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Raymone Bain is interviewed by Sister 2 Sister Magazine for the Sept 2009 issue which has a young Michael on the cover.
Go down to the interview part to read about how Raymone set up the visit between Michael, Venus and Serena. It's a precious story!
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Raymone Bain talks about life with Michael Jackson
by Jamie Foster Brown
(excerpted from the September 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine)
Hey S2S family, I have a special treat for you this issue, although it’s something I wish we were not writing about because the loss of Michael Jackson is still reverberating with such pain. Millions still mourn him but few had the chance to know him like my friend Raymone Bain, who was his publicist and, eventually, general manager for seven years. She was with him during his darkest time—five horror-filled months in court when he stood accused of molesting a little boy. Ridiculed yet revered. Scorned. Adored. He showed us changing faces, not only in color but also by deeds, as life beat him up and at the same time regarded him like a saint.
Nothing was simple about this man. He was complex, creative, talented, kind, shrewd, wealthy, mysterious—he was exonerated in the courtroom, but so many refused to let him be. That trial took a toll on him and he fled for months to Bahrain, Ireland and even Virginia, finally returning to California, where he eventually died. But he never returned to his beloved Neverland, a fairytale place that was searched and violated by the police, press and the public, all in the name of the trial.
I was with Raymone when Michael first hired her. She dived right into fighting off those who hated that she had attained such a privileged position with him and those who believed he had been intimate with little boys. Who the heck was this Black woman Michael had chosen to be his mouthpiece? He’d chosen someone who fights for her clients—someone the great political strategist Hamilton Jordan had taught to be extremely loyal. She’s a lioness. She’s fought for Babyface, Serena Williams, Washington’s two-time mayor Marion Barry, Boyz II Men and boxing champion Macho Camacho. Would you believe she even won a battle with Don King—a battle that included chairs and water being thrown across the room?! Would you believe she worked as part of the Jimmy Carter White House when she was in her 20s? She graduated from Spelman College and got a law degree from Georgetown University. Smart.
During Michael’s trial, Raymone had a helluva time with the 3,000 members of the worldwide press, who all wanted a piece of Michael. At the same time, she was battling lawyers, assistants, some family members, etc., who just didn’t want her there. I’ve never seen Raymone waver. I’ve seen her take Mike Tyson-strength punches from those who opposed her, yet she still bounced right back up, ready for another round.
As we prepared for this interview, Raymone was tremendously sad. Shortly before her friend and boss Michael Jackson passed away, she had to sue him because he didn’t honor some of the contracts he had with her. Today, we believe that all was not right with him in the end, but she misses him. They were like fighting cousins, close with mutual respect. Raymone was even invited to sit with the Jackson family during Michael’s memorial service. I got a chance to be around them both while in Japan for about six days. Now I have the privilege of sharing with you my long friendship with Raymone and a riveting dose of her relationship with Michael before he ascended to heaven.
Now let’s catch Raymone telling me and S2S editor Sabrina Parker how it all started:
***
Raymone: I remember that I went down to Georgia with Muhammad Ali and took him over to meet Jimmy Carter. As the meeting was ending, Jimmy Carter pulled me aside and said, “Do you know Michael Jackson? I would love to work with him. He’s doing so many amazing things.” So I got back and I called Bob Jones, who made it happen. And they had the press conference and it was the “Heal the World ...” whatever.
[In those days,] I didn’t really have any interaction with Michael, but we had this history. I was on a number of boards and commissions; we would have fundraisers and I would always call Bob Jones: “Can you send a fedora? Can you send me something else?” which he did and that helped raise money for the Boarder Babies and all of these charities.
Sabrina: Who was Bob Jones to Michael?
Raymone: He was, at the time, his publicist. That was many years ago. So, back in 2003, Oracene [Venus and Serena Williams’s mom] said they would love to [meet Michael Jackson]. So somebody told me to call Evvy Tavasci.
