Source Notes
Much of the material in this book was drawn from personal interviews and conversations with Michael Jackson and the Jackson family over the years, from the 1970s through the 1990s. Among those interviews:
Michael Jackson in May 1972 (New York), June 1973, August 1973, July 1974 (Madison Square Garden, New York), November 1974, October 1977 (New York, for
The Wiz
), August 1978 (Encino), 19 April 1979 (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania);
Michael Jackson on 18 January 1980 (Los Angeles), 18 September 1980 (sound check at the Forum, Los Angeles), 26 September 1980 (backstage at the Forum), October 1980 (Encino, with Janet Jackson), June 1982, April 1983 (Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles), January 1984 (Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles), June 1984 (Birmingham, Alabama, with Tito and Jackie), 29 June 1984 (Atlanta, with Jackie), November 1986 (Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles), 2 March 1988 (rehearsal, Madison Square Garden), 16 January 1989 (sound check, Sports Arena, Los Angeles), 30 January 1989 (rehearsal for American Music Awards, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles), 13 November 1989 (rehearsal,
Sammy Davis, Jr., 60th Anniversary
television special, Los Angeles), spring 1991 (Capitol Records ‘Record Collectors’ Swap Meet’);
Michael Jackson on 3 February 1992 (press conference, Radio City Music Hall, New York), 26 August 1993 (from Bangkok), July 1994 (after my appearance on
Good Morning America
to announce his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley), August 1994, September 1995 and 7 February 1998 (with Lisa Marie Presley at the Ivy restaurant in Los Angeles).
Moreover, I drew from interviews with:
The Jacksons – Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Michael, Randy, and parents Joseph and Katherine in February 1975, (Radio City Music Hall, New York), June 1975, July 1975, January 1976, March 1977, April 1977, May 1977, August 1978 and September 1979 (all at Hayvenhurst in Encino), November 1983 (press conference, Tavern on the Green, New York);
Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson in July 1974 (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania) and December 1978 (L’Ermitage Hotel in Los Angeles);
Jermaine Jackson in April 1979 (at Motown Records in Los Angeles) and May 1980 (Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles);
LaToya Jackson and Jack Gordon, December 1993 (Madrid, Spain).
Also useful in my research were two lengthy court documents: Sworn Deposition by Michael Jackson, dated 15 January 1976 and Sworn Declaration of Michael J. Jackson, 20 February 1976. (These declarations became part of case number C139795:
Michael Jackson et al. v. Motown Record Corporation of California et al
., 30 March 1976.) Text and background from both documents were used throughout the book.
For research purposes, I secured many hundreds of Motown interoffice memos regarding Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5. Because of the confidential nature of these communications, and to protect those former Motown employees who made them available to me, these memos are not enumerated here, though they were vital to my research.
Voluminous Motown press department releases (and also releases from different public relations firms representing Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, and The Jacksons, as well as individual members) were individually judged as to their validity and value and utilized where appropriate.
As the editor-in-chief of
Soul
magazine (1980) and later its publisher (1981-82), I had access to the complete
Soul
files.
Soul
was one of the first black entertainment publications (
Jet
and
Ebony
were both general interest publications) and, as such, had a close association to Motown. Many of the Motown acts received their only national exposure through
Soul
. A great deal of the material in this book was culled from the extensive
Soul
files (1966-82), including previously confidential notes and memos.
Practically all of the interview sources listed here contributed to more than one subject area of the book, but in most cases they are listed only once.
Wherever practical, I have provided sources within the body of the text. For some of the published works consulted, see the bibliography. The following notes are by no means comprehensive but are intended to give the reader a general overview of my research. Also included are occasional comments of an extraneous but informative nature.
Early Years
I obtained background information on the families of Joseph Jackson and Katherine Scruse from census records dating back to the late eighteen hundreds. I also obtained the birth certificates of Joseph Jackson and Kattie E. Scruse (Katherine Jackson); Martha Bridgets’s Affidavit to Amend a Record of Birth, filed on 4 May 1930; as well as Joseph and Katherine Jackson’s Certificate of Marriage in Crown Point, Indiana. I compared this and other information to what Katherine Jackson wrote in her memoirs,
The Jacksons – My Family
(St Martin’s Press, 1990), and added a substantial amount of information to her account of her and Joseph Jackson’s backgrounds.
I also drew from the interview I had with the Jacksons in August 1978.
I interviewed relatives and friends of the Jacksons’ family, including Ina Brown (14 September 1989), Johnny Jackson (5 October 1990), Luis Cansesco (3 November 1990), and Terry Ireland (1 December 1990). I drew some information from articles in
Right On!, Soul
, and
Rolling Stone
(see bibliography).
My private investigator, Cathy Griffin, contacted Gordon Keith, former owner of Steeltown Records in Gary, Indiana, to obtain an interview. He and Griffin had numerous conversations; background information was culled from a conversation on 16 September 1990. Mr Keith would not consent to an interview with me, however.
I also drew some information, particularly Ben Brown’s quotes, from a segment of
P.M. Magazine
about Michael Jackson, which aired in 1984.
Early Years and Motown
Some of the material in these sections is from my 1979 interview with Michael Jackson.
Joe Simon’s quote was culled from an interview I conducted with him in 1979. Etta James’s comments were extracted from an interview I conducted with Miss James on 12 May 1978. Other quotes are from sources in Gary, Indiana, who requested anonymity.
For the material regarding Berry Gordy and Motown, I drew heavily from research conducted when I wrote the book
Motown – Hot Wax City Cool and Solid Gold
, published by Doubleday in 1986. I also drew from personal interviews with Melvin Franklin (1977), Smokey Robinson (1980), Diana Ross (1981), Lamont Dozier (1985) and Maurice King (1985).
Richard Arons was contacted for an interview and did speak with Cathy Griffin at his Beverly Hills home for three hours on 12 November 1990. Some of Arons’s memories are used here for background purposes. However, he would not consent to an interview with me. Miss Griffin also spoke to Bobby Taylor for two hours on the telephone in October 1990. Some of what Mr Taylor remembered was used here for background purposes.
Motown Years
For much of this material, I drew heavily from a thirty-page Sworn Declaration of Berry Gordy, dated 4 March 1976. The declaration was given under oath during the court battle between The Jackson 5 and Motown. In it, Gordy explained how the group was signed to the label, what his involvement with the act was and how their first records were recorded. He also reconstructed telephone conversations between himself and Joseph Jackson at the time of the group’s signing on 26 July 1968, and conversations between himself and other Motown employees regarding his dismay over The Jackson 5’s appearances in Las Vegas.
