Interviewing MJ - Chuck Dakota by An Marie

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Interviewing Michael Jackson: My 3 Hours with the King of Pop Was He Really Weird? By Chuck Dakota Interviewing Michael Jackson. It's easy to judge based on the image of a person. It's even easier when we don't "know" them personally. We draw conclusions based on what the popular media tells us and surprisingly it has a profound effect on us. Having been in broadcasting for over 20 years, I can attest to the power of media. If we tell you the sky is falling long enough and put enough "experts" on the air, you're eventually going to buy into it. This is exactly what happened to Michael Joseph Jackson! After hearing all the news and seeing all the "experts" talk about the greatest entertainer of all time, I felt compelled to write about the "Man in the Mirror." It amazes me that people can get on TV that have had NO interaction with the King of Pop and draw conclusions on who or what he was. In the summer of 2008, in a very plush section on Beverly Hills, I had a chance to sit down with Michael Jackson one on one for an exclusive interview. We'd been working on getting this interview for well over two years. To put in gently, Michael was gun shy over the media and didn't trust them and when you look at what "we" did to him how could you blame him? We went through the seven gates of hell in order to get a one-on-one with this kind, gentle man. We had to sign waiver after waiver and when it was all said and done, the date, time and location was set. We were putting together an MJ retrospective that would be broadcast on many major radio stations across the county and around the world. We were told we would have 30 minutes with the King. Now I must admit preparing for the interview I was worried because the "Ryder" as it's called in show business was unlike anything I've ever seen. Basically a "Ryder" is a list of wants, desires, dos and don'ts on behalf of the artist. After reviewing it, I thought for sure I was going to come face to face with the biggest freak of them all.... Oh how wrong I was! The "Ryder" basically said we had to be 10 feet from MJ at all times, we couldn't touch him, we had to take our shoes off and put "booties" on our feet, we were not allowed to give him anything, we had to sanitize our hands before entering the room and the one that really got us was that we had to refer to him as "King Michael"! So imagine reading this and thinking to yourself of how you're going to pull off a legitimate interview without coming across like an ass! The King Michael.. Get real! What's worse, this wasn't a joke! This was a real document that we had to sign with penalties in excess of a million dollars if we broke the "rules of engagement"! The night before the interview my entire team was talking about what it was going to be like? After all my crew were seasoned broadcast professionals. We've interviewed everyone from Super Bowl champs to the president and never gone through anything like this before. Needless to say we were a little worried and nervous if we were going to be able to pull it off, especially after going through all the trouble to get the interview! We were asked to be at the interview location at noon. We were given a room number and a "code" to get through security. By the way, the code... "MJJITK". To this day we still don't know what it means. After a twenty-minute search of our bags, briefcases and persons we were lead into a room. It was a medium-sized room with gorgeous furniture, classical music playing softly and the drapes closed tight with all the lights on. We were told "Mr. Jackson would be right in". When the security chief told us that we were taken aback. We had just went through a security check more intense then the Secret Service gives when interviewing a president and now we're left alone in his main sitting room waiting for the man himself. About 15 minutes into the wait, we could hear MJ talking and laughing. He was asking about one of his children and whomever he was talking to was telling him about the child running after another sibling and getting mad because they couldn't catch up. He found that funny and the laughter that came from him was laughter from the soul. The giggling fainted off and we heard a cough and from the left side of the room which lead to the master bedroom, Michael Jackson appeared by himself dressed in black jeans, a red t-shirt, his hair perfect and very little make up. As he approached we all stood up and the first words out of his mouth was, "Hello, I'm Michael Jackson", he voice so soft but yet with authority. After the nervous introductions he asked us where he wanted him to sit. I told him anywhere would be fine. He asked if we wanted anything and we declined and thanked him for the opportunity to have a one on one conversation and he did something that totally blew me away. He thanked me for taking the time to come and visit with him. I was floored at that moment. I knew this man wasn't anything like the "Ryder" or the press played him to be. Before me was the most talented

