Positive websites and videos that celebrate MJ

[MJJLaugh]

A Mother's Love


Perfection
You were there....
When God filled Michael’s little body, as he kicked in your womb, did you feel him dancing?
You saw his first beautiful, radiant smile and heard his first sweet angelic laugh.
Your ears heard the first time his sweet crescendo rose, filling the house.
You witnessed his first dance steps as he grooved to the sound of the washing machine.
Did you marvel to see his first audience clap for him at the laundry mat as he danced and sang?
You woke him for late night TV shows and sat with him watching his idol James Brown.
You were with him and your hearts broke together as you both sat watching and crying for the dying children in Africa on TV, you were the one he turned to and promised
“I will do something about that someday.”
Oh how he DID!

You carried his life within your heart and upon your shoulders as you walked along side him through joyful times and oh so very difficult times.
You were his beacon in the night, his comfort, his shelter, his lifter of spirits, his rock.

A Mother’s love...
He loved you beyond measure...no others could come close to his esteem for you.
No other could ever hold a candle to the bright, shining love he carried in his heart for you.
He emulated your love for him as he reached out to heal the world with empathy and compassion.
God filled him with a tender, sensitive, sweet, caring, giving spirit.
God instilled the most intelligent, creative, genius and musicality.
Of all the women in the universe God chose you to teach him how to share it with the world.
Oh how you DID!

A Mother’s heart ...
The world has lost the kindest, most loving man that has ever walked this planet as he emulated Jesus. I wish I could say we valued him as you did while he was here.
I am so sorry for all he endured by those who could never understand what a precious gem he was. Only a mother knows a son’s pain. I am so sorry for all you have endured.
No one will ever know what you feel. No words can describe a mother’s loss.
The world is left darker, more silent, and less joyful as his perfect pitch now entertains the heavens.
A love angel... yes, he truly was... but you have always known that.

You loved and shared him... he loved and changed the world...
He will forever be the fabric of love that governs my life... given by the Lord to bless.
I thank you Katherine, for sharing your beautiful, God gifted, seventh child, Michael.
Michael Joseph Jackson in life and in death has changed my life, and is still changing the world.
His love...the love you nurtured in him... lives on.

You are prayed for ...
I just simply can’t imagine the loss and emptiness you must feel.
We, his fans, all mourn; but you... you truly knew him with a mother’s heart.
The missing him, the loss, the grief must be unfathomable.
I pray for you, your whole family and especially Michael’s children.
I pray for peace, comfort and sweet memories to fill the void, to fill your days, nights and dreams.
I pray his smell lingers and a sense of closeness be there for you,
and chimes of his sweet laughter fill your ears on the difficult days as waves
of grief and acceptance ebb and flow.
God bless you always. You are a wonderful woman, mother and grandmother,
for as Michael said “My mother is perfection”.

God Bless You and Yours Always,
Betty Byrnes
(California, USA)

Source:

http://mjbliss.blogspot.com/

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part 1

The Library of Neverland

Bob Sanger, one of Michael's Lawyers in 2005

:And the third thing was that Michael was extremely well-read."

I didn’t know that.

No. Few people did. In trial – and I knew Michael, but I got to know him a lot better at the trial. The judge was doing jury selection, and it was time for break. Judge Melville said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that jury service is very, very important.’ He’s trying to convince people not to have stupid excuses to get out of jury service. All judges do this. He says, ‘The jury system is a very time-honored system. It’s been around for 200 years. We’re going to take a break and come back in 15 minutes.

We stand up and the judge leaves, and Michael turns to me and says, “Bob, the jury system is much older than 200 years, isn’t it?’ I said, ‘Well, yeah, it goes back to the Greeks.’ He says, ‘Oh yeah, Socrates had a jury trial, didn’t he?’ I said, ‘Yeah, well, you know how it turned out for him.’ Michael says, ‘Yeah, he had to drink the hemlock.’ That’s just one little tidbit. We talked about psychology, Freud and Jung, Hawthorne, sociology, black history and sociology dealing with race issues. But he was very well read in the classics of psychology and history and literature.

That’s fascinating.

He loved to read. He had over 10,000 books at his house. And I know that because – and I hate to keep referring to the case, because I don’t want the case – the case should not define him. But one of the things that we learned – the DA went through his entire library and found, for instance, a German art book from 1930-something. And it turned out that the guy who was the artist behind the book had been prosecuted by the Nazis. Nobody knew that, but then the cops get up there and say, ‘We found this book with pictures of nude people in it.’ But it was art, with a lot of text. It was art. And they found some other things, a briefcase that didn’t belong to him that had some Playboys in it or something. But they went through the guy’s entire house, 10,000 books. And it caused us to do the same thing, and look at it.

And there were places that he liked to sit, and you could see the books with his bookmarks in it, with notes and everything in it where he liked to sit and read. And I can tell you from talking to him that he had a very – especially for someone who was self-taught, as it were, and had his own reading list – he was very well-read. And I don’t want to say that I’m well-read, but I’ve certainly read a lot, let’s put it that way, and I enjoy philosophy and history and everything myself, and it was very nice to talk to him, because he was very intellectual, and he liked to talk about those things. But he didn’t flaunt it, and it was very seldom that he would initiate the conversation like that, but if you got into a conversation like that with him, he was there.

One of Michael’s all time favorite books.

Kobe Bryant, Remembering Michael, Time Special 2009

One of the things he always told me was, Don’t be afraid to be different. In other words, when you have that desire, that drive, people are going to try to pull you away from that, and pull you closer to the pack to be “normal.” And he was saying, It’s O.K. to be that driven; it’s O.K. to be obsessed with what you want to do. That’s perfectly fine. Don’t be afraid to not deviate from that. One of the books that he gave me that helped him communicate with me was Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which was about that.

Cousin Anthony Jackson on twitter, August 29th 2010:

#messagetomj I remember when you read Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach all the way through in one sitting at Disney World. Thank you for always being there for me and for teaching me to believe in dreams! We miss you..Happy birthday!

Frank Cascio, “My Friend Michael”:

One of the books Michael told me to read on the trip was Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Jonathan, out of all the seagulls saw that here was more to life than just being a seagull – more than what was right in front of him. Michael wanted to live that way – to fly beyond all expectations, to live an extraordinary life. He instilled that ambition in me, often asking me, “Do you want to be Jonathan, or one of the other birds?”


Wikipedia summary:

The book tells the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a seagull who is bored with the daily squabbles over food. Seized by a passion for flight, he pushes himself, learning everything he can about flying, until finally his unwillingness to conform results in his expulsion from his flock. An outcast, he continues to learn, becoming increasingly pleased with his abilities as he leads an idyllic life.

One day, Jonathan is met by two gulls who take him to a “higher plane of existence” in that there is no heaven but a better world found through perfection of knowledge, where he meets other gulls who love to fly. He discovers that his sheer tenacity and desire to learn make him “pretty well a one-in-a-million bird.” Jonathan befriends the wisest gull in this new place, named Chiang, who takes him beyond his previous learning, teaching him how to move instantaneously to anywhere else in the Universe. The secret, Chiang says, is to “begin by knowing that you have already arrived.” Not satisfied with his new life, Jonathan returns to Earth to find others like him, to bring them his learning and to spread his love for flight. His mission is successful, gathering around him others who have been outlawed for not conforming. Ultimately, the very first of his students, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, becomes a teacher in his own right and Jonathan leaves to teach other flocks.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature. The plot and characters are loosely based on the author’s observations of her family and neighbors, as well as on an event that occurred near her hometown in 1936, when she was 10 years old.

The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor, despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality. The narrator’s father, Atticus Finch, has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers. One critic explains the novel’s impact by writing, “In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its protagonist, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism.”

Listed as one of Michael’s favorite books presented to the Young Adult Services of the Chicago Public Library in 1979, source: “Michael Jackson, The Early Years”


Amazon description:

Here, for a change, is a fish tale that actually does honour to the author. In fact The Old Man and the Sea revived Ernest Hemingway’s career, which was foundering under the weight of such post-war stinkers as Across the River and into the Trees. It also led directly to his receipt of the Nobel Prize in 1954 (an award Hemingway gladly accepted, despite his earlier observation that “no son of a bitch that ever won the Nobel Prize ever wrote anything worth reading afterwards”). A half century later, it’s still easy to see why. This tale of an aged Cuban fisherman going head-to-head (or hand-to-fin) with a magnificent marlin encapsulates Hemingway’s favourite motifs of physical and moral challenge. Yet Santiago is too old and infirm to partake of the gun-toting machismo that disfigured much of the author’s later work:

“The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords.”

Hemingway’s style, too, reverts to those superb snapshots of perception that won him his initial fame:

Just before it was dark, as they passed a great island of Sargasso weed that heaved and swung in the light sea as though the ocean were making love with something under a yellow blanket, his small line was taken by a dolphin. He saw it first when it jumped in the air, true gold in the last of the sun and bending and flapping wildly in the air.

If a younger Hemingway had written this novella, Santiago most likely would have towed the enormous fish back to port and posed for a triumphal photograph–just as the author delighted in doing, circa 1935. Instead his prize gets devoured by a school of sharks. Returning with little more than a skeleton, he takes to his bed and, in the very last line, cements his identification with his creator:

“The old man was dreaming about the lions.”

Listed as one of Michael’s favorite books presented to the Young Adult Services of the Chicago Public Library in 1979, source: “Michael Jackson, The Early Years”

Amazon Description:


Rip van Winkle is an amiable man whose home and farm suffer from his lazy neglect; a familiar figure about the village, he is loved by all except his wife. One autumn day he escapes her nagging to wander up into the mountains, and there after drinking some liquor offered to him by a band of very strange folk, he settles down under a shady tree and falls asleep. He wakes up twenty years later and returns to his village to find that not only is his wife dead but war and revolution have changed many things. He, on the other hand, although older is not appreciably wiser and soon slips back into his idle habits. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” tells of conscientious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane. Orderly and strict in school, out of school his life is disorderly and his head full of fearful fantasies. He is in love with the beautiful Katrina but has a rival for her hand, a dashing young hero who, together with his prankster friends, plays on Ichabod’s superstitions, notably with the story of a headless horseman who haunts the region. Tragedy strikes when their hapless victim encounters just such an apparition when returning home one dark and especially dismal night…Three equally compelling stories, “The Spectre Bridegroom”, “The Pride of the Village” and “Mountjoy”, complete this collection of classic tales from the inspired pen of Washington Irving, one of America’s greatest writers.


Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part II

Fans who visited the Los Olivos area relaying stories from the people who worked there about Michael visiting:


We quickly narrowed in on the antique store where I had previously met Dorothy, the owner of the Mole Hole who had met Michael several times.

Dorothy had also shared that Michael would take day trips out to Solvang, walk the streets, poke around and shop. He especially loved the book store, ‘Grand Tales’, which is no longer there but was on the corner next to the Mole Hole when Michael lived at Neverland. One day he was on just such a visit and entered the book store looking for his favorite book, ‘The Reluctant Dragon’ by Kenneth Grahame. She knew already from previous conversations with Michael this was his favorite book and made sure to keep them on hand. He would enter, she would greet him and then immediately smile and point him right toward the book. She said he liked to just stand in the store and read the books but also bought many. Dorothy was eager to share with me that Michael was a valued member of the community and gave generously to the local Rotary and also donated many items for auction to raise money for the town. You can always tell a true fan of Michael’s by the look on their face when they talk about him, and in Dorothy I saw that look of deep love and admiration on her face as she happily and freely talked about Michael Jackson. She shared that Michael was always polite, kind and generous. She jumped at the chance to share about one time in particular that clearly showed Michael’s sweet and considerate character. He clearly was just out shopping, looking for some quiet time and dropped into the bookstore. She had just pointed him toward his favorite book when suddenly patrons and tourists in town began to realize it was Michael Jackson. Soon he was surrounded by a crowd. Dorothy discreetly approached him and quietly offered to shut down the store so he could shop freely in peace. His response was an emphatic, “No, No this is your business!”, then stood there for hours, all afternoon, signing autographs and giving hugs. He never left once to take a break, get a drink or go to the bathroom. He just gave LOVE all day long. Yes, this was the kind heart of Michael Jackson.

Wikipedia description:

The Reluctant Dragon is an 1898 children’s story by Kenneth Grahame, which served as the key element to the 1941 feature film with the same name from Walt Disney Productions.

The story takes place in the Berkshire Downs in Oxfordshire (where the author lived and where, according to legend, St George did fight a dragon).

In Grahame’s story, a young boy discovers an erudite, poetry-loving dragon living in the Downs above his home. The two become friends, but soon afterwards the dragon is discovered by the townsfolk, who send for St George to rid them of it. The boy introduces St George to the dragon, and the two decide that it would be better for them not to fight. Eventually, they decide to stage a fake joust between the two combatants. St George harmlessly spears the dragon, and the townsfolk rejoice (though not all of them, as some had placed bets on the dragon winning). St George then reveals that the dragon is reformed
in character, and assures the townsfolk that he is not dangerous. The dragon is then accepted by the people.

Listed as one of Michael’s favorite books presented to the Young Adult Services of the Chicago Public Library in 1979, source: “Michael Jackson, The Early Years”


Amazon Description:

A magical book that has become an enduring children’s classic, The Red Balloon is the story of a young boy and his best friend–a bright red balloon. Chock-full of photographs of the boy, the balloon and the captivating city of Paris.

