MJ TinkerBell
Proud Member
The Michael-ing Daily ~ 26 Years Ago ~ David Smithee's Dream Comes True !!
- April 9th, 1984 ~ April 15th, 2012
David Smithee, a 14-year-old Tulsan,
poses for a picture with Michael Jackson on April 9th, 1984.
The Article:
Michael Jackson's Kindness Recounted..
By CURTIS KILLMAN World Staff Writer Published: 6/28/2009
Karen Wilson was traveling back to Tulsa from a business trip when she heard the news that Michael Jackson had died Thursday.
“It brought back some wonderful memories of my son and how special Michael Jackson treated him,” Wilson said. “His loss was terrible, and his death brought up a heavy heart.”
It was in 1984 when her 14-year-old son, David Smithee, who was terminally ill with cystic fibrosis, met Jackson at his California home.
The visit was part of a weeklong California trip for David made possible by a nonprofit organization that fulfilled the dreams of terminally ill children.
During the afternoon visit at Jackson’s Encino, Calif., home, David watched a movie with Jackson in his home theater, played video games and learned how to moonwalk.
David Smithee, a 14-year-old Tulsan, poses for a picture with Michael Jackson in April 1984. Smithee, who had cystic fibrosis, got to meet Jackson through the Brass Ring Society, an organization that fulfilled the wishes of terminally ill children. Smithee died in May 1984.
Of the video games, David told a Tulsa Tribune reporter, “I played two games with him and beat him both times.”
The visit was topped off with Jackson giving David the red leather jacket he had worn in the “Beat It” video and a beaded glove he had worn to the American Music Awards, where he collected eight awards.
David wore the jacket and glove home on the plane to Tulsa, his mother recalled.
“He was just in heaven,” Wilson said.
David, an eighth-grader at Nimitz Junior High School, went straight to the hospital after arriving home, his mother said. While in the hospital, David showed visitors the jacket, glove and pictures of himself and Michael Jackson, Wilson said. David died one month later.
“Michael Jackson gave us the happiest last month of our lives,” Wilson said. “(David) died very happy.”
Wilson continued to follow Michael Jackson’s career after her son’s death. She remains an adamant defender of Michael Jackson.
“Despite everything that was said of him later, we saw none of that,” Wilson said. “I never, never, never believed any of it." Wilson still has all the pictures and memorabilia from their visit with Michael Jackson. And she still has the jacket and glove.
“They are under lock and key,” Wilson said. “But now they’ve become too fragile to take out and touch too much.”
Ironically, Wilson was dancing to a Michael Jackson song Wednesday night while at a convention during her business trip. The song gave her the opportunity to tell others about her son’s meeting with Michael Jackson. “I still, when a Michael Jackson song comes on, my heart still pounds,” Wilson said.
The Article:
PEOPLE Magazine (Cover Story)
MICHAEL'S WORLD..Face to Face..December 30, 1984 Vol. 22 No. 26
Sold Out Concerts, Throngs of Screaming Fans, and Everything You Wanted to Know About Michael
Like Millions of fans, 14-year-old David Smithee’s most fervent wish was to meet Michael Jackson. He didn’t have much time. David was dying of cystic fibrosis. Last April the boy’s wish was answered. Through the Brass Ring Society, a Tulsa group dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of terminally ill children, Michael invited David to the Jackson family home in Encino.
At 2 p.m. on April 9, Karen Smithee, a divorcee, drove her only child past the fans at the singer’s gate. “We smiled and waved just like celebrities,” she says. Michael met them in the living room, “so shy he couldn’t look at us.” The Karen left them alone. Michael took the boy to the kitchen for lunch (David had a roast beef sandwich), then to the backyards to meet Mr. Tibbs, the ram and Louis, the llama, after which Michael’s staff videotaped an interview with David. “Michael made David feel like a star in his own right,” Karen says. Jackson and his young visitor played video games (David won twice) and watched a movie in the private theater. “There David was, sitting in Michael’s jacket, looking happier than I had ever seen him.,”Karen recalls. Michael gave her son his red leather jacket from the Beat It video and the black-sequined glove he wore to the American Music Awards. “He said the glove had a special magic, that I should never let anyone else wear it,” David proudly told his mother. David Smithee died after along battle in May. In July Karen learned that Michael had the dedications on the "Victory" album include David.
Excerpt from: The Victory Album Cover
DEDICATIONS :THIS ALBUM IS DEDICATED TO YOU, MOTHER, WITH LOVE. WE ALSO DEDICATE THIS ALBUM, WITH SPECIAL MEMORIES, TO MARVIN GAYE.FINALLY, BEST WISHES AND LOVE TO TEDDY PENDERGRASS AND LOVE TO TEDDY PENDERGRASS AND OUR FRIEND, LITTLE DAVID SMITHEE. FINALLY, TO OUR BELOVED FANS, WITHOUT WHOM, THERE WOULD BE NO VICTORY..THANK YOU
The Article:
Boy Who Met Michael Jackson Loses Long Fight With Disease..Published: May 31, 1984
TULSA (AP) David Smithee , who in April achieved his wish of getting to meet entertainer Michael Jackson , has lost the battle with cystic fibrosis he fought for most of his 14 years.
