July 7, 2009 : Michael Jackson Remembered

>> WHEN WE CONTINUE, THE

JACKSON MEMORIAL HIM

AN IMMENSE TALENT AND

IMMENSELY BIZARRE LIFE WITH

POMP FIT FOR A KING, MICHAEL

JACKSON WAS REMEMBERED NEED

CONCERT.

A CELEBRATORY AND SPIRITUAL

MUSICAL MEMORIAL.

EVEN IN DEATH, THE SHOW WENT

ON.

AFTER A PRIVATE FAMILY SERVICE

AT FOREST LAWN CEMETERY,

HELICOPTERS FOLLOWING THE

HEARS CARRYING THE BODY OF

MICHAEL JACKSON TO HIS FINAL

SHOW AT THE STAPLES CENTER IN

LOS ANGELES.

ß WHERE THERE IS LOVE I'LL BE

THERE.

>> AS JACKSON'S CAST KE WAS

PLACED CENTER STAGE, MARIAH

CAREY LED OFF A PARADE OF

TRIBUTES.

QUEEN LATIFAH SPOKE THE WORDS

OF MIA ANGELOU.

>> IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA AND

BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND, WE ARE

MISSING MICHAEL JACKSON.

BUT WE DO KNOW WE HAD HIM.

AND WE ARE THE WORLD.

>> MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION

PEOPLE REGISTERED FOR THE

17,000 FREE TICKETS TO THE

MEMORIAL.

AS THE JACKSON FAMILY LOOKED

ON, CONTEMPORARIES LIKE LIONEL

RICH I AND STEVIE WONDER PAID

HOMAGE.

NEWER ARTISTS WERE THERE, TOO,

LIKE JOHN MAYER AND JENNIFER

HUDSON, AND AN EMOTIONAL

USHER.

TWO OF BASKETBALL'S BIGGEST

STARS VOICED THEIR

APPRECIATION FOR JACKSON'S

SOCIETAL INFLUENCE.

>> I WANT TO THANK MICHAEL FOR

OPENING UP SO MANY DOORS FOR

AFRICAN-AMERICANS.

THE

>> THE MEMORIAL DREW THE FINAL

CURTAIN ON A MUSICAL ICON WHO

ALWAYS SEEMED AT HOME ON

TEEN-AGE BUT NEVER OFF IT.

WITH ME NOW IS STEPHEN DAVIS,

COLLABORATOR ON MICHAEL

JACKSON'S 1988 AUTOBIOGRAPHY,

MOON WALK.

WELCOME TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF

TODAY'S CEREMONY?

>> A GREAT AWARDS SHOW.

WASN'T IN THE BEST OF TASTE,

BUT I GUESS THEY ONLY HAD A

WEEK TO PUT IT TOGETHER AND

THEY HAD A LOT OF DUES TO PAY

IN TERMS OF GETTING PEEL ON

STAGE, MARTIN LUTHER KING'S

CHILDREN AND I IMAGINE THE

PRESSURE ON THE JACKSON FAMILY

WAS PRETTY IMMENSE FROM

POLITICIANS AND SHOW BUSINESS

FIGURES, AND GET ME ON THAT

STAGE, AND LET'S MOVE ON.

>> YOU'RE ONE OF THE ONLY

PEOPLE WHO HAS REALLY HAD AN

OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO MICHAEL

JACKSON.

AND YOU DESCRIBED HIM AS SEMI

MYTHICAL AND ELF-LIKE.

WAS HE LIKE THAT ONE ON ONE AS

WELL?

>> VERY, YES, VERY MUCH. SO IT

WAS LIKE SITTING WITH A SPIRIT,

SOMEONE WHO IS SORT OF HALF

WITH YOU AND HALF IN THE

SPIRIT WORLD, WHOSE ATTENTION

SPAN WAS VERY SHORT AND YOU

NEEDED TO BE VERY INTENSE

ASKING HIM QUESTIONS, WHICH

WAS MY JOB.

BUT GRADUALLY HE WOULD START

TO FOCUS, IF HE BECAME

INTERESTED.

AT THAT POINT HE WAS

FASCINATING AND YOU'D ARE TO

GET TOM STOP AND SAY WHOA, TOO

MUCH INFORMATION SOMETIMES.

BECAUSE HE COULD BE VERY

EMOTIONAL.

ONCE HE GOT WOUND UP.

BUT IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY --

I KNEW HIM 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I

WORKED ON THAT BOOK, MOON

WALK.

