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Reply #30 posted 03/26/13 11:40am

GoldDolphin

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What do ya'll think of the song produced & wrote for Jennifer Holliday (the singer from Dreamgirls musical in the 80s) ? I wish he could have produced more songs for female singers.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power,the world will know peace -Jimi Hendrix
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Reply #31 posted 03/26/13 12:27pm

alphastreet

I've never heard this one before, am I a bad fan? (no pun intended) The way she's singing fast reminds me of how Mariah would sing later on.

I wish he wrote even more songs for Diana Ross.

[Edited 3/26/13 12:27pm]

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Reply #32 posted 03/26/13 4:25pm

HAPPYPERSON

Artists speak on Michael Jackson's Billie Jean

Michael Jackson moonwalked into history, 30 years ago on ‘Motown 25′

Thirty years ago today, a “big bang” of sorts occurred on television. This moment would profoundly affect R&B, rock, pop, MTV, and general pop culture.

On March 25, 1983, Michael Jackson performed “Billie Jean” on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever TV special, and a superstar was born.

Originally intended as a show commemorating Motown’s 25th birthday, it ultimately went down in history as the night Jackson introduced his signature moonwalk, demonstrating that he was a musical force in his own right. The fedora, the spangled white glove, the sparkly socks, and the loafers: all became synonymous with the performer, and his style, voice, and dance moves have been mimicked–but never duplicated–ever since that show.

Interestingly, Jackson almost did not appear on Motown 25. Wanting to concentrate on his solo career, he initially resisted performing as part of the reunited Jackson 5. Motown founder Berry Gordy personally appealed to his former protege, and Jackson reluctantly agreed, provided that Gordy allowed him a solo spot. Despite his latest single “Billie Jean” not being a Motown song, Gordy quickly consented — after all, what would the Jackson 5 be without Michael Jackson?

As the announcer enthusiastically introduced them, the Jackson brothers bounded onstage, their clashing costumes unintentionally emphasizing how the Jackson 5 had grown apart. But they gamely performed a medley of their greatest hits, a particularly moving moment occurring when Michael and Jermaine traded vocals on “I’ll be There.” They executed fun dance moves, thrilling the crowd by giving them a blast of 1970s nostalgia.

When they completed the medley, everyone except Michael ran offstage. Jackson paced the stage, shyly stating how he shared “magic moments” with his brothers during the Jackson 5 years. Then his expression intensified when he said, “but I especially like the new songs.” Anticipating what was about to happen, the audience rose to its feet, cheering even before the first drumbeat to “Billie Jean” began playing. Out of nowhere Jackson produced a fedora, planting it on his head while he assumed an angular, Bob Fosse-esque pose. Yes, he chose to lip-sync to the recording, but his astounding dance steps made up for the lack of live vocals.

The crowd screamed and yelled as he executed flawless spins, his white socks flashing as he paid homage to James Browns’ style of fast footwork. The kicks, the moves that seemed to defy gravity, and even some flashes of humor (such as miming combing back his hair in a 50s do) dazzled the crowd. But the best was yet to come.

The instrumental break kicked in, and history was made: Jackson glided backwards, his feet appearing to hover over the stage floor. Gasps could be heard as he ended the move with a flourish: standing on his toes. By the time the song faded and he froze, accepting a standing ovation, one knew that something special had just happened. From then on, Michael Jackson would transition from a former child star and R&B sensation to an international superstar.

For my generation, the Motown 25 performance represents the closest we ever got toward a “Beatles on Ed Sullivan” moment. The next day, we eleven-year-olds were scraping our feet on the playground blacktop, trying to figure out how he did the moonwalk. Shortly after, everyone owned a copy of Thriller, his videos became “happenings” that were highly anticipated, and he would become one of the best-selling artists of all time.

It’s hard to believe that 30 years have passed since I sat in my parents’ den, probably avoiding homework, staring in amazement at Jackson’s moves. While a similar moment will most likely never occur again — cable and internet have greatly fragmented audiences — it still represents a watershed moment in music and pop culture history.

http://somethingelserevie...motown-25/

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Reply #33 posted 03/26/13 4:36pm

Scorp

GoldDolphin said:

What do ya'll think of the song produced & wrote for Jennifer Holliday (the singer from Dreamgirls musical in the 80s) ? I wish he could have produced more songs for female singers.

that's an awesome song right there

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Reply #34 posted 03/27/13 5:49am

GoldDolphin

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alphastreet said:

I've never heard this one before, am I a bad fan? (no pun intended) The way she's singing fast reminds me of how Mariah would sing later on.

I wish he wrote even more songs for Diana Ross.

[Edited 3/26/13 12:27pm]

Hahaha of course not! I guess not many fans know about it because Jennifer isn't that famous in mainstream music, she's a powerful vocalist though!

I totally agree, I'm a big fan of Dianas and Muscles is one of my fav songs by her. Eaten Alive is also great! It's a shame he didn't produce for more artists, because he def had the talent to do it. For instance I think Night time lover would have been a great hit for Donna Summer had she had the time to record it. Also according to that Randy Sullivan book, he mentioned that MJ had intentions of producing an album for John Legend in 07. biggrin

When the power of love overcomes the love of power,the world will know peace -Jimi Hendrix
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Reply #35 posted 03/27/13 8:26am

alphastreet

GoldDolphin said:

alphastreet said:

I've never heard this one before, am I a bad fan? (no pun intended) The way she's singing fast reminds me of how Mariah would sing later on.

I wish he wrote even more songs for Diana Ross.

[Edited 3/26/13 12:27pm]

Hahaha of course not! I guess not many fans know about it because Jennifer isn't that famous in mainstream music, she's a powerful vocalist though!