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year

Hollywood Reporter:


The Hollywood Reporter reports that three months before Jackson’s June 25th death, the singer had signed on to put up $8 million and co-direct an indie film about foster kids to be titled They Cage the Animals at Night that was based on a book by Jennings Michael Burch. Writer/director Bryan Michael Stoller tells the Reporter Jackson felt close to the story because his own childhood was tumultuous: “Michael told me often he felt like he grew up as an orphan, like a foster kid, because he never was in one home. To him every hotel was like a different foster home. He said he used to sit in the window and see kids playing outside and cry because he couldn’t be part of that.”

Though Jackson insiders deny the singer had an official agreement to work on the film, Stoller says Jackson brought author Burch to Neverland for an interview, which Stoller filmed and is looking to release now. The writer/director adds he and Jackson watched many movies together at Neverland, and To Kill a Mockingbird was the star’s favorite.


Barnes and Noble Description:

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.

Michael famously named the tree in Neverland that he would write songs in “The Giving Tree,” a reference to this book:


“I called it my giving tree because it inspires me. I love climbing trees in general but this tree I loved the most because I climb up high and look down at its branches and I just love it… So many ideas. I’ve written so many songs from this tree. I wrote “Heal the World” in this tree, “Will you be there”, “Black or White”, “Childhood”. I love climbing trees. I think water balloon fights and climbing trees.. those are two of my favorites.” – Michael Jackson

Amazon description:

To say that this particular apple tree is a “giving tree” is an understatement. In Shel Silverstein’s popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs. When he asks for money, she suggests that he sell her apples. When he asks for a house, she offers her branches for lumber. When the boy is old, too old and sad to play in the tree, he asks the tree for a boat. She suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft a boat out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said “M.E. + T.” “And then the tree was happy… but not really.” When there’s nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. “And the tree was happy.” While the message of this book is unclear (Take and take and take? Give and give and give? Complete self-sacrifice is good? Complete self-sacrifice is infinitely sad?), Silverstein has perhaps deliberately left the book open to interpretation. (All ages)



Source:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[di12]

Michael's Library - Part 1

The Library of Neverland

Bob Sanger, one of Michael's Lawyers in 2005
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

Michael's Library - Part II

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

It was really interesting to read. I will definitely read these books. Thanks

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part III

Amazon Description:

The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement is well documented in prose, but for sheer emotional power, nothing can compare to the pictures from this era. It’s a challenge for a writer’s words to match the force of Bob Adelman’s photographs in this book, but novelist and essayist Charles Johnson rises to the task in his treatment of King’s life and death, as well as the heroic struggle of African Americans in the United States. Johnson, the author of Middle Passage (which won the 1990 National Book Award), offers an exceptional counterpoint to the stirring images with the depth and weight of his essays and captions. “How soon we forget that King was not only a civil rights activist,” Johnson writes, “but also this country’s preeminent moral philosopher, a spiritual aspirant, a father and a husband, and that these diverse roles–these multiple dimensions of his too brief life–were the foundations for his singular ‘dream’ that inspired millions worldwide.”

Amazon description:

Novelists Simone Schwarz-Bart (Between Two Worlds; The Bridge of Beyond) and Andr‚ Schwarz-Bart (The Last of the Just) present volume one of a four-part work that will be published over the next three years entitled In Praise of Black Women: Ancient African Queens, translated from the French by Rose-Myriam R‚jouis and Val Vinokurov and featuring a foreword by Howard Dodson, director of New York’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. A blend of oral tradition, historical accounts and 600 vivid illustrations creatively arranged and bordered by informative sidebars, this enchanting work transports the reader back in time and gives a voice to the little-known black women of the past, like Yennenga, Mother of the Mossi People. Subsequent volumes will cover slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean, modern African women and modern women of the diaspora.

Amazon description:

Ordinary black women, more than any other group in America, have been left out of history. As Darlene Clark Hine points out in her introduction to this powerful and affecting book, “disseminating a visual history is more important with Black women, perhaps, than with any other single segment of the American population. We know all too well what this society believes black women look like. The stereotypes abound, from the Mammy to the maid, from the tragic mulatto to the dark temptress. America’s perceptions of Black women are colored by a host of derogatory images and assumptions that proliferated in the aftermath of slavery and, with some permutations, exist even today. We have witnessed the distortion of the image of black women in movies and on television. We have seen black women’s faces and bodies shamed and exploited. What we have not seen is the simple truth of their lives. This book will help to eradicate, or at least to dislodge, the many negative and dehumanizing stereotypes and caricatures of Black women that inhabit our consciousness.

What do black women look like? What do they look like at work or with their families? What faces do they choose to present to the world, and what faces has the world forced them to acquire? We can look in vain to most pictorial histories of America and even of African America for images of Black women. With noteworthy exceptions, even scholarly studies in Black women’s history tend to include few, if any, photographic images. Of the images that previously have been presented in print, the majority have been of famous Black women.

The Face of Our Past brings the ordinary Black woman to center stage, showing how she lives, loves her family, works to survive, fights for her people, and expresses her individuality. In addition to 302 cartefully chosen images, Kathleen Thompson and Hilary Mac Austin provide quotations from letters, diaries, journals, and other sources.

Friend Steve Manning:

He loved “Before the Mayflower”, by Lerone Bennet Jr. His parents always instilled Black history in him.


Amazon description:


“…one of the top 10 influential black books…Highly recommended.” — Black History 365, Volume Two Issue Two, Autumn 2008. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Traces black history from its origins in western Africa, through the transatlantic journey and slavery, the Reconstruction period, the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights movement, to life in the 1990s.

Amazon Description:

Photographer Eli Reed documents the black experience in America, from tender moments between parents and children and the deceptive innocence of rural life, to the tensions of the urban drug scene. His work seeks to show the truth, in images of black America pictured with anger and compassion.

Amazon Description:

A landmark compendium of African American achievement over the past 100 years, this text explores the lives and work of 150 men and women who have profoundly influenced our culture. Through their inspirational stories, Smith presents a compelling means for African American individuals to further explore their rich heritage and for all Americans to reflect upon a century of accomplishment. 150 photos.



Source:

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[TheChosenOne]

As always, great work, MJJ Laugh.

I will try to get my hands on some of these books.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part IV

From Rose Fine Michael Jackson 79 Tour


Amazon description:

All Tulo had wanted was some light and warmth to sustain him and his tiny sister through the terrible storm. But the star which he caught in the folds of his red kite promised far from more than that. Here is the shining, joyful message meant not only for the boy but for all those who dream of changing their lives for the better.

Michael Jackson 1996 Massachusets

Leaders Of Men: Types and Principals Of Success as illustrated in The Lives and Careers of Famous Americans of the present day. By: Henry Woldmar Ruoff

Review on ProfitAdvisors:

Your Creative Power is a classic exploration of the subject of creativity and generating ideas. It was originally released in 1948. The book is in the public domain. When you read the techniques and examples in the book, it is striking how they continue to be useful and relevant today. You could simply drop in the names of today’s businesses and tell very similar stories.

Alex Osborn became the executive vice president of BBDO, an advertising agency in 1939. In 1959, he founded the Creative Education Foundation, which was sustained by the royalties from his books. He also co-founded the Creative Education Foundation’s Creative Problem Solving Institute, the world’s longest-running international creativity conference.

According to Osborn, there are two types of thinking: judicial thinking and creative thinking. Judicial or logical thinking is a screening process, passing judgment on whether ideas are good or not. This type of thinking dominates the executive suites of most companies. Creative thinking is a free flow. It’s best used to generate ideas with no screening until after as many ideas as possible are generated.

An essential piece of the idea generation process is writing them down as you or a group thinks of them. Sometimes you can list hundreds of ideas, and finally the best one comes out.

Not sure if Michael had a copy of this for himself. Michael’s gift to one of the make up artists on the set of The Wiz. This was in a Juliens sale. Inscribed:
Julien’s auction notes:

Michael Jackson inscribed copy of “A Pictorial History of Horror Movies by Denis Gifford published in October 1977, given to make-up artist and horror-film aficionado Michael Thomas.

Inscription reads, “To Mike, I think the greatest preasent [sic] in the world is a book that is fitting to the desire. So freak yourself out! Love Michael Jackson 77 Wiz.”

Taj this book is valuable, I was only 3 years old when it came out. Cherish it always. Love, uncle Doo Doo MJ


Source(except for the last one):

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[souldreamer7]

MICHAEL JACKSON THROUGH THE YEARS IN INTERVIEWS:



In This As Follows:

October 18, 1969 ABC-TV's The Hollywood Palace Special
January 31 1970 American Bandstand
1972 interviewed by Robert Bernathy on CBS network
1977 Australian Molly Meldrum Interview
1979 Soul Train Interview
1979 Soulbeat Interview
1981 Diane Ross Television Special
1983 Entertainment Tonight Interviews
1983 on the set of Beat It Tom Joyner's Interview
1983 on the set of Beat it Entertainment Tonight Interview
1983 another rare interview
1984 Unauthorized Interview
1985 Telethon Perth Australia
February 2, 1986 CBS 60 minutes does a program on Quincy Jones in which Michael Jackson does a 5 minute interview talking about Quincy.
1987 Ebony/Jet Interview
1988 Australian Molly Meldrum Interview
1993 Oprah Interview
1995 Diane Sawyer Interview
1996 Australian Molly Meldrum Interview
1996 Vh1 Interview
1997 Barbra Walters Interview
1998 Interview
1999 MTV Interview
2001 Carson Daily Interview
2001 Entertainment Tonight ET Interview
2005 Fox News Interview
2006 Entertainment Tonight ET Interview

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part V

Amazon Overview:
The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English in 1923 by the Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran. In the book, the prophet Almustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.
A brilliant man's philosophy on love, marriage, joy and sorrow, time, friendship and much more.

Published 1983

When thoughts of love take up residence in your heart, they bring wonderful feelings of happiness, hope, and tenderness. They transform the world around you into a place where dreams really do come true; they bring a special beauty to each season of your life. Yet as powerful as these thoughts are, they aren’t always easy to express.

THOUGHTS OF LOVE is for anyone who has ever been at a loss for words to describe the overwhelming emotions created by love. The poems and writings collected here portray and celebrate love in all its many facets. This book is a beautiful gift to give, receive, and share between two hearts that know all the happiness a loving relationship can bring.

“Love is an understanding that is so complete that you feel as if you are a part of the other person, accepting the other person just the way they are, and not trying to change them to be something else. Love is the source of unity.” – Susan Polis Schutz.

Poet Rabindranath Tagore

Deepak Chopra, Huffington Post, June 26th 2009

That person, whom I considered (at the risk of ridicule) very pure, still survived — he was reading the poems of Rabindranath Tagore when we talked the last time, two weeks ago


Wikipedia Description:


Author of Gitanjali and its “profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse”, he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature. In translation his poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial; his seemingly mesmeric persona, floccose locks, and empyreal garb garnered him a prophet-like aura in the West. His “elegant prose and magical poetry” remain largely unknown outside Benga.

Printed on his souvenir letter set of Neverland.

The Children’s Hour

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations,
That is known as the Children’s Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O’er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

The Tyger" is a poem by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794 (see 1794 in poetry). It is one of Blake's best-known and most analyzed poems. The Cambridge Companion to William Blake (2003) calls it "the most anthologized poem in English."

Most modern anthologies have kept Blake's choice of the archaic spelling "tyger". It was a common spelling of the word at the time but was already "slightly archaic" when he wrote the poem; he spelled it as "tiger" elsewhere, and many of his poetic effects "depended on subtle differences of punctuation and of spelling." Thus, his choice of "tyger" has usually been interpreted as being for effect, perhaps to render an "exotic or alien quality of the beast", or because it's not really about a "tiger" at all, but a metaphor.

"The Tyger" is the sister poem to "The Lamb" (from "Songs of Innocence"), a reflection of similar ideas from a different perspective, but it focuses more on goodness than evil. The poem also presents a duality between aesthetic beauty and primal ferocity. The speaker wonders whether the hand that created "The Lamb" also created "The Tyger”.

The poem, together with other William Blake poetry, has been set to music by the group Tangerine Dream, and can be found on their album "Tyger" from 1987 (re-released 1992).

Printed in the “Thriller 25″ book.

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry

From The album History Notes this art done for the song Little Susie Art by Helnwein.

The song was inspired by this poem by Thomas Hood

The Bridge Of Sighs

One more Unfortunate,
Weary of breath,
Rashly importunate,
Gone to her death!

Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care;
Fashion’d so slenderly
Young, and so fair!

Look at her garments
Clinging like cerements;
Whilst the wave constantly
Drips from her clothing;
Take her up instantly,
Loving, not loathing.

Touch her not scornfully;
Think of her mournfully,
Gently and humanly;
Not of the stains of her,
All that remains of her
Now is pure womanly.

Make no deep scrutiny
Into her mutiny
Rash and undutiful:
Past all dishonour,
Death has left on her
Only the beautiful.

Still, for all slips of hers,
One of Eve’s family—
Wipe those poor lips of hers
Oozing so clammily.

Loop up her tresses
Escaped from the comb,
Her fair auburn tresses;
Whilst wonderment guesses
Where was her home?

Who was her father?
Who was her mother?
Had she a sister?
Had she a brother?
Or was there a dearer one
Still, and a nearer one
Yet, than all other?

Alas! for the rarity
Of Christian charity
Under the sun!
O, it was pitiful!
Near a whole city full,
Home she had none.

Sisterly, brotherly,
Fatherly, motherly
Feelings had changed:
Love, by harsh evidence,
Thrown from its eminence;
Even God’s providence
Seeming estranged.