AND HE WAS A 29-YEAR-OLD BLACK

KID WITH MORE MONEY THAN GOD

AND HE HAD FINISHED, HE WAS

BETWEEN THE THRILLER ALBUM AND

THE BAD ALBUM, AND HE WAS

TAKING CALLS FROM STEVEN

SPIELBERG WHILE HE WAS WITH ME

TALKING ABOUT A DISNEY RIDE

THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON

TOGETHER AND TAKING CALLS FROM

PRESIDENT REAGAN, AND GOING

RIGHT BACK INTO OUR INTERVIEW.

SO I WAS VERY BIZARRE AND ALSO

VERY MAGICAL FOR ME.

>> YOU DESCRIBE HIM IN DEATH

AS SOMEONE WHO LOOKED LIKE A

6-YEAR-OLD WHITE WOMAN.

>> THAT WAS A LITTLE HARSH.

I DID A BUNCH OF INTERVIEWS A

WEEK AGO THURSDAY AS HE WAS,

THIS WAS ALL BREAKING, AND MY

WIFE AND KIDS AND I, THEY KNEW

EXAMINE WE WERE ALL SORT OF

CRYING, AND I WAS TRYING TO BE

LIGHT.

BUT HE OBVIOUSLY IN THE 20

YEARS SINCE I LAST SAW HIM HAS

GONE THROUGH AN INCREDIBLE

SERIES OF TRANSFORMATIONS AND

INCREDIBLE SERIES OF TRAUMAS.

IT'S BEEN ALLUDED TO ALL DAY.

I CALL WHAT HAPPENED TO

MICHAEL JACKSON A LYNCHING.

AND MY MANTRA IS THAT

EVERYTHING YOU EVER HEARD

ABOUT MICHAEL IS TRUE, EXCEPT

THAT HE MOLESTED CHILDREN.

>> YOU'RE A DISBELIEVER IN

THAT.

I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, WE

DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW, IN THESE CHILD

ABUSE CASES, WE DON'T REALLY

KNOW.

BUT YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO THEM,

YOU ACTIVELY DISBELIEVE IT.

WHY?

>> WELL, IT'S NOT ONLY ME,

EMILY.

A JURY OF HIS PEERS DIDN'T

BELIEVE IT EITHER.

AND THIS WAS A VERY

CONSERVATIVE JURY IN ONE OF

THE MOST CONSERVATIVE COUNTYS

IN AMERICA, THE JURIES WERE

POLICEMEN'S WIVES AND RETIRED

FIREFIGHTERS AND THEY THREW 14

CHARGES OUT OF COURT.

BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY LIES

AND EXTORTION AND I THINK IT

EVENTUALLY PROBABLY KILLED

MICHAEL JACKSON.

I DON'T THINK HE EVER

RECOVERED.

HE LEFT AMERICA IMMEDIATELY

AND NEVER CAME BACK.

HIS APPEARANCE CHANGED, DIDN'T

WANT HIS CHILDREN EXPOSED TO

ANY OF THIS.

AS I SAY, I CALL IT A LYNCHING

BECAUSE I THINK IT TOOK A LONG

TIME, BUT I THINK IT KILLED

HIM IN THE END.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE $22

MILLION OR WHATEVER THAT

REPORTED FIGURE IS PAYOFF TO

THAT OTHER YOUNG 12-YEAR-OLD

WAS ABOUT?

>> WELL, I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL

BECAUSE OF LIBEL.

I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF HIS

LAWYERS, THE LATE BEYONDY

COCHRAN, THAT THE STORY WAS,

AND AGAIN I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL,

THE FATHER OF THE FIRST BOY

WAS A DENTIST AND THERE WAS A

THEORY THAT THIS BOY HAD BEEN

GIVEN A DRUG WHICH IS

AVAILABLE TO DENTISTS CALLED

SPECIAL K.

IF YOU GIVE THAT TO ONE AND

TELL THEM THEIR FATHER WAS A

CHIPMUNK, THEY'LL WAKE UP THE

NEXT MORNING AND START LOOKING

AROUND IN THE TREES FOR DAD.

IT'S A VERY POWERFUL DRUG.

SO THIS FIRST BOY APPARENTLY

WAS VERY CONVINCING.

AGAIN, I WORRY ABOUT LIBEL.

BUT I AM REPORTING WHAT THE

RUMOR IS, SO THE SUPREME COURT

SAYS THIS IS OKAY.

AND THAT'S THE STORY I BELIEVE.

THERE WERE ALWAYS A LOT OF BOYS

AROUND MICHAEL JACKSON AND

THEY WERE PART OF THE

HOUSEHOLD.

IT WAS A LITTLE LIKE BATMAN

AND ROBIN.

