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Cedric the Entertainer on 'Showbiz Tonight' 10/3
CNN.com - Transcripts
CNN.com - Transcripts
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you tonight from Los Angeles. I am just across the street from the courthouse where Dr. Conrad Murray is on trial for allegedly causing the death of Michael Jackson.
Right now, it is a SHOWBIZ exclusive. I`ve really been looking forward to this. It`s with a close Jackson family friend.
The great comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer is very close to Michael Jackson`s mother, Katherine Jackson. In fact, a couple of years ago, Katherine invited Cedric to her home because she was such a big fan of his.
In fact, it has been said that Katherine even considers Cedric as one of her own sons. Cedric is going to be hosting Soul Train Awards on November 27th. He`s also making directorial debut with "Dance Fu" out on DVD tomorrow.
Cedric the Entertainer joining me from New York for an exclusive SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Cedric, it is so great to have you here. I really appreciate you being with us.
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER, COMEDIAN: Hey, A.J. What`s going on, man?
HAMMER: Well, here I am in L.A.
CEDRIC: I know. I was trying to find you in New York and you`re in L.A.
HAMMER: I know. I skipped out here for the week. And I am really looking forward to hearing about the Soul Train Awards which you are going to be hosting. It sounds like it`s going to be an amazing night.
But first, obviously, Cedric, we know how hard these times are for Katherine Jackson and her entire family right now. She has been right there in court at the trial every single day.
Over the weekend, I was actually really happy to see that she took Michael`s kids to Montreal, Canada for the opening of Cirque de Soleil`s "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour." How do you think she`s holding up right now, Cedric?
CEDRIC: It`s got to be tough. She`s a, you know, really sweet lady who loves her children, loves her grandchildren, and of course, you know, just had a great love and affection for Michael.
So just so you know, any mother, to be part of something like this, to have to continue to live it over and over again, to hear, you know, nasty details and rumors and speculations - it`s got to be tough.
And you know, it is one of those things that, you know, my heart goes out to her 100 percent. She`s nothing but a genuine loving lady for sure, and a queen.
And so you know, it`s just tough to see that she has to go through something like this, you know, especially trying to dig and get the truth to see what`s going on and what happened there.
HAMMER: Hey, you know, you say it so well - a queen. I mean, I`ve never met or known Katherine, and I get that sense just from seeing her and listening to her speak.
And I have been thinking, as I`m sure you have been, about how difficult it must be for her to sit there every single day, listening to this graphic testimony at times about her son.
What can you tell us about how Katherine got ready to deal with that? Because I`m sure it required some degree of mental preparation.
CEDRIC: You know, I think that in this build up, it has been a kind of stop-and-start to the trial thing. And so - but, you know, from early on since Michael`s death, I think her preparation is really trying to - I would say is to make sure that those grandkids, that those kids are, you know, being well taken care of, kind of protected, away from this circumstance as much as possible, you know.
Michael and the rest of the Jackson family have been celebrities for a long time. And so she has kind of grown up with them in the spotlight.
But now having to, you know, really kind of keep Michael`s kids away from it and away from the news and away from some of those gory details is probably, you know, again, where she will focus the most as a grandmother, just protecting the family.
HAMMER: And at the same time, she has been very candid about how she feels about what`s been going on. To me, there doesn`t seem to be any doubt that Katherine thinks that Conrad Murray is guilty and that he should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter. I want you to take a look at what she told us when we spoke with her back in May. Let`s look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S MOTHER: There is not a day that passes that I don`t think about my child. And he should be here right now. But it was negligence of a doctor. And it`s just hard. It`s really hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Cedric, it sounds like Katherine places the blame squarely on Dr. Murray. What are some of the thoughts that she shared with you about Dr. Conrad Murray?
CEDRIC: Well, you know, I haven`t actually had an opportunity to speak with her since, you know, this trial started or even, you know - even to that degree about, you know, anything about the case itself.
We spoke - you know, I just called to send my condolences and spoke to her and shared my love for her once Michael passed. But you know, I think that we all have medical professionals and we trust them.
And if you have someone as your doctor around you, you trust them for their advice and their expertise. And I think that`s where she`s looking at for him to be a doctor inside the house, that he should have had a responsibility to make sure Michael was OK.
And so I think that`s really what - you know, what her point of view is. That can be my only assumption on this matter.
HAMMER: Sure. Sure. And I am curious, knowing Katherine as you do, do you think a guilty verdict will finally help her get some closure? Because I know she needs it.
CEDRIC: You know, I would think so to a certain degree. I mean, again, you know, loss of a child is going to be one of those things that you will never be able to replace that feeling, that emptiness.
But if indeed you find that someone is, you know, the culprit, someone who actually contributed to that, then that brings a little bit of closure to the situation. So I`m sure that that would be very helpful.
It could also be disheartening if, indeed, you know, the case didn`t turn out that way. So I would love for her to have some closure, you know, to Michael`s death at this stage and be able to start to mend and start to heal to whatever degree that, you know, she could find comfort in that, you know, as a mother, you know.
HAMMER: And I`m sure, you know, you, like me, want people to start thinking those positive memories of Michael Jackson. And for me, among my many memories of Michael are all of the appearances he made at the Soul Train Music Awards.
In fact, I know you`ll be hosting this year`s show in November. I particularly remember when Michael was honored with the Heritage Award. He was also honored with the Sammy Davis Jr. Award.
That was a lifetime entertainment award. That was back in 1989. I remember it like it was yesterday. This year, some other legends will obviously be honored, including the great Gladys Knight. She is performing this weekend at the Michael Jackson tribute concert. Earth, Wind and Fire as well. How do you get ready for the big show, Cedric?
CEDRIC: Man, you know, this is a great thing. Soul Train was a part of my life growing up, watching it every week, you know, being let into - seeing our music accessed this way before videos, music videos.
So this is the first time you get to see your acts. I mean, you pick up on fashion and the latest dance styles. So I am going to have fun with it all, man. I`m going to dance a little big, sing.
We`re going to have a great time with this show and celebrate these great artists - Earth, Wind and Fire, Gladys Knight. I look forward to it. We`re going to have a blast on that evening.
HAMMER: And I know you remember back in `93 when Michael performed "Remember the Time" at the Soul Train Music Awards. Do you have a favorite Michael memory you can share?
CEDRIC: Well, yes. I mean, of course, there are many great ones. But I`m sure - well, one that was very personal was that Michael called me at my house one day. And I mean, I didn`t have his number or anything, and it was just like getting a call from the White House or something.
It was like my phone rang and I picked up. And he was like, "Is this Cedric?" And I said, "Yes." He was like, "You have a call from Michael Jackson." And I thought it was a joke.
He was like, "Hey, man, it`s Michael." And he was really - he loved the movie "Johnson Family Vacation." And he thought it was a great family film. And he wanted to personally call me and thank me.
That was probably one of my biggest memories of Michael Jackson. It was the most so ironic and crazy. But that was kind of his personality, man. If he wanted to say something to you, he`d track you down.
HAMMER: That was beautiful. Cedric, great to see you. Cedric the Entertainer, congratulations on making your directorial debut in "Dance Fu." Can`t wait to see you hosting the Soul Train Music Awards on November 27th. Thank you, my friend.
CEDRIC: Thank you, brother. Appreciate it, man.