This is the 14th edition of Random Thoughts and in this edition, the 20th anniversary of History: Past, Present and Future Book 1 will be discussed. I will discuss the Jacksons, education and why I feel that a certain person should take a break from the Jacksons. Of course, I couldn't discussed this entry at this time of the year if I did not mention the MJ B-Day celebrations that happened to celebrate what would have been his 57th. I will talk about Donald Trump's comparison to Michael, 3T's reality show and Hayvenhurst being a tourist attraction/museum, supposedly. Finally, I will dedicate this blog to various people. Enjoy reading this entry.
Michael from Ebony magazine 2007.
History 20: Then and Now
HIStory: Past Present and Future Book 1, 1995
Then: On June 18, 1995, Michael's follow up to his massive Dangerous album, HIStory : Past, Present and Future Book 1 was released. It was a double disc album that included the first CD being greatest hits and the second CD having 15 songs that ranges a ray of topics such as love, the environment, racism, police brutality, a lost childhood and injustice. This album was Michael's explanation for his hell that he experienced two years prior when he was falsely accused of sexual abuse. The History album also broke records on the billboard charts. History is the best selling double album in history and two singles from the album, "Scream" and "You Are Not Alone", debuted at number 5 and 1 respectably. That was the first time in Billboard history that a rare feat occurred. So, let's go back to History era from 1995-1997 and see how the era changed Michael's legacy.
The first single that was released was "Scream", a duet he did with his sister, Janet. The song was anticipated because this was the first time Michael and Janet ever did an song together. People wanted to know how the song would sound like and what was the short film going to be like. The first glimpse of the short film came from Entertainment Tonight.
"Scream"/"Childhood" single cover, 1995
The first single that was released was "Scream", a duet he did with his sister, Janet. The song was anticipated because this was the first time Michael and Janet ever did an song together. People wanted to know how the song would sound like and what was the short film going to be like. The first glimpse of the short film came from Entertainment Tonight.
Behind the Scenes of "Scream" from Entertainment Tonight, 1995.
The short film premiered on television after that and it changed everything for the album.
Michael was still breaking records when it came to his short films because the "Scream" short film cost $7M to make making it the most expensive music video of all time. With the huge success of the song and short film, even winning three MTV Video Music Awards, more short films from the album were going to turn heads and get the public to talk.
The other short films from the album were:
Michael and Janet "Scream", 1995.
Michael was still breaking records when it came to his short films because the "Scream" short film cost $7M to make making it the most expensive music video of all time. With the huge success of the song and short film, even winning three MTV Video Music Awards, more short films from the album were going to turn heads and get the public to talk.
The other short films from the album were:
"You Are Not Alone", 1995.
"They Don't Care About Us", 1995.
"They Don't Care About Us" (Prison Version), 1995.
"Childhood:, 1995.
"Earth Song", 1995.
"Stranger in Moscow", 1996
Whenever Michael truly speaks his mind, there is always some kind of controversy. When the original lyrics to the song, "They Don't Care About Us" was known, the Jewish Community were angered with what Michael stated in the song. The Philadelphia Inquirer did an article about the controversy. You can read the article here:
The reviews of the album were mixed at best and I think it had to do with the fact that Michael was not going to be doing happy songs in the album. I did a google search for reviews on the History album and I picked three reviews that I wanted to post on here.
From Entertainment Weekly -
http://www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/history-past-present-and-future-book-i
From the New York Times -
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/18/arts/pop-view-michael-jackson-is-angry-understand.html
From Rolling Stone -
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/history-past-present-future-book-i-19950810
The promotion for the album was in a form of a video of a statue of him.
From Entertainment Weekly -
http://www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/history-past-present-and-future-book-i
"Whether Jackson is guilty of manhandling kids or not, what HIStory makes clear is that the past two years have taken their toll. The music rarely seems to transport him (and thereby us) to a higher plane. On ”Tabloid Junkie,” he comes as close to transcendence as anywhere on the album. The chorus — on which he snaps, ”Just because you read it in the magazine or see it on the TV screen don’t make it factual” — is his grabbiest, most driven refrain in years. The rest of the song, however, is mucked up with fake tabloid-TV snippets about his ”life,” and on the verses Jackson’s delivery is so terse (he’s not singing, he’s harrumphing) that his lyrics are all but obliterated. Handed a golden opportunity, he throws it all away — but then, it wouldn’t be the first time. Averaging out the A-grade hits and the overall C-level new material, HIStory winds up a B."Wasn't that mean? You see what I mean? The media did not care about his pain because at that time, Michael was seen as some off-putting person no one wanted to be near. The typical media to dismiss his music as if it was the plague.
From the New York Times -
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/18/arts/pop-view-michael-jackson-is-angry-understand.html
The thing about Michael "pretending to be normal" is that he was never pretending to be anything. Describing his music at that time as "paranoia" and "vindictive" is how the media escapes the treatment they did to him. They do not want to hear it. If you read the next paragraph to the article, the reviewer states that "it has been a long time since Michael was just a performer". They just wanted Michael to sing and dance for his master instead of being a human being with emotions. The hell the media and the fools that accused him, falsely, of child abuse took a huge toll on Michael and he did not want to not deal with it anymore. After reading that part of the review, I didn't want to read anymore. The New York Times has always been evil towards Michael.