Where the lamps quiver
So far in the river,
With many a light
From window and casement,
From garret to basement,
She stood, with amazement,
Houseless by night.

The bleak wind of March
Made her tremble and shiver;
But not the dark arch,
Or the black flowing river:
Mad from life’s history,
Glad to death’s mystery,
Swift to be hurl’d—
Anywhere, anywhere
Out of the world!

In she plunged boldly—
No matter how coldly
The rough river ran—
Over the brink of it,
Picture it—think of it,
Dissolute Man!
Lave in it, drink of it,
Then, if you can!

Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care;
Fashion’d so slenderly,
Young, and so fair!

Ere her limbs frigidly
Stiffen too rigidly,
Decently, kindly,
Smooth and compose them;
And her eyes, close them,
Staring so blindly!

Dreadfully staring
Thro’ muddy impurity,
As when with the daring
Last look of despairing
Fix’d on futurity.

Perishing gloomily,
Spurr’d by contumely,
Cold inhumanity,
Burning insanity,
Into her rest.—
Cross her hands humbly
As if praying dumbly,
Over her breast!

Owning her weakness,
Her evil behaviour,
And leaving, with meekness,
Her sins to her Saviour!



Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[Chamife]

Filipino traffic cop brings a little Michael Jackson to his job: http://youtu.be/44oEpvch4AQ

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part VI

Listed as one of Michael’s favorite books presented to the Young Adult Services of the Chicago Public Library in 1979, source: “Michael Jackson, The Early Years”

Amazon Description:

Originally published in six volumes, Sandburg’s Abraham Lincoln was called “the greatest historical biography of our generation.” Sandburg distilled this work into one volume that became the definitive life of Lincoln. Index; photographs.
About the Author
CARL SANDBURG (1878-1967) was twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize, first in 1940 for his biography of Abraham Lincoln and again in 1951 for Complete Poems. Before becoming known as a poet, he worked as a milkman, an ice harvester, a dishwasher, a salesman, a fireman, and a journalist. Among his classics are the Rootabaga Stories, which he wrote for his young daughters at the beginning of his long and distinguished literary career.

Barnes and Nobles description:

Originally published in 1852, this book is a faithful textual reproduction of the spiritual book of days carried by President Abraham Lincoln.
Annotation
Lincoln is famous to us for phrases and attitudes ringing with biblical references. He had internalized the music and the morality of the Bible–quite possibly by means of a book he signed and carried in his pocket called The Believer’s Daily Treasure. Reprinted in its entirety, this book provides proof of Lincoln’s deeply religious character.

Amazon Description:


One of the foremost entertainers of the twentieth century—singer, actor, choreographer, and, of course, the most dazzling “hoofer” in the history of motion pictures—Fred Astaire was the epitome of charm, grace, and suave sophistication, with a style all his own and a complete disregard for the laws of gravity. Steps in Time is Astaire’s story in his own words, a memoir as beguiling, exuberant, and enthralling as the great artist himself, the man ballet legends George Balanchine and Rudolf Nureyev cited as, hands down, the century’s greatest dancer.

From his debut in vaudeville at age six through his remarkable career as the star of many of the most popular Hollywood musicals ever captured on celluloid, Steps in Time celebrates the golden age of entertainment and its royalty, as seen through the eyes of the era’s affable and adored prince. Illustrated with more than forty rare photographs from the author’s personal collection, here is Astaire in all his debonair glory—his life, his times, his movies, and, above all, his magical screen appearances and enduring friendship with the most beloved of all his dancing partners, Ginger Rogers.

Amazon Description:

This is the Rolling Stones’ official story of life on the road, their home away from home for over thirty years, created with the exclusive cooperation of the band, their management, and a select few of their closest colleagues. The Rolling Stones–Mick, Keith, Charlie, Ron, Bill–tell their story in an incredibly candid first-person account which is complemented by hundreds of rare photographs. For this major project, the Stones looked to Dora Loewenstein, the daughter of their business manager, Prince Rupert Loewenstein. Having virtually grown up with them, she enjoys their confidence and support and has been entrusted to present their touring history, from its beginning in 1962/63 at small, local gigs, to their infamous world tours, culminating with their 1997/98 Bridges to Babylon tour. In a vivid text, based on extensive interviews conducted by Jools Holland, the Stones reminisce and comment on their experiences, the music, and the relationships which give the band its unique and enduring personality. The Stones’ sidemen, such as sax player Bobby Keys, and long-term associates also add their stories to the mix. The dazzling array of photographs are drawn from the Stones’ own archives and from untapped collections throughout the world. The Rolling Stones: A Life on the Road is the story, quite simply, of the greatest rock-and-roll band in the world doing what they do best.

Amazon Description:

The first compilation of Bruce Lee photographs published in association with the Bruce Lee estate. This book reveals the full range of Lee’s talents. It includes rare photos spanning from his early stage career in Hong Kong to his worldwide success as an actor and martial arts phenomenon. Selected with the assistance of Lee’s widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Lee expert John Little presents a photographic record, accompanied by descriptive commentary, of all facets of this fascinating man, from the start of his career to his untimely death a quarter century ago. Included are photos from Bruce’s personal family photos, from his childhood years, through the early years in Hollywood, to the peak of his career as an international star.

Elia Kazan Wikipedia description:

Kazan introduced a new generation of unknown young actors to the movie audiences, including Marlon Brando and James Dean. Most noted for drawing out the best dramatic performances from his actors, he directed 21 actors to Oscar nominations, resulting in nine wins. He became “one of the consummate filmmakers of the 20th century”, after directing a continual string of successful films, including, A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), and East of Eden (1955). During his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director and received an Honorary Oscar, won three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globes. Among the other new actors he introduced to movie audiences were Warren Beatty, Carroll Baker, Julie Harris, Andy Griffith, Lee Remick, Rip Torn, Eli Wallach, Eva Marie Saint, Martin Balsam, Fred Gwynne, and Pat Hingle. He also elicited some of the best performances in the careers of actors like Natalie Wood and James Dunn. Producer George Stevens, Jr., concludes that Kazan’s films and new actors have “changed American moviemaking.

Amazon Description:

Songs My Mother Taught Me has much to offer. First, it’s beautifully illustrated, beginning before the text with 24 pages of photographs covering Brando’s early life, continuing with a number of well-placed photos documenting various film shoots, and concluding with 32 pages of photographs near the end. Brando’s account of his early years rings true as he records the frailties of his alcoholic parents. His anecdotes about work and play are entertaining and memorable, and he addresses the many social causes he has championed. It’s an interesting, albeit incomplete, work: according to coauthor Lindsey, Brando promised to “hide nothing . . . except his marriages and his children.” (So many marriages, so many children.) Readers of Manso can’t come here to find Brando’s side of his marital troubles or the perplexing murder of his daughter’s husband at the hands of his son. But they will find insight into the life of a man who was definitely a contender.

Amazon Description:

Things We Said Today features rare interviews with The Beatles that open an extraordinary window into the issues that mattered most: war, sex, religion, and their relationships with each other. The book also includes interviews with Beatles insiders, including John Lennon’s family and Yoko Ono, as well as fascinating press releases and newspaper articles that chronicle their evolution into musical giants. Candid, provocative, illuminating, this is a welcome reissue of a ‘must-read’ book for Beatles fans.


Source:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Library - Part VII

Books On Chaplin and other celebrities. These were listed in a Juliens sale.

Photographic Collection of one of The greatest Comic Geniuses ever.

Amazon Description:

Born into a theatrical family, Chaplin’s father died of drink while his mother, unable to bear the poverty, suffered from bouts of insanity, Chaplin embarked on a film-making career which won him immeasurable success, as well as intense controversy. His extraordinary autobiography was first published in 1964 and was written almost entirely without reference to documentation – simply as an astonishing feat of memory by a 75 year old man. It is an incomparably vivid reconstruction of a poor London childhood, the music hall and then his prodigious life in the movies.

These are among the many rare first-edition and out-of-print Disney books Jackson collected and stored in his library. “He had thousands of Disney books that he had bought, that people had given him, that Disney had given him,” Miko Brando says. “He studied and read them. He knew a lot about Disney, one of his biggest heroes.” Michael didn’t limit himself to books. “He collected everything Walt Disney from A to Z. When we’d go to Disneyland, he’d buy a lot of souvenirs. Anything Disney, he had it.”

The Art Of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse To The Magic Kingdoms
Walt Disney’s Treasury of Children’s Classics
Mickey Mouse by Pierre Lambert
The Quotable Walt Disney
Discover Walt: The Magical Life of Walt Disney
Disney’s World: A Biography, by Leonard Moslev
Walt Disney: An American Original
Walt Disney: Famous Quotes
Of Mice And Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, by Leonard Maltin
The Updated Official Encyclopedia: Disney A to Z

The Complete Works of O. Henry



Listed as one of Michael’s favorite books presented to the Young Adult Services of the Chicago Public Library in 1979, source: “Michael Jackson, The Early Years”

Description on Wikipedia:

O. Henry’s stories are famous for their surprise endings, to the point that such an ending is often referred to as an “O. Henry ending.” He was called the American answer to Guy de Maupassant. Both authors wrote twist endings, but O. Henry stories were much more playful. His stories are also well known for witty narration. Most of O. Henry’s stories are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century. Many take place in New York City and deal for the most part with ordinary people: clerks, policemen, waitresses.

Owner of Bookstore “Dutton’s Books in Brentwood,”

“He loved the poetry section,” Dave Dutton said as Dirk chimed in that Ralph Waldo Emerson was Jackson’s favorite. “I think you would find a great deal of the transcendental, all-accepting philosophy in his lyrics.”

Wikipedia summary on Emerson’s work:


Emerson wrote on a number of subjects, never espousing fixed philosophical tenets, but developing certain ideas such as individuality, freedom, the ability for humankind to realize almost anything, and the relationship between the soul and the surrounding world. Emerson’s “nature” was more philosophical than naturalistic; “Philosophically considered, the universe is composed of Nature and the Soul.”

While his writing style can be seen as somewhat impenetrable, and was thought so even in his own time, Emerson’s essays remain among the linchpins of American thinking, and Emerson’s work has greatly influenced the thinkers, writers and poets that have followed him. When asked to sum up his work, he said his central doctrine was “the infinitude of the private man.”

Suzi Nash, 1976:

In later years, on her way to visit Jackson during one of his Philadelphia concert gigs, Suzi grabbed an old book from her parents’ shelf without noticing the title. She just wanted to give Jackson a gift and she remembered his fondness for antique tomes. As fate would have it, it was “As a Man Thinketh,” a 1902 volume by James Allen.

“He looked at me and almost kind of jumped back. He said, ‘What made you give me this? What made you pick this one?,’” said Suzi.

He told her it was his “favorite book in the world.” The title is based on Chapter 23, Verse 7 of the Bible’s Book of Proverbs: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”

Amazon description:

A long-standing classic in the field of self-help, this book is a must read for anyone interested in bettering themselves. The human mind is more powerful than most people know and this book provides readers with a major key in teaching us how to use it properly. Thoughts are what truly control your life, and this book can well be considered a kind of “owner’s manual” for the mind. The teachings are simple but powerful. Chapters include Thought and Character, Effect of Thought on Circumstances, Effect of Thought on Health and the Body, Thought and Purpose, The Thought-Factor in Achievement, Visions and Ideals, and Serenity.

Frank Cascio, “My Friend Michael”:

The first book Michael had me read was The Power of Positive Thinking. I saw how the ideas in hat book connected to some of the things that Michael had been talking about. I was intrigued, and just like that the barrier between me and reading was broken.


Amazon description:

The phenomenal and inspiring bestseller by the father of positive thinking. THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING is a practical, direct-action application of spiritual techniques to overcome defeat and win confidence, success and joy. Norman Vincent Peale, the father of positive thinking and one of the most widely read inspirational writers of all time, shares his famous formula of faith and optimism which millions of people have taken as their own simple and effective philosophy of living. His gentle guidance helps to eliminate defeatist attitudes, to know the power you possess and to make the best of your life.


Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...889990378.140746.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

Sisterella

Hart wrote the book, music and lyrics for “Sisterella,” which was executive produced and presented by Michael Jackson and Jerry Greenberg, and produced by Robert DeNiro, Tribecca Films and Miramax. With Jackson’s support, “Sisterella” went on to do great things. While in Los Angeles, “Sisterella” received rave reviews and won 16 NAACP Theater Award nominations and eight NAACP Theater Awards including best Play and Best Director. In Europe, “Sisterella” was voted show of the decade.

Hart reflects, “Michael was my business partner, who became a dear friend. I am the only composer on earth that Michael Jackson ever attached his name to a project that was not of his creation.” Hart acknowledges Jackson’s mentoring on the show from new techniques in the studio for the cast album to his influence on the costumes and dance.


WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF SISTERELLA ?

Sisterella made it’s debut in Los Angeles at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse, in 1996, opening to rave reviews, multiple awards and accolades, breaking and holding the 85 year box office record as being the most successful show in the history of the Pasadena Playhouse. Two Multi-million dollar limited run tours were licensed in Germany/Europe and Australia. In it’s European Tour Sisterella was voted “Show of the Decade” by European Theater fans.


S Y N O P S I S


Ella's father dies while she is away at school, and Dahlia, his new wife, is elated to have at last got the money she wants.

When Ella returns she discovers that she has been moved to the attic and must live as a servant.
It turns out, however, that at the last minute her father changed his will, leaving the money to Ella.