MICHAEL TOLD ME I'M A BOY

MYSELF, I NEVER HAD A

CHILDHOOD, I NEVER WENT TO

SCHOOL, THEY NEVER TAUGHT ME

HOW TO PLAY WITH OTHERS.

THEY WERE REHEARSING OR ON THE

THE ROAD TO THE NEXT GIG.

>> YOU HAD THAT GREAT STORY

ABOUT WHAT THE CHIMPANZEE CAME

INTO THE ROOM AND YOUR

DAUGHTER WAS THERE.

>> WHEN I FIRST MET MICHAEL, I

WAS A LITTLE LEERY ABOUT

TAKING THIS JOB, SO HE INVITED

ME TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY

AND HAVE LUNCH, AND I SAID CAN

I BRING MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER.

MY WIFE IS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST

SO, I FIGURED IF SHE GOT A

LOAD OF MICHAEL AND SAID HE'S

TABLE ENOUGH SO THAT YOU CAN

SPEND A YEAR OF YOUR LIFE

DOING THIS, SO HE CAME AND WE

HAD LUNCH.

AND MY DAUGHTER AT THE TIME

WAS NINE YEARS OLD, AND SHE

ASKED TO MEET BUBBLES, THE

FAMOUS CHIMPANZEE.

SO THE TRAINER BROUGHT IN

BUBBLES AND WE TILL LAUGH

ABOUT THIS, BUT BUBBLES TOOK

ONE LOOK AT THIS LITTLE GIRL,

AND THERE WEREN'T MANY LITTLE

GIRLS AROUND, AND GRABBED HER

BY THE ARM AND STARTED

DRAGGING HER AROUND THE ROOM.

AND MICHAEL QUICKLY GRABBED

HER BY THE OTHER HAND. SO FOR

THIS WONDERFUL 25 SECONDS MY

DAUGHTER WAS THE ROPE IN A TUG

OF WAR BETWEEN MICHAEL JACKSON

AND THIS LEGENDARY MONKEY.

AND EVENTUALLY HER HAND HELD

BY THE MONKEY STARTED TO TURN

BLUE, AND I SAID THIS IS

STARTING TO GET OLD NOW.

SO THE TRAINER STEPS IN WITH A

BUZZER AND ZAPS IT.

THEN MICHAEL SAYS HEY BUBBLES

WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH MY

GIRLFRIEND.

AND MY HEART WENT OUT TO HIM.

BUT HE LOVED KIDS AND HE WAS A

GREAT PERSON, A GREAT HUMAN

BEING.

>> YOU SIGNED A

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT WHEN

YOU DID THIS BOOK.

BUT IS IT STILL IN EXISTENCE?

>> YES, I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE

TALKING TO YOU, BUT ON THE

OTHER HAND I DON'T REALLY CARE,

THAT WAS IN 1987.

>> DO YOU STILL HAVE THE

RECORDINGS?

>> I HAVE ABOUT 23 HOURS OF

PERFECT CASSETTE RECORDINGS,

BUT I USED EVERY SENTENCE IN

THAT BOOK.

>> PEOPLE WILL WANT TO HEAR

THAT VOICE.

>> THE ESTATE CAN HAVE THEM.

>> LET'S MAKE SURE THEY KNOW

THEY'RE AVAILABLE.

>> NO THANKS.

>> TOICHB DAVIS, THANK YOU --

STEPHEN DAVIS, THANK YOU FOR

COMING.

WHEN WE CONTINUE, MICHAEL'S

PLACE IN THE POP REALM.

MICHAEL JACKSON'S MEMORIAL AND

BURIAL COMES 12 DAYS AFTER HIS

DEATH.

12 DAYS OF NONSTOP COVERAGE

AND VIRTUALLY AROUND THE CLOCK

COVERAGE TODAY.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT JACKSON'S

PLACE IN THE REALM OF STARDOM

ARE BOSTON GLOBE POP CULTURE

AND TV WRITER JOANNA WEISS AND

RAMIRO TORRES OF JAMMING 94.5.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

THIS AFTERNOON WHEN I WAS

WATCHING THE MEMORIAL,

SOMEBODY POPPED THEIR HEAD

INTO MY OFFICE AND SAID, YOU

KNOW, IS HE REALLY THAT BIG?

I SAID, WELL, HE WAS THAT

FAMOUS.

BUT IS THERE ANOTHER ANSWER TO

THAT QUESTION?

>> I THINK THE BASIC ANSWER IS

YES.

AND I THINK WHAT WAS

INTERESTING ABOUT TODAY'S

MEMORIAL IS THAT YOU

REMEMBERED HIS SIGNIFICANT IN

POP CULTURE OVER THE LONG TERM

AND ALSO WHAT A CIVIL RIGHTS

FIGURE HE WAS IN A SENSE.