Smithe, who died Monday night, was the subject of national attention last month after superstar Jackson spent an afternoon with him and gave him a souvenir jacket and trademark beaded glove.
The "Where Are They Now" Story Articles:
MICHAEL JACKSON AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS GLOVE Sells at Auction for $196,800...
A custom-made cotton right-handed black glove owned and worn by Michael Jackson. The glove is covered on back and palm with hand-sewn black Swarovski crystals with a single snap closure. The glove was worn by Michael Jackson to the American Music Awards on January 16, 1984. Jackson won eight awards that evening for his album "Thriller".
Michael Jackson can be seen wearing the glove on stage and in numerous photographs from the event, including photographs of Michael Jackson with celebrity friends Brooke Shields, Lionel Richie and Emmanuel Lewis. Michael Jackson primarily wore white gloves while performing and in public appearances during this time period.
This glove appears to be the first black glove Michael Jackson wore for a public appearance. Michael Jackson references his glove wearing and this glove in particular in his autobiography Moonwalk (Page 217 - Great Britain: Richard Clay Ltd., 1988).
In April 1984, the glove was gifted to David Smithee, a 14-year-old who requested to meet Michael Jackson through the Brass Ring Society of Tulsa, Oklahoma, an organization that grants wishes to terminally ill children. During a three-hour visit with Michael Jackson at his Encino, California, home, Michael Jackson gave the glove to Smithee along with other gifts. This is the autographed book signed multiple times and inscribed “My original glove Love M.J.”
The Article:
MJ’s “Beat It” Jacket to Tour with Hard Rock Cafe’s Memorabilia in US...
An over-stuffed garment rack in a warehouse on the outskirts of Orlando holds some of the world’s most precious second-hand clothing.
Crammed in the middle is Michael’s red leather jacket from the music video Beat It. The clothes are among 40 pieces of rock memorabilia that will go on tour in the United States beginning on May 18 to celebrate the Hard Rock Cafe’s 40th anniversary. ”If an artist gives us memorabilia, they assume we’re going to take care of it and we’re never going to sell it. We have a responsibility,” said John Galloway, Hard Rock’s chief marketing officer.
Ever since Eric Clapton donated a red Fender guitar in 1979 to the original Hard Rock Cafe in London, Hard Rock International, now a subsidiary of Seminole Gaming, has assembled what is billed as the world’s largest collection of rock memorabilia, estimated to include at 73,000 pieces. Much of the collection decorates the company’s 171 restaurants, casinos and hotels in revolving displays. The rest is housed in what looks like a thrift shop.
Hard Rock typically acquires items through donations from artists and purchases at auction, but many pieces, such as Michael’s jacket, have an interesting history.
In 1984 Michael gave the red jacket, adorned with 27 decorative zippers, to 14-year-old David Smithee of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who was terminally ill with cystic fibrosis. Smithee died a month later. Hard Rock historian Jeff Nolan said the family eventually contacted Hard Rock. The company will not discuss prices paid for items or estimate the value of the collection, other than to describe it as “priceless.” ”It’s a huge part of history. It’s precious,” Nolan said.
The touring memorabilia will be displayed in a big rig truck at Hard Rock locations, beginning in New York City and ending August 17 in Hollywood, Florida. The Black Glove sells at Julien's Auction in June 2011 for $1.8 Million.
The Photo Gallery:
Original Newspaper Clipping regarding Michael & David (1984)
The Notes to David Smithee signed by Michael Jackson
The Black Glove given to David Smithee by Michael Jackson
The Black Glove Appearance at the Grammy's
Michael with The Black Glove and Emmanual Lewis
Nimitz Junior High School Yearbook
(Dedications to David Smithee 1985)
<object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pPAVHalpVtQ&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pPAVHalpVtQ&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></embed></object>
The Sources:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20197002,00.html
http://newsok.com/boy-who-met-michael-jackson-loses-long-fight-with-disease/article/2070005
http://www.geocities.jp/jeffsstamp/diskfile/jfile/jacson1a.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/02/us-memorabilia-idUSTRE7415LB20110502
For More Information on The Brass Ring Society:
Brass Ring Society, Inc.
500 Macaw Lane #5
Fern Park, FL 32730
Phone: 407-339-6188 OR 800-666-WISH
Email: brassring@brassring.org
The Brass Ring Society is a national non-profit organization that designs programs and grants wishes for children with life-threatening and terminal illnesses and other children who are handicapped, abused and mentally retarded. The society has chapters in all 50 states.
R.I.P David Allen Smithee ~ Dec 14th, 1969 - May 28th,1984
Sincerely your
MJJC
Legacy
Team
Also especially that her autistic daughter loved Michael and his music was absolutely sweet!
An achievement that was accomplished by a lifetime of effort & tireless dedication, yet a little-known fact that has been overshadowed by years of fiction. 