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man in the world with a heart just as big and soul to match. We started the interview and it was a typical interview with the basic question on his career and where he's been and where he's going. He took his time with every answer giving honest open answers. During the interview he laughed, joked, made fun of our audio tech because he was wearing a UCLA hat and always looked me in the eye. I knew we only had thirty minutes so I set the pace and completed the interview with 4 minutes to spare. I thanked him for the interview and he asked me if I had somewhere to go. I told him we were going to see some of the sites and what come out of his mouth next shocked us all. He said that we didn't have to rush off; he had some questions about broadcasting that he wanted to know if we could answer. The King of Pop, asking us to stay. Of course we did and our conversation went from radio stations and why they play the music they do to the promotions to our kids to his kids to his childhood, our favorite food, his favorite food and everything in between. It was like talking to a best friend that you haven't seen in years. He was relaxed, very open, at times emotional, which in turn made us emotional because of his pure honesty over delicate subjects. About two hours into our meeting, a man walked into the room and informed MJ that he needs to wrap it up because he has another interview within the hour. He turned to the huge brick of a man and said, "They can wait, they can't do the interview without me." This brought us to a discussion that makes me want to slap everyone who trash talks this man and gives opinions over media reports instead of the truth. He looked down at his shoes with his legs shaking as if they were dancing in tempo and asked us if we ever felt like a prisoner? He went on to say that all of his life he never had the chance to do anything for himself; he always was made to have someone else do it. Even at 49 years old he still had the chains of his childhood bound to him in a way that prevented him from being anything other than the King of Pop. Three and half hours had passed and the whole time I was praying that our audio guy was recording every second of what is without doubt the highlight of my career. A middle-aged woman walked into the room and said, "Michael one of the children cut open a knee while playing". His response was genuine and I'll wait until I post the audio to let you hear it for yourself! He was truly an amazing dad that loved his kids! As we were saying our goodbyes he gave us his personal email address and asked for ours. We had some memorabilia we bought in Hollywood and asked if he would sign them. He asked were we got it and we told him we had just bought it and he said "no-no that won't work" and called for one of his staff. He instructed the staffer to give us our money back for everything we bought and to assemble gift bags for each of us plus our spouses and children and then he signed everything we had and we said our goodbyes. As he went around the room saying goodbye I couldn't get over how real this man was. He was grateful that we took the time to stop by. He got to me and I extended my hand and then I thought of the "Ryder" and all the money I was going to have to pay if I touched him and before I could say anything he hugged me and whispered in my year that it was a great interview and thanked me for not bringing up the scandal with the allegations of sexual misconduct with a child. I had chills from the tip of my hair to my toes and just like that he was gone! Twenty minutes later a man came into the room to escort us out and he had a cart full of MJ memorable that included jackets, more signed 8x10's, cd's, dolls, DVD's and so much more. 22 bags in all well worth six to seven hundred dollars apiece and then he handed each one of us an envelope that had the money we paid for the merchandise. I know this story doesn't go into the details of what we talked about. We're working on getting that transcribed and a link to our site so you can listen for yourself what we experienced and by the way our audio man got it all! Michael Jackson was the most real, honest, loving human being I've ever met. He wasn't a monster, wasn't a freak, didn't look that weird, had the gentlest of souls and cared about his fellow man. When you read the transcripts or listen to the raw audio you'll hear a man that wants to change to world and make it a better place but what he doesn't realize is, he already has and that comes to proof in death more than life. He wasn't anything like the media made him to be. Yes he was small and looked fragile but looking back I don't think he could have been anything less because of the world he had to live in. The man had every move he made investigated under a microscope his entire life. He didn't have a childhood, never had the real love of a woman of the freedom to be a man. His children were his life. If the months after the interview he would email me and I would email him and he always talked of his kids and how much they meant to him. He would talk about the tour he was planning in London and how he hoped to pull it off and if he did how it would impact his kids. He was always worried about his actions and how it would affect his children. He talked about getting in shape and how he was looking onward to getting back on stage one more time. When the news of his death went worldwide I was sad and cried like I had lost my brother. To know him was an honor. The media and what they've done and said about him since his death makes this interview so much more special to me. I

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laugh when they say the things they do because they never had the chance to know the man, not the legend but the man. I had my doubts. I didn't believe he was "innocent." I thought he was a freak and thought this interview was going to be the biggest cluster and a chance to say.. "yea.. He's weird all right".. but instead I found a angel from heaven that God gave us for a short time to open our eyes to the good in all of us and what can happen when a select few take the spotlight and twist it to make him look dark and evil when all along his wings were spread never giving up the will to fly away!

