughts and your feelings towards the biopic in progress?

Cautiously optimistic. I know I am not the target market, I have not decided if I will watch it. I want it to be like Jacksons An American Dream, as in a neutral way for Gen Z and Gen Alpha to find out about Michael. Theres now a generation who have grown up without him in this world, and are not tainted by first hand experiences of the mainstream bias against him from the 190's and 2000's.

How did you feel when m released Dangerous? Did you see a huge change/shift art/ thought wise?

It was amazing. I was the typical MTV kid, that was my main source of music information. I also bought all the music magazines each week, Smash Hits and Just 17. Back then I could only get albums for birthdays and Christmas so I had to wait until Christmas for the album. It was never out of my cassette walkman for months. I carried it everywhere.

I remember the Black or White premiere on UK music program Top of The Pops. I taped it on VHS video and watched it over and over. I loved the new direction and image.

Thoughts on when he let OW in his home?

I watched that on tv and taped it on VHS. I watched it over and over and I think I still have the VHS video somewhere. I found it amazing, it was the first time I saw Neverland, and I loved hearing him speak and in his home. At the time I was just focused on him, but it was only years later, that I started to realise just how wrong and inappropriate that whole thing was.

Any MJ posters that you recall being a fave? books etc.

I had a huge Black or White promo poster on the back of my door, the one with him posing with the panther. I didnt have much money to buy things, so most of my posters came from Smash Hits magazines. I bought a lot of books from second hand book shops. At that time the paperback Moonwalk was one of my main books.

Thoughts on when m released Dancing The Dream ?

I loved it and it was a birthday gift, as I didnt have the money to buy it. I loved it and still have my original copy.

Best song from Bad?

I have the original first pressing of Bad on cassette, so I have the spoken into version to IJCSLY. To a young teen, that was just

1- When would you say MJ was at his most famous? Was it during the Thriller days, the Bad days or around the Super Bowl performance?

As a teen growing up in Ireland I would say Bad Tour to Dangerous Tour. Bad tour in Ireland was just something else, the hype the mainstream media, everyone talking about it. Then the momentum kept rolling with MTV. They did Michael Jackson weekends, had tour documentaries and so much more. The songs were on mainstream radio and tv. We had the weekly UK Top of The Pops on Thursdays, Saturday morning kids tv shows, music magazines. He was everywhere. Basically the way Taylor Swift is now, but Michael did it without the internet and all with analogue TV and radio and print magazines.

2- Was the fame that MJ had back when he had just died comparable to the fame he had in the early 90's, or even the 80's?

Absolutely not. My thoughts about the post death fans and the hype in 2010, 2011 are for a different day and different thread.

3- Back when the Bad album came out did people think it was a worthy successor to Thriller or did people think it was a downgrade?

In Ireland and I guess Europe in general, while Thriller was epic in every way, it was BAD that made him a global megastar. It was BAD that give him mainstream success in Europe.

4- Are you able to talk more about the times you met Michael? Do you remember how the conversations went and if there are photos from those days?

I have posted in other places about meeting Michael and talking to him. For those who dont know
1. I met Michael briefly outside the Dorchester Hotel in London in 2000.
2. I was at the Invincible CD Signing at Virgin Megastore in New York November 2001. I was also part of a group of fans who talked to him outside The Four Seasons Hotel the next day.
3.I met Michael briefly when he was shopping in Berlin the day before The Bambi Awards in November 2002. Parts of this time are on YouTube and you can see the top of my head and hear me say I came all the way from Ireland.
4. I was part of a group of fans invited into Neverland in April 2005, the day of the Roses of Love project. There is a video on YouTube about this, and you can see me in the group of fans at the gate.

Do you regret not attending the Bad Tour?

I was so upset about not going to Bad tour. My parents said I was too young. I wasnt even brought to the area to experience the atmosphere, even though we were only about 2 hours drive away. That was the first time I realized that my parents had no understanding about how much he meant to me.

Thoughts on MJ during TII preparations ?
Any specific memories ?
Would you like to see more footage?
Many thanks

It felt like it was his turn to shine again. I was at the press conference in London at The O2. I remember getting text messages that he was coming to London and it wasnt just like previous visits, that he would be announcing something. It felt like finally we can put the negative issues in the past, that he was back in the news for the right reasons and that the main stream world would once again see him as the global superstar.

We were all so happy, to finally have our Michael back on stage, and that he knew that no matter what we supported him.

Like many others I followed the updates daily here on MJJC and on Twitter. We got updates from the fans in LA and it was just the most incredible joyous thing.