I totally agree, I'm a big fan of Dianas and Muscles is one of my fav songs by her. Eaten Alive is also great! It's a shame he didn't produce for more artists, because he def had the talent to do it. For instance I think Night time lover would have been a great hit for Donna Summer had she had the time to record it. Also according to that Randy Sullivan book, he mentioned that MJ had intentions of producing an album for John Legend in 07. biggrin

MJ probably wanted to only produce for John cause his name sounds like a bad parody of Lennon's

lol yes I went there....he just left a sour taste in my mouth after making comments about MJ, which sounded to me like feeling bitter after things didn't work out, plus I think he's overrated

I loooove Diana too though I'm just a casual fan of hers. Maybe he should have approached females in the 00's too though it's nice Brandy and Rihanna sampled him so well and it worked out, despite popular opinion on this board. I would have loved to hear Beyonce sing songs written by him, just several, not a whole album or anything like that.

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Reply #36 posted 03/27/13 9:23am

mookie

GoldDolphin said:

What do ya'll think of the song produced & wrote for Jennifer Holliday (the singer from Dreamgirls musical in the 80s) ? I wish he could have produced more songs for female singers.

What a beautiful song.

[Edited 3/27/13 9:24am]

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Reply #37 posted 03/27/13 10:34am

alphastreet

It's so fairytale and disney like too smile No one thought anything was wrong with songs like that from mj until the 90's, bloody hypocrites!

He could have been doing what Elton John and the likes did in the 90's and given songs like that to movies like with Someone in the Dark and what he did with Will You Be There which was still considered very popular years down the road, even under a fake name like with the Simpsons to avoid overexposure wink

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Reply #38 posted 03/27/13 1:28pm

GoldDolphin

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MJ probably wanted to only produce for John cause his name sounds like a bad parody of Lennon's

lol yes I went there....he just left a sour taste in my mouth after making comments about MJ, which sounded to me like feeling bitter after things didn't work out, plus I think he's overrated

I loooove Diana too though I'm just a casual fan of hers. Maybe he should have approached females in the 00's too though it's nice Brandy and Rihanna sampled him so well and it worked out, despite popular opinion on this board. I would have loved to hear Beyonce sing songs written by him, just several, not a whole album or anything like that.

I like his first two albums but what did he say about Mike? :/..

I agree, I think he should have! I know most of the people on the org dislike Bey, but I think that would have been interesting, espcially if he had done music for B-Day.

It's so fairytale and disney like too smile No one thought anything was wrong with songs like that from mj until the 90's, bloody hypocrites!

He could have been doing what Elton John and the likes did in the 90's and given songs like that to movies like with Someone in the Dark and what he did with Will You Be There which was still considered very popular years down the road, even under a fake name like with the Simpsons to avoid overexposure wink

Yes music critics and people were just hating on anything Mike did in the 90s... It's interesting he didn't do more film music, because his music is perfect for movies! I want the estate to release music he did for other movie projects that were never released.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power,the world will know peace -Jimi Hendrix
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Reply #39 posted 03/27/13 9:09pm

alphastreet

I think John legend said something related to his skin but I don't know the quote. I like about 2 songs only from him.

Mj had plans to do music for Addams family but it was cancelled cause of the allegations. Fans say that's why he didn't do film music since, but I don't want to believe it cause of the popularity of will you be there. He could have used another name though I understand that mj did not want to change for anyone to be accepted....he wouldn't be who he was if he did that
[Edited 3/27/13 21:10pm]
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Reply #40 posted 03/27/13 11:16pm

dm3857

alphastreet said:

I think John legend said something related to his skin but I don't know the quote. I like about 2 songs only from him. Mj had plans to do music for Addams family but it was cancelled cause of the allegations. Fans say that's why he didn't do film music since, but I don't want to believe it cause of the popularity of will you be there. He could have used another name though I understand that mj did not want to change for anyone to be accepted....he wouldn't be who he was if he did that [Edited 3/27/13 21:10pm]

Michael worked on a film score for Charlie and the chocolate factory too, he also wanted to play Willy Wonka, they wanted to use his film music, but he pulled back his score when the part of Willy Wonka didn't pull through. Some say it would have won him an academy award.

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Reply #41 posted 03/28/13 10:06am

mookie

‘Voice’ Frontrunner Judith Hill Talks Michael Jackson Past & Usher’s Memory Lapse

When Judith Hill auditioned on "The Voice" Season 4's premiere this week, she wowed all four coaches and 13 million-plus viewers with her dynamite diva vocals. But this wasn't the first time that she'd performed for a massive TV audience: Back in 2009, Judith was hired to be Michael Jackson's duet partner for his This Is It London shows, and when those concerts were cancelled after Michael's shocking death, she sang "Heal The World" at his Staples Center memorial service, which was viewed by more than a billion people around the world. It was a performance to remember, for sure. But bizarrely, new "Voice" judge Usher, who also performed at the Jackson memorial and actually stood onstage behind Judith that day, didn't recognize her when she tried out for "The Voice"--not when he spun his chair around, and not even when she said her name.

Speaking to Yahoo! Music's Reality Rocks, Judith says she and Usher did briefly interact backstage at the memorial--but she doesn't seem too surprised, or insulted, that Usher doesn't remember her four years later. "The night before the rehearsal, which was a very sobering rehearsal, kind of teary-eyed, I just kind of passed by him and gave him a respectful head-nod," she recalls. "And he gave me a head-nod back, but that was really the extent of our communication. So I wasn't sure if he was going to recognize me when his chair turned. And he didn't--so that was interesting, you know?"

So, did Judith (who eventually joined Adam Levine's team, not Usher's) try to jog Usher's memory after their reunion on "The Voice"? Says Judith: "No, I didn't even bring it up; we haven't had any discussion about Michael or anything like that. I haven't seen him since the Blind Auditions. There was so much going on, it's hard to even ask someone to remember you. But I'll be curious to see if he remembers me, or if he puts the pieces together. And that should be interesting!"