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Interviewing Michael Jackson My 3 Hours with the King PART II The Interview Part 1 By Chuck Dakota In my first story you learned about my 3 hours with Michael Jackson. It was a moment in my life that will last forever because not only did I get to meet him but a friendship came from it and proved to me this was a man who wasn't anything like the press made him out to be. He was so larger than life not from what he was but because of who he was. He wanted to heal the world and would of given his left arm if he thought it would help someone in need. In the days that article has been on the site, I've gotten hundreds of emails wanting to hear the audio or read the transcripts. Well part one is here! Below you will find the transcripts from the actual interview. It's a typical interview, one you would do when putting together a special for broadcast. As you read, imagine his soft spoken voice answering each question wanting the world to know him as Michael Jackson, the man and father not Michael Jackson, tabloid headline! We stayed with Michael for several hours each word captured on tape. Those transcripts will be up in a few days. I wanted to do this in parts so you could feel the excitement we did and understand how our conversation played out. As far as the actual audio goes, it's coming to. We've been asked to give it to the family and we did. However we've also made the decision to do a special show to air next month with the same audio. In broadcasting we sell advertising on the show and we've made a plan to do so and each dollar that is made from the show will go to his favorite charities. We're not doing it to make money or get our names out but to show the world how special Michael Jackson was. The first show only gave the interview in segments. In the new show we're playing all the audio so the world can see him for what he really was. An Angel! In fact we're not using our names, just our voices and his music so he has the spotlight like he deserves! Some of the emails have asked me what he was really like and if he was faking? I can say to you all, that he was a man true to himself and never once put on a "fame aura" about him. I became friends with him and the times we talked through e-mail or the phone he was always the same. I've also been asked if I'm going to post the e-mails? I've thought about this long and hard and after coming back from the memorial in LA I made the decision not to! I've been offered thousands of dollars for them and I won't sell them! I will not be one that makes money off the death of my friend! The other big question was the code! "MJJITK" We had to use that to confirm with security we were supposed to be there. I said I didn't know what it means and I don't! Like many of you I have my ideas but that wasn't a question I was going to ask him and to be honest I forget about it until I dug out the Ryder and looked at it! I hope you enjoy the interview. It was transcribed by one of our Junior Audio Producers, Amy Rogerland. THANK YOU AMY for the hard work in getting this done! The "conversation" part of our day together will be up in a few days and when the show is done, I'll give you a link in case the radio stations where you live don't have it for broadcast! CD: You are without doubt the greatest entertainer that ever lived. Looking back did you ever think you would be the king of pop? MJ: (laughter).. Wow.. Thank you so much... That's wonderful of you to say. I don't think I ever really had a grip on what we did until thriller. When I was a child I didn't understand it all. Joseph would give us checks each week from Barry and I was ten, eleven years old and had hundreds of thousands of dollars handed to me each week and all I wanted was a friend to play ball with and a pack of bubblegum. I can really tell you with all honesty that when I was younger I wanted to stop and just be a child with the astonishment of the world. CD: You say that it came to life for you with Thriller. What do you mean by that? MJ: A lot of people don't know this but thriller was mine. I had it in my head from the days of being with my brothers playing clubs at two or three in the morning. Because I could never play with children or join a baseball team I would stay up late into the night and write poems and stories. I remember I would fantasize about what I wrote and I guess a lot of what came out was my dreams of what I really wanted. I kept everything I ever wrote and when I was making thriller I took some of what I composed and adapted it into the album of which I'm very proud of. Because thriller was my own creativity, it made me really fall in love with the music because for the first time I was able to express myself and release all these emotions and if you listen to the album and i mean really listen you can hear that I wrote most of those songs from the soul. CD: Michael you were the king of the stage since day one. You didn't have to work at it, you had it and gave it to the world. Do you have any regrets? MJ: Again hank you for such kinds words. That's wonderful. I was talking with one of my dear friends the other day and we were I guess reflecting on the past and I think if I could have changed anything it would have been the chance to be a child