I was also at the Lanesbourgh Hotel in March 2009, where he stayed for the press conference. It was just so amazing to be there again, to have the fans there for a happy reason. It was a crazy feeling of happiness, knowing he was going back to LA and that we had this amazing summer to look forward to. I remember that last morning, saying goodbye to him, how everyone was just full of excitement.

I lived in London so lots of my fan friends were making plans to stay with me when they had concert tickets. We were all rearranging our lives and planning t be at as many concerts as possible. I had tickets for about 12 different concerts and was aiming to get a lot more. Those months from March to June was just indescribable, we knew so much than the general public about concert preparations and we just couldnt wait until opening night and have our Michael back on top of the world.

 

[Moonstreet]

Do you think that supporting m for over 4 decades shaped your mind,thoughts, values & core beliefs /how you are as a person? Did you see him as a teacher of sorts'/? ...If so , what did he teach you that perhaps other artists at that time couldn't?
You have kept him in your heart for so very long and i think that is charming & i couldn't resist asking this .. and I dearly LOVE that you were around his energy / met him. I love it.

Yes, defiantly shaped my core values and beliefs. Moonwalk the book, defiantly had an influence on me. I was a young teen at the time it came out, and alot of what he described I could relate to.

Then as I got older and 1993 happened, being a fan taught me to stand up for what I believe even if the whole world is against you. And the same in 2003 to 2005.

Theres other stuff too, that I dont want to share, but thats just some of it.

Do you have any other inside information about the time we might not know?

There were fans in LA during the TII rehearsal time who were outside Michaels house. They spoke to him almost daily. One of them wrote a book, her name is Talitha Lenihan , the book is called Michael Jackson and Me.

i came across this thread on google and made an account especially to ask you questions, ive always wanted to ask someone who was alive at the time what it was like!!

i was born in 2003, so i missed basically every major michael jackson moment unfortunately. i hope you don't mind how many questions i ask!

It was seeing your comment that made me log in and answer some of the questions.

on the day he released his albums, what was it like at record stores? were there long lines of people waiting to buy it?

The big one that comes to mind was Invincible. That was the first one that I was part of the fan community for.
I was a member of MJNI UK fan club and they had an official album listening party the weekend of release. I had managed not to listen to any leaks and it was the most incredible feeling, to be at a private event, surrounded by fans and listening to the album in one straight through run, loud and through a proper sound system the way Michael wanted it to be heard. Then on the Monday we all were outside the various record shops for 9am. There was a fan campaign to get the album to number one in the UK charts. Back then only physical sales from record shops counted. So even though the album was available in the different colours, to make each one count for the charts, we made sure that each different colour was a separate sale.

how would you watch his music videos whenever you wanted to back then? did you have to just wait until it came on tv or could you buy them like a dvd?

I would have a blank VHS video tape beside the tv the whole time. I would tape things onto video and watch them over and over. MTV would have videos in constant rotation. Then the local tv stations had weekly music shows where they would play the videos. Saturday morning kids programs also showed the videos.

It was only in History era that there were official compilations videos and then DVDs of the videos.

what was the energy like when he first came onstage during his concerts?

Oh my goodness, just takes your breath away. I can still hear the sreams in my head, that butterfly in the stomach feeling. The air changes, its something so hard to describe.

was there any particular michael music video that stood out to you more than any other at the time?

Billie Jean has always been my favourite video, it was on such heavy rotation on the TV. Then Smooth Criminal. This is back before Dangerous era, so there wasnt as much videos available.

were there any fanclubs for him in person? if so, did you attend and what were they like?

Yes there were many fanclubs. In Europe almost every country had a fan club and they became really big and popular during History tour.

The basic history of the UK fanclubs

Adrian Grant creates OFF THE WALL fanzine magazine when he is in college and it gets sold in bookshops in the early 1990's
Gloria Haydock and Adrian Grant become business partners and create MJNI (Michael Jackson New International) middle 1990's
Gloria Haydock and Adrian Grant end their business partnership, Gloria Haydock continues running MJNI, Adrian Grant creates MJ WORLD NETWORK

In other countries other people were doing the same, stetting up fanclubs, producing magazines, organising events.
Germany = Angel
Netherlands =Children of The Light
France = Black and White
Spain =MJ HIDEOUT

Its been been a long time, but Italy , Belgium and many other countries had fanclubs too.

In America, the main fanclub was KOP Fanatics and MJFANCLUB.NET as well as the online forums MJIFC, MJJFORUM.

The big time for the forums was Invincible era. The big main fanclubs had forums, and then there were others, mainly UK based like MJNO, MJJBOARD, Maximum Jackson.