I also drew from a thirty-page Sworn Declaration of Ralph Seltzer, Motown’s vice president of corporate affairs, dated 5 March 1976. Seltzer recreated the dialogue, to the best of his memory, between himself and Joseph Jackson on 25 and 26 July 1968, the days of The Jackson 5’s audition and then signing to Motown. Seltzer spoke in depth about the Motown recording contract and its terms, his impressions of Joseph Jackson and Jack Richardson, his opinion of the Motown recording contract he had them sign, how Jackson signed the contract without benefit of outside counsel, how he had his sons do the same and how Seltzer executed contracts by other artists at Motown. He also detailed Bobby Taylor’s involvement in discovering The Jackson 5 and spoke of the Christmas party at which The Jackson 5 performed and Joseph Jackson’s impressions of Gordy Manor. (Regarding that Christmas party, I also drew from my interview with the Jacksons in 1978 and an interview I conducted with Diana Ross in June 1972.)
I also utilized my personal interview with Ralph Seltzer on 6 June 1989, in which he discussed Gordy’s aversion to allowing an artist to take a Motown contract home for review purposes.
I culled a good deal of information from the twenty-five-page Sworn Deposition of Suzanne dePasse, Motown’s vice president, creative division, dated 4 March 1976. DePasse remembered in vivid detail The Jackson 5’s audition for Motown, the recording of certain of their hit records, the early tours, her impressions of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, and the original contract negotiations for The Jackson 5.
I extracted information from the five-page Sworn Statement of Anthony D. Jones, executive assistant to the vice president, creative division, dated 4 March 1976, in which he detailed Motown’s marketing campaign for The Jackson 5.
I also gathered facts from the fifteen-page Sworn Statement of Alan D. Croll, attorney for Motown Record Corporation. Interestingly, Croll’s statement contradicted Seltzer’s claim that Joseph Jackson was not represented by outside counsel: Croll claimed that Jack Richardson acted as counsel for the Jacksons (though Richardson was not an attorney).
I drew from lengthy Sworn Depositions given by Richard Arons, Joseph Jackson’s attorney, and Joseph Jackson on 18 November 1975. In his deposition, Joseph Jackson answered questions regarding his antagonistic relationship with Berry Gordy and Ewart Abner.
Most interesting were the Sworn Depositions of each member of The Jackson 5, which were taken on 15 January 1976, including Michael Jackson’s. Portions of Michael’s twenty-five-page deposition and the lengthy depositions of his brothers were integrated into the information found in other parts of this work.
I acquired copies of the original seven-page Motown contracts, dated 26 July 1968, for each member of the group.
Some of Bobby Taylor’s comments to my private investigator, Cathy Griffin, were utilized. I, too, interviewed Bobby in 1995 and again in 1996.
I referred to my interview with Jermaine Jackson in 1980 for some of the details of the meeting at Diana Ross’s home in August 1969.
I viewed a videotape of The Jackson 5’s performance at the Daisy on 11 August 1969, and used as source material newspaper accounts of the festivities that evening. I also interviewed Paula Dunn on 6 January 1990. Judy Spiegelman’s comments were published in
Soul
.
I also obtained copies of the nine-page recording contracts with Motown, dated 11 March 1969, for each member of The Jackson 5.
I procured a copy of the Parent’s or Guardian’s Guaranty obligating Michael Jackson to perform certain duties as part of his commitment to Motown, dated 11 March 1969.
I also obtained many correspondences between Berry Gordy and The Jackson 5 and Joseph Jackson regarding the Saturday morning cartoon series, the wedding of Jermaine Jackson and Hazel Gordy, the Las Vegas opening and the deterioration of Motown’s relationship with The Jackson 5. These were all in the public domain, used as evidence in Motown’s suit against The Jackson 5.
I was also able to obtain a complete list of the 469 songs recorded by The Jackson 5 at Motown – including all of those that were not released – as well as the session costs for each tune. I also viewed the entire 16-millimetre black-and-white Motown audition film, now transferred to VHS videotape, for some details.
Motown Hit Years
Much of this material was drawn from two lengthy interviews I conducted with Deke Richards on 22 September and 3 November 1990.
Michael Jackson’s comments about Richards were culled from a BBC interview he gave in June 1972. His comments about Diana Ross and early Motown experiences are from my July 1979 interview with him.
As well as obtaining a list of every song recorded by The Jackson 5 at Motown, I also reviewed a computer readout of all of Motown’s
exact
sales figures up until December 1990. This computer readout is over ten thousand pages long and includes the album, tape and CD sales of virtually every Motown release from the time of the company’s inception. I refer to these figures quite often in this book. I also used this catalogue when I researched
Call Her Miss Ross
.
Berry Gordy’s comments about Michael Jackson’s living with Diana Ross were culled from the Sworn Declaration of Berry Gordy, dated 4 March 1976.
I reviewed Ralph Seltzer’s petition to Superior Court on 29 October 1968 and quoted from the court transcript of the hearing before Judge Lester E. Olson on that day. Also referred to was the Order Approving Minors’ Contracts, filed 7 November 1969, and Order Approving Petition for Approval of Amendments to Contracts of Minors, filed 10 September 1970, both in Los Angeles Superior Court.
I interviewed Virginia Harris on 3 September 1990. Susie Jackson was interviewed on 21 September 1990. Two close friends of Katherine Jackson’s, who requested anonymity, were also interviewed.
I viewed a videotape of the
Hollywood Palace
segment, 18 October 1969, and interviewed Jack Lewis on 3 March 1990.
I also gathered information from other sources, including interviews with Stan Sherman (19 March 1990), Phillip Meadows (4 April 1990), Gordon Carter (3 June 1990), Susan Williams (5 August 1990) and Eddie Carroll (15 September 1990). I interviewed Willie Hutch in June 1978 in Marina del Ray and drew from that interview. I also have some sources who worked closely with Berry Gordy and who requested anonymity.
I viewed a videotape of The Jackson 5’s performance on
The Ed Sullivan Show
on 14 December 1969.
I drew from Suzanne dePasse’s interview on
The Pat Sajak Show
on 19 May 1989.
I was fortunate enough to have attended The Jackson 5’s first appearance as a Motown attraction at the Philadelphia Convention Center in April 1970. I was not, however, at the airport when they arrived. (That’s where even I, a die-hard Motown fan, drew the line.) I utilized Motown’s press release accounts of that day in this chapter.
The information about Gordy and the Osmonds was culled from a conversation with Nancy Leiviska. I also drew from an interview I conducted with Clifton Davis in 1978.
I utilized features on The Jackson 5 in
Right On!, Creem, Ingenue, Time
and
Sepia
magazines (see bibliography).
I viewed a videotape of the television specials
Diana
(18 April 1971) and
Goin’ Back to Indiana
(19 September 1971).
In the matter of the property at 4641 Hayvenhurst Avenue, Encino, currently owned by Michael Jackson and LaToya Jackson, I relied on an extensive Property Profile supplied by Fidelity National Tide Insurance Company. This profile includes an in-depth and legal description of the property. The profile also contains the original Grant Deed signed by Earle and Elouise Hagen, filed in Los Angeles County, which released the property to Joseph and Katherine Jackson on 25 February 1971; the Deed of Trust from Great Western Savings and Loan Associates, dated 27 April 1971, with details of how Mr and Mrs Jackson arranged to purchase the property with Berry Gordy’s assistance; and the Quitclaim Deed signed by Katherine Jackson on 24 June 1987, and filed in Los Angeles County, in which she released her share of equity in the property to her daughter LaToya Jackson.