Sabrina: Who was she?
Raymone: His executive assistant, at the time. And so I said, “Venus and Serena Williams would love to meet Michael and I want to do something special for them: Can I bring ’em out to meet him? And I want it to be a surprise.” She said, “Michael would love to meet them. He admires them a lot.”
So I told them I had a surprise, but I had to tell what the surprise was to [Venus and Serena’s sisters] Isha, Yetunde and Lyndrea and [their parents] Oracene and Richard.
Jamie: Did they all go?
Raymone: Yetunde and her kids, Lyndrea and Isha went. So, I had to plan all of this during a tennis tournament. Then Venus had a press conference that same day we’d decided to do that. And they were asking me, “Well, where are we going?” “I can’t tell ya!”
So we’re on the 405 going north. So Serena says, “Wait just a minute; we’ve been driving forever. And Venus says, “Where are we going for the surprise? I’ll be surprised—just tell me.”
So Isha and everybody was like, “We can’t tell ya.” It was great to have partners in crime. So we’re driving and driving. Finally, Serena says “Listen, I’m getting tired. So either we’re going to pull over and I’m getting out of this car or we turn it around or you’re going to tell me where we’re going.” So I say, “Let’s go and get a cheeseburger or something.” So we stop there and get something at In-N-Out Burger.
Finally, Serena says, “You know what? I have had enough. I’m going no further. You are either going to tell me where we’re going or I’m turning around.” To be honest with you, they were so sweet, because most people wouldn’t have been driving for an hour, like, “Where are we going here?”
So I said, “I understand that you guys wanted to meet Michael Jackson.” “What! Don’t tell me that’s where we’re going! Don’t tell me!” So then I think we stopped somewhere and got a Michael Jackson CD. We either got a CD or didn’t have one, but they sang Michael Jackson tunes all the way to Los Olivos.
So we get there and we walk in. He comes out, and Serena literally has to lean on my shoulders.
Jamie: [laughs] With her tall self!
Raymone: And Venus! He comes out and says hello. I don’t think anybody said hello but me. I think I pinched Serena and she said hello. Then he took us personally on a tour of everything. We walked around and he had a wonderful dinner for us. Serena and I were the most talkative; everybody else was quiet.
Yetunde’s kids were there and they played with Prince and Paris. Blanket was only about 4 or 5 months old at the time. We met Grace [former nanny to Michael’s kids], who is wonderful, classy and well learned—just wonderful.
So Michael was talking as he would take us around. And everybody else was just quiet, but Serena and I broke out of our shyness because we’re so talkative. We were just chatting, chatting, chatting.
So Serena said, “I don’t see any gloves or jackets.” I said, “I don’t either.” So she says, “Well, do you think it would be gauche to ask him?” And I said, “Now that we’re all the way out here in Neverland, we might as well ask.” She says, “Well, you gonna ask him?” I said, “Nah, you ask him.” Now everybody else is being quiet; they don’t know that the two of us are plotting.
So Michael says, “What?” Serena and I were just laughing and giggling and whispering. So Michael says, “What’s wrong?” So we say, “Listen, we don’t see a lot of your awards or your jackets or your gloves around. We’d like to see ’em.” Serena asks, “Why don’t you have them here?” And he says, “Well, I don’t want my children to get caught up into who I am and what I do.” Which immediately struck me as being just fantastic.
And they are fabulous kids. So he says, “Oh, you’d like to see ’em? Well, what do you want to see?” “Well, the jackets, the gloves, the shoes, the hats, the awards.”
So he took us up to his bedroom and took us in the closet. And Serena and I tried on, I think, every jacket in the closet. We were like, “Oh no, is it alright?” And he said, “Go on, you can.”
He was the most wonderful, gracious... Serena says, “I wonder will he give us one?” I said, “No, that might be a little bit too gauche.” But they were heavy. They must’ve weighed 30 pounds! You pick one up, I mean you gotta really expect it; the weight of the jackets was so heavy.