MJNI used to have fanclub events in London about once a year. The first one I went to was in August 1998 for Michaels 40th Birthday. They would play songs, have a dj mix the music, have singers, dancers and impersonators. That was the first time I saw Navi perform.

when a new michael jackson video came out, was it like an event where everybody you knew was talking about it?

Yes, basically. At that time Top of The Pops was THE music show that everyone watched. They had all types of music genres as it was the official announcement of the top selling albums and songs in the UK. To preform on TOPT was the main goal for any singer or band, and also to have your video premiere on TOPT was also the main goal. It would be kinda like how the Superbowl ads are such a big thing for companies and every watches just for the ads and then its all over the internet, and everyone talks about them.

what did you think of invincible when it was released, and what was the energy surrounding the whole release like?

It was insane. It was the first album release I was part of the fan community for. I would spend hours in interent cafes every day after work, on all the forums.

 

[Moonstreet]

Which one of the 2001 concerts did you see? 7th or 10th September? How was it?

I was at both. Incredible, amazing, the atmosphere was insane. For the Friday 7th concert I was in seats at the side of the stage. For the Monday 10th concert I was in seats on the opposite side. For the Monday night concert the seats me and my friends had were the block behind Michael and I have photos where you can see his sparkly jacket as he is sitting with Elizabeth Taylor.

What was it like holding Invincible in your hands on release day?

Amazing. I was with friends and we bought our albums at HMV Bond Street, at the end of Oxford Street London. We then went to Hyde Park, across from The Dorchester Hotel and put the albums in our cd walkmans, sat on the grass and listened to the album.

 

[Moonstreet]

For those of you wanting to know what it has been like following Michael Jackson since his Thriller days, ask away.
Like many, I've been there for the ups and downs, peaks and valleys. And I've had the unique American perspective of seeing his rise and fall (and rise and fall again) in popular culture.

I've been following Michael Jackson daily (first through newspapers, magazines, and books, and then through the internet), been there for same-day album drops since Thriller, and seen him perform live twice (Victory Tour and 2001 MSG).

I've been there for the extremely negative press fallouts from the accusations, baby dangling, Martin Bashir, and the incredibly momentous occasions like music video releases, Super Bowl performance, album releases, etc. And also for the in-between constant media activity like the ever persistent tabloid headlines.

I have even been around him physically twice. Once, he actually knocked me down to the ground by accident, which is an amazing story in and of itself. The other time was outside a recording studio in Virginia Beach in the late 90s.

For those of you wondering what it has been like to be a fan for so longer, ask away...happy to answer any questions and give honest opinions.

Thanks for starting this thread. I hope you dont mind me jumping in and answering the questions too. Reading your replies, its like going back in time for me, so very similar but at the same different.

Part of your intro got me curious, wondering if you were a known person in the fan community long ago There was an American man knocked down by Michaels car who used to write for MJNI. Very unlikely thats you

 

[Moonstreet]

I’ve been a fan since Bad came out (but have some Thriller era memories too, just wasn’t a fan yet back then because I was too young) , so been a fan fir almost 37 years by now. Fun thread!!! I’ll answer on my part but that will take a while because it’s so much to type!! Feel free to add questions if you like and I’ll try to answer!! I’ll be back!!!

A name from the past, so nice to see other old school fans joining in with their memories

 

[Rockin R]

I was a child, so it was especially magical. I saw him in Kansas City. I was only about 6 years old, so my memory has "burned in" images of Michael Jackson. My parents took me because they knew how much I loved Thriller. I would stare at that album the entire time we played it. The Victory concert was my first time experiencing Michael Jackson as something other than human. The recordings can't/don't capture the aura and magic that came from him and the crowd around me. The whole thing gave off an energy that kept me a fan for life. From that moment on, I was captive by anything related to Michael. The theme for me for that show was "light." Michael seemed to glow and stand out so much from his brothers. Even though it was a packed arena and I was far away, it felt as if I was the only one there because I was held so captive by the performance. And so much of it came full circle when I saw some of the same songs/dances in 2001.
I do remember there was one part where I was legit terrified. It looked/sounded like a monster took Michael Jackson into darkness. I don't remember if it was Thriller or what. But my parents actually took me out of the stadium for a little while to calm me down. But I insisted on going back to make sure he was okay. And when I got back, he was singing Beat It with the jacket, so I was extremely happy again. For some reason, Beat It stands out to me more than Billie Jean. I guess because I was so happy that he was okay. LOL.