Considering how spectacular Judith's MJ memorial performance truly was--Usher may not remember it vividly, but many other music fans do--it's hard to believe that she even needed to go on a show like "The Voice" to advance her career. Judith says she did receive plenty of music-business offers after that fateful day in 2009, but she was wary of moving forward. "It was so overwhelming, with all of these different people from the whole world calling me up, and I just needed time to process that," she explains. "Michael had just passed, and it was just a really, really intense time. I'm glad I didn't make any rash decisions or try to capitalize on that moment, that I just really took the time to process it and really figure myself out as well.

"I had all sorts of weirdos coming at me [with possibly shady offers], and I didn't know who to trust," Judith admits. "I was kind of overwhelmed. You know, a lot of people may promise you the world or say certain things. I did get into a few different situations, and I learned quickly that these people weren't right for me or they had other motives that weren't clean. I learned a lot. It was good to go through that process and realize that I've got to be careful."

And what did Judith, who hasn't ruled out doing a Michael Jackson cover on "The Voice" if it feels right, learn from her brief time working closely with the one and only King Of Pop? "Oh, my goodness, I learned so much from him," she raves. "I mean, the fact that he was a perfectionist…I learned, more than anything, to dream big and really have your imagination be big, and to work hard to make that dream possible. Michael had such dreams for the stage, like he was so picky about the particular lighting or how the drums should sound…it really challenged me to figure out what my dreams were, and work really hard. Michael was the hardest-working man in the business, and it was incredible seeing him and working with him."

Certainly Judith's experience with Michael should help her on "The Voice"--after all, if she has worked with a legend like MJ, then teaming up with Adam Levine should be a breeze, and if she has already performed on live television for a billion viewers, then nothing about being on "The Voice" should feel intimidating, right? Well, Judith admits that her illustrious professional background will give her some advantage in this competition, but confesses: "I still get nervous. I was jittery at my 'Voice' audition! I found myself feeling more nervous at the Blind Auditions than I did with my other [performance] experiences, because this is a singing competition and basically they're judging you, versus being on a stage where there are no chairs turning. There's so much pressure to perform well--they're going to judge you, they're going to pair you up with someone, they're going to eliminate you…there's a lot of that sort of thinking. I've never experienced that in my life, so this is really hard for me, and I've had a lot of anxiety. The concept of it being a contest has been really hard for me to digest, so I think the most important thing I've got to do is find my Zen and my calm and just be who I am, and not worry about people judging me."

Speaking of judges, will Judith ever give Usher a hard time about his little embarrassing memory lapse (which was sort of similar to the one that previous "Voice" judge Christina Aguilera had in Season 2, when she initially failed to recognize her old "Mickey Mouse Club" castmate Tony Lucca)? Judith laughs, "Oh, yeah, if the time comes, I'll be like, 'Hey, it's me!'" Let's hope the NBC cameras capture that exchange when and if it happens (that'd be some TV gold), but regardless, it's certain that Usher will never forget Judith Hill again.

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/voice-frontrunner-judith-hill-talk-michael-jackson-past-060409391.html

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Reply #42 posted 03/28/13 4:31pm

mjscarousal

alphastreet said:

I think John legend said something related to his skin but I don't know the quote. I like about 2 songs only from him. Mj had plans to do music for Addams family but it was cancelled cause of the allegations. Fans say that's why he didn't do film music since, but I don't want to believe it cause of the popularity of will you be there. He could have used another name though I understand that mj did not want to change for anyone to be accepted....he wouldn't be who he was if he did that [Edited 3/27/13 21:10pm]

John Legend tweeted that MJ hated being black and he wondered what children thought about his appearance. The MJ fans wasted no time in bashing him on Twitter.

Neyo has also said a negative thing here and there about MJ. All the celebrities MJ kept in his circle or wanted to work with were fake towards him.

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Reply #43 posted 03/28/13 6:07pm

Emancipation89

lol lol lol

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Reply #44 posted 03/28/13 8:39pm

alphastreet

dm3857 said:



alphastreet said:


I think John legend said something related to his skin but I don't know the quote. I like about 2 songs only from him. Mj had plans to do music for Addams family but it was cancelled cause of the allegations. Fans say that's why he didn't do film music since, but I don't want to believe it cause of the popularity of will you be there. He could have used another name though I understand that mj did not want to change for anyone to be accepted....he wouldn't be who he was if he did that [Edited 3/27/13 21:10pm]

Michael worked on a film score for Charlie and the chocolate factory too, he also wanted to play Willy Wonka, they wanted to use his film music, but he pulled back his score when the part of Willy Wonka didn't pull through. Some say it would have won him an academy award.



No one said this until his death though, I think jermaine spoke about it. The timing was so bad, so maybe that's why he didn't get it
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Reply #45 posted 03/28/13 8:45pm

alphastreet

mjscarousal said:



alphastreet said:


I think John legend said something related to his skin but I don't know the quote. I like about 2 songs only from him. Mj had plans to do music for Addams family but it was cancelled cause of the allegations. Fans say that's why he didn't do film music since, but I don't want to believe it cause of the popularity of will you be there. He could have used another name though I understand that mj did not want to change for anyone to be accepted....he wouldn't be who he was if he did that [Edited 3/27/13 21:10pm]

John Legend tweeted that MJ hated being black and he wondered what children thought about his appearance. The MJ fans wasted no time in bashing him on Twitter.



Neyo has also said a negative thing here and there about MJ. All the celebrities MJ kept in his circle or wanted to work with were fake towards him.



