MsCassieMollie
Proud Member
http://soultrain.com/2011/05/26/qa-former-soul-train-dancer-patricia-davis/
Soul Train: You were also good friends with Michael Jackson and the Jackson family, correct?
Patricia Davis: Yes. The first time they came to Soul Train, they invited me and Gary Keys (another popular Soul Train dancer) to their dressing room because they loved our dancing on the show. After that, they invited Gary and me to their house and we taught them things like the Robot, locking steps and certain neck movements. We would even go to the movies with them, but they had to wear disguises so that no one would recognize them.
Soul Train: What are some of your memories from that time with Michael Jackson?
Patricia Davis: I remember one time I was at his house and we had just finished dancing and we went outside and I playfully grabbed Michael and we were playing and running back and forth between parked cars in the Jacksons driveway. Suddenly, a big mafia type guy grabbed me and said, “Don’t hurt him (Michael), he’s worth a lot of money. Be careful of how you are playing.” I didn’t know who that man was, whether he was a security guard or someone doing business with Joe Jackson (Michael’s father).
Soul Train: Michael has said in interviews that he was sad and shy during his adolescence. Did you witness any of that during the times you spent with him?
Patricia Davis: Yes, I got a sense of his shyness. I understood Michael so much. He just wanted to dance and perform. But when he came off the stage, he was introverted. It was hard to get away from the camera and the stage. I was the same way. On the set of Soul Train, when the cameras were off, I ran away from them because I was very shy.
But Michael could be a prankster also. Once, when Lisa Jones (another Soul Train dancer) and I were at his house, he asked Lisa, “Do you want some potato chips?” Lisa said, “Yeah, I like potato chips!” So Michael gave Lisa the bag of chips and she reached into the bag and there was a snake in it! (Laughs)
Soul Train: (Laughs) So you also got to see Michael’s playful side?
Patricia Davis: Yes. I even had a nickname for him. Dodo Bird! (Laughs)
Soul Train: The death of Michael Jackson a couple of years ago was shocking and a huge loss. Since he was a friend of yours, I know that it must have been especially painful.
Patricia Davis: Oh yes. Michael’s death was very sad.