There was no Thriller on Victory Tour. A 40+ years dedicated fan should know this

 

[summer]

I try to write how I experienced everything the best I can, so I hope you guys don’t mind if it’s in a story form instead of A&A style because it’s easier to give some context that way.


Dangerous era:

The era when I FINALLY got to see Michael perform live. TWICE!!



Once again there was a HUGE buzz before the album release!! It was being talked about everywhere and the premiere of the ”Black or White” video was going to be on TV and once again it was like THE event of the year!!! Everyone was looking forward to it and couldn’t wait to see what MJ had come up with this time!!! I was SOOOOOO excited!!!!!! I can’t remember if the ”Black or White” single had just come out or if the album had just been released. All I remember is that I was on my way to buy either one from the record store when I heard this song playing from the loudspeakers and I just KNEW that was Michael even before I heard his voice! And sure enough…it was Black or White!!!! (And yes…back then you had to wait for the record store to open and had to physically go to the store yourself to buy an album!). I went to buy the Dangerous album as soon as it came out! The album cover was AMAZING and I still get butterflies in my stomach whenever I see pictures of it because I can still remember the EXCITMENT and how much I LOVED the whole album cover design. I thought it was GENIUS!! Still my favorite to this day!!! As soon as I got home, I’d take the vinyl out…and start playing it. I’d sit with the album sleeve in my hands and would peruse all the credits, follow the lyrics..It was always torture to listen to the album from start to finish for the first time because you just wanted to hear everything immediately, so the first listen was always like ”I CAN’T TAKE THIS EXCITMENT!!! I wanna hear all the songs NOW!!!” So I’d sit with the album cover and sleeve for HOURS…. just listening to the album from start to finish over and over again, while studying the cover..study the credits again….It is such a shame that that whole experience is gone now because everything us digital. That experience was the BEST back then!



The ”Black or White” video created the same kind of huge buzz as the Bad video did. Everyone was talking about Michael and the video and the album! I also won a promo cassette of ”Someone Put Your Hand Out” from the radio station!! Yes, you can imagine my excitement! I also went to the record store and begged them to give me the promo poster for Dangerous. It was black with just the eyes on it. They told me to come back after a while, once they had promoted the album for some time and when I went back, they gave me the poster. Pretty sure I still have it somewhere!



When I saw the ”Who Is It” video…I was once again blown away. It was like a movie! One of my favorite MJ videos to this day!!! And ”Remember The Time” (WOW!)…When Michael just vanished into a pile of black dust!!! MIND BLOWING!!! And that whole choreography!!! And I loved In The Closet!!! It was so artistic and different and unexpected with the whole black and white theme and all the camera angles!! I eas OBSESSED!! Absolutely loved every single video and thought they were just pure MAGIC!!!



I remember Michael launching his Heal The World Foundation and I just absolutely LOVED him for that! Once again that was something I had NEVER seen anyone else do!! That just impressed me SO MUCH and made me love and respect Michael even more!!!



And then the Dangerous tour started!! Since I had been SO GUTTED that I had not been able to go see Michael during the Bad tour, I told my parents that this time I AM GOING!!! NO MATTER WHAT!!! I’M GOING!!! I got myself my first ever job just for that reason too…which was…picking strawberries. I was crawling in the mud in the burning sunlight or in pouring rain for 6 days straight to earn enough money to be able to afford the trip and the hotel. My parents agreed to pay the ticket. So I FINALLY was going to see Michael LIVE!!!!!!!



So I was supposed to have one travel day, concert day and then travel back home. But when I arrived and took a cab to my hotel and told the cab driver why I was there, he told me there’s a Michael Jackson concert that night too!!! I was like ”WHAT?!!!” They had apparently added a show and I didn’t know it!! So the taxi driver told me that he can take me to the stadium if I want because sometimes you will be able to see the video screens from outside too! So I was like ”YES!!! PLEASE!!! TAKE ME TO THE STADIUM!!” So we drove to my hotel, I checked in quick, threw my bags into my room, called my parents to let them know I had arrived safely and was going to go to the stadium (no cell phones back then)…and off we went! When I got to the stadium, the show had already started. I COULD HEAR MICHAEL!!!!!! AAAAHHHH!!!! Just to HEAR him and know he’s right there..on the other side of the wall…I can’t even describe the excitement!!! I was about to lose my mind!! As I was walking there, trying to see where I could see the video screens…I noticed a sign saying ”Tickets available”. I was like ”WHAT?!!!!!!!!! THEY HAVE TICKETS?!!!!! AAAAAAHHHH!!!!” So I RAN to the box office window and sure enough…I was able to get a ticket!!!!!! I WAS GOING INSIDE TO SEE THE SHOW!!! I WAS GOING TO SEE MICHAEL…..ALREADY!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!! Since I had my camera with me…they turned me around at the gate and told me to go check in my bag first! AARGH!!! Once I was done, and finally was able to get in..Michael was playing the Motown medley. I RAN as fast as I could towards the stage and I was able to get around half way to the stadium and fairly close and….. I COULD SEE MICHAEL!!!!!! THERE HE WAS!! AAAAAAAH!!!!!!! It felt like a DREAM!!! Like I could NOT believe it was actually him on stage!!! That I was ACTUALLY at the same stadium with him at the same time!!!! It just felt SOOOO unreal!!!! And FINALLY, instead of jumping in front of the TV set and PRETENDING to be at his show….I WAS ACTUALLY THERE!!!! I couldn’t believe my luck!!!! It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen!!!