I also used as source material a Property Profile supplied by World Tide Company in which property, sales and tax information were examined.
I interviewed Lionel Richie for a
Soul
cover story on The Commodores in 1981 and drew from that interview.
I drew from the interview I conducted with Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Jackie Jackson in 1978.
The incident between Rhonda Phillips and Jackie Jackson was recreated based on personal interviews with Ms Phillips on 8 March 1990 and 15 March 1990.
Among other sources I consulted were back issues of
Soul
magazine. I also drew from my interviews with Ken Kingsley (14 April 1990), Stewart Drew (3 May 1990), Mark Butler (12 June 1990), Gil Askey (5 March 1984) and Walter Jackson (5 December 1989).
I relied on press reports and eyewitness accounts regarding The Jackson 5’s various tours overseas.
I depended on press reports – including those found in
Soul
, the
Los Angeles Times
and
Ebony
– as well as eyewitness accounts to write about Jermaine Jackson’s wedding to Hazel Gordy. I also reviewed press releases from Motown Records.
I drew from my interviews with Walter Burrell (6 March 1989), Steven Sprocket (24 June 1990), Harry Langdon (16 March 1984), Joyce Jillson (20 February 1990), Hal Davis (5 March 1985) and Susie Jackson. I also drew from an interview I conducted with Marvin Gaye in 1982. Steve Manning’s comment about Hazel Gordy was published in
Ebony
.
I obtained background information on The Jackson 5’s trip to Africa from press reports. Also, I drew from Cathy Griffin’s conversations with Richard Arons. The comments by members of The Jackson 5 about Africa were published in
Soul
magazine.
I viewed a videotape of the
Cher
show on which The Jackson 5 appeared and interviewed one of Cher’s assistants for a biography of Cher (St Martin’s Press, 1987); the assistant requested anonymity at that time.
Katherine Jackson v. Joseph Jackson (I)
Details of the divorce action brought by Katherine Jackson against Joseph Jackson were culled from the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, all case number 42680:
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, 9 March 1973.
Certificate of Assignment of Transfer, 10 March 1973.
Financial Declaration, 11 March 1973.
Katherine Jackson’s Sworn Declaration, 16 March 1973.
The Final Years at Motown
The background on Sammy Davis, Jr., was culled from information contained in his excellent second autobiography,
The Sammy Davis, Jr., Story – Why Me?
I also drew from my 1978 interview with Michael Jackson and my 1980 interview with Jermaine Jackson. Some of Janet Jackson’s comments were published in
Interview
. I also culled information from Vince Aletti’s features on The Jackson 5 in the
Village Voice
(see bibliography). Also, I viewed a videotape of The Jackson 5’s entire Las Vegas act.
I viewed a videotape of The Jackson 5’s performance on
The Bob Hope Show
.
I interviewed Raymond St Jacques in March 1987 and culled comments about
Isomand and Cross
and his relationship with the Jacksons from that interview.
I also interviewed friends of the Jackson family who requested anonymity.
Enid Jackson’s memories of her first encounters with Jackie Jackson were culled from interviews conducted with the late Mrs Jackson for this book on 29 October 1990, 7 November 1990 and 19 November 1990. Jackie Jackson’s comments about his wedding were meant to be published in
Soul
magazine on 6 December 1974, but most were not. I obtained a transcript of the interview.
Information regarding Jackie Jackson’s automobile accident was culled from a report in
Soul
magazine.
Theresa Gonsalves was interviewed on 5 January 1991.
Details of Michael Jackson’s meeting with Berry Gordy on 14 May 1975 were culled from the Sworn Declaration of Michael Jackson, 20 February 1976. (The declaration became part of case number C139795:
Michael Jackson et al. v. Motown Record Corporation of California et al
., 30 March 1976.) I also referred to Michael’s account of his meeting with Gordy in his autobiography,
Moonwalk
.
I drew from my interviews with Gil Askey (5 March 1984) for my first book,
Diana
.
I obtained a copy of the Jacksons’ original CBS recording contract.
The confrontation between Jermaine and Joseph Jackson was recreated based on my interview with Jermaine Jackson in 1980.
I referred to an interview with Jermaine and Hazel Jackson in
Ebony
. I also referred to Katherine Jackson’s autobiography,
The Jacksons – My Family
. I also used as source material reports from
The Hollywood Reporter
and
Variety
(see bibliography).
I referred to my interview with Marlon Jackson in 1978 to recreate the scene at Westbury Music Fair when Jermaine walked out on the group. I was present backstage after the show.
AlsoI obtained a copy of Berry Gordy’s application, dated 30 March 1972, to register The Jackson 5’s name as being owned by Motown Records. I obtained a copy of the United States Patent Office’s acceptance of Gordy’s request, and documentation that Gordy owned the name exclusively. I obtained the Forms of Patent from the United States Patent Office, numbers 965,808 and 965,809, registering in the name of Motown Record Corporation the logo Jackson 5ive and the name Jackson 5, ‘For entertainment services rendered by a vocal group, in class 107, Int. Cl. 41.’
I drew from an interview I conducted with Melvin Franklin in 1977 for
The Black American
.
Again, I referred to the Sworn Declaration of Joseph W. Jackson, 20 February 1976.
I obtained a transcript of the Jacksons’ press conference at the Rainbow Grill in Manhattan on 30 June 1975. I also obtained a copy of the 1 July 1975 telegram from Michael Roshkind to Arthur Taylor, president of CBS, informing him that The Jackson 5’s name belonged solely to Motown Records. I also interviewed witnesses to the press conference. Vital to my research were Motown memoranda from Tony Jones to Joseph Jackson regarding The Jackson 5’s activities at Motown.
I also interviewed Martha Gonsalves (3 June 1990), Edward Lewis (16 July 1990), Michael Lewis (16 September 1990), Susan Myerson (1 October 1990), Harry Weber (5 October 1990), Mark Kelly (15 November 1990) and Lee Casto (2 December 1990). Joyce McCrae was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on 14 October 1990.
The matter of the late Enid Jackson’s filing for divorce from Jackie Jackson is documented in papers originally filed in September 1975 in Los Angeles Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, but also included in the 1985 divorce case, file number DI57554.
I obtained a copy of Marlon and Carol Jackson’s wedding certificate, dated 16 August 1975. Joseph Jackson’s comments about his son’s wedding were originally published in
Soul
, January 1976.
The Sworn Deposition by Michael Jackson, dated 15 January 1976, was utilized.
I used as source material an interview with Jermaine Jackson by Cynthia Kirk in
Good Evening
, 29 April 1976.