Go down to the interview part to read about how Raymone set up the visit between Michael, Venus and Serena. It's a precious story!
********************************************************************
Raymone Bain talks about life with Michael Jackson
by Jamie Foster Brown
(excerpted from the September 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine)
Hey S2S family, I have a special treat for you this issue, although it’s something I wish we were not writing about because the loss of Michael Jackson is still reverberating with such pain. Millions still mourn him but few had the chance to know him like my friend Raymone Bain, who was his publicist and, eventually, general manager for seven years. She was with him during his darkest time—five horror-filled months in court when he stood accused of molesting a little boy. Ridiculed yet revered. Scorned. Adored. He showed us changing faces, not only in color but also by deeds, as life beat him up and at the same time regarded him like a saint.
Nothing was simple about this man. He was complex, creative, talented, kind, shrewd, wealthy, mysterious—he was exonerated in the courtroom, but so many refused to let him be. That trial took a toll on him and he fled for months to Bahrain, Ireland and even Virginia, finally returning to California, where he eventually died. But he never returned to his beloved Neverland, a fairytale place that was searched and violated by the police, press and the public, all in the name of the trial.
I was with Raymone when Michael first hired her. She dived right into fighting off those who hated that she had attained such a privileged position with him and those who believed he had been intimate with little boys. Who the heck was this Black woman Michael had chosen to be his mouthpiece? He’d chosen someone who fights for her clients—someone the great political strategist Hamilton Jordan had taught to be extremely loyal. She’s a lioness. She’s fought for Babyface, Serena Williams, Washington’s two-time mayor Marion Barry, Boyz II Men and boxing champion Macho Camacho. Would you believe she even won a battle with Don King—a battle that included chairs and water being thrown across the room?! Would you believe she worked as part of the Jimmy Carter White House when she was in her 20s? She graduated from Spelman College and got a law degree from Georgetown University. Smart.
During Michael’s trial, Raymone had a helluva time with the 3,000 members of the worldwide press, who all wanted a piece of Michael. At the same time, she was battling lawyers, assistants, some family members, etc., who just didn’t want her there. I’ve never seen Raymone waver. I’ve seen her take Mike Tyson-strength punches from those who opposed her, yet she still bounced right back up, ready for another round.
As we prepared for this interview, Raymone was tremendously sad. Shortly before her friend and boss Michael Jackson passed away, she had to sue him because he didn’t honor some of the contracts he had with her. Today, we believe that all was not right with him in the end, but she misses him. They were like fighting cousins, close with mutual respect. Raymone was even invited to sit with the Jackson family during Michael’s memorial service. I got a chance to be around them both while in Japan for about six days. Now I have the privilege of sharing with you my long friendship with Raymone and a riveting dose of her relationship with Michael before he ascended to heaven.
Now let’s catch Raymone telling me and S2S editor Sabrina Parker how it all started:
***
Raymone: I remember that I went down to Georgia with Muhammad Ali and took him over to meet Jimmy Carter. As the meeting was ending, Jimmy Carter pulled me aside and said, “Do you know Michael Jackson? I would love to work with him. He’s doing so many amazing things.” So I got back and I called Bob Jones, who made it happen. And they had the press conference and it was the “Heal the World ...” whatever.
[In those days,] I didn’t really have any interaction with Michael, but we had this history. I was on a number of boards and commissions; we would have fundraisers and I would always call Bob Jones: “Can you send a fedora? Can you send me something else?” which he did and that helped raise money for the Boarder Babies and all of these charities.
Sabrina: Who was Bob Jones to Michael?
Raymone: He was, at the time, his publicist. That was many years ago. So, back in 2003, Oracene [Venus and Serena Williams’s mom] said they would love to [meet Michael Jackson]. So somebody told me to call Evvy Tavasci.
Sabrina: Who was she?