The next day was the show day that I had originally planned on attending and already had a ticket for. I was really lucky that I had been to the show the night before already, even when I missed some of it, because now I knew NOT to take my camera or my bag with me. I just took a plastic bag for my things to get through security as fast as I could. I had heard that Michael likes everything Disney, so I had bought him some Disney and Peter Pan stuff as presents and had written him a letter. So at around 4 a.m, I called a cab and went to Michael’s hotel and asked the taxi driver to wait. I had no idea how it all works and I was too afraid to go too far into the hotel so I just basically stood at the doorsteps inside and waited for someone. Finally someone from the hotel came to me (they were probably like ”Who is that idiot just standing there?! What does she want?!! ) and asked if he could help. I told him I had heard Michael is staying in that hotel and that I had some presents for him and a letter for him (I had left all presents unwrapped and put them in a clear bag so that everyone can see what’s in it, if they want to check it) and asked if they could give them to Michael. The guy took them and said they’ll try. So I thanked him and left and then went to the stadium. Yes…all alone..at 4-5am. I wanted to be at the front…so…I wanted to get there early! I had no experience whatsoever…so I was totally unprepared in EVERY way. It rained the WHOLE time….I had no umbrella so that I can get into the stadium fast…so I was SOAKED pretty much right away…and it was FREEZING cold. I only had a thin top and a thin jacket and thin pants on. And ballerina shoes. I had nothing to eat or drink with me. I thought I won’t make it until the show starts because I was SO COLD, thirsty, hungry and tired! (I had slept about 2,5-3 hrs…Something that pretty much became a routine during MJ trips!! ) But knowing I’m going to see Michael…that thought kept me going! Once the gates opened, I got in quickly because I had no bag to be checked and I RAN FOR MY LIFE. But since it had been raining and I was wearing flats…I slipped and fell right on my face. Tried again..fell. So I took off my shoes and ran barefoot with my shoes in my hands! And I got to the front!! WOOHOO!!!!! We were first told to sit down on the ground for a while. Then as time went by, they said okay and everyone got up quick and SLAMMED themselves forward!! I got so squashed that it was almost hard to breathe. And since there were no barriers to control the crowds back then (they became a standard later), it was literally like you’d been drifting at sea…you just went where everyone else went…you could not control it at all yourself. So you went left, right, backwards, forwards….and it was really hard to keep your balance. I tried to fight the crowd for a while but I thought if I stay where I am…I just won’t make it and won’t get to see Michael because I just can’t breathe properly and I was getting too exhausted from fighting the crowd. So I let myself drift backwards a bit further away from the stage to survive the show. I mean, fans were already fainting left and right and were being pulled out before the show had even started, so I was not planning on being next!! And then…….the show started..!!! Remember that I had not seen how it starts the day before…so I had no idea!!! So Carl Orff’s ”O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana starts blasting from the speakers and there’s video footage on screen…ending with ”BRACE YOURSELF”. Then there is a loud bang…..and….THERE IS MICHAEL!!!!!! ALMOST RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!! AAAAHHH!!!!!! Everyone (myself included) is going absolutely NUTS!!!!!! And Michael just stood there…and everyone was screaming their heads off!!! He turns his head after a while…and the crowd goes CRAZY!!!! The excitment was almost unbearable!!!! And then ”Jam” starts and everyone starts jumping to the beat….and since I’m wearing flats and my feet are not protected…everyone is jumping right ON my feet the whole time since we’re so squashed. (I thought I broke my feet at the show becsuse they were BLUE and PURPLE and swollen after the show and hirt like hell and I could barely walk! But I couldn’t tell my parents because they wouldn’t have ever let me go to a concert again!! ) During Smooth Criminal I lost my shoe and spent half of the song looking to the ground, trying to find my shoe! At some point the guy behind me offered to lift me up on hos shoulders but I declined at first…but then during the Motown medley I asked him if he could do it after all, so he lifted me on his shoulders and it felt like Michael was RIGHT in front of me because he was on stage straight ahead from me, almost on my level! So I sang along and waved my pink Disney heart that I had taken with me! (It was a pink heart with a baby Mickey and baby Minnie Mouse on it.) So the show goes on and it just felt like a dream!!!! The show ends and Michael flies off on a jetpack, over the crowd, around the stage, and disappears behind the stage. That was just MINDBLOWING!!!!! So the concert ends….and I go back to my hotel. I did not understand the concept of going to his hotel to catch a glimpse of him back then. I had no idea people did that and that Michael would come to the window!