Ne yo I found two faced before he started to be. He named prince, Stevie and Marvin as influences when u could hear mj all over it and his dancing was mj like and that was a sign. After that I just heard him say that when mjs people called he wasn't sure what he was in for, and he didn't say it in a good tone and I'm like wtf cause I expected him to be a stan. I love what he did with Janet though so I would love to hear the mj cuts though he still sucks for not crediting him. At least usher has the class to do it
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Reply #46 posted 03/29/13 6:16am

GoldDolphin

avatar

alphastreet said:

mjscarousal said:

John Legend tweeted that MJ hated being black and he wondered what children thought about his appearance. The MJ fans wasted no time in bashing him on Twitter.

Neyo has also said a negative thing here and there about MJ. All the celebrities MJ kept in his circle or wanted to work with were fake towards him.

Ne yo I found two faced before he started to be. He named prince, Stevie and Marvin as influences when u could hear mj all over it and his dancing was mj like and that was a sign. After that I just heard him say that when mjs people called he wasn't sure what he was in for, and he didn't say it in a good tone and I'm like wtf cause I expected him to be a stan. I love what he did with Janet though so I would love to hear the mj cuts though he still sucks for not crediting him. At least usher has the class to do it

There are a number of artists who have done this and it's so stupid because it's so obvious that it's MJ they are inspired by and are imitating. Are you sure he said that? Because I thought he said he was jumping like a little girl when he met MJ lol.... But I wouldn't be surprised, it seems most people in the industry love bashing MJ... =/

When the power of love overcomes the love of power,the world will know peace -Jimi Hendrix
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Reply #47 posted 03/29/13 9:33am

mookie

I find it insanely sad that Eddie Van Halen or The Insane Clown Posse guys are major class acts when talking about MJ, while artists like John Legend are just straight up dicks. I just read Paul Anka is out there spreading unfair innuendo about MJ right now. Like WTF???

Or how someone like a Naomi Campbell who has a rep as a nasty and rude woman, but ask her or Brooke Shields about MJ, and it'll be Naomi who reps hard for him.

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Reply #48 posted 03/29/13 10:45am

EMPEROR101

It was popular to diss beautiful MJ when he was alive ***the later years.

A bunch of nobodies could only benifit from "following a trail instead of making a path".

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Reply #49 posted 03/29/13 12:30pm

mjforever

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Reply #50 posted 03/29/13 12:40pm

HAPPYPERSON

Credit goes to the MJ Forum on lipstickalley, some fascinating stuff

Michael Jackson on Black Culture

Some of the charities Michael contributed to:

  • Minority Aids Project
  • Motown Museum
  • NAACP
  • Transafrica
  • United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
  • United Negro College Fund Ladder’s of Hope
  • YMCA – 28th Street/Crenshaw
  • Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
  • Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles
  • Brotherhood Crusade
  • AIDS Project L.A
  • Dakar Foundation
  • National Rainbow Coalition
  • National Solidarity Fund
  • The Sickle Cell Research Foundation
  • The Carter Center’s Atlanta Project
  • Million Man March



In the 80s he was one of the United Negro College Fund's most significant donors, and by around 1992? I think he'd put 200 African Americans through college.

He had these books in his personal library:





Quote:
⇓⇓ Malcolm X, by Alex Haley
⇓⇓ The Negro Caravan, by Sterling A. Brown
⇓⇓ Black Heroes of The 20th Century, by Jessie Carney Smith
⇓⇓ Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America, by James Allen
⇓⇓ Black in America, by Eli Reed
⇓⇓ King: A Photobiography of Martin Luther King Jnr, by Charles Johnson, Bob Adelman
⇓⇓ In Praise of Black Women, Volume 1: Ancient African Queens, by
Simone Schwarz-Bart
⇓⇓ The Face of Our Past: Images of Black Women from Colonial America to the Present, by Kathleen Thompson and Hilary MacAustin
⇓⇓ Before the Mayflower, by Lerone Bennet Jr

His drawing of MLK.



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Reply #51 posted 03/29/13 12:46pm

HAPPYPERSON



When Mike was crowned King during his visit to the Ivory Coast...









Michael Jackson: Friend of Africa

BY ASKIA MUHAMMAD

International artist visits D.C., plans tour of Africa to focus on HIV-AIDS epidemic


WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - The African continent has a true friend in Michael Jackson. During his three decades of visits there since his childhood, Mr. Jackson has financially supported programs to build and equip hospitals, orphanages, homes and schools as well as programs related to child immunization, HIV/AIDS, and the anti-apartheid struggle.
‘I cannot imagine a greater asset to this fight against AIDS in Africa and helping us make good on President Bush’s promises, than to have Michael Jackson with us.’
-Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas)

On April 1, the African diplomatic community officially showed its appreciation, presenting the "King" of popular music and the entertainment world’s most generous philanthropist with a one-foot-tall, brass elephant statuette from the African Ambassadors’ Spouses Association (AASA) in recognition of his worldwide humanitarian efforts, particularly in Africa.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Jackson in the name of the people of my country, Ethiopia," Mrs. Haregewoine Abebe, wife of the Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S. and hostess of the gala reception at her country’s embassy, told more than 200 guests.

"You may recall that Mr. Jackson and his colleagues, Mr. Quincy Jones and Mr. Lionel Ritchie, started the ‘We Are the World’ project in 1985. This monumental effort raised millions of dollars to assist the victims of famine and mobilize the world to respond to the tragedy faced by Ethiopia at that time," Mrs. Abebe said as audience members cheered.

In 1984, Mr. Jackson composed the song "We Are the World," which was recorded by dozens of the world’s most popular singers. The recording and the video earned millions of dollars for Ethiopian famine relief.

