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Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero [Merged]

Buck Bee3ee

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Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero [Merged]

yooooooo!

So "what now?" you may ask... i'm still asking that myself. what now? and although i'm not sure what's the answer, i do know that i'm thristing for knowledge.

not toxicology reports or what exactly dipravan does to the heart.

i'm thristing to find out more about my Mike. ... he is a rare bird who for five decades searched out knowledge and truth in books, films and music. he crafted his genius with this power of knowledge and now i want to better understand him.

so this is a thread for all the fans who want to do the same. ... I'm calling out for all of the known books, pioneers, music and movies that Mike so loved and devoured.

i know he's big on Walt Disney (the man) and Claude Debussy (classical French composer) but let's all collectively add the other mediums that we know MJ once read or listened to.

For starters:
Jonathan Livingston Seagull -- a book by Richard Bach; MJ was so moved by this book, he suggested it to Kobe Bryant.

please add more! if you remember anything MJ mentioned in the past, please list 'em...i want to follow the steps of his knowledge. I think by learning what he learned we can better understand the mind and humanity of Michael Jackson.
 
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Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

this is interesting, i know he had lots of books on black history, something i know little about and hopw to research in the future. He had many books of art loved all of those.

the 3 stooges, charlie chaplin. The concept of pathos.
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Great idea, will get my thinking cap on. First things first, Im googling that book.
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

He loved the classical "Rodeo, Fanfare common man, Lincoln Portrait" By Aaron Copland.

Also Loved Leonard Bernstein's "West side story, On the waterfront, To Kill a Mockingbird and Magnificent Seven Score"

Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

He Loved Tchaikovsky's compositions...

I'll try to find out more...


Thank you for this thread...it'll get my mind off some stressful things...
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

I cannot think of anything to add, but great idea for a thread! :)
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

amazing thread!!! amazing! i suggest making it a sticky!!! please!
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Look at the Amazon write up for Johnathon Livingston Seagull....this is soooo Michael:

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight--how to get from shore to food and back again," writes author Richard Bach, in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes the story soar. Ultimately this is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe or neighbourhood finds your ambition threatening. (At one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock.) By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate pay-off: transcendence. Ultimately, he learns the meaning of love and kindness. The dreamy seagull photographs by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations--although the overall packaging does seem a bit dated (keep in mind that it was first published in 1970). Nonetheless, this is a spirituality classic and an especially engaging parable for adolescents. -
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

He studied a lot about Michaelangelo, that's the first person I want to study because I am an artist myself.
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

earthlyme said:
He loved the classical "Rodeo, Fanfare common man, Lincoln Portrait" By Aaron Copland.

Also Loved Leonard Bernstein's "West side story, On the waterfront, To Kill a Mockingbird and Magnificent Seven Score"

Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

He Loved Tchaikovsky's compositions...

I'll try to find out more...


Thank you for this thread...it'll get my mind off some stressful things...
Click to expand...

YES! this is EXACTLY what i have in mind! whatever book title, album, composition, even work of art that we have on record as MJ being influenced by... i want to check it out for myself.

i brought Jonathan Livingston Seagull last week at an old book store for $2.50. finished it that very night. it's over 100 pages but it's a lightening-quick read and yes... it's so very Michael. it was inspiring for me and i could see how it inspired Mike.

i love the book and highly recommend it.
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

We know he loved art and "things people would make with their hands". I'll think of something else and repost later.
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

great thread buck !!
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

I was quite amazed at Michael's knowledge of some of the items he bought from the shop in Las Vegas---during the "Living With Michael Jackson" documentary.

All Bashir wanted to do was show Michael's extravagance----but Michael sure KNEW what he was looking at/buying.
Who painted what/etc.
Dawn
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

didn't he have an affinity for the opera also ... ie: his friendship with Pavarotti ??

When beyonce sang 'ave maria' at the BET awards this year, i felt it was a dedication to michael... one of his favorite operatic pieces if i remember correctly.

http://nashvillefats.com/song_Ava_Maria.shtml
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Great thread! I'm going to read Jonathan Livingston Seagull soon.

These composers and pieces have already been mentioned by a previous poster, but I think there are a few more details here (the specific Debussy pieces that he liked, for example.) This is from a blog on the Baltimore Sun website:http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/ent...c/2009/07/more_details_on_instrumental_a.html

"He said he listened to classical music all the time; it was his absolute favorite. I was impressed with the pieces he mentioned: Aaron Copland’s Rodeo, Fanfare for the Common Man and Lincoln Portrait; Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. I mentioned Bernstein's On the Waterfront. Then Michael mentioned that he loved Elmer Bernstein's film music, too, and he specifically mentioned To Kill a Mockingbird.

I realized that almost all the classical pieces he mentioned are childlike, very simple and pretty, like Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. He also mentioned Debussy several times, specifically Arabesque [No. 1] and Clair de lune."
 