But in her role as Ella's guardian, Dahlia proves that But in her role as Ella's guardian, Dahlia proves that "her daughter" is insane and has her committed to an asylum.

A Prince Jean-Luc who has just come into his own in his far away country gives a ball. A Prince Jean-Luc who has just come into his own in his far away country gives a ball.

Ella escapes and attends. The Prince loves her even when he hears her story, though his parents object to the relationship.

Ella is detained, awaits trial with her defense attorney Ambassador Indursky. Ella is detained, awaits trial with her defense attorney Ambassador Indursky.

At the trial Ella is found to be sane and comes into her own.

Finale Music.



You can see clips here when you scroll down.



<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V8UybZFRdOA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Larry Hart regarding Michael Jackson

It is with deepest sadness that I have lost my friend, Michael Jackson. Michael was a business partner, who became a dear friend. I am the only composer on earth that Michael Jackson ever attached his name to a project that was not of his creation. Michael was the Executive Producer (along with Jerry Greenberg), Presenter and Investor with his record company MJJ Music of my stage musical "Sisterella". With his support, Sisterella went on to do great things. While in Los Angeles, Sisterella received rave reviews,12 N.A.A.C.P. Theater Award nominations and 8 N.A.A.C.P. Theater Awards including Best Play and Best Director. In Europe, Sisterella was voted show of the decade.Michael Jackson changed my life with his belief in me, his support, and his extraordinary talent. I learned many new techniques in the studio while recording the cast album for Sisterella from Michael, and my days working on the album at Sony Music and at MJJ will always be cherished. Michael influenced so much of Sisterella, from the music, to the costumes to the award winning choreography by Raymond G. del Barrio. Sisterella was, in many ways homage to Michael. It was an extraordinary time in my life, made possible by an extraordinary man.

To celebrate the success of Sisterella, when it opened in Los Angeles, Michael hosted a celebration at Neverland, and invited my family and the whole cast for a day like no other.That visit became the first of many.On closing day at Pasadena Playhouse, Michael came to see the show and see us off before we left to go on tour in Europe. For the European tour, Michael again was the Presenter and Executive Producer of Sisterella.To this day,I attribute the success of Sisterella to Michael, his friendship and support.The last time I heard from Michael was last October. He left a voicemail message for me, to sing Happy Birthday to me. I hadn't heard from him in a while, and that message is more poignant today, as it was surprising and touching then. I will miss my friend Michael.You changed my life and I will always love you.

Larry Hart



Sources:

http://www.vegasnews.com/9901/larry...l-jackson-tribute-in-praise-show-july-12.html

http://www.sisterella.com/about.html

http://www.larryhartpraise.com/aboutlarryhart.html

 

[MJJLaugh]

Bruce Swedien: Recording Michael Jackson

Legendary engineer on Thriller
Published in SOS November 2009



Bruce Swedien has been the engineer of choice for Michael Jackson and his producer Quincy Jones, among many others. In a rare interview, he lays bare the techniques behind some of the superstar’s biggest hits.

Mike Senior

Bruce Swedien at the Harrison console in Westlake Studios, in a photo taken during the mixing of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Bruce Swedien considers himself a lucky man. As the man at the desk for Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which has defended its best-selling album status in the Guinness Book Of World Records for more than 25 years, there’s no denying that he found himself in the right place at the right time, and there can have been few doors closed to him since, given a CV point like that! But if you look beyond the glare of Thriller’s nine-digit sales figures, it’s clear that there’s a whole lot more to Swedien’s story than good fortune: although the first of his five Grammy awards came with Thriller, his records with Quincy Jones and George Benson had already garnered three nominations for Best Engineered Recording before that.
The only child of classically trained musicians, he not only received a solid musical education, but also unquestioning support when their 10th birthday gift to him, a disc-recording machine, revealed the strength of his true vocation. By the age of 14 he was spending his holidays recording all comers, and even set up his own radio station to broadcast the results to the neighbourhood! At 19 he’d already worked for Tommy Dorsey and was setting up his own commercial studio in an old cinema in his home town of Minneapolis. By 1957, the 21-year-old was recording the Chicago Symphony Orchestra professionally for RCA Victor, before moving on to Universal Studios the following year, joining Bill Putnam in his pioneering experiments with early stereo and multitrack techniques.
“Bill Putnam was the most gracious guy in life, and he took me under his wing,” Swedien recalls. “Universal was a fabulous studio. Studio A was a huge room designed by Bill, and was just gorgeous. The room itself was a musical instrument, it was so great, and I later did many, many big recordings there. Bill had me follow him around for quite a while before I really got started, but being with him was... whoa, what an experience! In particular, I remember him saying ‘Don’t just sit down here in the control room. Go see what it sounds like in the studio and listen to the music.’ And I still love doing that.”


So Musical It Hurts

A typical Bruce Swedien drum-miking setup, used here to record Omar Hakim for Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me... Then. Swedien is a recent convert to Royer ribbon mics, used here as overheads. Tom mics are Neumann U87s, and you can just see the little wood/mu-metal baffle Swedien uses to reduce hi-hat spill on the snare close mic.

A couple of years after Bruce Swedien joined Universal Studios, Bill Putnam headed out to California to build his studios there. His place as the young engineer’s musical mentor, however, was quickly filled by up-and-coming composer, arranger, and producer Quincy Jones. “Do you know how fortunate I am to have worked with Quincy?” asks Bruce Swedien. “Quincy is so musical it hurts, and his knowledge is so complete. He studied orchestration in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, who also taught people like Ravel, and Quincy was a star pupil.
“Let me give you an example. Quincy and I first worked together with Michael Jackson on the movie The Wiz. We were living together at a hotel in Manhattan, and we would go to Studio A at A&R Studios. We had a big session at noon on Monday to record some of the music with a big 70- or 80-piece orchestra, and we had to leave for the studio at 10am. The night before, Quincy and I had guests at our hotel for dinner, and Quincy still hadn’t even started on the orchestration for the opening titles. I was getting a little nervous, but he said not to worry about it. At about four that morning, I woke up and noticed under my door that all the lights in the apartment were blazing. There’s Quincy at the dining-room table with a billion sheets of manuscript paper, and he was writing orchestrations. I said ‘Quincy, we’ve got to leave soon!’, but he just said ‘Don’t worry about it’ so I went back to bed.
“At about nine o’clock I got up again, and Quincy said to me ‘I’m all set’. There wasn’t even a piano or a guitar in the apartment; just Quincy and his manuscript paper! Off we go to the studio, and Quincy hands over his score to the copyists. He didn’t even want to conduct — he’d hired a conductor because he wanted to be in the control room with me. The conductor gave the down beat, the orchestra played the entire overture, and there was not a single note out of place. It still gives me the chills to think about it!”

By the time of his first encounter with Michael Jackson, Swedien had already racked up recordings with Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington at Universal, before going freelance in 1967 and adding further artists such as Jackie Wilson, Buddy Miles, Tyrone Davis and the Chi-Lites to his resumé. So when the opportunity of working with Quincy Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton on Jackson’s coming-of-age album Off The Wall came up, there’s no question that Bruce Swedien was already established and successful in his own right. Lucky? Don’t you believe it!

The Thrill Of Acusonic

Bruce Swedien’s custom-made kick-drum cover.

By the time the Thriller sessions started in April 1982, Jackson’s fifth solo record, Off The Wall, had already done brisk business, becoming the first solo record to spawn four US top-10 singles and earning the singer his first Grammies for more than a decade. So how on earth did the same production team come up with a successor that managed to outperform Off The Wall’s estimated 20 million sales by a factor of five? One slice of hindsight on the subject from Quincy Jones has always particularly intrigued me: “We had to leave space for God to walk through the room.” I ask Bruce Swedien to elucidate what this meant in practice.
“He wanted to leave an opportunity for the unexpected to happen,” he explains. “For instance, I was allowed the freedom to make microphone choices, and nobody ever said a word. I just did it. For example, I used a Shure SM7 on most of Michael’s lead vocals — ‘Billie Jean’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ — and boy, did that raise some eyebrows! But I love that mic, and I have six of them. Michael, Quincy, and Rod were also smart enough to leave me alone while I was mixing, and that meant I did my best work. They’d leave the room and I’d get it all shaped up and ready, and then they’d come back and we’d listen and make slight adjustments, but I don’t remember being too far out.”

Sharp-eyed fans scrutinising Thriller’s liner notes quickly spotted the rubric “Recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien using the Acusonic Recording Process,” and there has been continued speculation that some mysterious studio gizmo had given Jackson’s record the edge, despite the engineer formally putting the subject to bed in a lecture in 1984. The Acusonic Recording Process (and the synonymous Quantum Range Recording Process) was not some kind of processing innovation, but rather a name for the manner in which Swedien synchronised multiple 24-track tape machines to access a practically limitless track count.

One of the original track sheets from the Thriller albums.

Here, as elsewhere, every source is recorded in stereo.
However, despite the busting of the ‘black box’ myth, there are indeed fundamental ways in which the Acusonic approach affected the sound of Thriller, and indeed its predecessor. In the first instance, it allowed Swedien to circumvent one of the deleterious side-effects of tape-based multitracking: that repeated playback of the tape during the overdubbing and production process would progressively dull the transients of previous recorded tracks. “If you go back to the recordings I made with Michael, my big worry was that if those tapes got played repeatedly, the transient response would be minimised. I heard many recordings of the day that were very obviously done that way, and there were no transients left on those tapes. So what I would do would be to record the rhythm section on a 24-track tape, then take that tape and put it away and wouldn’t play it again until the final mix. And — holy cow — what a difference that made! It was just incredible.”

By using a SMPTE timecode track on each tape and then sync’ing the master rhythm-section tape to new reels, any number of ‘work tapes’ could be generated for the purposes of overdubbing, each furnished with a handful of submixed cue tracks from the master reel. “At the end of the tracking sessions, I could premix each of those tapes down to only a pair of tracks during the final mix, and that would give me a huge number of tracks to use. So, for example, all the background vocals on ‘Rock With You’ were recorded on a separate 24-track, and then I premixed them for the final mix.”

Another shot from the Thriller mixing session, showing Swedien at work with producer/arranger Quincy Jones (right) and Swedien’s assistant Ed Cherney (left), who has since become an extremely successful producer in his own right.

While transient definition is clearly a hallmark of these records, Acusonic’s practically limitless track count was also crucial, because it allowed Swedien the freedom to indulge his passion for stereo recording, an enthusiasm reaching back to his days with Bill Putnam in Chicago. What this meant was that a large proportion of the overdubs on Michael Jackson’s albums were actually recorded in stereo, thereby improving the sense of width, realism, and emotional immediacy. As he comments in his new book, In The Studio With Michael Jackson: “These true stereo images add much to the depth and clarity of the final production. I have a feeling that this one facet of my production technique contributes more to the overall sonic character of my work than any other single factor.”

Swedien continues to record the majority of things in stereo to this day, and when it comes down to preferred stereo techniques, he’s forthright in his opinions: “I am a firm believer in Blumlein pair. It can do a lot to enhance the width of the sound, even if the stuff gets played back on small stereo speakers. I’m also not crazy about Mid/Side; it’s a technique that is almost useless for recording like I do, so I’ll always go for spaced or Blumlein pairs. I’ll use cardioid or omni mics for the Blumlein pairs — omnis work great — but bi-directional mics make it a little difficult. Stereo mics are vastly overrated. You can do a lot more with a pair of microphones. I haven’t heard any really good stereo microphones. I’m still waiting for the first one of those.”

Working The Room

Hal Leonard recently published Bruce Swedien’s In The Studio With Michael Jackson, which complements his earlier Make Mine Music. Both provide a great deal of further background about his upbringing, influences and working methods.

The more you speak to Bruce Swedien, the more it becomes apparent that, like many of the most celebrated engineers who cut their teeth in the ’50s and ’60s, he focuses a great deal of effort while recording on tailoring the sound he’s getting in the room. In particular, though, he makes a point of pursuing a unique sonic personality for each record he works on. Take, for example, this situation he recalls from his early career at Universal, recording the Count Basie Band and singer Joe Williams for the album Just The Blues — a bit of recording bravado that almost cost him his job! “I remember one song [‘Night Time Is The Right Time’] that had a gorgeous trombone solo, and I thought to myself ‘Wouldn’t it be great to give that trombone solo a unique sonic image?’ So I told the soloist that, when it was time for him to solo, he should get up and tiptoe over into the corner of the studio, and play his solo into the corner, away from all the mics. He did that, and everybody went bananas! I’m still so proud of that recording. It’s very unusual and it really works. That’s what I call sonic personality.”

This kind of studio experimentation is all over the Michael Jackson records, and has frequently been mistaken for post-production electronics. The special effect on the ‘Don’t think twice!’ interjection in verse two of ‘Billie Jean’, for instance, was created by singing through a five-foot long cardboard tube. The drums on the same track are no machine, as is often assumed, but a single live drum take recorded with extreme separation: the hat was isolated from the snare using a purpose-built foot-square wood and mu-metal panel, and the kick was recorded using another piece of bespoke baffling. “It was the first time I took the kick drum apart,” remembers Swedien. “I took the front head off, put a special cinderblock in it for weight, and then had this cover made out of furniture blanket with a zippered hole for the mic to go through.”

