The Book
Introduction
From where I sit today, it’s been nine long months since Michael Jackson passed away. He was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. (PST) on June 25, 2009. As long as I live I will never forget where I was, or how I felt when I heard the news that a very dear and close friend, and a person that I loved was gone forever. To all of you he may have been The King of Pop or a music legend, and he was in every sense of the word. But to me, he was my friend, and a person I owe a great deal of gratitude to. The events that lead to his untimely death still haunt me to this day. I’m not writing this in hopes of seeking revenge. I simply want to tell the truth about what really happened to the legend known around the world as Michael Jackson, The King of Pop. For if I didn’t write this, I fear my life would be filled with regret. The world loved Michael, and it’s for him and the sake of his memory that I must make this endeavor.
The day Michael passed away started out like any other for me. I had only been home from Los Angeles for a few days. Prior to that, I had been working with Michael in LA. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn’t come home maybe I could have done something that would have caused him to still be alive. As I drove through the busy streets of Atlanta, I relished in the brief comfort of being home, fully knowing I was due to fly back to Los Angeles the next day. Michael was preparing for the London tour, and I was trying my best to do what he had asked me to do; watch over his business affairs, and AEG, the concert promotion company he had contracted with to do the London shows. I was also trying my best to fight what I perceived to be the evil that was surrounding him at that time. There were several suspicious things that were transpiring at the time which had Michael and I both concerned and puzzled.
I received a call from Randy Jackson (Michael’s youngest brother) around 3:30 p.m. (EST). As soon as I answered, Randy said, “The paramedics have just taken Michael to UCLA Hospital.” “Go to the hospital, call me once you get there, and let me know what’s going on,” I said, as I made a beeline to my house. By this point my mind was racing, wondering what was really happening. My initial thought was that Michael was playing a prank or faking it. I knew that he did not want to do the London dates nor was he in any physical condition to do them. I thought this was his way of getting out of it. A few minutes later Randy called again and informed me that the media had announced that Michael was dead. I kept driving, but my heart and my mind were both racing. “What is going on?” I kept asking myself.
In my mind I could see Michael, and I couldn’t get past the nagging feeling that something was terribly wrong. How could Michael be dead? Sure, he wasn’t in the best physical shape, but I certainly didn’t think he had one foot in the grave.
Once I returned home, Randy called me again and confirmed that Michael was gone. Disbelief, confusion, and unspeakable grief consumed me in that instant. I asked Randy where his mother (Katherine) was. He told me she was there at the hospital with the rest of the family. I said I would call her in a few minutes. Later I called her, and she picked up the phone.
I could hear the turmoil in her voice. I asked her, “When do you think I should come?” Katherine replied, “I think you should come now.”
So I did, leaving immediately the next morning. On my flight over, I kept thinking of all the things that Michael and I had discussed privately. All of the suspicious activities that had transpired months and weeks prior to his death played out in my mind over and over again. People that Michael had vowed to never to do business with again, such as John Branca and Frank Delio, had suddenly been brought back into his life by Randy Phillips of AEG. We could never figure out why. Michael and I had discussed this on many occasions, and now that I can put it all together, I can see everything so clearly. At that time, we were never sure about John Branca, his former attorney, whom Michael had many problems with in the past that had cost him millions of dollars. But we had an idea about Frank Delio, his former manager. We strongly believed that Frank Delio was being brought back into the picture by Randy Phillips because of me. I was the only person around Michael that AEG and Randy Phillips did not control financially, and Randy Phillips, having known me for a few years, knew that I would possibly create a problem for him if he was not working in Michael Jackson's best interest. In my opinion I know now that he clearly wasn't. I can see now that I was going to interfere with their plans.
These suspicious activities have propelled me to write this book, to tell the world what is being hidden by the media and the powers that be in the entertainment industry. A great injustice is being played out daily, and I’m here to set the record straight. Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, in my opinion was murdered, and his words still haunt me today: “They want my catalogue (music publishing rights) Rowe, and they will kill me for it.” Few know this, but Michael owned fifty percent of Sony’s entire catalogue. He never wanted to sell it; he wanted to keep it for his children. The powers that be knew that Michael and The Michael Jackson name was worth billions and billions of dollars, and he was worth more to them dead than alive. With him dead they would be able to move in and control the wealth that his name and his brand would bring for years and years to come. I truly believe that is exactly what they are doing today with the benefit of a phony and fraudulent will. The powers that be have been trying to keep me quiet by committing slander against me, and trying to prevent me from doing interviews on the talk show circuit. I must confess, I am not one to be intimidated easily or one who will back down quickly. Michael can’t speak now, but I can…and I will.
This story is a story that must be told. The public as well as Michael’s millions of fans deserve the right to know what really happened to him. Michael may have been a Jackson, but he belonged to the world. This story is laced with discriminatory treatment towards African Americans and minorities in the entertainment industry.
In my opinion, AEG had a contract with Michael that was nothing less than a cocked financial gun pointed to his head. It is my belief that he was being totally exploited. This book is a true account of what really happened to Michael Jackson, The King of Pop and an up close look at the evil side of the entertainment industry.
