A Review of "My Friend Michael" by Frank Cascio
http://www.examiner.com/books-in-tampa-bay/a-review-of-my-friend-michael-by-frank-cascio
Shakespeare wrote “uneasy lies the head that bears the crown”. Though he wrote it for the character of King Henry IV, it is easy to apply this statement to anyone who bears the weight, the responsibility and the burdens that come with being a king … even if you’re the “King of Pop”. And, one of these burdens must be who you choose as your confidantes and friends. For Michael Jackson, this choice was next to impossible, and therefore, he had very few people in his life that he could call a true friend and even fewer to confide his deepest thoughts, wishes and dreams.
Frank Cascio knew from the first moment he met Michael Jackson at the age of 4, that this person was someone special. Silly, childlike, generous to a fault, were the ways that Frank saw Michael. Their 25 year friendship is chronicled in
“My Friend Michael” by Frank Cascio.
In it, Mr. Cascio describes how he met Michael Jackson at the age of 4, when Michael Jackson was at the pinnacle of his career and how that friendship grew into the role of confidante, assistant and, at one point, manager.
Though many stories have been told about Michael Jackson the alleged child-molester, the drug addict, and the man who despised the way he looked, Frank Cascio wanted to write a book about the Michael Jackson he knew. The caring, nurturing Michael who would spend many Christmases at his suburban home in New Jersey sharing his love of children and anything child-like.
However, in “My Friend Michael” nothing is off limits. Told from the point of view of a true friend defending his best friend, Mr. Cascio writes about Michael Jackson’s problems with prescription drugs and how he tried to intervene and speak with him about it.
He also writes about his time at Michael’s “Neverland” ranch, as a young boy, and how he knew the two boys who would go on to accuse Michael of molestation. According to Frank Cascio, nothing of the sort ever happened and his friend, Michael was no molester.
Mr. Cascio was there throughout most of Michael’s adult life and career. He traveled the world with him on numerous occasions and discusses in detail all the places they went to and what it was like to live like a king.
He was also present during both of Michael’s marriages (one to
Debbie Rowe and the other to
Lisa Marie Pressley) and gives his opinion on what went wrong in both relationships.
Frank Cascio was a man who experienced what it was like to be treated like royalty first hand. The good, the bad and the awful, it could not have been easy to befriend a king who was used to having things done his way. In this excerpt from page 145, Frank briefly describes what it was like:
“I also became attuned to Michael’s more difficult traits. He could be paranoid and overly sensitive, prone to extreme emotions and jumping to conclusions. To counter that, I was careful to listen. To observe everything. To think before I spoke. He didn’t like to be told what to do, so if I had an opinion, I drew him toward it, so he might think (or pretend) that he had come up with it on his own.”
Chock full of private family photographs and candid snapshots of Frank and Michael through the years, the book is a fascinating look at the life of one of the biggest celebrities the world has ever known, as only a friend would know him.
“My Friend Michael” is a book for devoted fan and curious bystander, alike. While all the rumors are addressed, one must not forget, when reading it, that the author was his friend and, as his friend, he has written an interesting, compelling and faithful account of his experiences with Michael. So, if you’re looking for dirt, look somewhere else. “My Friend Michael” is Frank Cascio’s goodbye gift to his life-long friend.
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