"He's not pretending to be normal any more. In his new songs, he is paranoid and cagey, messianic and petty, vindictive and maudlin. Comparing himself to John F. Kennedy and Jesus Christ, he's a megalomaniac who feels like a victim. Yet he remains one of the most gifted musicians alive. And somehow, with the strange synchronicity of pop culture's longtime survivors, his private distress may have put him back in touch with a public mood: there are a lot of aggrieved, belligerent people who feel just as victimized as he does."
From Rolling Stone -
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/history-past-present-future-book-i-19950810
"Instead of ignoring his troubles or attacking them from interesting angles, Jackson obsesses on his woes, an eager participant in today's talk-show din of personal confession. He's angry, miserable, tortured, inflammatory, furious about what he calls, in "Stranger in Moscow," a "swift and sudden fall from grace."Rolling Stone has a history of hating on Michael. You can't be shocked by what they stated about Michael in this review. They think that what happened to him should be blamed on him and that he is angry as if he cannot be. The reviewer wanted the reader to realized that Michael's glory days were over and he fell from grace. I guess 32 million records sold kills all of that negative nonsense the media was stating about this classic piece of modern day work.
The promotion for the album was in a form of a video of a statue of him.
HIStory album promotional video, 1995.
He also did a photo shoot with Vibe magazine -
Michael on the cover of Vibe in 1995.
There is video of the photo shoot that the entertainment show, Extra, captured back then -
Vibe magazine photo shoot, 1995.
Michael and his then wife, Lisa Marie Presley, did an interview with Diane Sawyer for the news program Prime Time Live. This was an interview I never liked when I first saw it years back. I refuse to watch the interview today because of the way Diane Sawyer was really nasty towards Michael.
Michael with that ex-"wife" and "journalist" Diane Sawyer, 1995.
Here is the interview -
Prime Time Live Interview, 1995.
The History tour started in 1996 and ended in 1997 and there are plenty of highlights from the tour and the 1996 World Music Awards in which Michael performed in. The first highlight, Michael is performing "Heal the World" with two young twins when he was in Taiwan.
Michael with twins sisters in 1996.
The next highlight is from the show Inside Edition when they were granted an exclusive look backstage and beyond in the History tour.
Inside Edition at the History tour in 1996/1997.
Inside Edition at the History tour in 1996/1997.
The last highlight is when Michael performed at the World Music Awards in 1996. Michael performed "Earth Song."
Michael at the World Music Awards in 1996.
Michael with Janet in 1995.
Now: When the 20th anniversary of the History album was approaching, some members of the media decided to discuss the impact the album made on popular culture. Starting with an article from dazeddigital.com discussing how the short film "Scream" became the craziest video of the 1990s.
"Amazing lead single “Scream” – released twenty years ago today – however offered a more relatable and enjoyable sense of catharsis. A duet with younger sister Janet Jackson, and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, “Scream” finds the pair spitting out tightly wound lines railing against the press almost through gritted teeth, the industrial beats and clattering percussion encasing an incredible vocal performance from Michael that peaks with the line, “oh brother please have mercy 'cause I just can't take it”. Its sense of unleashed frustration makes it one of Jackson's most enduring songs outside of his 80s purple patch, the aggression sounding defiant as opposed to bitter. It also came with one of the best (and allegedly most expensive) videos of all time, director Mark Romanek housing the siblings in their very own wipe-clean, hyper-modern spaceship, complete with indoor zen garden, remote controlled art gallery and futuristic squash court. To celebrate its anniversary, here's a look at some of the stories surrounding the making of “Scream” and its video."
The article goes on to state about the competition that Michael and Janet had in the recording studio, Michael getting the perfect hand cap sound, how the Janet song, "Runaway" came from the same recording studio, how "Scream" leaked 13 days before the official release and the short film being the most expensive video ever made.
Michael in 1995.
I was shocked when people.com did an article on the History album. Knowing their history in regards to Michael (see my blog post on the magazine and Michael from November 2014), I was not expecting them to even care about the album. However, I have to remember that these days, most of the media are very "kind" to Michael now. Anyway, the website listed 20 things that someone probably did not know about the album.
"18. There's a Sonic the Hedgehog connection that's kind of mind-blowing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EFNJvJyaJxU
The clip above features the end credits music to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was released more than a year before "Stranger in Moscow." But doesn't it sound a lot like "Stranger in Moscow"? The similarity has perplexed video game fans for years, and it's been long rumored that Jackson composed music for the game but went uncredited – either as a result of the sex abuse allegations or because Jackson wasn't satisfied with the end result. The rumors and contradictions are laid out in this article, but today we still don't have a conclusive answer. "
I remembered this game because my brother used to play that game all of the time and to think that Michael might have composed the song is amazing to me. I know that Michael was a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog so it would not surprised me if this is true. There were a couple of things that I did not know about the album but this one was the one I was shocked about.