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Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Here's an LA Times article regarding MJ shopping for books. One of the booksellers mentioned that Ralph Waldo Emerson was MJ's favorite, but, unfortunately, he doesn't mention any specific titles. The articles also describes subjects that interested MJ, like psychology, black history, etc.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-jackson-books27-2009jun27,0,3364369.story
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

love this thread :sarmoti:
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

What a GREAT thread.

Keep it coming :)
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Make this thread a Sticky please!!! We can learn soo much from the info in here. :)
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

diana79 said:
Here's an LA Times article regarding MJ shopping for books. One of the booksellers mentioned that Ralph Waldo Emerson was MJ's favorite, but, unfortunately, he doesn't mention any specific titles. The articles also describes subjects that interested MJ, like psychology, black history, etc.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-jackson-books27-2009jun27,0,3364369.story
Click to expand...

good stuff, diana! didn't know about RWE :D
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

I've always wanted to know what MJ loves! :D
apart from books, what else do you guys know?
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

OK, I caught a few things from recording engineers that worked with Michael and posted at gearslutz.com -

"He was a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral."

"One of the records I came across was Grace Jones "Nightclubbing" I picked it up to look at it front and back and Michael got kind of excited about it too. He took the record from me and asked if I'd like to hear a song that was very influential to him, and I thought are you kidding, YES please. He put on a song called "Feel Up" from that record and I about fell over !!!"
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

this is a great thread, so i am just kind of bumping it! ;]
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

diana79 said:
OK, I caught a few things from recording engineers that worked with Michael and posted at gearslutz.com -

"He was a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral."

"One of the records I came across was Grace Jones "Nightclubbing" I picked it up to look at it front and back and Michael got kind of excited about it too. He took the record from me and asked if I'd like to hear a song that was very influential to him, and I thought are you kidding, YES please. He put on a song called "Feel Up" from that record and I about fell over !!!"
Click to expand...

nice! i downloaded "Feel Up" and since the record came out in 1981, I guess I can hear how it influenced Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ...it mos def has that feel.

good find :D
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

bump

don't forget! never forget! follow his footsteps!
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Another book Michael liked was 'They Cage The Animals At Night' by Jennings Michael Burch. Michael said he wanted to direct a film of the book. I think the only reason he agreed to the cameo role in Miss Castaway (awful film :lol:) was because the director could put him in contact with the author. On a behind-the-scenes of Miss Castaway they talk about MJ's role in the film, and they show a clip of MJ meeting Jennings Michael Burch and interviewing him.

http://www.amazon.com/They-Cage-Animals-Night-Signet/dp/0451159411

from Amazon:
One rainy day in Brooklyn, Jennings Michael Burch's mother, too sick to care for him, left him at an orphanage, saying only, "I'll be right back." She never returned. Shuttled through a series of bleak foster homes and institutions, he never remained in any of them long enough to make a friend. Instead, Jennings clung to a tattered stuffed animal, his sole source of warmth in a frightening world. This is the poignant story of his lost childhood. But it is also the triumphant tale of a little boy who finally gained the courage to reach out for love-and found it waiting for him.
 
Re: Learning Lessons from MJ ... the "following his steps" thread; understanding my hero

Adore said:
Another book Michael liked was 'They Cage The Animals At Night' by Jennings Michael Burch. Michael said he wanted to direct a film of the book. I think the only reason he agreed to the cameo role in Miss Castaway (awful film :lol:) was because the director could put him in contact with the author. On a behind-the-scenes of Miss Castaway they talk about MJ's role in the film, and they show a clip of MJ meeting Jennings Michael Burch and interviewing him.

http://www.amazon.com/They-Cage-Animals-Night-Signet/dp/0451159411

from Amazon:
One rainy day in Brooklyn, Jennings Michael Burch's mother, too sick to care for him, left him at an orphanage, saying only, "I'll be right back." She never returned. Shuttled through a series of bleak foster homes and institutions, he never remained in any of them long enough to make a friend. Instead, Jennings clung to a tattered stuffed animal, his sole source of warmth in a frightening world. This is the poignant story of his lost childhood. But it is also the triumphant tale of a little boy who finally gained the courage to reach out for love-and found it waiting for him.
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks! I found a link which has a video with "Miss Castaway" footage (yeah, it looks really bad), and a short clip of Michael talking to Jennings Michael Burch at the end. I assume that this is the behind the scenes footage that you mentioned?

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/michael-jackson-miss-cast-away.html


If anyone knows where we can see more of Michael's interview of Jennings Michael Burch, please let us know! I think it would be very interesting to see that.

I picked up Jonathon Livingston Seagull at the library yesterday. I'll see if they have "They Cage the Animals at Night" later this week.
 
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