The ‘Billie Jean’ drum sound, like that on many of Swedien’s records, also relied on a purpose-built drum riser the engineer originally had constructed for recording the previous album’s ‘Rock With You’: a braced, eight-foot-square wooden platform raised 10 inches off the ground. “The reason I wanted the drums to be up off the floor,” he wrote in his autobiography, Make Mine Music, “is to keep the low-frequency drum sounds (such as the bass drum and tom-toms) from coupling with the surface of the floor and entering the sound pickup area of the microphones on the other instruments in the session. This secondary pickup of the low-frequency end of the drum kit can travel through walls! By putting the drum setup on my drum platform, those low sounds never had the chance of connecting with the floor and creating off-mic, obscure, second-hand pickup.”

‘Rock With You’ is also an excellent showcase for another of Swedien’s creative live-room production techniques. Each of the backing-vocal lines was first double-tracked with a close mic, then Jackson moved a couple of steps back from the mic for another pass, while Swedien increased the preamp gain to match his level with the previous takes. Finally, an even more distant pass was captured using a Blumlein stereo pair, again matched for level. The result: an increased density of early reflections, which creates a natural depth and width to the soundfield.

Early reflections were also an important part of the lead vocal sound on Jackson’s later records from Bad onwards, where the singer was set up on Swedien’s aforementioned drum riser to amplify the sound of his dancing, and then surrounded by Tube Traps (the common studio nickname for ASC’s tubular Studio Traps). Not only did this approach create a dense and controllable pattern of early reflections to support the singing and dancing sounds, but it also kept the sound at the mic much more consistent as Jackson moved while dancing. “The Tube Trap, to me, is one of the greatest things since sliced bread,” he enthuses. “Michael loved my Tube Traps — he was fascinated with them. We would try all sorts of different setups with the Tube Traps to get a soundfield that was really interesting. They save a lot of time.”

Transients & Compression

While the Acusonic Recording Process clearly played an important role in delivering Thriller’s unique wide-screen, percussive sound, it’s clear from speaking to Bruce Swedien that there’s more to the recipe than fresh tape. Credit must also go to his own personal collection of classic mics, which he ferries around to all his recording sessions. (See the ‘Bruce Swedien’s Microphones’ box for more details.) “All of my mics I bought new, and all of the really important ones are sequential serial numbers. No-one else has ever used them, so they’re all in really good condition. That’s part of the secret.”

Given Swedien’s repeated emphasis on maximising pickup of transients through mic selection and careful use of the recording medium, it makes sense that he has trenchant views on the use of compression. “I’m not a big fan of compression or limiting at all — I can’t emphasise that enough. On many of the recordings that you hear today, all the excitement and all the colour is gone because they’re so over-compressed. I never did that. I would never have a compressor or limiter on the [master] bus, for instance. I want all that transient information there. And no compression or limiting on any drums or percussion. That’s one of the biggest mistakes that I hear, I think, in modern pop recording. The stuff is so compressed they’ve limited the living doo-doo out of the sound.”

That’s not to say that he leaves the dynamics of the performance completely untouched, but is much more inclined to achieve the required dynamic control through to-tape fader rides while overdubbing and automation while mixing. “I’m a nutcase about details in the mix, so I’ll use automation to a degree, but only very subtle compression. I have a pair of the new variety of [Universal Audio] LA2As that I just love, so I will use those, but it’ll only just be tickling the meter, at the most one or two decibels. I don’t like what happens to the sound when you compress any further, and that’s very important to me.”

The Colour Of Magic

Talk of compression turns our conversation towards the mixdown process, and here Swedien is quick to point out that, as a colour-sound synaesthete, he works in a world where there is a direct connection between sounds and colours. Although this mode of perception is rare, he’s by no means the only musician who has been touched by it. Classical luminaries such as Liszt, Sibelius, Rimsky-Korsakov, Messiaen and Ligeti have all correlated colours with keys, chords and timbres; and, beyond that field, musicians such as Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Billy Joel, Eddie Van Halen, Tori Amos and Aphex Twin have all shown evidence of synaesthesia, as have well-known producers such as Geoff Emerick, Pharrell Williams, Rollo Armstrong... and Quincy Jones!

“I have synaesthesia, and Quincy does too,” confirms Swedien. “The low frequencies are represented by dark colours like black and purple, while high frequencies are bright colours such as silver and gold. When I listen to a mix I want to see all those colours. I mix in the control room with very low light level, because I think that the human being is primarily a visual animal, but the way the music hits us is purely an aural experience, so I try to minimise the visual aspect of what is affecting me while I mix, by keeping the control room rather dark. And, of course, I’ll close my eyes for some of the time.”

When it comes to specific mixing techniques, Swedien proves tricky to pin down, but not on account of any defensiveness on his part — it’s just that he feels that he doesn’t actually rationalise the process, and relies as much as possible on intuition. “You can’t pre-think choices like those. That’s a mistake that I see often, and I’m devastated by what I hear in the mixes of some modern recordings, because it’s obvious that people are thinking about the technical aspect of it and not the music. You’ve got to make that separation early in your career: the technical part of it is meaningless. For example, I usually start with the rhythm section, but it kind of depends on the music. There are no specific rules that you can apply. If you do you’re going to be asking for trouble, because some music is different.”

However, he does make clear in his autobiography that he regularly refers back to his earliest rough balances while mixing, in order to remind himself of his initial gut reactions while mixing, gut reactions which he has learned through long experience to trust. “The clarity of the lyric and the passion of the music are what’s most important to me, and it’s really easy to put those values out of sight and just mix until they’re not there any more. For example, I did 91 mixes of ‘Billie Jean’, and finally Quincy said ‘Let’s go back and listen to mix number two.’ And we did, and it blew us all away! I had overmixed that song right into the pooper, so the mix that went onto the record was mix number two.”

Looking at Bruce Swedien’s monitoring setup at his own West Viking Studio in Florida, I immediately spotted some familiar little cubic speakers sitting atop the meterbridge: a pair of Auratone 5Cs. Does he recommend them? He almost jumps out of his chair: “I love Auratones! You know what Quincy calls them? The Truth Speakers. There’s no hype with an Auratone, and it’s sad that you can’t buy them any more. I knew the guy who made them out in San Diego, but he died a couple of years ago. If you see any Auratones on eBay, buy them! I have about three or four sets of them. Probably 80 percent of the mix is done on the Auratones, and then I’ll have a final listen or two on the big speakers — I have Westlake speakers which I absolutely love, with special custom-built power amps. I don’t listen very loud on the Auratones; the SPL is maybe 85dB for the bulk of the mixing work. If I were to allow conversation to go on in the control room while I was mixing, it would be easy to do, but I hate distractions when I’m mixing, which is another reason why I usually ask everybody to leave.” Many engineers use a single Auratone in mono, but Swedien has no truck with that: “I hate mono, and I’m not a big fan of surround either. I love stereo. If you’ve got your shit together, and you know what you’re doing, you can do as much with two-channel stereo as most mixers can do with surround.”

A prominent pair of illuminated VU meters also dominates the meterbridge. “I love VU meters. Mine were found for me by Allen Sides at Ocean Way Studios, and they’re gorgeous meters. They will register some sounds, for example low frequencies, which may not be audible on the Auratones, so I do rely on them heavily. I am quite fussy about mix levels and bus levels. If you’re trying to make your mixes as clear and clean as possible, you kind of have to keep it at zero or less on the bus, because those meters are designed to resemble our human hearing, and the peaks, although they may not look like much, may be tremendous. If you’re not careful, they can make mixes that sound rather ugly.”

The engineer’s ‘less is more’ approach to EQ is already well documented: “The trick is to use as little EQ as possible to achieve the desired result,” he writes in his autobiography. However, he has also been a long-time advocate of the EQ in the Harrison mixing consoles, and has owned a 3232C desk himself since using the 4032 at Westlake Studios for Thriller. ‘Spectacular’ and ‘dynamite’ are epithets that come up in our conversation, not just in relation to the main swept bands, but even to the high-pass filter: “It isn’t ‘just a filter’. It’s so dramatic — if you put it at 40Hz, that’s exactly what you get. And if you use the high-pass filter wide open, it is wide open. And the important thing is that the audio the filters lets through is absolutely untouched.”

Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough

Credits on Michael Jackson’s string of hit solo albums would be ample excuse for any engineer to rest on their laurels, but that’s clearly not Bruce Swedien’s style. He continues to produce records for such renowned artists as Santana and Jennifer Lopez, as well as dedicating himself to nurturing new generations of engineering talent via courses and seminars. Who knows? You might bump into him yourself one of these days. If you’re lucky.


The Inspirational Michael Jackson

While researching for this interview, I happened on the following comment from Bruce Swedien regarding recording Michael Jackson’s vocals: “Damn near any chimpanzee could record Michael. I mean he is such a pro, it is unbelievable!” I asked him to elaborate. “Michael was not an ordinary vocalist or an ordinary singer,” he explains. “If any young people in the music industry take the decision to use Michael as an inspiration, that’s about the smartest thing that they could possibly do. In the studio you hardly knew he was there -— he was extremely quiet and polite and kind -— but he really cared about the quality of what we were doing. Not only the technical quality, but the musicality, and his pitch, and the lyrics, the arrangements, and so on. For example, I don’t think I ever saw Michael with the lyrics in front of him. He’d always been up the night before memorising the lyrics and he sang the songs from memory. And every day that we recorded vocals his vocal coach was there, and he warmed up for an hour beforehand. That made a big difference.”


Source:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov09/articles/swedien.htm#Top

 

[MJJLaugh]

How Michael Jackson saved my life…
Published January 5, 2010 | By jodycakes

Oh…and also got me kicked out of Health Ed class in High School…but you’ll have to read on to see how.

Just a little antecdote for Wednesday morning.

I absolutely have adored Michael Jackson since I can remember…seriously. My folks took a girlfriend of mine & I to Jacksonville (how fitting, eh), Florida for a “business trip”…and surprised us that night at dinner with tickets to the Jackson’s Victory Tour in July 1984, just days before my 13th birthday. Heidi and I screamed at the top of our lungs, probably to the shreiking heights of Twilight Mania…no lie. My father enjoyed it just as much as we did…and for years, attempted (embarrasing the crap out of me) the Moonwalk.

I remember seeing Thriller for the first time and thinking that had to be one of the coolest videos ever done…well, besides Duran Duran’s Rio.

There were SO many jams through the years that I cried, sang, danced, skated, kissed, drove to…MJ was always prevelant during my formative years in the ’80&#8242;s. For sure.

Fast forward to Heritage High School…1st floor, Mr. Griebel’s Health Ed class, fall of 1988. Sitting bored, staring longingly at one of the varsity outside linebackers…hearing the “wah, wah, wah…” of Mr. Griebel discussing CPR.
Since I had been riding horses competitively for several years by this point, and we were always put through training classes on injuries, etc. I was completely unaware that we would actually be called up in front of the class to administer CPR to the dummy on the table.

Daydreaming about Mr. Football player…I hear my name a few times, bringing things back into focus. Being a bit shy and leader among nerds, I was MORTIFIED that I was being asked to do the steps. Do you remember how it goes?

Call out the name of the victim trying to get a response (in this case, we were using a naked dummy named Resusci®-Anne) – Call for 911
Tilt the head back to open the Airway – feel for breath, look to see if chest is rising
Breathe for the victim (pinch nose, place mouth firmly over mouth of victim and blow)
Find area below sternum, and take both hands to pump (or aid circulation) to the chest area
Check airway again – if not breathing, repeat steps until help arrives

Okay, so this may not be exactly how they do it these days…but this is from memory.

So…in all of my embarrasment, I slinked up to the front of the room, looked around at my peers – who sat as interested in this as Spicolli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I cleared my throat nervously, wondering if I would possibly DIE RIGHT THERE

I decided to not only ask if the dummy was okay, I decided it would be better to SING to her in the vein of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal – “Annie, Annie are you okay, are you okay Annie…you’ve been struck by…you’ve been hit by a smoooooooooooooooth criminal…”

The class roared with laughter and I was immediately sent out of the room.

I think of this moment from time to time, especially when the original song comes on…not the Alien Ant Farm remake.

Source:

http://www.wheresmydamnanswer.com/WP02/how-michael-jackson-saved-my-life/

 

[MJJLaugh]

How He Changed the World
Written by Emmanuel Uffot
Sunday, 05 July 2009

Michael Jackson had the power to change the world and did so for the less privileged

It is common knowledge worldwide that the late music Icon, Michael Jackson, was famous, successful and wealthy during the peak of his musical career. Many also knew that he lived a weird and reclusive life that was immersed in controversies. But not many, including most of his ardent fans worldwide, knew that within the heart of the legendary pop star was a milk of human kindness which propelled him to give back to the society through works of charity targeted at children, the poor, deprived and the needy.

A record of Michael Jackson’s charitable works hitherto unknown to many are eye catching. Apart from the celebrated We are the world hit, he wrote in 1984 with the support of Lionel Richie whose live concert tagged "USA Aid for Africa", raised more than $100 million which was later donated as relief aid to Ethiopian famine victims and other needy African countries. Michael Jackson's contributions to charity began in January 1979 when he donated books to the Chicago Public Library’s Young Adult Section to promote reading culture.

In 1981, Jackson, moved by the spate of kidnappings and murdering of children in Atlanta, Georgia, donated $100,000 to the Atlanta Children’s Foundation. The money was raised from his concert in that state.