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for just a little while. I remember going to and from the studios and seeing children play and how all i wanted was to be one of them. I would have traded anything in the world to change places with them just for the day CD: Michael you've lived your whole life in the press. Everything from the elephant man bones to having alien babies. How do you cope with it all? MJ: (laughter).. The elephant bones was one of the top ten. I've always said the bigger the star the bigger the target and by no means am I saying that I'm better than anyone else but because of the way I live and choose to live and what I've accomplished the press for the most part feel they can make anything up and as long as it has my name on it, it will sale.. All I can say is don't by that trash. That's all it is, trash and what i want people and my fans to know is when you buy that junk you're putting money in their pockets and it hurts me. I'm a human being, not a freak show or Wacko Jacko, just a man trying to raise his children and live in peace. CD: Michael how has your children changed you? MJ: (deep sigh).. Oh wow.. Everything.. Everything has changed. I've always wanted children and I'm so blessed by the lord to have that kind of love in my life and I will do anything and everything I can to make my children lovers of the world and not spoiled brats with the silver spoon. I want them to see the world with wonderment and not be afraid and to have goals and to live life at its fullest and with each step they take I see that in them and I wake up for them and go on for them. For the first time in my life, all of this has a purpose and it's my children. The hell, the pain, the loneliness was leading to them all along. CD: Let's talk about the 90's run. You had huge success in that decade but the press down played it. You sold millions of albums, had huge hits and I'm wondering if that's why you slowed down with putting out more music? MJ: Without question. I was so irritated the media said those albums were utter failures. They sold millions of copies like you said and had massive air play and it still wasn't good enough. They wanted to focus on other things and I think we know what those are without having to indulge but the point being it goes back to making news out of nothing when I gave them so much to make news from that was true and honest like selling 7 or 8 million copies, debuting at number 1, I could go on and on but it's the same Ol' story.. If Michael does it, let's burn it into something else. CD: Do you have plans for new music or maybe a tour? MJ: Well I'm going to tell you something you may not believe..(laughter).. I have several hundred songs already laid down that I go back to when I want to release a new compilation. When I'm in the studio I sing until I can't sing anymore because I write all the time. I get beats and rhythms and work on new dance steps all the time but people don't see that side of me. I do want to do a new album but it has to be right. I want it to be bigger than thriller and I know I can do it. We're talking about some concerts but right now that's still private information but we're talking and it's coming. CD: That my friend will be the biggest show in the world.. I can't wait.. I remember I was just a young DJ when you played arrowhead back on 84 or 85. How much work goes into a new album or concert tour? MJ: (laughter).. Kansas City right.... CD: Yea.. Where the chiefs play... MJ: (With excitement) Yea.. Yea.. I remember that.. I had Kansas City ribs for the first time and made Joseph buy me four or five racks to eat on the plane. (laughter) It's really a lot of work. I'm not one to say let's do a tour and hire someone to put it all together regardless if it's just on MTV, with my brothers or a world tour. I develop every detail and it takes years. That's why I don't do it all the time (laughter) CD: Speaking of MTV.. How does it make you feel knowing you are the one.. The only one.. Who broke down the barriers and made it into what it is today? MJ: They say imitation is