I viewed videotapes of all episodes of the Jacksons’ television series for CBS-TV.
Motown v. The Jacksons
Details of the lawsuit brought by Motown Record Corporation against the Jacksons were culled from the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, all case number C139795:
Michael Jackson et al. v. Motown Record Corporation of California et al
., 30 March 1976.
Tariano Jackson, Sigmund Esco Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Michael Jackson, a minor, by Joseph Jackson, his Guardian v. Motown Record Corporation of California, Inc
., 11 February 1977.
Ralph Seltzer’s Sworn Deposition, 24 March 1976. In this fifty-page deposition, Seltzer recalled Joseph Jackson’s original negotiations with Motown regarding his sons’ recording contracts. Of Joseph Jackson and the Jacksons, he remembered, ‘I do not recall that any of them read the contract prior to signing it.’
Supplemental Declaration of Joseph W. Jackson, 30 March 1976. In this lengthy document, Jackson gave his version of the day he and his boys signed their Motown contracts and described how he felt about Ralph Seltzer and Berry Gordy. He also recreated the telephone conversation with Gordy in which he thought he had successfully renegotiated the contract’s original terms.
Sworn Declaration of Joseph W. Jackson, 20 February 1976. Jackson’s declaration shed more light on his dealings with Motown, the ‘take-it-or-leave-it contracts they made us sign,’ the accommodations Motown arranged for them when the group moved from Gary to Los Angeles, how ‘neither I or my sons ever read any contracts we signed once we got to Los Angeles,’ and his relationship with Johnny Jackson. Most importandy, he reconstructed angry conversations he had with Jermaine regarding Jermaine’s decision not to sign with CBS Records. Joseph Jackson’s memory of these conversations corroborated Jermaine’s in an interview with me on 27 May 1980.
Sworn Declaration of Richard Arons, 20 June 1979. As Joseph Jackson’s attorney, Arons was privy to all of Jackson’s business dealings, and he described, in this fifteen-page document, how Joseph went about searching for a new label for his sons and how his sons reacted to leaving Motown.
I also reviewed 367 other legal documents and correspondence relating to this case, from which I gleaned details applicable to this book.
Flashback to Early Days on the Road
Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson have discussed their father’s behaviour in the early days while on the road in a number of interviews. We discussed it in our interview in 1978. Michael wrote about these experiences – though not in a very in-depth manner – in
Moonwalk
. For evaluation purposes, I drew from my interview with Beverly Hills psychiatrist Dr Carole Lieberman on 8 January 1991. Also interviewed: Yolanda Lewis (5 June 1990), James McField (30 October 1990), Gregory Matthias (15 November 1990), Gregorio Joves (1 December 1990), Sarah Jackson (2 May 1990) and Tim Whitehead (18 November 1990). I also drew from interviews with Theresa Gonsalves, Tim Burton and Sylvester Goodnough.
Tatum O’Neal declined to be interviewed for this book. Biographical information about her and her family was culled from accounts published in
Good Housekeepings, Ladies’ Home Journal
and
Redbook
. The information about Michael and Tatum at the Playboy mansion was culled from an interview with Michael Jackson in
Soul
magazine.
The rumours about Michael Jackson and Clifton Davis were published in many publications. Michael discussed the matter with reporter Steve Ivory for
Soul
(issue of 12 September 1977). I interviewed Clifton Davis in 1978.
Michael and I also discussed rumours of his homosexuality in 1978. His comments about that subject are interspersed through this book.
The Wiz and Off the Wall Years
I interviewed Rob Cohen, producer of
The Wiz
on 14 February 1989 and again on 25 April 1989. I also interviewed the film’s director, Sidney Lumet, on 22 August 1978.
Other information was drawn from interviews with James McField, Susie Jackson and Theresa Gonsalves. Having written about
The Wiz
in depth in my 1989 book,
Call Her Miss Ross
, I utilized research conducted for that work in this chapter. I attended the press conference for
The Wiz
at Astoria Studios in September 1977, interviewed Michael at that time and drew from an interview I conducted with Diana Ross on 19 October 1981.
I drew from an interview with the Jacksons at their home in Encino in August 1978 and another interview with Michael Jackson in July 1979.
I also culled material from early published accounts of Michael’s relationship with Quincy Jones. I interviewed Quincy Jones during a break in the recording of a Brothers Johnson album in 1979, and some of the material regarding
Off the Wall
is culled from that interview.
Cheryl Terrell, Joh’Vonnie Jackson, and Other Subject Matter
I obtained a copy of Joh’Vonnie Jackson’s birth certificate, 30 August 1974.
I also obtained property information on Cheryl Terrell’s Gardena, California, apartment building from World Tide Company. Residents of the apartment house were interviewed on 25 August 1990. Cheryl Terrell spoke to my private investigator, Cathy Griffin, on 29 August 1990, but declined to be formally interviewed for this book.
I obtained the Escrow Instructions from Imperial Escrow Company for the property on 6908 Peach Avenue, Van Nuys, purchased by Joseph Jackson as trustee of the Joh’Vonnie Jackson Trust, 25 January 1981, as well as a Property Profile on 6908 Peach Avenue from World Tide Company.
I obtained a copy of the Trust Corporation established for Joh’Vonnie Jackson on 23 February 1981.
I also procured a Property Profile supplied by Fidelity National Title. The profile includes a copy of the Individual Quitclaim Deed signed by Katherine Jackson releasing any of her interest in the property to Joseph Jackson, and the Quitclaim Deed executed on 20 January 1980, and signed by Joseph Jackson, turning the same property over to the Joh’Vonnie Jackson Trust.
Joh’Vonnie Jackson posed for our photographer; the photo appears in this book.
I drew from my and Cathy Griffin’s interviews with Marcus Phillips (3 June 1990), Tim Whitehead and Stanley Ross (1 November 1990) and Jerome Howard.
Paula Reuben interviewed Carol L. Kerster in June 1990.
I also drew from Charles Sanders’s story of Jermaine and Hazel Jackson in
Ebony
in August 1981.
Gina Sprague v. Joseph and Katherine Jackson, Randy Jackson and Janet Jackson
Gina Sprague was interviewed for this book on 16, 18 and 21 September 1990.
Susie Jackson was interviewed on 21 September 1990.
I obtained a copy of the police report (DR. number 80-749111) filed by Gina Sprague on 16 October 1980.
Other details of Gina Sprague’s lawsuit against Joseph Jackson, Katherine Jackson, Randy Jackson and Janet Jackson, a minor, were culled from the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, all file number C383387:
Complaint for Personal Injuries, Assault and Battery, Conspiracy, 21 September 1981.
Sworn Declaration of Gina Sprague, 20 September 1981.
Sworn Declaration of Gina Sprague, 21 September 1981.
Sworn Declaration of Joseph Jackson and Katherine Jackson, 22 September 1981.