 

[summer]

A name from the past, so nice to see other old school fans joining in with their memories

Heeeeey girl!!!!!!!!! SOOOOO GREAT to see you here after all these years!!!!! Always so comforting to see familiar faces from way back when, especially the ones I met during MJ travels, still around!!! We really had the BEST time, didn’t we?!!! Such wonderful, wonderful memories!!! The lack of sleep…having no voice from having chanted and screamed so much…but being OH SO HAPPY every single time we had seen Michael!! Miss those times SO MUCH! The happiest I have ever been!

 

[summer]

1993: Super bowl, Oprah interview and the allegations.



I still remember the Super Bowl. I was not into football AT ALL, but I heard Michael was going to perform, so OF COURSE I was going to watch!!! I told my parents to NOT DISTURB me while I watched () and camped out on our couch while I waited for Michael. I didn’t watch the game so I was kind if nodding off during it and I remember there was some player whose name was Michael too and every time they mentioned him, I JUMPED UP like I would’ve been some Jack-In-The-Box and was like ”WHAT?!! WHAT?!!! MICHAEL?!! DID THEY SAY MICHAEL?!!! IS HE ON?!!!” And then realized they were just talking about the player, and I’d lay back down. But then….it really WAS Michael’s turn!!! So I went to sit right in front of the TV to be as close as possible abd to see better. I remember how Michael appeared on the video screen first and then ”come out of the screen” and stood on top of the screen and I was like ”HOW DID HE DO THAT?!!! WOW!!!!” and then he appeared on the opposite side of the stadium on the screen, came out if the screen and stood on top if it and I was just like ”Wait what?!! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!!!” My mind was blown!!! And then few seconds later he appeared on stage!! It was just absolutely AMAZING!!!!! When the music started, I couldn’t contain myself so I jumped up and was jumping in front of the TV!! The whole show was AMAZING!!! When he showed the sword towards the audience and the whole audience turned into pictures of children holding hands…I was crying my eyes out because it was such a touching moment, especially paired with his speech!! It was just truly touching!!! Needless to say….the show was THE event everyone was talking about afterwards!!! ”DID YOU SEE MICHAEL JACKSON’S PERFORMANCE?!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!”



It was pretty much the same with the Oprah interview (not because of Oprah but because of Michael). It was THE event everyone was talking about and excited to see!! Everyone was GLUED to their TVs!!! It was actually also the very first interview I had ever seen Micharl do and the first time seeing Michael as just Michael, as far as I can remember. He seemed SOOO humble, so sweet, so kind, so WISE…my heart just went Like he was everything everyone else (especially artists) was NOT. Like he was a GENIUS…but so, so humble and sweet and it’s like he had this aura of a truly kind, wise soul. I can’t even explain it. I just felt like I could totally understand him. Like I’ve said before…like a soul mate or a kindred spirit (except he was a genius and I’m not..) . Everything he said just really resonated. Just a fascinating person in the best possible way. And I remember when I saw Neverland I just immediately wished I could go visit one day! It just seemed like the most amazing place in the world!