In 1984, the pop star focused his charitable works on hospitals and medical institutions. Perhaps this was prompted by the burns he had sustained on his scalp during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. After his treatment at Brotman Medical Centre in California, he donated a hyperbaric chamber used for the treatment of burns to the hospital. His philanthropic gesture also saw him committing $1.5 million towards equipping the Burn Centre named after him. The sum was an out of court settlement he got from Pepsi for the burns he sustained during the shooting of their commercials. He was also credited to having single-handedly equipped the 19-bed unit at the Mount Sinai, New York Medical centre which serves as research centre for leukemia and cancer diseases.

His charitable works did not escape the notice and commendation of the United States government. In May 1984, Michael Jackson donated his song Beat It for use as a theme song for the national advertising campaign initiated by the government against drinking and smoking. For this gesture, the then President Ronald Reagan honoured him with a Special Achievement Award.

Two months after the honour, he again donated all the proceeds of his performance tour to charity. Michael was quoted as saying that his action was based on an earlier decision he took to donate all the money he made from his Victory tour concerts to charity.

He also exhibited his philanthropic gesture in September 1987 during his performance tour of Japan by donating $20,000 to the family of a young Japanese boy, Yoshiyaki, who was kidnapped and killed. He nonetheless dedicated his tour of the country to the deceased boy. Beyond that, he was so overwhelmed with emotions over the incident that he said: “I am very sorry and deeply saddened to hear about Yoshiyaki, I hope such a brutal and heartbreaking thing never happens again. I would like to dedicate my Japanese tour to Yoshiyaki,” Michael said.

Although vilified by many Africans who interpreted his several plastic surgeries on his face as evidence of his contempt for blacks, Michael, according to recent findings, identified with black struggle and was reputed to have assisted efforts of agencies to fight prejudices against black artistes.

Even though many people had scorned his reclusive nature, some of his charitable works prop up Michael Jackson as an altruistic fellow. Often times he had to deny himself by disposing his personal effects to recoup money for the sustenance of his charitable works. One instance was when he donated his personal effects like sunglasses, T-shirts and windbreaker to the UNESCO for auction so that the proceeds could be used for the education of children in developing countries.

Jackson loved children and this, no doubt, influenced his charitable works which over 60 percent was targeted at helping needy children. When stuffed animals modelled after his zoo were released to the market for sale in October 1986, he requested that one dollar be deducted from each purchase and donated to a children’s charity. Similarly in November 1987, he donated 10,000 pounds to the Children in Need Appeal Fund in Britain. While touring Australia, he visited the children hospital to identify with the sick. Again when one of his hit songs Man in the Mirror, entered the chart in February 1988, the proceeds from sales of the record on his instructions went to the Camp Ronald McDonald, an abode for children suffering from cancer.

The United Negro College Fund, a charitable organisation, got $600,000 from Michael during one of his performance tours of America with his hit song, Bad. It is on record that as at April 1988, more than 97 youths had benefited from Jackson’s monetary assistance to the charitable home through his Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The Great Ormond Street Children Hospital in Britain and Bambini-Gesu Children Hospital in Rome also benefited from the pop star’s generosity in the 80s. Prince Charles Trust Fund and the Wishing Well Fund established to help finance the construction of a new building for London’s Hospital for sick children were other beneficiaries of his many charitable works.

Just as his popularity in the music industry soared in the 90s, so were his philanthropic gestures and charitable works. In February 1992, he undertook an 11-day tour of Africa visiting hospitals, orphanages, schools, churches and institutions for mentally handicapped children. Apart from donations to hospitals and foundations in several European countries, he set up the ‘Heal the world’ foundation and organised lots of concerts to raise funds for the foundation. His Heal the World foundation received patronage from several organisations and public spirited individuals and Jackson used the funds to promote his charitable works.

In 1996, he performed a concert in Tunisia and donated the proceeds to The National Security Fund,’ a charity dedicated to fighting poverty. In Bombay, India, the $6 million proceeds from his concert in the town was donated to Shiv Udyog Sena to help create jobs for 270,000 young people in the state of Maharashara.

He then took his charitable work to Bangkok, Thailand, where he visited an orphanage and donated $100,000. He gave out other gifts to the children at both the orphanage and a school for the blind. The gesture moved the spokesman for the orphanage to comment that the children don’t know him as a pop star; to them he was just a “nice man who came to offer help.”

Source:

http://www.newswatchngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1076&Itemid=26

Jackson was reportedly involved in a number of charitable events in June 1999. He joined Luciano Pavarotti, a non-governmental organisation, for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy, which was held to raise a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo as well as the children in Guatemala. He also organised a number of Michael Jackson and Friends benefit concerts in Korea and Germany which raked a total of $3.3 million for Nelson Mandela’s Children’s Fund, the International Federation of Red Cross and UNESCO.

In 2001, Jackson’s foundation, in collaboration with the L’Chaim Society launched Heal the Kids, an initiative to co-ordinate international action to help parents rededicate their lives to their children by providing them the love and attention they needed and deserved.

It is on record that from 1979 to 2003 Michael Jackson donated and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charity organisations around the world. In September 2005, he initiated plans to record another all star charity single From the bottom of my heart like We are the world is for the benefit of victims of Katrina. The plan never succeeded because of his waning health and resources.

His admirers described him as a true humanitarian who devoted much of his time and money to wide range of charities.

Onyeka Onwenu, a Nigerian songstress, said Jackson influenced the industry through his charitable works. She said Jackson won many awards for his charity works and also did a lot for children. “He did influence the music industry with his charitable works. He did a lot for children around the world. He was not an artiste that made money and kept for himself,’ Onyeka said, stressing that Michael Jackson would be remembered for his charitable works considering the fact that he gave up himself, money, time and talent to a worthy calling.

Dionne Warwick, one of the artistes who performed the We are the world song with Michael Jackson and 30 others, described him as ‘one of the sweetest, kindest and gentlest men,” she had ever met.

Indeed, his numerous charitable works which were unknown to many of his fans won him many awards. He was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guinness Book of Records for breaking the world record for the ‘Most Charities supported by a pop star.’ An Australian fan in his tribute stated, “He has used his money to help people around the world.”

For many fans and followers of his musical exploits, they are consoled by the fact that the late 50-year-old legend of pop music had the power to change the world and he did change the world.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Artistry - Paintings of Michael Jackson


If you are an artist, hone your skills, perfect your craft. That way you can give joy and delight to others. It never ceases to amaze me, the artistry that is expressed by some people. It is a form of love, capturing an essence that is seen, heard, felt or inspired by another greater artist.
I was blessed today to stumble upon these magnificent paintings of Michael on various websites.
Look and enjoy!

 

[MJJLaugh]

A Michaelicious Day in Amsterdam
by MJJLaugh

The caption below the picture states:
"In 1977, Dutch 'star' photographer Claude Vanheye photographed Michael Jackson in his Amsterdam Hazenstraat studio. After a four hour photo session, Claude gave Michael a personal tour of his neighborhood, de Jordaan. That's where they photographed each other in the street.



On January 28 Marjolein and Door and I went to Amsterdam, for my birthday, to have a fun-filled Michael-inspired day. It was what I call a 'Michaelicious' day!! At 2 o'clock we started our day by drinking something in the Noord-Hollands Koffiehuis ( North Holland's Coffee House, mind you, this is not a coffeeshop where you can buy everything except coffee!). Door and Marjolein had ordered the awesome green t-shirt with the text 'Keep Michaeling' from Amy Grace's webshop. http://www.acosmicconnection.com/shop/I love it! But that wasn't all! I was really spoiled by them! Marjolein had had three calendars made with her 'Spread-the-Love' cards, and now I am the proud owner of one of them. But the best present was the painting!! Marjolein painted this for me based on a meditation experience, my very first meditation ever,. It's full of symbolism and I love symbolism!

There are only three of these calendars in the world and I received one of them as a birthday gift!! It's all for L.O.V.E. LOVE

Marjolein painted this for me for my birthday. It is full of symbolism and means a lot to me!I love this painting, thank you Marjolein, dear friend!

Keep Michaeling! Door and Marjolein ordered this awesome t-shirt for me in Amy Grace's webshop! Thank you ladies, I love you!!!!


The idea was to visit the street where Michael, only 19 years old, had his picture taken in 1977. This was at the corner of the Lauriersgracht, Hazenstraat. After that we would go on a canal cruise of one hour. I had wanted to this on a very exclusive salonboat, The Tourist http://www.de-tourist.nl/indexE.htm, but she was in the docks, being made even more pretty, so we had a regular canal cruise. We ended the day by eating in an Italian restaurant.



We started walking from the North Holland's Coffee House to the 'Jordaan'. It is the oldest area of Amsterdam with very stately mansions, that were built in the 1600's, where rich merchants and brewers lived at the time. The facades of these impressive houses are full of interesting details. We passed interesting artsy shops with paintings, scupltures, antiques, luxurious shops for clothing and shoes, many restaurants and bars and the occassional coffeeshop with that horrible stench of weed. It was cold but sunny, so that was an advantage in taking all these pictures.



If you own a car in Amsterdam you need to be fearless when parking your car next to the water's edge. It does happen that someone drives into a canal accidentally. People who live in Amsterdam do everything by bicycle, on foot, or via the subway. It's only when one needs to get outside the city that it becomes handy to have a car.

Multatuli was a famous writer. His real name is Eduard Douwes Dekker. Eduard Douwes Dekker (2 March 1820 &#8211; 19 February 1887), better known by his pen name Multatuli (from Latin multa tuli, "I have carried much"), was a Dutch writer famous for his satirical novel, Max Havelaar (1860), which denounced the abuses of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies (today's Indonesia).
( source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multatuli)

Marjolein is preparing to take the picture of the Multatuli statue

I love stores like these! Normally 10 horses couldn't have kept me from entering this store but we were ladies with a mission, not to be distracted!


When we got closer to our destination, we had to check the map a few times. Without even telling people where we were headed to, we received directions from helpful and friendly people.

Hey!!!! What's that ? The picture sold by the store called ''t Curiosa winketlje'. ( Bric-a-Brac shop). I went inside to buy the picture and that is how I found out that Michael visited this same shop in 1997, during the HIStory tour. he stayed inside for 45 minutes, just browsing and bought some prayer cards.


At one point I exclaimed 'Hey girls, look what this shop sells!! It was the very picture of Michael standing at the corner of the Lauriersgracht/Hazenstraat.' I took the photo inside to buy it. Unable to contain my enthusiasm I told the ladies behind the counter that we were on a pilgrimage to the spot where Michael stood in 1977. One of them then divulged to me that Michael had actually visited this very store, under the previous owner, it was also called then 't Curiosa winkeltje ( Bric-a-Brac shop). This was in 1997, when he performed in Amsterdam as part of the HIStory tour.He spent 45 minutes inside the store and bought prayer cards. Thanks to the picture of Michael on sale outside the shop, we received the extra tidbits of information. I also bought a funny Charlie Chaplin card with moving parts. In the first picture you see Charlie Chaplin leaning with his walking stick on a banana peel, and when you pull the little tab at the bottom you see Chaplin falling on his bottom. ROFL!

Walking through Amsterdam on our way to the spot where Michael stood in 1977 I never expected to see his picture just outside the very store he visited for 45 minutes in 1996 during his HIStory tour! As if he beckoned me inside, blabbermouthing about our special Michael-day, I got to hear this story of his visit then. He bought prayer cards.

Bought this card. Watch where Chaplin places his walking stick (heehee)

See ? ROFL, isn't that funny ? Had to have this card. Bought this card also in 't Curiosa winkeltje (Bric-a-Bric shop)


Finally, we made it to the spot where Michael stood 36 years ago. We took pictures of each other in the same spot, looking in the same direction. Next to that spot on the corner was a bookstore called 'The English Bookstore'. I went inside to look around. When I took the stairs down to the children's books section ( I love children's books and buy some occassionally), I saw a book that is part of Michael's Library of favorite books: The Giving Tree. I had ordered that one as well as 'The Reluctant Dragon'. I quickly took out my mobile and took a picture! A stern-looking lady walked over to me and asked if I had taken a picture. I felt like a child getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I admitted that I had taken a picture of a special book, "my first and my last picture in this shop." She said that no pictures were allowed to be taken, so I apologized again. I asked her if they happened to sell 'Defending a King' by Dr. Karen Moriarity. They didn't have it yet but she took my details and will get back to me on the book.

I entered 'The English Bookstore' while Marjolein and Door were busy taking pictures and the first thing I see when I go down the stairs to the children's books section is the book 'The Giving Tree', one of Michael's favorite books and a book I had recently bought along with 'The Reluctant Dragon'. Just HAD to take a picture, for which I was immediately scolded!



Because you don't want to go hungry on a day like this I had brought some Michael goodies: donuts and peanut M&M's, and when we turned hungry we enjoyed these sweet goods. Door indulged on salted peanuts and shared them with us.

The last canal cruise was at 5 o'clock and it was already 4 o' clock, so we needed to walk back to the Damrak, near Amsterdam Central Station to catch the Gray Line canal cruise. We arrived just in time! Within minutes they left the dock.I took many pictures. The advantage of doing a canal cruise in the winter is that the trees don't have any leaves yet so your view is unobscured.

What a gorgeous sight to behold! It almost looks like one of those old paintings....(without the car, that is, heehee)

Seeing Amsterdam from the water is another experience. I saw the city I have visited so often, in a different light and heard many interesting new facts about its churches, the history and the canals. Amsterdam is, for example 1,5 meters below sea level. This equals 4,5 feet. Schiphol airport is 5 meters ( 15 feet!) below sea level.