YES, HE'S A GUY WHOSE SKIN

COLOR CHANGED OVER THE YEARS,

BUT HE ALSO BROKE THE COLOR

BARRIER ON MTV AND HE WAS

REMEMBERED TODAY I THINK IN

THAT CONTEXT.

>> EVERYBODY HAS REFERENCED

THIS MORPHING, THIS CHANGE,

BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO BACK AND

LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF FROM THE

80s, IT'S STILL ELECTRIFYING.

THAT'S ALL THE MUSIC THAT

WE'VE ALL WANTED TO HEAR NOW

RECENTLY, THE BLACK AND WHITE,

THRILLER, ALL THOSE THINGS.

AND THE LAST 15 YEARS OR SO,

DO YOU THINK HE DESTROYED PART

OF HIS LEGACY?

>> IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ARE.

I THINK IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF

THINGS PEOPLE WILL JUST LOOK

AT EXAMINE GO HE WHAT IS THE

GREATEST ENTERTAINER OF ALL

TIMES AND HE WAS A LITTLE

WACKY AT THE END.

ANYBODY WHO IS REALLY GREAT AT

SOMETHING, THERE HAS TO BE A

BALANCE IN LIFE, IF YOU'RE

REALLY GREAT AT ONE THING WORK

WISE, PROBABLY PERSONAL WISE

YOU'RE GOING TO BE A LITTLE

DOWN HERE.

MICHAEL JACKSON WAS THE

GREATEST, AS FAR AS BEING AN

ENTERTAINER, SO THERE'S NO WAY

HE WAS GOING TO BE A TYPICAL

NORMAL FATHER OR HUSBAND OR

ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

>> THAT'S WHAT STRUCK ME AS

MOST INTERESTING ABOUT TODAY'S

EVENT IS THAT HE WAS

REMEMBERED AS A FAMILY MAN.

AND I LOVE THE STORIES THAT

BROOKE SHIELDS TOLD ABOUT

RUNNING AROUND AND GIGGLING

WITH HIM IN ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S

BEDROOM.

YOU REMEMBERED HIM AS A FATHER,

AS A BROTHER, AS A PERSON, AS

A FRIEND AND IT'S EASY TO

FORGET THAT HE HAD THOSE

ASPECTS OF HIS PERSONALITY.

>> I WAS JUST TALKING TO

STEPHEN DAVIS AND HE'S ONE OF

THE PEOPLE WHO SAYS HE DOES

NOT BELIEVE ANY OF THE

ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE.

I THINK I TEND MORE THAT WAY

THAN I DID THE OTHER.

BUT PIER KING CAME OUT

YESTERDAY AND SAYING THESE

AWFUL UGLY THINGS.

HAS THERE BEEN A FAIR BALANCE

OF COVERAGE, DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK RIGHT NOW LIKE

TODAY WAS ALL POSITIVE.

I THINK THE NEGATIVE WAS

STARTING TO COME OUT, IT WAS

POSITIVE WHEN HE FIRST DIED,

THEN THE NEGATIVE STARTED TO

COME OUT, TODAY WAS BACK TO

POSITIVE.

I THINK TOMORROW IT WILL GO

BACK TO NEGATIVE.

SO TOMORROW WILL COME BACK

WITH ALL THE MOLESTATION

CHARGES AND ALL THAT STUFF.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE FAMILY?

THERE'S SOMETHING VERY EERI

ABOUT SEEING THEM ALTOGETHER

BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY'RE ALL

CLAMORING.

HE WAS EVERYTHING TO THEM, HE

WAS LITERALLY THEIR MEAL TAKE

IT, THEIR HOUSING, HE WAS

EVERYTHING.

AND NOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A

SPLINTERING, PULLING AND

TUGING THERE.

>> THERE HAS BEEN ALREADY AND

THEN YOU'VE GOT THE MOTHER OF

TWO OF HIS CHILDREN AND WE

DON'T KNOW WHO THE MOTHER OF

THE THIRD CHILD IS.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE LEGAL

TUSSLES, LAWSUITS, THERE ARE

GOING TO BE BAD AND NEGATIVE

STORIES COMING OUT.

BUT IT WAS FASCINATESING TO

SEE THE FAMILY TODAY WEARING

THE SEQUINED GLOVES, THE

YELLOW TIES, HIS DAUGHTER

PARIS GOING UP AND SPEAKING ON

STAGE, I DON'T THINK ANYONE

HAS EVER HEARD HER SPEAK

BEFORE.

>> I MISSED THAT.

>> THAT WAS AT THE VERY SKPEND

IT WAS A STUNNING MOMENT.