Mr. Jackson was in Washington for public meetings with several members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to promote awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the Continent, and for private visits with wounded U.S. military personnel being treated at Walter Reed Army Hospital, and with students at the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts.

"I cannot imagine a greater asset to this fight against AIDS in Africa and helping us make good on President Bush’s promises, than to have Michael Jackson with us," Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) told reporters on Capitol Hill March 31, according to published reports.

Over two days, Mr. Jackson met privately with a half-dozen CBC members—including Reps. Lee, William Clay Jr. (D-Mo.), Chaka Fatah (D-Pa.), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), John Lewis, and Bobby Rush (D-Ill.)—as well as with a delegation of African ambassadors. The primary focus of the meetings was to raise awareness about the scourge of AIDS on the African continent.

The full, 39-member CBC declined to officially meet with Mr. Jackson because of a full legislative schedule, Mrs. Jackson-Lee told reporters. Privately, however CBC members were "afraid," one CBC source who asked not to be identified confided. "They didn’t want to be associated with someone they think might be a child molester. That was not the position of this office," the source said.

Mr. Jackson has been charged in California with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of giving alcohol to a minor.

"I am very well aware that Mr. Jackson is engaged in the legal system," Mrs. Jackson-Lee said in a prepared statement. "I am also aware that he is innocent until proven guilty. I believe in the rightness of fairness, and that Mr. Jackson should be allowed to maintain his life. Mr. Jackson is a world phenomenon, and we should look outside of condemnation, to faith, charity and hope, which is what Mr. Jackson brings."

Rep. Rush agreed. "We are a nation of laws, and people are innocent until proven guilty," Rep. Rush said in a statement to The Final Call. "After my meeting with Michael Jackson, I came away feeling that Michael would be a magnificent spokesperson for the plight of people suffering HIV/AIDS. He is indeed someone who can lead the global fight for those suffering with this disease. His voice would be a powerful and forceful voice around the world to provide medical treatment and eventually a cure."

Mr. Jackson pledged that he was "capable and willing to dedicate the remainder of his entire life to the HIV/AIDS epidemic," Mr. Rush said. "With this campaign, Michael will continue to have an impact on our lives. Michael is the man for such a time as these."

About 50 onlookers waiting to get a glimpse of the superstar, shouted, screamed and chanted "Michael! Michael!" as Capitol Police and security guards helped Mr. Jackson push through the crowd in the hall of one of the House office buildings on his way into and out of the meetings held over two days.

CBC member Jesse Jackson Jr. contrasted President George W. Bush’s promise in his 2003 State of the Union address to provide $15 billion over the next five years for AIDS treatment in poor countries, with more than 14 months of "shortages of money and battles over patents (which) have kept anti-retro viral drugs from reaching more than 90 percent of the poor who need them," according to "talking points" prepared for the meetings with Mr. Jackson, and obtained by The Final Call.

U.S. spending to fight AIDS thus far "has not kept pace with (Mr.) Bush’s $15 billion, 5-year plan," according to the talking points. "Last year, (Mr.) Bush requested only $940 million and Congress provided less than $2 billion to the effort," which should translate into $3 billion per year for five years. This year, Mr. Bush requested $2.6 billion in bi-lateral assistance.

Still, Rep. Jackson (no relation) complained in his talking points, Mr. Bush donated less than half of the money authorized by Congress ($200 million of $550 million that was approved) to the Global AIDS Fund. Total donations to the fund are about $1.6 billion a year, barely 20 percent of what the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said was needed when he created the fund in 2001.

"This is very, very important to me," Mr. Jackson, the singer, said in an impromptu response to a reporter’s question about his commitment to fighting the spread of the disease. "I have traveled to Africa and have made financial contributions there," he said in a written statement. "However there are still 9,000 people a day dying of AIDS. There are so few schools that some children are not being educated. Many are starving and dying of diseases that we just take an aspirin for.

"Many of life’s pleasures that we take advantage of—running water, electricity, paved roads, working toilets, beds and food—are dreams for the majority of our African family. We all share the same commitment and we all care about what happens in our Sister continent, Africa."

Mr. Jackson’s involvement is "welcome" according to one influential African ambassador. "AIDS is a very big problem for the world. Not just for Africa, but the entire world. We know because we’ve been at the forefront of fighting against it," Ambassador Edith Ssempala, from the Republic of Uganda, told The Final Call in an interview.

"This cannot be fought by just one person. It cannot be fought by just one country. It is a fight that we all have to be engaged in, so we definitely welcome Michael’s involvement." Uganda has been one of the most successful African countries in stopping the spread of AIDS, and its three-pronged so-called "A-B-C" approach of abstinence, being faithful to one sexual partner and the use of condoms, has been held up by U.S. officials as a model for the continent where more than 30 million people are living with the AIDS virus.

The entire world must rally now to help Africa, Ambassador Ssempala said. "Africa helped the rest of the world to become who they have become. Europe was helped. Japan was helped. The ‘Asian Tigers’ were helped. That was really an investment in the security of the world."

In response to invitations from several African governments issued in their meeting with him on Capitol Hill, Mr. Jackson pledged a concert tour, and to visit some of their countries, in order to help raise money for AIDS prevention, treatment and education programs.

Mr. Jackson, now 43, has traveled to Africa since he was 12 years old, he told guests at the AASA reception. And he has taken his own children to the continent often for vacations. In fact, he confided Africa is his children’s favorite vacation destination.

Coincidentally, the name of another Black music superstar was being lent to raise awareness in support of African education at the same time as the Jackson visit, according to the African American Newswire (AAN).