The choreographer for the "Scream" short film, Tina Landon, did an interview with The Kelly Alexander Show discussing the milestone.
In the interview, Tina discussed the short film and how it came about. Very interesting stuff. I did find it interesting the way the interviewer and Tina Landon was trying to make Janet look like the reasonable one. I guess if your friend can't compete with her great brother, make the mediocre younger sister look good. Tina was the choreographer so if she did not understand what Michael wanted her to do, she could have just ask him. You do wonder why we haven't heard of this woman in a while. I am not even sure why Janet was making the decision on who should have been the choreographer when it was not even her song or short film and by the way, I barely cared about Janet's part in the short film.
Michael and Brad Sandburg.
Finally, two fans name Andy Healy, who goes by the twitter handle @MJ_101 and Damien Shields did their own tribute to the HIStory album. Andy did a great ebook of the album by song and you can click here to download the adobe file to read the ebook -
Damien Sheilds did a blog entry on the memories that Michael's engineers on the History album, Brad Sundberg and Brian Vibberts had while making the album.
Brian Vibberts discusses about the time singer Prince came to visit Michael in the studio -
"On July 14, 1994, Prince came to visit Michael in the early afternoon to discuss recording a song together. It was five years after the release of Prince and Madonna’s duet (“Love Song”), so he was probably more open to the idea. Michael and Prince had discussed doing a song before (the song “Bad”) but nothing had ever been recorded.On that day, Prince arrived with two huge bodyguards. The three of them walked right by me and into Michael’s lounge, which was the Studio 3 lounge at the Hit Factory at 421 West 54th Street in New York City. It was a private meeting, so I continued my work in Studio 4 – working on new music for HIStory. Prince talked with Michael for a few hours before leaving. That night, Prince played a show at the Palladium at 126 East 14th Street, which held between 2500-3000 people."
Brad Sundberg discusses two poignant memories he had while working on the History album -
"There are two very vivid memories I have from early in the project: One about snow, and the other about U.S. Federal Court.
First, when we arrived in New York in early January of ’94, the city was being hammered with blizzard after blizzard. I seem to remember a record sixteen blizzards that winter. For a California boy like me it was pure magic! I loved the snow – but to be cool you slog through it, pull up you coat and keep your head down. Still, I loved it."
You can read the rest of the blog entry here - http://www.damienshields.com/history20-michael-jacksons-secret-meeting-with-prince/
Overall, even though HIStory was released after the horror that Michael went through in previous years, it later became a changing point in Michael career. If you ever wanted to know if Michael got angry in his life, this was the album that would let you know. It was an album that had to be done because the best way that Michael could have express himself when it came to lies about him was through his music. After 20 years, I am relieved that people are now seeing the album for what it is instead of what the media wanted it to be.
The Jacksons, Education and My Thoughts
Prince with his cousin and co-guardian, TJ, at his graduation, 2015.
In the end of May, Michael's oldest child, Michael Jr. (Prince) finally graduated from high school (Buckley) and it was a very moving and bittersweet day for the family and the fan community. It was moving because we all remembered when Prince was born and how wonderful it was to see Michael become a father. We watch him grow from wearing masks and veils (remember that?) up until that all ended when his father passed away. Bittersweet because Michael was not here to see this milestone happen for his child. We all know that he would have been over the moon watching his son get his diploma when his name was called. It was nice to see the Jackson family root for him when he was getting his diploma and graduating with honors. His aunt LaToya and cousin TJ had very nice things to state about Prince -
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michael-jacksons-son-prince-jackson-graduates-high-school/story?id=31442777
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michael-jacksons-son-prince-jackson-graduates-high-school/story?id=31442777
"Prince Jackson's aunt, La Toya Jackson, tweeted a photo of the two of them at the graduation ceremony at the private Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, writing, "So very proud of @princemjjjaxon," she wrote. "YOU DID! And you did it with Honors!!! #buckleyclassof2015."
"Prince, you have grown into an incredibly special young man," he wrote. "Words can’t express how proud I am of you. I will ALWAYS be here to support you wherever life takes you. I love you!"
After the graduation, the family had a graduation party at the Hayvenhurst home. Check out the pics -
You might be wondering where was Randy and Janet in all of this. In the past, Randy was there when his children graduated from high school but when it came to the other Jacksons graduating, he was a no show. He also, a few years back, did not show up when his daughter, Stevanna, graduated from Harvard. Janet was not there at the graduation party because, you guess it, she probably still has an issue with Michael's children. Instead of going, she did the unthinkable and go to the graduation party of her godson, Tyler, who's father is Janet's long time producer, Jimmy Jam. You can read the information here -
http://thatgrapejuice.net/2015/06/did-you-miss-janet-jackson-resurfaces-godsons-graduation/
Talk about mean and uncalled for. I find this a slap in the face to Prince and the other Jacksons that graduated. Why choose your make believe family over your blood? It makes no sense. Besides the obvious disrespect, Blanket changed his name to Bigi and now goes to Buckley.