Answer to Complaint for Personal Injuries, Assault and Battery, Conspiracy, 5 March 1982.
Notice of Motion for Order Granting Leave to Amend Complaint, 16 November 1982.
Sworn Declaration of Michael S. Fields. Fields was Gina Sprague’s attorney.
Amended Complaint, 11 January 1983. This ten-page complaint graphically depicted details of what Sprague alleged happened the day she was attacked.
Fifty-two other court documents relating to the
Sprague v. Jackson
case were also used as source material.
I also obtained legal documents filed by Joyce McCrae, an employee of Joseph Jackson’s, on 16 June 1981: Complaint for Declaratory Relief, Partition, Money Due on Demand to Establish Deed Absolute as Mortgage and Judicial Foreclosure, and
Joseph W. Jackson v. Joyce McCrae
, 16 June 1981, case number C371220. Both were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County. Though I decided not to write about this particular suit – which involved a condominium jointly owned by Jackson and McCrae – I utilized the documents to learn more of Jackson’s relationship with McCrae and Gina Sprague. In this lawsuit, McCrae claimed, ‘I was asked to testify at a hearing held at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office regarding assault charges filed against Joseph Jackson’s wife by Ms Gina Sprague. When I informed Joseph Jackson that I had been asked to testify, Joseph Jackson told me that he wanted me to stay out of the matter. I did testify at the hearing on 17 December 1980. I am now informed and believe and allege that my employment was wrongfully terminated by Joseph Jackson in retaliation for the testimonyI gave at that hearing regarding his relationship with Gina Sprague…’
The Early Eighties
I obtained the Grant Deed filed in Los Angeles County on 20 February 1981, in which Thomas Laughridge and Billie Laughridge granted to Michael Jackson unit nine at 5420 Lindley Avenue, Encino.
I also obtained the Individual Quitclaim Deed filed in Los Angeles County on 26 May 1981, by Michael Jackson, granting 25 per cent of the property to his mother, Katherine Jackson.
I referred to Robert Hilburn’s
Los Angeles Times
feature, ‘The Jacksons – Hail and Farewell’, 13 September 1981.
I also referred to the
Billboard
magazine special on Michael Jackson (21 July 1984) and Steven Demorest’s article on Michael Jackson in
Melody Maker
(see bibliography).
The interview I conducted with Michael Jackson through his sister Janet, took place on 3 October 1981, at the Jackson family’s home in Encino.
Katherine Jackson v. Joseph Jackson (II)
Details of Katherine Jackson’s second action to divorce Joseph Jackson were culled from the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, all case number D076606:
Application for Order and Supporting Declaration of Katherine Jackson, 19 August 1972. This form appears to have been filled out by Mrs Jackson personally. She typed the information used in this book regarding her charge that Joseph Jackson spent ‘in excess of $50,000’ on ‘a young woman’ and that he had ‘purchased for her parcels of real property from our community funds.’
Katherine Jackson’s Request for Dissolution of Marriage, 12 November 1982.
Katherine Jackson’s Sworn Declaration, 16 April 1983.
Joseph Jackson’s Sworn Declaration, 18 April 1983.
Sworn Declaration of GeorgeM. Goffin in support of Motion to Compel Answers to Interrogatories, 8 April 1983. Goffin was one of Katherine Jackson’s attorneys.
Notice to Produce Documents, 10 May 1983.
Sworn Declaration of Minda F. Barnes, 15 June 1983. Barnes was another of Mrs Jackson’s attorneys. This document details Mrs Jackson’s difficulty in obtaining financial information from Joseph Jackson.
A five-page letter from GeorgeM. Goffin, Esq., to Arnold Kassot, Esq., dated 20 April 1983, was particularly revealing; from it were culled details of the Jackson family’s income and wealth.
A twenty-page declaration of GeorgeM. Goffin, 15 June 1983, was vital to the research of this book since it described the manner of the purchases of the Hayvenhurst property, the Peach Street property, the Jackson Street property and the Lindley Avenue property. It also explained Michael Jackson’s financial participation in the purchase of Hayvenhurst and the Lindley Avenue condominium.
Exhibit B, Schedule of Community Property Assets, 15 June 1983, was also invaluable to the research of this book in that this exhibit contained a complete list of all of Joseph and Katherine Jackson’s financial assets and liabilities, as well as the dates of all of their acquisitions, and the costs of purchase of all of their properties and Michael Jackson’s involvement in those purchases.
The Sworn Declaration of GeorgeM. Goffin in Support of Motion for Withdrawal as Attorney of Record, 1 November 1983, detailed Goffin’s attempts to continue with the divorce action in the case of
Katherine Jackson v. Joseph Jackson
and Mrs Jackson’s unavailability to him. It explained the possible reasons why she had changed her mind about the divorce.
Twenty other documents pertaining to this divorce action were also reviewed.
Some of the late Enid Jackson’s comments were culled from an interview conducted with her on 7 November 1990.
Thriller and Victory Tour Years
I obtained a thirty-page Sworn Declaration by Michael Jackson in
Carlin Music Corporation v. Michael Jackson
, case number C347206, 28 February 1983. In it, Michael explained why he was angry not only with his father but also with Ron Weisner and Freddy DeMann. Jackson also explained his publishing goals, his future plans at CBS Records, and John Branca’s new involvement in his career. The document is signed by Jackson in huge, scrawling letters.
Mickey Free was interviewed on 7 June 1989.
I also drew from Gerri Hirshey’s features on Michael Jackson in
Rolling Stone
(see bibliography).
I referred to Alexander Lowen,
Narcissism: Denial of the True Self
(New York: Macmillan, 1981) and Alice Miller,
Prisoners of Childhood
(translated from German by Ruth Ward, New York: Basic Books, 1981).
I viewed many hours of Steve Howell’s extensive video collection of Michael Jackson at home in Encino in order to be able to describe Hayvenhurst. Michael Jackson was upset with Steve Howell when Howell, a former employee, attempted to sell copies of these tapes to the television programme
A Current Affair
. Howell claimed that, as the cameraman, he owned the tapes. Jackson claimed that, as Howell’s employer, he (Jackson) was the owner.
A Current Affair
aired some of the footage but decided against further broadcasts.
Steve Howell was interviewed for this book on 28 August, 4 September and 12 September 1990.
I wrote in detail about Suzanne dePasse’s efforts to recruit talent for the
Motown 25
special in my book
Call Her Miss Ross
. I drew from some of that research. Michael Jackson also wrote about his meeting with Berry Gordy in his autobiography,
Moonwalk
. I also drew from interviews with James McField (30 October 1990) and Geron ‘Casper’ Canidate (29 October 1980), Jermaine Jackson (27 May 1980), Larry Anderson (23 October 1990), Joyce McCrae (15 October 1990), Carole Lieberman (8 January 1991) and Randall King (1 September 1989).
I also drew from published reports of the firing of Weisner-DeMann.