THE OTHER ONE WAS JERMAINE

SINGING HIS FAVORITE SONG.

>> I DEFINITELY WANT TO BE THE

PERSON IN CHARGE OF HIS TAELT

THOUGH, IT'S DEFINITELY GOING

TO BE UGLY.

>> WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW ON THE

NEXT DAY, I THINK AND YOU SAID

THAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST

STORY UNTIL THE NEXT BIGGESTER

TO CAME ALONG, BUT THIS HAS

BEEN, THE RAMPING UP, I'VE

NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THE

ESCALATION OF THE COVERAGE OF

THIS STORY.

>> HE'S THE BIGGEST

ENTERTAINER OF ALL TIME, BUT I

STILL BELIEVE THAT, I WAS

TALKING ABOUT THIS THIS

MORNING ON THE RADIO, I SAID

NOW IS THE TIME IF YOU'RE A

CELEBRITY THAT YOU CAN MESS UP

AND MESS UP BIG, BECAUSE IF

YOU CAN TAKE THE CRITICISM FOR

A WEEK OR, TWO THEN YOU'LL BE

FINE.

BECAUSE WE'RE IN A FOR GIVING

SOCIETY, A SOCIETY THAT ALMOST

LOVES TO SEE SOMEBODY MESS UP

SO WE CAN FORGIVE THEM.

THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING

BIG THAT WILL COME ALONG IN A

WEEK OR TWO AND IT'S GOING TO

BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE GO

OH, YEAH, REMEMBER THAT

MICHAEL JACKSON DIE.

>> THE BIGGEST CELEBRITY OF

ALL TIME.

IS THAT RIGHT?

BIGGER THAN FRANK SINATRA,

MARILYN MONROE?

>> THERE WAS A LOT OF PECK US

IF YOU WENT ACROSS THE WORLD.

YOU'RE TALKING GLOBALLY, THAT

THERE ARE VERY FEW AMERICAN

FIGURES THAT RUN WOULD

RECOGNIZE, AND HE IS PROBABLY

ONE OF THEM, INCLUDING BARACK

OBAMA.

BARACK OBAMA IS UP THERE.

BUT I THINK MICHAEL JACKSON

PROBABLY IS MORE RECOGNIZED.

>> THE NIGHT HE DIED WE WENT

BACK TO THE RADIO STATION, WE

PLAYED ALL HIS MUSIC AND

TALKED ABOUT HIM.

WE HAD CALLS FROM CRAZY PEOPLE,

WE HAD A CALL FROM A

15-YEAR-OLD BOY, WHITE BOY,

AND A 73-YEAR-OLD BLACK WOMAN.

BESIDE EATING AND SLEEPING,

WHAT CAN A 15-YEAR-OLD WHITE

MALE AND A 73-YEAR-OLD BLACK

FEMALE RELATE ABOUT?

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON THIS

PLANET, BUT THEY WERE BOTH

RELATING ABOUT MICHAEL

JACKSON.

>> HE DOES TOUCH EVERY

GENERATION.

OLDER PEOPLE REMEMBER THE

JACKSON FIVE.

PEOPLE MY AGE REMEMBER HIM

COMING UP ON MTV AND REMEMBER

THRILLER.

YOUNGER PEOPLE REMEMBER HIM.

AND WERE PROBABLY LOOKING

FORWARD TO HIS TOUR.

YOU SEE THOSE CLIPS FROM THE

REHEARS ALS, HE STILL HAD IT.

>> THE REASON HE'S THE BIG E

ENTERTAINER OF ALL TIME

BECAUSE NOW IN 2009 YOU'RE NOT

GOING TO GET THAT.

NOW IF YOU GET SOMEBODY WHO

BECOMES A BIG STAR BECAUSE OF

THE INTERNET, BECAUSE OF JUST

THE MEDIA, THE WAY IT IS NOW,

IF THEY GET EXPOSED TOO MUCH

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY I LOVE

THEM, I LOVE THEM, I'M SICK OF

THEM ALREADY.

IT WASN'T LIKE THAT 20 YEARS

AGO BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE

ALL THIS.

>> I LOVED YOUR BLOG TODAY,

THAT WAS VERY SWEET.

THE EIGHT WERE THE BEST.

THE BEST.

WE'LL NEVER GET THOSE BACK.

JOANNA WEISS AND RAMIRO

TORRES.

THAT'S IT FOR "GREATER

BOSTON".

TOMORROW NIGHT, HOW A TRUST

'FUND IS HELPING A LOCAL

FISHERMAN STAY IN BUSINESS.

THAT AND MORE TOMORROW NIGHT

AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.