Another Jackson that is focusing on his education is Rijo and he is the second cousin of Michael's. He was profiled on a local paper called Lompac Record in which it discusses that he will be going to school at Northland College to play basketball. In the article, he talks about his cousin Michael and how much he meant to him and his family -
http://lompocrecord.com/santamaria/rijo-jackson-to-play-hoops-at-northland-college/article_b4f76e1b-dffc-5452-8f7c-d657485e0e7c.html
Rijo, along with his sister, Simone, testified in defense of Michael during the 2005 uncalled for trial.
Isn't it good to see Michael's family going to school and focusing on what is important. I hope this trend continues next year and in the future. However, I have a concern for Prince and I know that I could be over reacting but there has been something that has been bothering me. By now, we have seen pictures of Prince smoking what appears to be weed and I, for one, am not a fan of weed smoking at all. I think that Prince should stop smoking that stuff and he also might have to take a break with hanging out with that Omer character. In fact, I would like for all of the Jacksons to stop hanging out with him. He needs to explain his "friendship" with that "doctor" that he called a "friend" that did some off things to Michael. If he cannot break off that "friendship" he has with that "doctor", he needs to stay far away from Michael's children and family. The reality of the lives of Michael's children is that not everyone has their best interests. I hope they truly understand that and start making decisions that will benefit them in the long run. I wish Michael's children the very best and may God bless them.
Prince with his Aunt, LaToya at his graduation.
Prince and his sister, Paris, hugging one another.
Prince with Paris, TJ, Blanket/Bigi, Taj and his wife Thayana.
TJ with Blanket/Bigi and a friend.
Blanket/Bigi with his grandfather, Joe.
The Jacksons at Hayvenhurst.
Prince with cousins Taj and his wife Thayana.
Prince carrying his female friend.
Rebbie, Jermaine Jr., Jeffre, LaToya and Asa, Jermaine Jr.'s girlfriend.
Cousins Prince and Randy Jr.
Prince with one of the Sco sisters. They (the Sco sisters) look too much alike so I am not even gonna guess her name.
Donte, Jaafar, Bryce (Taryll's son), Randy Jr. and Jermajesty.
Prince with an unidentified woman at the graduation party.
You might be wondering where was Randy and Janet in all of this. In the past, Randy was there when his children graduated from high school but when it came to the other Jacksons graduating, he was a no show. He also, a few years back, did not show up when his daughter, Stevanna, graduated from Harvard. Janet was not there at the graduation party because, you guess it, she probably still has an issue with Michael's children. Instead of going, she did the unthinkable and go to the graduation party of her godson, Tyler, who's father is Janet's long time producer, Jimmy Jam. You can read the information here -
http://thatgrapejuice.net/2015/06/did-you-miss-janet-jackson-resurfaces-godsons-graduation/
Janet with her godson, Tyler. Very shady.
Talk about mean and uncalled for. I find this a slap in the face to Prince and the other Jacksons that graduated. Why choose your make believe family over your blood? It makes no sense. Besides the obvious disrespect, Blanket changed his name to Bigi and now goes to Buckley.
Rijo Jackson
Another Jackson that is focusing on his education is Rijo and he is the second cousin of Michael's. He was profiled on a local paper called Lompac Record in which it discusses that he will be going to school at Northland College to play basketball. In the article, he talks about his cousin Michael and how much he meant to him and his family -
"Michael was like a father to me. I grew up surrounded by my mother, sister and grandma, and he took me under his wing. I know he is looking down on me with a smile on his face."Rijo talks about what he was going to do after he graduates from college -
"Jackson plans to major in social justice or sociology at Northland. He said he wants to work with underprivileged children as a social worker or probation officer."
http://lompocrecord.com/santamaria/rijo-jackson-to-play-hoops-at-northland-college/article_b4f76e1b-dffc-5452-8f7c-d657485e0e7c.html
Rijo, along with his sister, Simone, testified in defense of Michael during the 2005 uncalled for trial.
Isn't it good to see Michael's family going to school and focusing on what is important. I hope this trend continues next year and in the future. However, I have a concern for Prince and I know that I could be over reacting but there has been something that has been bothering me. By now, we have seen pictures of Prince smoking what appears to be weed and I, for one, am not a fan of weed smoking at all. I think that Prince should stop smoking that stuff and he also might have to take a break with hanging out with that Omer character. In fact, I would like for all of the Jacksons to stop hanging out with him. He needs to explain his "friendship" with that "doctor" that he called a "friend" that did some off things to Michael. If he cannot break off that "friendship" he has with that "doctor", he needs to stay far away from Michael's children and family. The reality of the lives of Michael's children is that not everyone has their best interests. I hope they truly understand that and start making decisions that will benefit them in the long run. I wish Michael's children the very best and may God bless them.