Her Royal Highness Nan Ama Ayensuah Saara III, Queen Mother of the Denkyira people in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa, visited New York March 31 to discuss plans surrounding a major land development project near the slave-trading port of Cape Coast, Ghana. It will be called the "Nina Simone Cultural Village," according to a statement released by AAN. The 50-acre project is scheduled to be dedicated on April 21, the one year anniversary of the death of the sultry Ms. Simone, one of the most popular songwriters, pianists and vocal performers from the late 1950s until her death in 2003.

The African Ambassadors’ Spouses Association (AASA) was founded in 1978 with the mission to provide assistance to programs benefiting underprivileged children in the 51 participating countries. AASA is planning a gala fundraising dinner in Washington on June 4 to raise funds for crippled children. "I will be supporting them in their effort 100 percent," Mr. Jackson said in a statement prepared for delivery at the reception, "and (I) encourage you all to do so.

"We must use whatever resources we have to work together to combat all of these problems. Several members of Congress have pledged their support in our efforts by continuing to raise the awareness of the American people, and to continue their fight for proper funding for programs affecting Africa. This is a good thing and we must support them," Mr. Jackson’s statement said.

"It’s good. It’s very good and we are very happy. Michael wants to help AASA, and he wants to help Africa, for HIV, and for disabled children, so we are happy," Mrs. Haoua Diatta, wife of the Ambassador from Niger and chair of the June 4 gala told The Final Call.

1992 - May: "Ebony/JET" Magazine Interview (Full)

EBONY/JET: Do you have any special feeling about this return to the continent of Africa?

Michael Jackson: For me, it's like the "dawn of civilization." It's the first place where society existed. It's seen a lot of love. I guess there's that connection because it is the root of all rhythm. Everything. It's home.

EBONY/JET: You visited Africa in 1974. Can you compare and contrast the two visits?

Michael Jackson: I'm more aware of things this time: the people and how they live and their government. But for me, I'm more aware of the rhythms and the music and the people. That's what I'm really noticing more than any thing. The rhythms are incredible. You can tell especially the way the children move. Even the little babies, when they hear the drums, they start to move. The rhythm, the way it affects their soul and they start to move. The same thing that Blacks have in America.

EBONY/JET: How does it feel to be a real king?

Michael Jackson: I never try to think hard about it because I don't want it to go to my head. But, it's a great honor....

EBONY/JET: Speaking of music and rhythm, how did you put together the gospel songs on your last album?

Michael Jackson: I wrote "Will You Be There?" at my house, "Never Land" in California.... I didn't think about it hard. That's why it's hard to take credit for the songs that I write, because I just always feel that it's done from above. I feel fortunate for being that instrument through which music flows. I'm just the source through which it comes. I can't take credit for it because it's God's work. He's just using me as the messenger....

EBONY/JET: What was the concept for the Dangerous album?

Michael Jackson: I wanted to do an album that was like Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. So that in a thousand years from now, people would still be listening to it. Something that would live forever. I would like to see children and teenagers and parents and all races all over the world, hundreds and hundreds of years from now, still pulling out songs from that album and dissecting it. I want it to live.

EBONY/JET: I notice on this trip that you made a special effort to visit children.

Michael Jackson: I love children, as you can see. And babies.

EBONY/JET: And animals.

Michael Jackson: Well, there's a certain sense that animals and children have that gives me a certain creative juice, a certain force that later on in adulthood is kind of lost because of the conditioning that happens in the world. A great poet said once. "When I see children, I see that God has not yet given up on man." An Indian poet from India said that, and his name is Tagore. The innocence of children represents to me the source of infinite creativity. That is the potential of every human being. But by the time you are an adult, you're conditioned; you're so conditioned by the things about youand it goes. Love. Children are loving, they don't gossip, they don't complain, they're just open-hearted. They're ready for you. They don't judge. They don't see things by way of color. They're very child-like. That's the problem with adults they lose that child-like quality. And that's the level of inspiration that's so needed and is so important for creating and writing songs and for a sculptor, a poet or a novelist. It's that same kind of innocence, that same level of consciousness, that you create from. And kids have it. I feel it right away from animals and children and nature. Of course. And when I'm on stage. I can't perform if I don't have that kind of ping pony with the crowd. You know the kind of cause and effect action, reaction. Because I play off of them. They're really feeding me and I'm just acting from their energy.

EBONY/JET: Where is all this heading?

Michael Jackson: I really believe that God chooses people to do certain things, the way Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci or Mozart or Muhammad Ali or Martin Luther King is chosen. And that is their mission to do that thing. And I think that I haven't scratched the surface yet of what my real purpose is for being here. I'm committed to my art.

I believe that all art has as its ultimate goal the union between the material and the spiritual, the human and the divine. And I believe that that is the very reason for the exis-tence of art and what I do. And I feel fortunate in being that instrument through which music flows.... Deep inside I feel that this world we live in is really a big, huge, monumental symphonic orchestra.

I believe that in its primordial form all of creation is sound and that it's not just random sound, that it's music. You've heard the expression, mu-sic of the spheres? Well, that's a very literal phrase. In the Gospels, we read, "And the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man be-came a living soul."

That breath of life to me is the music of life and it permeates every fiber of creation. In one of the pieces of the Dangerous album, I say: "Life songs of ages, throbbing in my blood, have danced the rhythm of the tide and flood."
This is a very literal statement, because the same new miracle intervals and biological rhythms that sound out the architecture of my DNA also governs the movement of the stars.

The same music governs the rhythm of the seasons, the pulse of our heartbeats, the migration of birds, the ebb and flow of ocean tides, the cycles of growth, evolution and dissolution. It's music, it's rhythm. And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance. It's like, my purpose, it's what I'm here for.

EBONY/JET: What about politics?

Michael Jackson: I never get into politics. But I think music soothes the savage beast. If you put cells under a microscope and you put music on, you'll see them move and start to dance. It affects the soul.... I hear music in everything. [Pauses] You know, that's the most I've said in eight years. You know I don't give interviews. That because I know you, and I trust you. You're the only person I trust to give interviews to.