After the cruise, and many peanuts and M&Ms ( nothing makes you hungry like a canal cruise!) we went to a spiritual bookstore 'Himilaya'. There is a restaurant there too but they closed both at 6, so we had 15 minutes to browse around. Marjolein saw a book there called "The Messenger in the Mirror" with butterflies on it. Both Door and Marjolein bought chimes there. There were four chimes, each one represented one of the elements: earth, fire, air and water, each with their own unique sound.

Bought this card at the spiritual bookshop 'Himalaya'. Marjolein saw a book there called 'Messenger in the Mirror' with butterflies on it, I saw lots of Krishna cards and books and a picture of Kirshna with someone at his side ( Lakshmi ?) which I used in a Michael collage. Too much coincidence for one day! This card reminds me a little of the Neverland emblem in a way


We found an Italian restaurant and one of the girls who waited on us was a dancer so we wanted to know what she thought of Michael as a dancer. She said that he was very important for dance, being an innovator and setting new standards and trends for dancers worldwide.


After the dinner we walked back to the train station and each of us went home, having had a wonderful day, sharing stories and anecdotes that related to Michael in some way or another. Thank you Michael for being there with us, and for my friends that I wouldn't have known without you. You are our glue, our inspiration, our King of Pop! We will always love you!

And when I got home another pleasant surprise awaited me: my ordered books had finally arrived. (patience gurl!)[/img]

I cannot wait to read both of these books. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my heroes!

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael Jackson is Gone but his Legacy of Environmental Concern Remains


When I saw the video with the voice of David Attenborough, the animals, the earth, the ecological system and its precarious balance made me think of Michael Jackson's Earth Song, the butterflies in the This Is It version of Earth Song and I knew I wanted to share this video here with you, to promote awareness of our precious planet and the problems she encounters, largely due to the actions of us, humans....What are you, I, we willing to sacrifice, to change to help heal our planet ?
~ MJJLaugh


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As the music industry and fans across the world mourn the death of pop icon Michael Jackson, they reflect on the legacy he leaves behind, which is not just one of unprecedented chart success, but also of environmental concern.
Michael Jackson

A fact often overlooked is that despite the many legendary hits Jackson achieved in the UK, many of which would define his image in the popular imagination, it was Earth Song - a tune lamenting the destruction of the world's endangered rainforests and natural habitats - that earned the star his biggest ever selling single in Britain.

The track spent six weeks at the top of the charts in 1995, securing the coveted Christmas number one spot and selling more than a million copies. Despite not being released in the US, Earth Song went on to reach top five status in almost every other country in Europe.

Shot in multiple locations including the Amazon rainforest, the music video features Jackson walking through a deserted drought-ridden landscape, invoking a post-apocalyptic vision of what the earth could look like if deforestation and climate change are not challenged.

The song raised awareness of ecological issues and made climate change a more pressing concern among some sections of the younger generation, who perhaps saw environmentalism as more credible given Jackson's high profile as a musical and cultural icon.

Earth Song did not come without criticism however, with some pointing out that the expensive video and Jackson's lavish lifestyle had their own environmental cost.

Despite the charges of his detractors, Jackson maintained that his music was a platform for him to promote ecological awareness, telling Ebony magazine in a 1997 interview that he was "very concerned" about the "international global warming phenomenon".

Jackson also spoke about the inspiration for writing the song and his aim to give environmental issues more press coverage and "let people hear the voice of the planet".

"I remember writing Earth Song when I was in Austria in a hotel and I was feeling so much pain and so much suffering of the plight of the planet earth," he said.

"For me, this is earth's song, because I think nature is trying so hard to compensate for man's mismanagement...and with the ecological unbalance going on and a lot of the problems in the environment, I think earth feels the pain and she has wounds."

Along with other popular socially-conscious songs such as We are the World and Man in the Mirror, Earth Song helped to cement Jackson's place as a humanitarian and earned him recognition from a number of environmental organisations.

The singer was honoured with a Genesis Award in 1996 for using the song to help raise awareness of animal issues and he earned an accolade from the African Ambassadors' Spouses Association for his humaniatrian work in 2004.

Spiritual leader and friend Deepak Chopra revealed last week that even in the days leading up to his death, environmental issues were not far from Jackson's mind. Chopra, who knew the singer for 20 years, said he had been working on a new song about climate change.

Writing in the Huffington Post, Chopra said he received a message from the star saying he needed help with lyrics for the new environmental song which had already been recorded as a demo.

With lyrics that highlighted the damage caused to the environment, some see Jackson's music - particularly Earth Song - as a call to arms, an anthem encouraging people to take part in rainforest conservation and fight global warming.

This is perhaps the lasting legacy that the singer will leave behind among those within the environmental community and beyond.

Written by Aaron Akinyemi

© Copyright


Source:


http://www.coolearth.org/306/news-3...acy-of-environmental-concern-remains-773.html

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael Jackson and the Ronald McDonald House in Amsterdam

On October 3, 1996, during his tour stop, Michael visited two hospitals in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, AMC - the Academic Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald House which is part of the VU hospital.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Buz Kohan - A poem for Michael

BUZ KOHAN. FOR YOUR FAITH. BY YOUR FAITH.

BUZ KOHAN *, a friend of Michael Jackson, a producer, writer and composer, born in New York in 1933. Among the many TV programs and special he lent his hand to are “Going back to Indiana”, “Jacksons Family Honor,” “One Night Only” (Michael Jackson cancelled performance in 1995, New York), “Motown 25” “You Were There” Sammy Davis Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration, 1990, “Gone too Soon”, The 52nd Presidential Inaugural Gala, 1993 …

This poem I wrote for Michael back in 2004 when he was going through a very difficult time. I sent it and a day or two later, a messenger knocked on my door to give me a big bag of gifts. I was about to sign the shipping when he said there was more. He returned with a large metal object that appeared to be chirping. I thought, how nice, He sent one of those mechanical birds, but when I uncapped the cloth that covered it, I realized that they were not mechanical birds, but two beautiful white doves or pigeons, and were very much alive.

Together with the birds came a lovely and heartfelt note thanking me for the poem that I wrote to Michael and telling me that he had been touched by it. Also included with the note, was a book on exotic birds and bird seed for a year.

I took the box with the birds into the yard and called them “Billie Jean” and “Bad.”

One night, an animal that roamed the house , attacked Bad, and I thought, being so close soon, surely, Billie Jean, would die of a a broken heart. As a tribute to his indomitable spirit, Billie Jean chirping continues five years later. Keep on singing, sweet bird.

Sadly, Michael never had the opportunity to sit with me to put music to the poem, and I have just kept it in my files so far, I hope you can send an inspirational message to the world … something that Michael has always tried to do with his music, charity, and his life. Michael, my friend, gone too soon, but his light will never fade.

Rest easy, dear soul. “Buzzie Wuzzie” (This is how Michael always called me)

The Poem

RESTORATION

Big storm coming danger increasing wind blowing from everywhere The air filled with flying objects There is no consolation to hide No Fury continues Shaking, breaking, Taking Charge, Taking Control swirling, whirling around me Trying to destroy my soul. ‘s all so pointless I am helpless Caught in the frenzy whipped and shaken pushed and shoved and beaten Shattered When all is chaos all is lost. Cruelty pervasive resistance fades I am alone, the wind blows and knocks wind, you win, I surrender now I disgraced I face defeat. Then, out in the distance comes a tiny beam of light more radiant Growing Growing brighter Shining through the night without end. In a tiny ray of sun comes a shining light Amber reaching all long look at her. Growing up and growing with the sunlight They voices talking loudly harder Talking to my pain and my distress Letting healing started now. Let the truth Emerge before us all lies Let Drowned in shame Let the storm finally disperse to clean air and clear my name. You, my friends, you you hold me when I am attacked are defending Restauráis my faith and my courage When the mirror is broken I envolvéis With your passion when you guide my steps I am unsure For your love I am embraced by the sunlight again I feel safe. For your faith, this promise I will fail you not cheer, I swear No disaster can destroy long as you know How much you worry me. As you know That your love is there.

( text was edited for legibility)


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J0gQKjAKuGg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Source:


http://michaelerz.tumblr.com/post/9160735310/buz-kohan-for-your-faith-by-your-faith

 

[MJJLaugh]

Spike Lee Remembers Michael Jackson
By Tim Morrison Monday, June 29, 2009

Director Spike Lee


In 1996, Spike Lee — director of films from Do the Right Thing to Malcolm X to the recent documentary Kobe Doin' Work — traveled to Brazil with Michael Jackson to produce the music video for his controversial song "They Don't Care About Us." He talked to TIME about his experiences, Michael Jackson's legacy and having the Gloved One as a houseguest. (See TIME's list of the top 10 Michael Jackson songs.)

What's your favorite Michael Jackson song?
I was born in 1957; he was born in 1958. And so I grew up, literally, with Michael Jackson. We both reached adolescence at the same time. And I had a big Afro like he did, and I hoped that the girls would like me the way they liked Michael — but that wasn't happening. And you know, I loved him as a solo artist, but I have a special place in my heart for the stuff he did with the Jackson 5: "I'll Be There."

Do you remember the first time you heard it?
No. My memory's shot. I'm in Cannes, France, for a conference; I left dinner last night, got home, I turned on CNN and there it was — him being rushed to the hospital. I didn't go to bed the whole night. I just kept watching CNN. So it's a big, big, big, big loss for the world. And I'd like to make this comment: I've seen too many people talking about Michael like they knew exactly what he did. Let's celebrate his genius, his musicality, his gift, his talent, and leave the other stuff at least till he gets buried. Let's celebrate his life now. That's the way I feel.

I can hear Michael Jackson in the background right now.
Yeah, my friend is driving me to Monaco for dinner, and I went out to this store and bought Michael Jackson's greatest hits. So, as we got in the car I said, "This is our driving music!" Going from Cannes to Monaco, listening to the greatest hits of Michael.

What was he like when you worked with him on the video for "They Don't Care About Us?"
Michael was great. He had a sense of humor. He worked hard. People talk about how hard Kobe Bryant works; he didn't work harder than Michael Jackson. This is what I've come to learn. You know, I did a documentary on Kobe, I know him; Michael Jordan, I worked with him a little; Michael Jackson — when you love what you do that much, it's not work. So you can go longer and harder and faster and quicker because it's not a burden. You love what you're doing.

And did you talk to him on the set? Was he accessible?
Oh yeah! Michael was a citizen of the world. I said, "Mike, let's go to Brazil to do this." And he said, "Let's go, Spike!" And it's great when you work with people who say stuff like that — it's not a matter of budget. He wanted to do it? We were going!

Had you met him previous to that?
Yeah, I met him at dinners and stuff like that, but that was the most intimate time I had been with him. Can I tell you a quick story? Michael Jackson called me up and said, "Spike, I want meet you, I'm coming to New York." I said, "Well where you want to meet?" He says, "I want to come to your house." I live in Brooklyn! He wants to come to my house! So, Michael Jackson came to my house in Brooklyn, New York — this was when I was living in Fort Greene. And he said, I want you to direct a video for me. My new album's coming out, pick a song. So we listened to all the songs and I picked "Stranger in Moscow." And he said, I don't want you to do that one. And I said, "Michael, just tell me which one you want me to do! Why ask me to pick one?" And he laughed and he said he wanted me to do "They Don't Care About Us." That's how it happened.

How did he like Brooklyn?
Well, I dunno if he'd ever been there before. We spent like two or three hours just talking. I mean, we're the same age. I'm less than a year older than him. To be honest, I dominated the conversation, because I was trying to really tell him how much impact he had on my life. And I could just not believe that Michael Jackson was sitting in my living room in Brooklyn, New York. It was amazing.

I just want to get back quickly to "I'll Be There." What sort of associations did you have with that song? What did it mean to you?
I just remember being young, loving that song, starting to get interested in girls; it was just that period of time. And here's the thing that I remember: growing up, as far as girls, everybody didn't like Michael. They liked Tito, they liked Jackie, they liked Jermaine — it was like the Beatles, the girls had their favorites. It was not always Michael, Michael, Michael.

Was he always your favorite Jackson?
Oh yeah. But I wasn't a girl though.


Source:

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1907529,00.html#ixzz1lMEBKaSt

 

[MJJLaugh]

Music Room at Gardner Elementary School


Friends of mine from Facebook undertook an LA pilgrimage and among others, two of them visited the Gardner Street Elementary School. Read their story and see the unique, new pictures! I will be sharing other parts of their journey with you here, as Siren kindly gave me permission to use her photos.
~ MJJLaugh


By Siren Lovesmj:

The next mornng, Brenda and I made our first stop of the day at Gardner Street Elementary School. Brenda donated 20 hard cover Ever After books to the school program, and I donated my art proceeds to the new music room dedicated in Michael's name. We met with one of the teachers there who knew Michael. She was so so lovely. She gave us a tour of the music room (which was also Michael's classroom when He went to school there). The equipment is wonderful, and they have plans to dedicate an area at the back of the room to displaying some things for Michael, including 2 prints donated by Nate Giorgio (beautiful!) and the chalkboard that Michael siigned when He visited for the Auditorium dedication.
When you enter the main doors of Gardner School, there are 3 framed pictures containing artwork done by students. They are really beautiful. This is one of them:

Another of the framed works done by the students of Gardner School.

Another of the framed works done by the students of Gardner School.

Another of the framed works done by the students of Gardner School.

The chalkboard signed by Michael during the Auditorium dedication.

Speading the Love Marjolein's way - at Gardner Street Elementary School in the main office.
( The six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship)

Mural outside Gardner Street Elementary School.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In addition I want to take this opportunity to share a recent blogpost from united4mjlegacy:

Monday, January 23, 2012
The Legend Continues...