Hayvenhurst As a Tourist Attraction/Official Museum, Among Other Things
I was on social media one day and I read an article that stated that the Estate of Michael Jackson was considering making the Hayvenhurst Estate a tourist attraction. You can read the information here -
http://www.mjvibe.com/encino-might-become-an-official-museum/
The Estate is looking into turning Michael's and the Jacksons' former home into an MJ museum. I think, if this was true and could be happening, is an wonderful idea. Finally, the Estate is truly making some sense now. The Hayvenhurst home is where Michael recorded some of his classic hits as well as a room that he dedicated to himself and his family. This would be a fantastic tourist attraction for all fans all over the world and someone in the family should be the tour guide if this would to become a reality. I am so for this 100% and I hope this does become a reality because there has to be a place where Michael's legacy can be stored and the famous home should be that place. Of course, not everyone is supportive of this idea. TMZ caught Jermaine and his wife Halima, coming out of a restaurant and asked them about the idea to make the Hayvenhurst home a museum and this is what he had to say -
MJ's B-Day L.O.V.E: Reactions, Events and Tributes
Michael in the 1970s.
I was on social media one day and I read an article that stated that the Estate of Michael Jackson was considering making the Hayvenhurst Estate a tourist attraction. You can read the information here -
http://www.mjvibe.com/encino-might-become-an-official-museum/
The Estate is looking into turning Michael's and the Jacksons' former home into an MJ museum. I think, if this was true and could be happening, is an wonderful idea. Finally, the Estate is truly making some sense now. The Hayvenhurst home is where Michael recorded some of his classic hits as well as a room that he dedicated to himself and his family. This would be a fantastic tourist attraction for all fans all over the world and someone in the family should be the tour guide if this would to become a reality. I am so for this 100% and I hope this does become a reality because there has to be a place where Michael's legacy can be stored and the famous home should be that place. Of course, not everyone is supportive of this idea. TMZ caught Jermaine and his wife Halima, coming out of a restaurant and asked them about the idea to make the Hayvenhurst home a museum and this is what he had to say -
Jermaine, please.
I will speak more about him in the next section of this entry. Trust me, you will want to know what I think about this grease head.
The promotional picture for the reality docuseries, 2015.
I love surprises and when I was on Facebook I was very surprised when I learned that 3T, Taj. Taryll and TJ, will do a reality show about their lives called The Jacksons: The Next Generation. You can read more information here -
"Episodes will delve into the professional and personal lives of: TJ, the 34-year-old father of four and the legal co-guardian of his uncle Michael’s kids, Prince, Paris and Blanket; Taryll, the 39-year-old father of two with a “very complicated” relationship with his sons’ mother; and the 41-year-old Taj, who is pursuing careers in music and film directing when he’s not defending the family name. The Jacksons: Next Generation will show these siblings raising their children, coping with the stresses of being a Jackson (which includes dealing with “the constant rumors, stalkers, and frauds who all want a piece of anything and anyone related to the family’s legacy,” according to the network), and performing with their R&B group 3T, whose 1995 debut album Brotherhood went triple platinum."
Oh, I cannot even tell you how excited I am about this and the trailers are even better. Watch here -
My feels!
The Trailers - Excited for this.
The Trailers - Excited for this.
I do not care what none of you people say, this is the reality show that I will totally see. If the Kardaishians (who TJ and Taryll dated Kourtney and Kim in the 1990s when they went to school together) can have a reality show and showcase their trashiness among other reality shows that showcase what is so wrong with society, why can the Jacksons? Now, the Jacksons did do reality in the past but this is the one that will be more interesting to me because I can relate to them better than their older relatives. This show is not going to be ghetto, ratchet or hoodrat but reasonable and level headed. Try to remember the reality show Run's House that aired on MTV years back. That show was nowhere near garbage or exploitative. Rather, it was a family based show that launched the careers of Reverend Run's (Run from the iconic rap group Run DMC) children. You can compare that show to this one. At least it is not Alejandra's never aired reality show that was really going to show the ewwww (no offense to the siblings/cousins) of the Jackson family. Even though I wanted to (and still do) see it for the possibility of why would a woman even want to sleep with and have children with Jermaine and Randy, it was going to be a trashy show, point blank. There were fans that were not happy that Michael's children will be on the show and all I have to say about this is that you can't please everyone. These are the same fans that follow these children on social media and post pictures of them online so I do not understand the issue here. I think we all have to accept the fact that Michael's children will be on television at some point and we all have to get over it. They can't just hide and not be seen in this day and age. If you don't want to see them on here, simply don't watch.
Michael with Donald Trump in 1990.
Donald Trump is running for President and it has been a complete circus of foolery since he made his announcement. Now, I am not a fan of the Trump and I will not vote for this man as President because he is not serious to me and because he is a celebrity. This man is famous for being a billionaire and shoving that fact to our throats. So, what does he have to do with Michael? Well, read this -
"During an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Trump compared himself to Jackson, saying that, like Jackson, people are talking about him without actually knowing him."You know when Michael Jackson died, I knew him very well, everybody was talking about Michael Jackson, but they didn't know him."