I referred to Dave Nussbaum’s interview with Michael Jackson published in the
Globe
, 10 April 1984.
John Branca provided some background for the information on the Victory tour as he did for an article in
Rolling Stone
by Michael Goldberg, from which I also culled information. I attended the press conference at the Tavern on the Green on 30 November 1983.
Some of the information about Don King’s background was culled from
1984 Current Biography Yearbook
.
Background on Jehovah’s Witnesses came from Barbara Grizzuti Harrison’s
Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah’s Witnesses
(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978). I also referred to comments by Michael Jackson in the 22 May 1984 issue of
Awake!
Louise Gilmore was interviewed on 3 August 1990; Seth Riggs was interviewed by my researcher John Redman on 14 October 1990. I also drew from an interview I conducted with Joseph Layton on 23 December 1986, for my book
Carol Burnett – Laughing Till It Hurts
(William Morrow, 1988).
I also referred to Roger Enrico’s
The Other Guy Blinked
(New York: Bantam, 1986).
The incident with Michael’s glove was described by Bob Giraldi in
The Making of Thriller
. I interviewed witnesses to the accident on 27 January 1984, and referred to newspaper accounts. There were also a number of anonymous sources for information in these sections of the book.
Janet Jackson’s Annulment of Marriage from James DeBargeI interviewed James DeBarge in July 1995, after the original edition of this book was published.
Details on Janet Jackson’s marriage to James DeBarge and the eventual annulment of that union were culled from the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, all file number 05113:
Petition to Nullify Marriage, filed by Janet Dameta DeBarge, 30 January 1985.
Income and Expense Declaration of Janet Dameta DeBarge, 30 January 1985.
Request to Enter Default, 4 June 1985.
Summons served to James Curtis DeBarge, 10 April 1985.
Amended Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, filed by Janet Dameta DeBarge, 17 July 1985.
Notice of Entry of Judgment, 18 November 1985.
Notice of Annulment and Restoration of Wife’s Former Name to Janet Dameta Jackson, 18 November 1985.
Also shedding light on Janet’s marriage were details of the lawsuit that resulted from a traffic accident in which Janet and James DeBarge were involved while driving Katherine Jackson’s Mercedes-Benz. The suit, brought by Manuel R. Mendez, Carmen Mendez and Barbara Beebe, a minor, against Katherine Jackson, James DeBarge and Janet Jackson, was recorded in the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, all case number C522917:
Complaint – Personal Injury, Property Damage, Wrongful Death, 15 November 1984.
Manuel R. Mendez, Carmen Mendez and Barbara Beebe, a minor, v. Katherine Jackson and Janet Jackson
, 8 January 1985.
Manuel R. Mendez, Carmen Mendez and Barbara Beebe, a minor, v. Katherine Jackson, James DeBarge and Janet Jackson
, 2 March 1988.
Declaration of Robert J. Davis, 30 January 1989. Davis was the Jackson’s attorney. This document illustrated Davis’s difficulty in obtaining payment for his work from Katherine Jackson and Janet Jackson, and also demonstrated the way the family tends to deal rather unfairly with attorneys representing them.
Interrogatories to Defendant, Janet Jackson, 28 February 1985. Janet Jackson discussed her relationship with James DeBarge, her mother and other family members. It is fascinating that most of what Ms Jackson was compelled to reveal here had nothing at all to do with the minor accident in which she was involved.
Post-Victory Tour Years
Louis Farrakhan’s comments about Michael Jackson were widely published on 12 April 1983.
The Denise Worrell
Time
magazine story was published on 19 March 1984. I also drew from my interviews with Michael’s cousin, Tim Whitehead, and with Steve Howell. I also interviewed Kenneth Nagle (3 January 1989), Harry Weber (3 February 1990), Patty Kellar (15 March 1990), Ted Culver (3 April 1990), David Kelsey (5 May 1990) and Harold Long (19 May 1990). I drew from Cathy Griffin’s interview with Joyce McCrae.
John Branca provided some background information on the ATV acquisition on 9 January 1991, just as he had done for Robert Hillburn’s analysis of the acquisition in the
Los Angeles Times
on 22 September 1985, which I also utilized as secondary source material. I also drew from published interviews with Paul McCartney (see bibliography).
Bad Years to 1991
Frank Dileo met with my private investigator and researcher Cathy Griffin for three hours at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles on 11 October 1990. Some of the material in this book was culled from that conversation. A meeting was set up between Dileo and myself on 19 October 1990. However, just prior to that date, a
People
magazine article about Dileo was published in which he was critical of Michael Jackson. After receiving an intimidating telephone call from one of Jackson’s representatives, Dileo decided not to meet with me.
I then interviewed Frank Dileo in August 1995, after the original edition of this book was published.
Byron Moore and Max Hart were interviewed on 30 August 1990. Mitchell Fink reported on Michael’s viewing
of Purple Rain
in the
Los Angeles Herald Examiner
on 5 July 1984.
I utilized J. C. Stevenson’s article on Janet Jackson in
Spin
and also referred to Cathy Griffin’s interview with Joyce McCrae.
Most of my sources regarding Michael Jackson’s publicity stunts – the sprained wrist during the filming of
Captain EO
, the hyperbaric chamber and the Elephant Man’s bones – must remain confidential due to the nature of these sources’ employment in the record industry. I did refer to ‘Michael’s Next Thrill: An Oxygen Chamber’ in the
Los Angeles Herald Examiner
(17 September 1986), ‘Michael Jackson’s Bizarre Plan to Live to 150’ in the
National Enquirer
(16 September 1986) and ‘Michael Jackson Wants Merrick’s Bones’ by Patricia Freeman in the
Los Angeles Herald Examiner
(30 May 1987). I also referred to a story about Michael’s hyperbaric chamber in
Time
(September 1986). Charles Montgomery, who wrote the hyperbaric chamber story, was interviewed in January 1991. Jack Richardson was interviewed on 23 October 1990. The joke about Michael’s nose was published in
Playboy
in the December 1987 issue.
A note about ‘We Are the World’: by January 1991, more than sixty-one million dollars had been raised from the sales of this song to fight hunger in Ethiopia. In addition to record sales, funds also came from the marketing of ‘We Are the World’ T-shirts, posters, books and videos.
In other unrelated matters, I used as secondary material ‘Buckle Debacle’ by Bill Steigerwalk in the
Los Angeles Times
(8 November 1987). I also referred to my interview with Jerome Howard in discussing Katherine Jackson’s interest in working for Michael Jackson.
In the matter of Michael Jackson’s 1988 purchase of Sycamore Ranch, I had a number of anonymous sources, and I also relied on an extensive Property Profile supplied by Continental Lawyers Title Company on 27 September 1990, which includes an in-depth, legal description of the ranch. The profile also includes the Individual Grant Deed filed on 11 April 1988, in which John Branca and Marshall Gelfand, co-trustees under the Trust Agreement dated 11 April 1988, granted the property to Michael Jackson.