So Michael was EVERYWHERE, everyone LOVED him…he was like the king of the world……and then the allegations hit. It felt like driving into a brickwall. Or like someone would have punched you in the stomach. I was so confused and sad. Not because I would have believed the allegations. For me, the math just didn’t add up. My parents weren’t fans and rather laughed at me for being such a huge fan but even they didn’t believe them for a second. My dad seemed almost angry and was like ”He just flew an airplane full of supplies to help all the people in Sarajevo to help them in the middle of a war!! He paid that from his own money!! Can you imagine!!! That is someone who cares about others!! These people are just after money!!!” I looked at my dad like ”WOW!!! GO DAD!!!!” I just couldn’t even IMAGINE what Michael must have been going through and how awful he must have felt. Like I have said…ever since I was like 4-5 yrs old…all I have wanted to do is help others. Like that was the one thing I ALWAYS knew is important to me and what I wanted to do with my life. So I always totally understood where Michael was coming from. So to then have someone trying to hurt him…I just couldn’t understand it. So I wrote letters to Michael to try to encourage him (he most likely never got them or read them but still, I wanted to try to let him know that he’s not alone and we all support him). I even made a mix tape to him (don’t laugh! )with songs of encouragement and talked on the tape to encourage him and then sent it to him and hoped he’ll get it and will listen to it and hoped it helped to make him feel a bit better. I can’t remember what songs I put on it, I only remember that Ease On Down The Road from The Wiz soundtrack was one of them. I felt the lyrics were fitting….”You just stick with us and you’ll be just fine”, as in ”We’re all here for you!”…and ”don’t you carry nothing that might be a load”…and ”you just keep on steppin’” as in..”Hang in there!”. I was SO worried about him, it made me sick to my stomach. I would call radio stations and defend him and straighten up lies. The general feeling I got though was that no one believed it. I remember seeing Michael on TV talking about the allegations and to not treat him like a criminal and it just broke my heart to see him so sad. I was SO RELIEVED when that ordeal FINALLY came to an end! Sometime after it all ended, there was a documentary on TV about the allegations. I can’t remember exactly when though, but I believe it was around that time. Someone had investigated the allegations and the people making claims and they showed how people who had worked for Michael had been going to tabloids to say whatever they wanted for money. Like, I think it was the former cook who first had said he hadn’t seen anything…but then when he got offered money, he said he ”saw MJ’s hand on a boy’s crotch”….and when they offered him more money ”the hand was already inside the pants”. As in…the more money they offered, the more outrageous the claims got. They mentioned the Quindoys also in that documentary. I wish I could remember what the documentary was called and I wish I would still have it!! It was REALLY good! Showed clearly what an extortion scheme it all had been!!

 

[filmandmusic]

Ah the old school days of yesteryear where we sat in front of tv for hours with our finger ready on the record button of our video player to record MJ videos. I accumulated a full vhs tape of MJ videos that way.

Each first single release was special, radio and tv stations would advertise an entire week when they were going to debut the song/clip.
I remember setting my alarm clock at 8am because all radio stations simultaneously would play Blood on the dance floor and your rock my world for the first time. This was an ungodly hour for me in the weekend but I stood up anyway lol

I also vividly remember the debut of the give in to me videoclip. Me and my parents were away from home and I was very nervous about potentially missing the debut on tv but we got home in time. I have similar memories for TDCAU, scream and YRMW

Each morning the radio was playing in our house during the Dangerous years and I remember heal the world playing each morning when I brushed my teeth.

Here are some little stories of my fave memories:
- My fave memory is when my dad brought me to school one morning and told me he found an old MJ song on a mix tape he made. I was ecstatic and kept throwing titles at him for the entire ride but he said nope that’s not it. It was the longest school day I experienced, I kept thinking about the potential song all day. When I finally got home it turn out the song was One Day In Your Life, I did not know it but I fell in love with it immediately. This was probably somewhere in 1992.
- The first time I heard Earth Song on the radio was after school in 1995 when my uncle picked me up. He had to go to a shop before we drove home so I waited in the car when the DJ debuted Earth Song. It was magic, pure magic. Nobody made such epic songs according to my young ears
- The first time I heard Will You Be There on the radio was in 1993. It was Sunday and I was at my grandparents house. I was sitting in the sofa all by myself watching people outside (they had a small business so it was always lively at the weekends). The song started playing and they played it in its entirety. I had no idea what he was singing about but I felt it was special and meaningful and it is the first time I ever cried while listening to a song. It just felt so comforting. I had goosebumps during the gospel part but then the tranquil outro section ending with spoken word was unheard of to me. I think my heart rate just dropped like a stone, it felt very comforting. At that time (early 90s) it felt like each MJ song was an adventure, I never knew what to expect and it often blew my mind musically, visually and vocally. It’s wrong to call it just pop music, it was an experience.

Back to you @Spidey sorry to hijack your thread but it feels like the right place to post it.

 

[zinniabooklover]

Ah the old school days of yesteryear where we sat in front of tv for hours with our finger ready on the record button of our video player to record MJ videos. I accumulated a full vhs tape of MJ videos that way.