Here is the thing: Donald Trump basically stated that he wanted to build a border to make sure illegal immigrants do not come to America. He blasted Mexicans as a whole, calling them killers, drug dealers and rapists. He trashes women (excluding Rosie O'Donnell because she is a mess) who he is not fond of and anyone that does not agree with him. He even gave his supporters the personal phone number of one of the Republicans running for the Presidency all because the man criticized him. Michael was bashed by the media because he did not give them what they wanted from him and in turn, they gave him hell. Michael has never trashed people in his life, often sees the good in people and does not focus on the bad qualities of people. Michael, unlike Donald, had respect for others and was not a bully. Yes, Donald has always defended Michael and made it clear to anyone that would listen that Michael was a great man. I thank him for that but Trump should never compare himself to someone who can handle criticism and still go on with his day. If anything, Trump can learn a few things from Michael on how to handle people who criticize him and not to judge others.
Michael in 1989.
August 29th of this year, Michael would have turned 57 years old and I never thought that after everything Michael has been through that the world, it seems, still cares about him. That always makes me and his huge fanbase feel really good. I was in complete awe when I saw the love that Michael had on his birthday on social media. In the three big social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Michael trended all day. He was number two and three on Facebook, number one, two and three on Twitter and number one on Instagram. I have always stated that the media will never win their battle when it comes to Michael. Eventually, the media and the haters are going to have to accept the fact that Michael will always be loved and be great. Since there were so many events that were happening a week before his birthday, on his birthday and after, I had to break it down in sections. I am going to post images of the events posters for the celebrations.
Before I get into this, the pictures that came from the fans: I asked permission if I could use their pictures for this blog post. The fans that responded stated to me that I can used their pictures. They will be credited in this entry on the References section.
Spike Lee's Annual MJ Birthday Bash in Brooklyn, NY.
The Michael Jackson United Nation International Fan Club Annual MJ Fan Convention in Las Vegas, NV.
In The Studio with MJ Seminar in Chicago, IL.
Celebrating Michael's Birthday in London, England.
Katherine Jackson Presents 6th Annual Michael Jackson King of Pop ICSLY Charity Weekend in Gary, IN.
Remember the Time #4, Hollywood, CA.
Michael Jackson Birthday Bash, Lincoln Park, MI
One Night Only, Washington, DC
Facebook -
LaVelle Smith Jr.:
Lavelle Smith Jr., one of Michael long time dancing partners, went to Italy to celebrated Michael's birthday and stated this -
Niles Rodgers (musician, music producer and worked with Michael on the History album.):
MJ's Legacy Association International Facebook Page:
The flowers that fans put at the place where Michael is buried at Forest Lawn -
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/michael-jacksons-tv-interview/story?id=8429051
Fuse.tv:
The fuse.tv did a feature that showed 40 iconic pictures of Michael's career. Click here is view the pictures -
http://www.fuse.tv/galleries/2012/06/remembering-michael-jackson?campaign=scl%7Ctwt%7Cfsc
TheUrbanDaily.com:
The article from theurbandaily.com lists the seven things Michael been told you in his lyrics. This is an interesting concept where the author of the article, @ImCamQuotes, lists parts of the lyrics to Michael's songs that showed that he been stated those things. Get where I am coming from? I hope so. Anyway, here are a couple of highlights -
http://www.instyle.com/news/remembering-michael-jackson-birthday?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter
IamSteveHarvey.com:
As you all know, Steve Harvey and Michael were very good friends and in remembrance of his friend, Steve posted the interview that he had with Michael back in 2001. He also posted a video of a comedy show that Steve did in which he talked about Michael Jackson Money. If you want a laugh, check out the link below -
http://www.iamsteveharvey.com/vision-board-feeder/2015/8/21/2jl8avmb7g3luehecleu4iurgq94xm
People.com:
People did an interview, posted in their website, with one of Michael's former chefs named Mani Niall to discuss Michael's eating habits. The chef has his own restaurant and wanted people to try the food that Michael ate during the early to mid 1980s. Leave it to People to make an opinion about Michael's eating habits instead of letting the readers do that for themselves. If you read the title of the article, you might be turned away, but trust me, it is a very good read. Click here to read the whole article -
http://greatideas.people.com/2015/08/28/michael-jacksons-chef-favorite-foods/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag
Okayplayer.com:
This article talks about the Spike Lee birthday celebration he throws for Michael on or around his birthday. He has been doing this for six years. The article captures the essence of the event and what happened at the event. You can read the article here -
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/brooklyn-spike-lee-michael-jackson-party.html#slide1
XoJane.com:
This blog post is from a fan name Natasha Kirker who writes about the time she went to Neverland and met Michael. Natasha was suffering from a genetic lung disease called Cystic Fibrosis and desperately wanted to met Michael. Here is a quote from her entry about the time that she finally met him that shows what Michael was truly about -
LaVelle Smith Jr.:
Lavelle Smith Jr., one of Michael long time dancing partners, went to Italy to celebrated Michael's birthday and stated this -
"This will be my first time celebrating Michael's birthday since we were on tour. This year I'm in Napoli for MJ-Day. Michael’s birthday reminds of all the times he was surprised on stage with a cake, the band singers and dancers joining in with the audience to sing "Happy Birthday". Happy Birthday, my dear friend. I miss you very much. L.O.V.E."