Also interviewed: Gary Berwin (16 November 1990), Steven Harris (17 November 1990), Phillip Meadows (22 November 1990), Bernard Pancheco (1 December 1990), Virginia August (3 December 1990), Glenn Bascome (6 December 1990), Patty Kellar (8 December 1990) and Douglas Wilson (10 December 1990). Frank Dileo discussed his feelings about being fired by Michael Jackson in numerous published interviews to promote the film
GoodFellas
. I also referred to Dileo’s television appearances to promote the film, including one on
Personalities
on 25 October 1990.
The story about Michael Jackson, the Blarney Stone and AIDS was published in the
Rolling Stone
issue of 6 October 1988.
LaToya Jackson’s allegations that Michael had been molested as a child were reprinted in numerous publications and also broadcast on CNN in July 1988. She and I also discussed the matter in 1993, in Spain, after the original edition of this book was published.
In the matter of Lavon Muhammad, aka Billie Jean, I used as source material Muhammad’s handwritten Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, 19 January 1988, and the case of
Michael Jackson v. Lavon Muhammad
, 1 February 1987, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, case number 17925. Numerous employees were subpoenaed to testify to Muhammad’s harassment of Michael Jackson.
I obtained a copy of Michael Jackson’s current contracts with CBS Records. I also had a number of anonymous sources, many of whom are still working for Michael Jackson, who provided the bulk of the information in the last two chapters of the book.
Dr Robert Kotler was interviewed on 4 November 1990.
Donna Burton, Dr Steven Hoefflin’s secretary, was contacted on 30 November 1990.
I also referred to the
Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs
, seventh edition, by the American Pharmaceutical Association.
I reviewed the transcript of the Jacksons’ appearance on
Donahue
, 10 November 1989, and the transcript of LaToya Jackson’s appearance on
Donahue
, 9 February 1989. I also reviewed the transcript of Katherine Jackson’s appearance on
Sally Jessy Rafael
, 30 November 1990.
Janet Jackson is the first artist to have seven Top Five singles from one album, her
Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814
. She signed one of the largest recording contracts in history when she pacted with Virgin Records in March 1991 for an estimated thirty-two million dollars. Some observers feel that Michael may have delayed the finalization of his own ‘billion-dollar’ contract with CBS (now Sony) until Janet’s deal was announced, giving her the chance to hold the record for biggest contract before stepping back in to reclaim it for himself.
Michael Jackson and the Koreans
Regarding the Korean/Moonies incident, I drew from personal interviews with Jerome Howard on 29 October 1990 and Kenneth Choi on 11 January 1990.
I also used as source material the following documents filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, all case number CV 90 4906 KN:
Segye Times, Inc., v. Joseph Jackson, Katherine Jackson, Jackson Records Company, Inc., Jackson Family Concerts International, Jerome Howard, Kyu-Sun Choi, Mi Rae Choi, Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Bill Bray, Ben Brown d/b/a Jackson Marketing & Distributing Company and Does 1 to 100
, 17 October 1990.
Bill Bray v. Kenneth Choi
, 17 October 1990.
Michael Jackson v. Segye Times, Inc
., 17 October 1990.
Sworn Declaration of Michael Jackson, 17 October 1990.
Michael Jackson v. Kenneth Choi
, 17 October 1990.
Sworn Declaration of Bill Bray, 17 October 1990.
Answer of Defendant Michael Jackson to First Amended Complaint, 17 October 1990.
Answer of Defendant Bill Bray to First Amended Complaint, 17 October 1990.
Katherine Jackson v. LaToya Jackson Gordon and Jack Gordon
Details of the lawsuit brought by Katherine Jackson against LaToya Jackson were culled from the following documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County, case number NWC55803:
Katherine Jackson v. Jack Gordon; LaToya Jackson aka LaToya Gordon,
February 28, 1990.
Notice of Pendency of Action,
Katherine Jackson v. Jack Gordon; LaToy a Jackson a/k/a LaToya Gordon
, 2 March 1990.
Michael Jackson and Jordie Chandler
I interviewed Michael in August 1994, regarding Jordie and Evan Chandler’s allegations. Most of the material from that interview was deemed too sensitive at the time and, therefore, went unpublished until now, with the publication of this revised edition of
Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness
. Some of it, however, appeared in the following articles I wrote, from which I also drew for the new edition of this book: ‘Michael Jackson: “I’d Never Hurt a Child” – World Exclusive: First Interview Since Explosive Charges’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli (Michael’s Noted Biographer),
Star
, 6 September 1994; ‘Save Me, Elizabeth. Save my Life! – World Exclusive’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Star
, 13 September 1994; ‘Shocking Truth About Michael Jackson Strip-Search Photos – What they Show – World Exclusive’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Star
, 20 September 1994.
I attended at least a dozen press conferences relating to the allegations and took advantage of the many opportunities I had to question attorneys Bert Fields and Howard Weitzman and investigator Anthony Pellicano to clear confusing matters in my mind, and then reported my findings on American television broadcasts relating to the case. (Note that the secretly tape-recorded conversations between Evan Chandler and Dave Schwartz were played by Anthony Pellicano during two such press conferences, on 30 August and 1 September 1993. The tapes were also broadcast on the television programme
American Justice
, 21 September 1994.)
Most of my other sources for information regarding the sensitive issue of Jordie Chandler must remain confidential.
In a perfect world, there would be no reason for confidentiality: everyone would be able to speak his mind without fear of repercussions. However, many of those interviewed are high-profile people who still work in the entertainment industry today. Others work in the Los Angeles Department of Children’s Services, the Sheriffs Department of Santa Barbara, California, and the Child Abuse Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. It is not fair to expect these sources to risk their careers and the trust of their clients (if they are in the representation field) so that they can assist me in my work with a book. Other than to set the record straight, these individuals have nothing to gain from offering valuable insight and, in some cases, everything to lose.
The same is true of reporters who work for Associated Press and other news agencies that utilize confidential sources, I make every effort to check the legitimacy and accuracy of any source who requests anonymity. If I do not trust a source, no information from that person is utilized – whether the person requested anonymity or not. Also, I always have more than one source for any information that might be considered controversial.
Whether to use significant information given under a condition of anonymity is always a difficult decision for a writer. However, I feel a strong obligation to my readers to present the facts as best I can, just as I feel an obligation to my sources to protect them should they feel protection is necessary.
From the text, the reader should be able to glean that I have interviewed most of the principals involved in the Jordie Chandler matter over the years, even though they wish not to be acknowledged here.
I also drew from lengthy conversations with Larry Feldman, Michael Freeman, Anthony Pellicano, Diane Dimond, Vinnie Zuffante, Mark Quindoy, Jack Gordon, LaToya Jackson, Ernie Rizzo, Lauren Weis, Gary Spiegel, Robert Wegner, Charles T. Matthews, Tom Sneddon, Harry Benson, Russell Turiak and Susan Crimp.