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Reply #52 posted 03/29/13 1:05pm

HAPPYPERSON

EBONY: In your travels, what were some of the countries that impressed you most?

MICHAEL: I’m gonna raise my hand on this one. I’ll say this. I always thought that the Blacks, as far as artistry, were a talented race of people. But when I went to Africa, I was even more convinced. They did some incredible things over there. [West African countries, including Senegal]. We went to one place out in the flatlands where all these Africans sell their crafts and everything. I went to this one hut where this guy made incredible carvings….He took a piece of wood and a hatchet-like thing and started chopping and I just sat there amazed. He carved a big face…dipped it in some water…dried it off and he gave it to me and I paid for it.

EBONY: You seem impressed by African art but what about African music and dance?

MICHAEL: When we came off the plane in [Dakar, Senegal] Africa, we were greeted by a long line of African dancers. Their drums and sounds filled the air with rhythm. I was going crazy, I was screaming. I said, ‘All right!’ They got the beat and they got the rhythm… I just was so glad about the whole thing. ‘This is it’, I said. ‘This is where I come from. The origin…’

EBONY: You were obviously impressed by your musical roots, so where do you think the Africans derived their musical influence?

MICHAEL: Music started with nature. Music is nature. Birds make music. Oceans make music. Wind makes music. Any natural sound is music. And that’s where it started….You see, we’re just making a replica of nature, which is the sounds we hear outside.

Dr Abe Greatest African tribute to Michael Jackson

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzBsD9GONrI[/youutbe]

“That’s why I love Stevie Wonder’s album called Songs in The Key of Life… He had a song called Black Man and I just jumped up screaming when I heard that record because he’s showing the world what the Black man has done and what other races have done… He named it Black Man and all these people who have got the album sing it. And that’s the best way to bring about the truth.” - Jet Magazine, Feb. 6, 1984

“Ever since I was a child I realized I had a lot of love to share from my soul. The Black tradition is the tradition of soul…The black tradition is a tradition of soul which is a gift of love and joy. Soul is the most precious thing you can share because you’re sharing yourself and the world needs that gift now more than ever. Thank you…Bet and all the black program directors and DJs for keeping my music on the air. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

April 1, 2004: At the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Michael Jackson was presented with a humanitarian award by the African Ambassadors' Spouses Association in honor of his work fighting AIDS in Africa

Why MJJ's allegiance to black people and black culture is questioned is beyond me. Michael was

no more conflicted about race in America than most blacks that is why we see so many threads here about dark skin/light skin, interracial dating, and the quandry of the POTUS and his tendency to ignore black concerns.

Michael never said any of the horrible ugly things about black people that has come out of the mouth of Kevin Hart, D. L. Hughley, and rappers generally. Instead Mike said, "They don't care about us", including himself in the us. He understood that he, like his people, were like a stranger in Moscow living in America.

Michael constantly touted how black culture was the major backdrop of American culture. And, his true champions were James Brown and Sammy Davis, Jr. He loved James Brown so much that he showed up at his funeral when so many others who should have been there were noticeably absent. Donna Summers, Gladys Knight, and Dionne Warwick embraced him and refused to turn on him at his death; they understood the real contributions and sacrifices this man made in the name of blackness. That listing of his philantropy to black causes is nothing short of a clear understanding of who he was connected to. He did not ignore black people when he made it.

At his funeral, Bernice King said that even though MJJ was embroiled in accusations and persecution, he called Mrs. King about three months before she died. Michael recognized and wanted to let her know he appreciated her, before she died. He told her that she was America's true royalty. Also, he understood where home was and took Steve Harvey's invitation to go to church with him.

Michael was so much a part of black culture that black social critics and scholars had to testify to his greatness as a black cultural carrier. Included in that crew is James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Dr. Susan Faust, Eware X. Osayanda, etc., etc.

Enough said. I am not a stan; don't believe in it. BUT, I just loved Michael Joseph Jackson. It bothers me that some can so glibly disassociate him from his love of black people and black culture. MJJ was a complex man. As I said, his conflicts and contradictions are no greater than those of many black people.

couple of tidbits from his autobiography:

Quote:
We climbed into the VW, after cereal and milk at the coffee shop. I noticed they offered grits on the menu, so I knew there were a lot of Southern people who stayed there. We had never been to the South then and wanted to visit Mom's part of the country someday. We wanted to have a sense of our roots and those of other black people, especially after what had happened to Dr. King. I remember so well the day he died. Everyone was torn up. We didn't rehearse that night. I went to Kingdom Hall with Mom and some of the others. People were crying like they had lost a member of their own family. Even the men who were usually pretty unemotional were unable to control their grief. I was too young to grasp the full tragedy of the situation, but when I look back on that day now, it makes me want to cry - for Dr. King, for his family, and for all of us.

there was an article called Black Music White Face? Justin Timberlake & the Selling of 'Soul'

someone in the comment section made an interesting comment

Once a reporter asked a Black Power question and the Motown person told him we didn't think about that stuff because we were a "commercial product." It sounded weird, but we winked and gave the power salute when we left, which seemed to thrill the guy.

Quote:
really agreed with most of this segment of Huff Post Live and it is an
excellent topic to be discussed. However, the discussion did miss an important
element. There was an African American artist who challenged the meme the
public loving the Black sound but requiring a white visual. That artist was
Michael Jackson.

Jackson challenged the white elite in positions of
power just by his very existence as an artist and his enormous ability to
connect with all races and unite them through his music. He sold millions of
records and was the most award winning artist in history, yet the media (and
subsequently law enforcement)chose to "crucify" him and make him pay for that
success. African American media figures are complicit in this effort to
denigrate Jackson and lessen his impact. This continues today.