Raymone: His executive assistant, at the time. And so I said, “Venus and Serena Williams would love to meet Michael and I want to do something special for them: Can I bring ’em out to meet him? And I want it to be a surprise.” She said, “Michael would love to meet them. He admires them a lot.”
So I told them I had a surprise, but I had to tell what the surprise was to [Venus and Serena’s sisters] Isha, Yetunde and Lyndrea and [their parents] Oracene and Richard.
Jamie: Did they all go?
Raymone: Yetunde and her kids, Lyndrea and Isha went. So, I had to plan all of this during a tennis tournament. Then Venus had a press conference that same day we’d decided to do that. And they were asking me, “Well, where are we going?” “I can’t tell ya!”
So we’re on the 405 going north. So Serena says, “Wait just a minute; we’ve been driving forever. And Venus says, “Where are we going for the surprise? I’ll be surprised—just tell me.”
So Isha and everybody was like, “We can’t tell ya.” It was great to have partners in crime. So we’re driving and driving. Finally, Serena says “Listen, I’m getting tired. So either we’re going to pull over and I’m getting out of this car or we turn it around or you’re going to tell me where we’re going.” So I say, “Let’s go and get a cheeseburger or something.” So we stop there and get something at In-N-Out Burger.
Finally, Serena says, “You know what? I have had enough. I’m going no further. You are either going to tell me where we’re going or I’m turning around.” To be honest with you, they were so sweet, because most people wouldn’t have been driving for an hour, like, “Where are we going here?”
So I said, “I understand that you guys wanted to meet Michael Jackson.” “What! Don’t tell me that’s where we’re going! Don’t tell me!” So then I think we stopped somewhere and got a Michael Jackson CD. We either got a CD or didn’t have one, but they sang Michael Jackson tunes all the way to Los Olivos.
So we get there and we walk in. He comes out, and Serena literally has to lean on my shoulders.
Jamie: [laughs] With her tall self!
Raymone: And Venus! He comes out and says hello. I don’t think anybody said hello but me. I think I pinched Serena and she said hello. Then he took us personally on a tour of everything. We walked around and he had a wonderful dinner for us. Serena and I were the most talkative; everybody else was quiet.
Yetunde’s kids were there and they played with Prince and Paris. Blanket was only about 4 or 5 months old at the time. We met Grace [former nanny to Michael’s kids], who is wonderful, classy and well learned—just wonderful.
So Michael was talking as he would take us around. And everybody else was just quiet, but Serena and I broke out of our shyness because we’re so talkative. We were just chatting, chatting, chatting.
So Serena said, “I don’t see any gloves or jackets.” I said, “I don’t either.” So she says, “Well, do you think it would be gauche to ask him?” And I said, “Now that we’re all the way out here in Neverland, we might as well ask.” She says, “Well, you gonna ask him?” I said, “Nah, you ask him.” Now everybody else is being quiet; they don’t know that the two of us are plotting.
So Michael says, “What?” Serena and I were just laughing and giggling and whispering. So Michael says, “What’s wrong?” So we say, “Listen, we don’t see a lot of your awards or your jackets or your gloves around. We’d like to see ’em.” Serena asks, “Why don’t you have them here?” And he says, “Well, I don’t want my children to get caught up into who I am and what I do.” Which immediately struck me as being just fantastic.
And they are fabulous kids. So he says, “Oh, you’d like to see ’em? Well, what do you want to see?” “Well, the jackets, the gloves, the shoes, the hats, the awards.”
So he took us up to his bedroom and took us in the closet. And Serena and I tried on, I think, every jacket in the closet. We were like, “Oh no, is it alright?” And he said, “Go on, you can.”
He was the most wonderful, gracious... Serena says, “I wonder will he give us one?” I said, “No, that might be a little bit too gauche.” But they were heavy. They must’ve weighed 30 pounds! You pick one up, I mean you gotta really expect it; the weight of the jackets was so heavy.