Niles Rodgers (musician, music producer and worked with Michael on the History album.):
"#michaeljackson #nilerodgers backstage back in the day. #happybirthdaymichael #love"https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153590123343923
MJ's Legacy Association International Facebook Page:
The flowers that fans put at the place where Michael is buried at Forest Lawn -
Debbie Allen (dancer, producer, director, choreographer):
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. We speak your name. We speak your name. Happy Birthday Michael!"https://www.facebook.com/24273155503/photos/a.10153973986995504.1073741827.24273155503/10155997092325504/?type=1
Blogs/Articles/Websites -
Blavity.com:
From the website blavity.com, lists 47 reasons why Michael Jackson will always be the important MJ. Since I cannot copy and paste the reasons on here, I am going to list the numbers:
Numbers 1, 2, 6, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 24, 30, 32, 34, 35, 37, 42, 44, 45, 46, and 47.
What a wonderful, truthful and honest list. Amazing. That is how you honor a legend.
Rollingout.com:
An article written by Dwyane Rogers from rollingout.com lists 10 of his favorite gifs of Michael. Let's see if your favorite is on here. I particularity love the Disney one.
ABCNews.com:
Michael's last interview was when he turned 50 and he granted an interview with Chris Connelly from ABC News. I actually remember this interview when it came on Good Morning America in 2008. To celebrate what would have been Michael's 57th, Connelly posted the interview to people to read again. Here are some highlights:
"Connelly: As you look back on 50 years, when do you think you were the happiest?Jackson: The happiest? Oh boy, probably the recording of "Thriller" and the "Off the Wall" albums. That meant very much to me and seemed to be received so beautifully by the public and the world, you know. It was a time I enjoyed it very much.Connelly: As you look back on your career Michael, what would you have done differently?Jackson: Differently? Oh boy, that's a hard one. I am still l looking forward to doing a lot of great things, so that's hard. I think the best is yet to come in my true humble opinion.Connelly: You know when most people turn 50, the AARP finds them and sends them an AARP card in the mail. Have you gotten an AARP card in the mail?Jackson: Not that I know of! (laugh)Connelly: You never know, they can find you wherever you are!"I thought the last part was funny to me. The AARP might have found him, though. Anyway, you can read the remaining of the article here -
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/michael-jacksons-tv-interview/story?id=8429051
Fuse.tv:
The fuse.tv did a feature that showed 40 iconic pictures of Michael's career. Click here is view the pictures -
http://www.fuse.tv/galleries/2012/06/remembering-michael-jackson?campaign=scl%7Ctwt%7Cfsc
TheUrbanDaily.com:
The article from theurbandaily.com lists the seven things Michael been told you in his lyrics. This is an interesting concept where the author of the article, @ImCamQuotes, lists parts of the lyrics to Michael's songs that showed that he been stated those things. Get where I am coming from? I hope so. Anyway, here are a couple of highlights -
“Billie Jean”“And mother always told me be careful of who you loveAnd be careful of what you do ’cause the lie becomes the truth”Many people only remember “Billie Jean” for two reasons: Michael walking on the sidewalk as it lit up and Michael moonwalking during Motown 25. With those two great memorable moments, most forget this song is about a scandalous female lying on Michael and claiming he is the father of her child just because they “shared a dance or two.” Long before Maury shot his pilot episode, MJ hipped us to the first “You AREthe father!” story."
“Scream”“Tired of injusticeTired of the schemesThe lies are disgustingSo what does it meanKicking me downI got to get upAs jacked as it soundsThe whole system sucks”Songs like “Man In The Mirror” and “They Don’t Care About Us” were blatant with social justice long before we hopped on social media platform to rouge with rhetoric. Michael and Janet told us how media outlets can deceive and paint false pictures of not only himself but Black people as the enemy. We are literally going through this right now in America, 20 years later."
“Leave Me Alone”“You got a way of making meFeel so sorryI found out right awayDon’t you come walkin’-Beggin’ I ain’t lovin’ youDon’t you get in my way”MJ was cutting her off way before K Camp, “Leave Me Alone” is a joint for anybody who had that partner who drained you physically, mentally and financially. Mike was nice about it though, he just wanted to keep it short and move on from the whole thing. The video was also a shot at the media and all of the “Wacko Jacko” headlines."
So, you get what the author of the post is saying. After reading all of that, I learned a few things myself. If you want to read the whole thing, here is the link -http://theurbandaily.com/2015/06/25/michael-jackson-best-lyrics-ever/
Instyle.com:
I was not really expecting a fashion magazine that is catered to a certain group of people to do something on Michael but then I remembered that not only was Michael a music icon but a fashion one as well. Instyle.com posted pictures of Michael's style that changed the way people view music fashion.