To have a
discussion about Justin Timberlake's success with Black music and question the
meme of Black soul/white visual and not acknowledging the obvious attempt at
the minimization of Jackson's impact was a little hard to listen to. Rick
Juswiak's presence was difficult as well in a discussion like this because he
writes so nastily about Michael Jackson, the most successful Black artist in
history.

Although Marc Lamont Hill wrote some terrific words about
Michael Jackson in 2009 after his death, I have lost a great deal of respect
for Marc Lamont Hill since his frat boy behavior in the Randall Sullivan
interview on Huff Post Live. The topic of the interview was Sullivan's tabloid
"biography" of Michael Jackson. Sullivan's book made no real attempt to include
Jackson's artistry and, in fact, dismissed him as an artist after "Thriller."
The academic world and Jackson's phenomenal legion of fans vigorously dispute
that notion. During the interview, Hill and Sullivan denigrated both Michael
Jackson and his fans.

A discussion of Black artistry taking a back seat
to White's which includes Elvis Presley but not Michael Jackson is very
incomplete. Why not have the same discussion and explore what role the media
plays when they are so harshly unfair to an artist was challenging that meme in
a huge way?

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Reply #53 posted 03/29/13 1:56pm

Emancipation89

oh and thank you for posting those Happyperson!! ^^^

mookie said:

I find it insanely sad that Eddie Van Halen or The Insane Clown Posse guys are major class acts when talking about MJ, while artists like John Legend are just straight up dicks. I just read Paul Anka is out there spreading unfair innuendo about MJ right now. Like WTF???

Or how someone like a Naomi Campbell who has a rep as a nasty and rude woman, but ask her or Brooke Shields about MJ, and it'll be Naomi who reps hard for him.

I'm just curious of all these celebrities that either worked with MJ or had spoken about him, who is ever good enough in MJ fans' eyes? What did Brooke Shields do now?

[Edited 3/29/13 14:02pm]

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Reply #54 posted 03/29/13 2:46pm

alphastreet

GoldDolphin said:

alphastreet said:

mjscarousal said: Ne yo I found two faced before he started to be. He named prince, Stevie and Marvin as influences when u could hear mj all over it and his dancing was mj like and that was a sign. After that I just heard him say that when mjs people called he wasn't sure what he was in for, and he didn't say it in a good tone and I'm like wtf cause I expected him to be a stan. I love what he did with Janet though so I would love to hear the mj cuts though he still sucks for not crediting him. At least usher has the class to do it

There are a number of artists who have done this and it's so stupid because it's so obvious that it's MJ they are inspired by and are imitating. Are you sure he said that? Because I thought he said he was jumping like a little girl when he met MJ lol.... But I wouldn't be surprised, it seems most people in the industry love bashing MJ... =/

In the very beginning he credited them as did the article, by the time sexy love was released, I started hearing mj praises, and I found that very weird....cause I heard it right away with so sick and loved him. I haven't cared for his music since i just can't stop and the songs he did with janet, it bored me.

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Reply #55 posted 03/29/13 3:20pm

GoldDolphin

avatar

HAPPYPERSON said:



When Mike was crowned King during his visit to the Ivory Coast...







I love those pics! MJ was so beautiful, inside and out! He was so smart and I wish someone could have interviewed him about all those books he read. I remember reading back in 09, that people in Ivory Coast wanted him to be buried there since he was crowned king and he had some ancestry from there. I'm thankful the girls at Lipstickalley are sharing this, because this is the side that mainstream audiences never got to see. He looked so happy while staying in Ivory Coast and South Africa. He should have just bought a house and stayed there, like he intentionally wanted to. He was a king chosen by the people. cool

When the power of love overcomes the love of power,the world will know peace -Jimi Hendrix
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Reply #56 posted 03/29/13 3:36pm

mookie

Emancipation89 said:

I'm just curious of all these celebrities that either worked with MJ or had spoken about him, who is ever good enough in MJ fans' eyes? What did Brooke Shields do now?

[Edited 3/29/13 14:02pm]

Well of course they aren't going to be "good enough" if they're acting shifty, two faced, bandwagonish etc.

And Brooke hasn't done anything. Just using her as an example.

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Reply #57 posted 03/29/13 3:52pm

alphastreet

mookie said:



Emancipation89 said:


I'm just curious of all these celebrities that either worked with MJ or had spoken about him, who is ever good enough in MJ fans' eyes? What did Brooke Shields do now?


[Edited 3/29/13 14:02pm]




Well of course they aren't going to be "good enough" if they're acting shifty, two faced, bandwagonish etc.



And Brooke hasn't done anything. Just using her as an example.





I'm cool with Brooke actually smile and there are artists who bashed mj I still listen to so I don't always take it personal though its petty behaviour. It just bothers me if people like John are dickish about it
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Reply #58 posted 03/30/13 7:02am

OfftheWall

avatar

So sick of the Jacksons & this lawsuit. So MJ was so sick and frial yet would have made 40 billion? Right. So sick and frial that his own family were begging him for YEARS (including Janet) to go on tour with them. If he happened to die but the tour he was signed to was The Jacksons instead of This Is It, who would they sue then? Michael Jackson just can't escape trials, dead or alive. I don't even want to read any of this mess, what's it gonna do?

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Reply #59 posted 03/30/13 9:35am

mookie

alphastreet said:

I'm cool with Brooke actually smile and there are artists who bashed mj I still listen to so I don't always take it personal though its petty behaviour. It just bothers me if people like John are dickish about it

I'm meh about Brooke. And with other celebs for the most part, unless they are just overly vicious and just constant with their MJ attacks, if i'm already a fan, I usually can still watch their films or shows and listen to their music.

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