Each first single release was special, radio and tv stations would advertise an entire week when they were going to debut the song/clip.
I remember setting my alarm clock at 8am because all radio stations simultaneously would play Blood on the dance floor and your rock my world for the first time. This was an ungodly hour for me in the weekend but I stood up anyway lol

I also vividly remember the debut of the give in to me videoclip. Me and my parents were away from home and I was very nervous about potentially missing the debut on tv but we got home in time. I have similar memories for TDCAU, scream and YRMW

Each morning the radio was playing in our house during the Dangerous years and I remember heal the world playing each morning when I brushed my teeth.

Here are some little stories of my fave memories:
- My fave memory is when my dad brought me to school one morning and told me he found an old MJ song on a mix tape he made. I was ecstatic and kept throwing titles at him for the entire ride but he said nope that’s not it. It was the longest school day I experienced, I kept thinking about the potential song all day. When I finally got home it turn out the song was One Day In Your Life, I did not know it but I fell in love with it immediately. This was probably somewhere in 1992.
- The first time I heard Earth Song on the radio was after school in 1995 when my uncle picked me up. He had to go to a shop before we drove home so I waited in the car when the DJ debuted Earth Song. It was magic, pure magic. Nobody made such epic songs according to my young ears
- The first time I heard Will You Be There on the radio was in 1993. It was Sunday and I was at my grandparents house. I was sitting in the sofa all by myself watching people outside (they had a small business so it was always lively at the weekends). The song started playing and they played it in its entirety. I had no idea what he was singing about but I felt it was special and meaningful and it is the first time I ever cried while listening to a song. It just felt so comforting. I had goosebumps during the gospel part but then the tranquil outro section ending with spoken word was unheard of to me. I think my heart rate just dropped like a stone, it felt very comforting. At that time (early 90s) it felt like each MJ song was an adventure, I never knew what to expect and it often blew my mind musically, visually and vocally. It’s wrong to call it just pop music, it was an experience.

Back to you @Spidey sorry to hijack your thread but it feels like the right place to post it.

Wonderful stories.

 

[summer]

-

 

[summer]

Ah the old school days of yesteryear where we sat in front of tv for hours with our finger ready on the record button of our video player to record MJ videos. I accumulated a full vhs tape of MJ videos that way.

Each first single release was special, radio and tv stations would advertise an entire week when they were going to debut the song/clip.
I remember setting my alarm clock at 8am because all radio stations simultaneously would play Blood on the dance floor and your rock my world for the first time. This was an ungodly hour for me in the weekend but I stood up anyway lol

I also vividly remember the debut of the give in to me videoclip. Me and my parents were away from home and I was very nervous about potentially missing the debut on tv but we got home in time. I have similar memories for TDCAU, scream and YRMW

Each morning the radio was playing in our house during the Dangerous years and I remember heal the world playing each morning when I brushed my teeth.

Here are some little stories of my fave memories:
- My fave memory is when my dad brought me to school one morning and told me he found an old MJ song on a mix tape he made. I was ecstatic and kept throwing titles at him for the entire ride but he said nope that’s not it. It was the longest school day I experienced, I kept thinking about the potential song all day. When I finally got home it turn out the song was One Day In Your Life, I did not know it but I fell in love with it immediately. This was probably somewhere in 1992.
- The first time I heard Earth Song on the radio was after school in 1995 when my uncle picked me up. He had to go to a shop before we drove home so I waited in the car when the DJ debuted Earth Song. It was magic, pure magic. Nobody made such epic songs according to my young ears
- The first time I heard Will You Be There on the radio was in 1993. It was Sunday and I was at my grandparents house. I was sitting in the sofa all by myself watching people outside (they had a small business so it was always lively at the weekends). The song started playing and they played it in its entirety. I had no idea what he was singing about but I felt it was special and meaningful and it is the first time I ever cried while listening to a song. It just felt so comforting. I had goosebumps during the gospel part but then the tranquil outro section ending with spoken word was unheard of to me. I think my heart rate just dropped like a stone, it felt very comforting. At that time (early 90s) it felt like each MJ song was an adventure, I never knew what to expect and it often blew my mind musically, visually and vocally. It’s wrong to call it just pop music, it was an experience.

Back to you @Spidey sorry to hijack your thread but it feels like the right place to post it.

Thank you so much for sharing! I laughed so hard at the ”finger ready on the record button” because all of us older fans SO KNOW that feeling and can SO RELATE!! Loved the story about you trying to guess the MJ song on your dad’s old mix tape too! I could literally picture it! ”How to keep an MJ fan busy!” And 100% agree on MJ’s music being an experience..not just pop music! Perfectly said and so true!! Thank you again for sharing! I love reading everyone’s stories! So nice to get to read how others experienced different things and how they felt!