one of the biggest form of flattery and some of them just can't do it.. (laughter) Chuck don't you air that.. People will get mad at me.. (laughter) I was just kidding.... I do consider that one of the biggest achievements I've done and I'm so proud of those artist that come in my footsteps and take it into a new direction. I often wonder what music would be if it wasn't for thriller. I know what it did to the world and to music and sometimes i just wonder how different it would have been without it. CD: Michael, in all the interviews I've ever heard or read you always go back to thriller.. In my opinion you've had so many great works of art.. Not music but art.. So why do you use thriller as the example? MJ: That's a great question chuck.. Wow.. Well I guess because it was mine. It was the first time I had complete control from start to end and it allowed me to bring everything that was buzzing in my head to life.. (laughter) now people will think I hear voices (laughter) be quit I'm talking (laughter).. Sorry I get carried away sometimes.. It's my Genesis. It's the start of

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what I consider the career of Michael Jackson. The others before it, I'm very proud of but it had other hand prints on it when thriller was mine and it paved the way for what my music would be. It's like a road map and I've followed it every beat from then until now. CD: That is so cool... I've read what your favorite song is and what you like to listen to but what is your favorite Michael Jackson song? MJ: Good grief.. This is like final jeopardy..Do the questions get harder as we go (laughter)... I have many that are special to me. Each song represents something so special in my life from charity work I do to love to relationships to peace in the world so I can't pin down one because each one has come from my soul.. Not just pen and paper with a lyric that rhymes... CD: Let's talk a minute about charity. You have a Guinness World Record for supporting the most charities from the entertainment world. MJ: Yea.. It's pretty neat.. My children told me that were going to get one for eating the most fried chicken (laughter).. My dear mother instilled in me very young to give back and as I grew in God I knew what I had to do as a believer in Christ. I hate to see suffering, I hate to see people in need and I feel God gave me a gift and I have to use it responsibly by giving back and I'll do it until I have pennies left or the good lord calls me home. CD: You're not only like that with charity but also with your fans? MJ: I love my fans.. I mean I really love them and if I could meet every one of them I would. I watch television and see shows that follow other celebrities and how they get so mad about fans wanting to say hi or get an autograph.. They made me.. So if I can give them two minutes of my time and a friendly hello it's well worth it. I've lived my life by the fans and I'll die by the fans. CD: Michael give me a typical day in your life? MJ: Well.. It's very boring.. (laughter).. After i visit with the aliens (laughter) don't air that..I can see them writing that story now.... (laughter) ...I start the day around 6:30 or 7.. Take a shower, get my children up and we have breakfast... I fix them what they want and then I'll have a meeting or read while the children play and then it's about lunch time and we eat and spend the afternoon maybe playing a game or watching TV or a video and i get them ready for dinner and at night we might stay up late to go shopping or something fun for the children. I tuck them in, read them a story, and then I spend the rest of the night catching up on mail and stuff like that. Just a typical dad. CD: Finally Michael.. What is one thing you want the world to know about you? MJ: Well.. For one don't read everything you believe (laughter) .. I just want my fans to know that I'm not done.. I haven't thrown in the towel and I'm coming back bigger than ever before... I owe it to them, I owe it to myself and I owe it to my children. I want them to see what their daddy can do, not read about what he was and had to put up with 20 years from now. Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed it. When you hear the audio from it you will get the image of a very smart man who loves to laugh and enjoys life. He was so honest and true that the world will never be the same without him. We are all given a purpose in life. His was to carry the music world on his shoulders and he did, even when he was breaking, he would find the strength to stand tall, overcome it all just for us. Goodbye my friend.. You'll never be forgotten!

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