I also referred to voluminous court records and documents, including complaints, motions and depositions pertaining to ‘
Jordan Chandler v. Michael Jackson
‘ Case Number SC026226.
Moreover, I referred to all of the documents pertaining to
Chandler v. Jackson
(ABC and Diane Sawyer and Lisa Marie Presley), Court Case Number SM097360. This was the case filed by Evan Chandler after Michael and Lisa appeared in a television broadcast with Diane Sawyer and proclaimed his innocence.
I also referenced:
Rothman v. Jackson
(Weitzman, Fields, Pellicano), Case Number SC32081;
Morris Williams, Leroy A. Thomas, Donald Storks, Fred Hammond and Aaron White v. Michael Jackson
, Case Number BC093593;
Michael J. Jackson v. Diane Dimond, Stephen Doran, K-ABC Radio and Paramount Pictures Corp
., Case Number BC 119773 (as well as ‘Michael Jackson’s Statement Re Lies and Falsehoods’ from Howard Weitzman, Esq., 11 January 1995.
Michael and Lisa Marie PresleyI drew from my interviews with Lisa Marie Presley, which first appeared in ‘Suspicious Minds – The Troubled Life and Times of a rock ‘n’ roll Heiress’, by J. Randy Taraborrelli, Sunday Magazine (
The Times
), 14 April 1996.
In 1997, as a consequence of the strong reaction to the Sunday Magazine feature, I began researching and writing a book about Lisa Marie Presley, which was to be called
Elvis, Priscilla, Michael and Me
. However, I abandoned plans for the book when my career went into a different direction (with my biography of Frank Sinatra). I conducted a great deal of research for the Lisa Marie biography, some of which appeared in articles I wrote, such as: ‘Lisa Marie Presley –
Seule, toujours seule
‘ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Paris Match
, June 1996; ‘Lisa Marie, Michael and Debbie’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Star
, 25 February 1997; ‘Michael and Lisa Marie’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Star
, 4 March 1997; ‘Millionaire Lisa Marie Presley’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Star
, 11 March 1997.
Of course, I also drew from my own interviews with Michael, and stories based on those interviews, such as: ‘Michael Insists: ‘This Marriage is no Joke”’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Star
, 27 September 1994; ‘Jackson Insists Kiss was a Thriller’
USA Today
, 13 September 1994; ‘Jacko Finally Breaks His Silence’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Woman’s Day
, September 1995.
On 18 January 1996, I appeared on CNN to announce that Lisa Marie Presley had filed for divorce from Michael Jackson. For that broadcast, I conducted my own, independent research, from which I also relied for this updated book.
I also drew on my article, ‘Princess Heartbreak’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
New Idea
, 28 January 2002.
I also referred to my research for the following articles: ‘The Secret Power of Liz Taylor’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Woman’s Day
, 11 December 2000; ‘Taraborrelli Defends Jackson (and Himself!)’ by Michelle Cushing, ‘King of Pop’, the
Official Magazine of MJ News International
, Issue Number 6, 1996; ‘Jackson scandal will be History’,
New York Post
, 22 June 1994; ‘Michael Promises No More Plastic Surgery’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Woman’s Day
, 25 December 2000; ‘Diana Ross and Michael Jackson’ by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Woman’s Day
, December 2000.
Regarding Michael’s hospital stay in 1995, I reported the story for CNN on 6 December, and did my own independent research for it at that time.
Thanks to Donald Trump, Hugo Alvarez-Perez, Marcel Marceau, Brett Livingston-Stone, Monica Pastelle and Otis Williams of The Temptations.
Of course, I was the reporter at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills to whom Elizabeth Taylor said, ‘I am not in the business of clarifying rumours,’ and then issued the somewhat startling order, ‘Now, be gone!’
I also referred to reams of press coverage and TV interviews given by Lisa Marie Presley to publicize her Capitol Records 2003 release,
To Whom it May Concern
, including ‘Q and A with Lisa Marie Presley’ by Rob Tannenbaum, for
Playboy
, May 2003.
I also referred to the court records relating to Lisa Marie Presley’s petition to dissolve her marriage to Michael Jackson (Case Number BD22906).
Michael and Debbie Rowe up to Present Day
For most of these chapters, I drew from my own television reporting on Michael Jackson in the United States and Europe. It would be too lengthy a list for me to detail all of the television programmes I have appeared on having to do with Michael, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe since the publication of the first edition of this book; I have made literally hundreds of appearances on shows such as
Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Prime Time – Live, Dateline, The Larry King Show, CNN Headline News
, and many others, expressing my views about Michael based on my own independent research.
Some of my most recent television appearances relating to Michael Jackson had to do with analyzing his interview with Martin Bashir, on programmes such as: ‘Michael Jackson – UnMasked’,
Dateline
, NBC, 17 February 2003; ‘Michael Jackson,’
Prime Time
, 6 February 2003;
The Many Faces of Michael Jackson – Prime Time Special Edition
, ABC, 17 February 2003;
CBS-This Morning
, 18 February 2003. I also reported on Michael for
Michael Jackson: The E! True Hollywood Story
, June 2003.
I was also a contributor to the highly rated documentary
Michael Jackson’s Face
, on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, the highest-rated original programme ever broadcast on the channel.
I also drew from my research for ‘The Secret Michael Jackson’” (three-part series,) by J. Randy Taraborrelli,
Daily Mail
, September 1998.
Thanks also to Gordon Rowe, Steve Shmerier, Marsha Devlin, Tanya Boyd, Mavis McDermott, Mario Pikus and Theodore Miller for their assistance in understanding Michael’s marriage to Debbie Rowe.
Library Research
The following institutions were extremely helpful to my research:
American Film Institute Library; Associated Press Office (New York); The Bancroft Library (University of California, Berkeley); The Brand Library Art and Music Center; British Film Institute Library Archives; Born Free Foundation; Boston Herald Archives; The Beverly Hills Library; British Broadcasting Corporation; University of California, Los Angeles; California State Archives (Sacramento); Corbis-Gamma/Liaison; The Glendale Central Public Library; Hayden Library; The Hartford Public Library; The Hollywood Library; The Houghton Library (Harvard University); Hulton Picture Library; Lincoln Center Library of the Performing Arts; Kobal Collection; The Los Angeles Public Library; the
Los Angeles Times
; The Margaret Herrick Library (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences); the
Michigan Chronicle
; Museum of Modern Art (The Film Study Center); Museum of the Film; National Archives and the Library of Congress; The Neal Peters Collection; New York City Municipal Archives; New York Public Library;
New York Daily News; New York Post; New York Times
; Occidental College, (Eagle Rock, California), Philadelphia Free Library (Theater Collection); Philadelphia Public Library; Philadelphia Historical Society; the
Philadelphia Inquirer
and the
Philadelphia Daily News
; Photofest; Princeton University (The William Seymour Theater Collection).