Last Christmas Eve, we shared with you, the wonderful news that Gardner Elementary School officials were hard at work setting up the new music room in memory of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Well, today, the LA Times is reporting that the project is nearing completion and the "Michael Jackson Music Education Lab" will have an open house, next Monday.

The Hollywood elementary school that saw Michael Jackson through sixth grade will host an open house for its Michael Jackson Music Education Lab on Monday morning. It's the second building the campus has dedicated to the singer; silver letters in front of the school auditorium already read "The Michael Jackson Auditorium."
Gardner Street Elementary School plans to showcase the lab and new music curriculum during a small reception at 11:00 a.m.

Source: KPCC

The launch of the newly named lab will also feature the new MusIQ program, incorporating Adventus Software for the students of Gardner Street Elementary. The enhanced program will teach students fundamentals of music education, such as elements focusing on composition, arrangement and the ability to read music.


"This is only the second school in California to have this program; it's the first one in the LA Unified District," said Lesley Holmes, the founder and chairwoman for the Friends of Gardnerville, the non-profit organization that supports the elementary school and children by creating funding opportunities for educational programs.


The lab will have pictures of Jackson and a signed chalkboard.
"This was a room that Michael Jackson used when he attended the school in the sixth grade. His presence was made in musical contributions," said Holmes.

Source: NBC Los Angeles

We want to thank all the fans who answered our call and donated to the school. Also, many thanks to the New York fans who brought it to our attention.

The lab was built with donations from various sponsors and The Friends of Gardnerville hope to fully fund the program on their own next year, said Holmes.

Source: NBC Los Angeles

And last but not least, a HUGE thank you to the Gardner School officials and the The Friends of Gardnerville organization for their hard word.

If you wish to personally send a thank you note to the Gardner School officials or The Friends of Gardnerville for

honouring Michael, you can find their contact information on the school page: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Gardner_EL/Site/Welcome.html


or The Friends of Gardnerville blog: http://www.friendsofgardnerville.blogspot.com/






Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...41203142.69122.100001543443924&type=3&theater

http://united4mjlegacy.blogspot.com/

 

[Miche]

http://youtu.be/lmh4pQ8ID8A

 

[MJJLaugh]

L.A. Pilgrimage - A Trip to Solvang


The friends from Facebook who undertook a Michaeling journey also visited Solvang. See the pictures below...Pictures and comments used at the courtesy of Jan Carlson.
~ MJJLaugh

Solvang California, home to Danish lifestyle near Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
California's "Little Denmark" or Solvang is east of U.S. Highway 101 near State Highway 154. Danish immigrants established the town more than 50 years ago in 1911 and chose to adorn the village and homes with architecture reminiscent of their native land. Dedicated to the teachings of crafts and values of their ancestors, Danish is still spoken amongst locals.


This picturesque city is set amidst gently sloped hills and mountains, a 30 minute drive from the Pacific Ocean in nearby Lompoc. Tourism is very popular here with bus loads of travelers stopping in the city for overnight stay. Ranches and farming are also part of the Solvang landscape, as well as wine, gaming, ranching and retirement living in this scenic region of the Central Coast California.

If you plan to go there sometime, and you wonder what else there is to do than to shop for antiques like Michael, look to this website for ideas!
~ MJJLaugh

The antique shop sign

Music Box in a beautiful Antiques Shop in Solvang. I am told it was one of Michael's favorite haunts.

The insides of the disc player previous

The crown on the front glass of the music player. The nice gentleman (named Michael, of course) played this music box for us.

Violana Virtuosa. I am told Michael had one that was similar to this one. The price tage is $65,000 USD. Woohoo! I bought two ... not really just kidding.


Solvang - why I love her! Tour of Solvang, California, USA





Sources:

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/solvang.html

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...24090916.71247.100000961037186&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

L.A. Pilgrimage - (The Road To)Neverland


When I see the scenery of the vicinity of Neverland, it's easy to see how Michael loved living there for the many years he spent there. It's funny to read in an eBook 'Conversations in Neverland with Michael Jackson' about Michael warning guests not drive with speed as cows like to lie on the road, and they take their own sweet time in moving away.

Being one with nature, for Michael at Neverland, also meant having to replace the flower beds all the time, because the wild pigs come down the canyon and as Michael put it "I haven't found a flower yet that they do not like!" The guest: "You know Michael, any one of these guys walking around here would probably be happy to take those pigs home for dinner. Or you could actually trap them and have them moved to a neighboring ranch in the back country where they wouldn't bother you." Michael's reply was typically Michael, the lover of nature and animals: "No, I wouldn't do that, I moved into their home, you know"

So, for those of you who, like me, haven't been to Neverland (yet), thanks to my Facebook friends who did make this trip, here are the pictures that show the splendor of the nature of Neverland:

Michael's Road

Standing at the entry at Neverland gates

Finally at Neverland!
Neverland is a 2 and a half hour drive from LA... but time flies when you are talking about Michael the whole way. Ahhhh..... heaven xxx

Golden hills above Neverland

Inside the gates of Neverland with security guard shack.

Two trees inside Neverland

view outside Neverland

The split-rail fence at Neverland at sundown

sundown at Neverland


( PS. If you don't have a Kindle or other ebook reader yet, you can simply download a free program found on the web called 'Kindle for PC' and with this you can read any purchased eBook. It's what I did. ~ MJJLaugh)

Sources:

Conversations in Neverland with Michael Jackson - http://www.amazon.com/Conversations...sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328650485&sr=8-1-spell


http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.326177824090916.71247.100000961037186&type=3

 

[MJJLaugh]

L.A. Pilgrimage - Forest Lawn and Holly Terrace


It is so good to see the exquisitely made cards and letters for Michael, one more astounding than the other, all professing of an everlasting love beyond space and time, and being inspired by Michael to become a better person. Not to mention all the gifts, the flowers and other tokens of fond remembrance of a uniquely talented man, father, brother, son, artist, humanitarian, whose life and death impacted millions around the world to this day. He will live on forever, as he wished, because he too, like Michelangelo, bound his soul to his work and gave his heart to the world. "We Had Him" as Maya Angelou expressed so soulfully in her poem, at Michael's memorial.

Yet I will not post them here, the photos of the letters and the cards, as they are between Michael and the person who made it so artfully and thought carefully about the right words that would express the depth of his or her love and gratitude. This needs to be respected and remain within the privacy of the friends it is shared with originally.

Michael's Ascension window at Holly Terrace

Andrew Wilson lying on the flagstones at Holly Terrace to take the following picture. It was easier for him to get down there ... and back up ... than it was for me ... LOL!

The photo Andrew took lying on the ground.


Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the Creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The Creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing — until there is only ... the dance.
~ Michael Jackson

Flowers at Holly Terrace

Japanese Kimono hand beaded by its wearer. Lord this thing was beautiful!



If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.
~ Michael Jackson (Dancing the Dream, 1992. Also used on his funeral invitation)

Six white roses that I purchased at the flower shop for our second visit to Forrest Lawn. Loved the butterfly so I stuck it in there, too. I just put them down ... please notice the shadow here folks ... this is another one of those little miracles I mentioned.


Photos and accompanying texts are courtesy of Siren Lovesmj and Jan Carlson.

 

[MJJLaugh]

L.A. Pilgrimage - Hollywood Walk of Fame, Graumann Chinese Theater and the Hard Rock Cafe

Photos and text courtesy of Siren Lovesmj and Jan Carlson.

After a very late night and an early morning... we were all off to Hollywood Blvd to spend the day at Michael's star. It is another magical place infused with Michael's energy. When you go there you never want to leave. It's just beside the Chinese Theatre, and the traffic and people are crazy... but Michael's star has this bubble of beautiful energy that surrounds it and you feel transported. We lit candles and took flowers and cards for Michael and sat there the entire day, meeting people and answering questions and just spreading the Love! Never wanted it to end.

After Michael's star, we stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. The waiter there was fantastic. He took us on a bit of a tour and showed us all the Michael things they had on display, including this fedora and a photo taken at his star on June 25th 2009.

Photos of Michael the day his star was added to the Walk of Fame on display at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood Blvd.

Jennifer Batten's Bad tour jacket on display at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood Blvd.

After our day at the star, it was off to the Staples Center for the Immortal show. It was fantastic. There was even a flash mob out front just before the show started. So much fun! I noticed they had made some minor changes to the show since I saw it in Canada. I thought it was even better actually. Hope you all get a chance to see it. It was really amazing to be able to see it in the Staples Center. We wanted so much to touch the stage...

A small pink heart stone left for Michael on a ledge by the doors of Holly Terrace. Remember this stone... it shows up again later... ?

The next day, Brenda, Jan, Char and myself all set out for Neverland again. We decided to take a quick detour past Michael's star on the way, and much to our suprise - they were placing Michael's stone infront of the Chinese theatre. Perfect timing by the master himself... and dfinitely Divine intervention!

The Broken Heart Stone was donated by Andrew (whom we met the night before at dinner with Betty Byrnes) and it was placed alongside the one made by Michael's children.

The Broken Heart Stone. Andrew Wilson said that he found a small heart-shaped jewel-encrusted fob at Holly Terrace that said "Love" on one side and "A gift from above" on the other and laid it directly beneath the stone before it was set into the concrete. How beautiful and appropriate.

 

[MJJLaugh]

L.A. Pilgrimage - Spreading the Love


There are many fans of Michael who possess talents, such as the ability to paint or draw. Many of these fans are inspired to draw Mchael's face or a pose of Michael performing, throughout the years. Combine such a drawing or painting with one of his extraordinary quotes, and by leaving cards with their art, Michael's message of Love is spread around the world.
Two of my friends, each with their own unique style, make such cards: Marjolein, please see her website http://www.lukas-art.com/
Siren sells her art, but 100% of the proceeds go to one of Michael's favorite charities.25% of her commissioned work also goes to charities. Here's the link to her art:
http://artbysiren.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=0

Spreading his message...
One of the many art/quote cards that we left around the city for others to discover our Angel's Love ?

Spreading His message
It was so much fun finding places to leave my art/quote cards. Brenda and I got quite creative. LOL

Some huge cardboard standups of Michael in a store on Hollywod Blvd. I fell in total LOVE with the third one. O. M. G.

After the ceremony at the Chinese Theatre, Brenda and I stopped for lunch on Hollywood Blvd. The food in LA is amazing and the portion sizes are insane! You could feed a family of four with one persons meal. Brenda's personal size pizza took up almost the whole table.
Couldnt resist spreading His message while we were there.
The waiter did a double-take when he tried to show us the dessert menu. lol

Spreading the Love - Marjolein's way!... on a park bench overlooking the beautiful bay.

Spreading the Love Marjolein's way... at Neverland!

 

[MJJLaugh]

Whitney Houston - Another one of Michael's Friends is Gone Too Soon

Image Credit: Retna Ltd.

Celebrities are turning to Twitter tonight to express their remorse and shock over the passing of Whitney Houston, who died at the age of 48.

Sharon Osbourne: Clive Davis Grammy party..not going. Mark Burnett party..not going. Can’t celebrate tonight when one of the greatest voices ever is dead.

Chaka Khan: I’m speechless…I’m in shock right now. Just pray for her and the family.

Ricky Martin: RIP Whitney Houston. Sending my love and deepest condolences to her family and friends. Fly Whitney Fly

Mariah Carey: She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.

Bette Midler: Please, please someone tell me it’s not true…

Rihanna: No words, just tears.

Wyclef Jean: This is the saddest thing I’ve ever had to write in my life, R I P to one of the greatest humans that I have ever known Whitney Houston

Queen Latifah: Oh Dear Lord! Huritng so Bad!!! MY Sister Whitney!!!!!!! Newark please Pray!!! World Please Pray!

Paula Abdul: I am devastated. I am absolutely devastated at the news about Whitney Houston. Such a tragic, tragic loss.

Christina Aguilera: We have lost another legend.

Nick Cannon: To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.. RIP to Whitney Houston a true queen.

Tony Bennett: It’s a tragedy. Whitney Houston was the greatest singer I’ve ever heard and she will be truly missed.

Forest Whitaker: May gods breath surround you, Whitney. And may you be held in the arms of the angels. Please, pray to comfort all those who hold her dear

will.i.am: I’m so sad…whitney houston was so kind, sweet, wonderful, amazing, talented, and a true gift to the world

Marlee Matlin: So sad. I recall seeing Whitney chat with Michael Jackson at Sammy Davis Jr.’s house for his 60th anniversary party. All talented, all gone.

Sherri Shephard: Goodnight Everybody. I’m going to tuck my son into bed and sing “Yes Jesus Loves Me”… I’m no Whitney Houston, but love is on my mind.
Ellen DeGeneres: Very sad news about Whitney. My heart and prayers go out to her daughter and family.

Jessica Simpson: I found my voice singing Whitney Houston’s music. Today I lost my idol.

Simon Cowell: I am so sad to hear about Whitney. We have lost one of the greatest singers of all time.

Bret Michaels: My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Whitney Houston. A legend with the voice of an angel, she will be missed.

Adam Shankman: I choreographed I’m your baby tonight miss you angel

Kelly Osbourne: Not going to any pre grammy parties as i dont feel it is appropriate!


David Boreanaz: R.I.P. Whitney Houston. Sing among the Angels forever and ever.

Whitney Houston Gives Michael Jackson Award ( 1989)

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RIP Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson

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