"Despite churning out countless hit songs, the legend—who passed away in 2009—is also known for his sartorial sensibility. From his red leather "Thriller" jacket to the time he moonwalked in thick white socks and penny loafers with a single sequined white glove in "Billie Jean," today we find ourselves nostalgic for when Jackson knew how to set a standard of style. In honor of his birthday, take a look back at Jackon's most memorable outfits."You can check out the pictures by clicking on this link -
http://www.instyle.com/news/remembering-michael-jackson-birthday?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter
IamSteveHarvey.com:
As you all know, Steve Harvey and Michael were very good friends and in remembrance of his friend, Steve posted the interview that he had with Michael back in 2001. He also posted a video of a comedy show that Steve did in which he talked about Michael Jackson Money. If you want a laugh, check out the link below -
http://www.iamsteveharvey.com/vision-board-feeder/2015/8/21/2jl8avmb7g3luehecleu4iurgq94xm
People.com:
People did an interview, posted in their website, with one of Michael's former chefs named Mani Niall to discuss Michael's eating habits. The chef has his own restaurant and wanted people to try the food that Michael ate during the early to mid 1980s. Leave it to People to make an opinion about Michael's eating habits instead of letting the readers do that for themselves. If you read the title of the article, you might be turned away, but trust me, it is a very good read. Click here to read the whole article -
http://greatideas.people.com/2015/08/28/michael-jacksons-chef-favorite-foods/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag
Okayplayer.com:
This article talks about the Spike Lee birthday celebration he throws for Michael on or around his birthday. He has been doing this for six years. The article captures the essence of the event and what happened at the event. You can read the article here -
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/brooklyn-spike-lee-michael-jackson-party.html#slide1
XoJane.com:
This blog post is from a fan name Natasha Kirker who writes about the time she went to Neverland and met Michael. Natasha was suffering from a genetic lung disease called Cystic Fibrosis and desperately wanted to met Michael. Here is a quote from her entry about the time that she finally met him that shows what Michael was truly about -
"But Michael is as important to me as he ever was. The day I spent at Neverland will forever be one of the most significant days of my life. The thing is, Michael Jackson was more than some popular musician; he was my first proof of faith. "
You can read the rest of her amazing story by clicking on the link -
http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/make-a-wish-michael-jackson
Instagram -
Michael was the top trended topic on the social media mobile application all day. There was a Michael celebration a week before his birthday because his family traveled to his hometown of Gary Indiana to participate in the annual charity event. I am going to post those images first and then, I will post the images and the videos from August 29th.
Twitter -
I could not tell you how many tweets that I saved when it was Michael's birthday. My timeline was literally flooded with awesome tweets. I was moved, honestly. Michael was the first, second and third trending topic on twitter. Here are the tweets.
Happy birthday to the King.
This blog entry is dedicated to Sam Dubose, Sandra Bland, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Sharonda Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance and Rev. Daniel Simmons, Alison Parker, Adam Ward and Bobbi Kristina Brown. May they all rest in peace.
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http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/make-a-wish-michael-jackson
Instagram -
Michael was the top trended topic on the social media mobile application all day. There was a Michael celebration a week before his birthday because his family traveled to his hometown of Gary Indiana to participate in the annual charity event. I am going to post those images first and then, I will post the images and the videos from August 29th.
An Instagram account was created for the Gary, Indiana event and the event had certain performers like Silento, on the left, (he does the Whip/Nae-Nae song that people are obsessed with.) who is posing with Paris. I am not sure who is the other guy on the right.
There was a contest to see who was the best MJ impersonator and the man holding the check won $5,000.
Austin posted this precious picture on his Instagram account of him and his younger cousins.
Donte posted this picture with Paris and their younger cousins, some are TJ's kids and some are Taryll's kids.
This is from Taryll's girlfriend and mother to their children, Breana.
Austin posted this framed drawing that Michael did on his Instagram account.
From T.J.'s Instagram of his children and reflecting on the way things were when his father lived in that house.
This is from a fan that I am cool with, @_jeremyhorn who was posing with two of Michael's cousins Keith Jackson and Michael Gordon.
Rapper Chance the Rapper's tribute. He is a huge MJ fan.
Actor and activist Jesse Williams, who is also a huge MJ fan.
From singer Kelly Rowland.
NBA player Matt Barnes' tribute.
Rapper MC Lyte's tribute.
From singer Mya.
From socialite Paris Hilton.
This is the tribute that drummer from the Roots, Questlove, did in Hollywood, Ca the day after Michael's birthday.
From Michael's nephew, Randy Jr.
This is from the Brooklyn, NY celebration that Spike Lee threw. Look at all of those people. Amazing.
Twitter -
I could not tell you how many tweets that I saved when it was Michael's birthday. My timeline was literally flooded with awesome tweets. I was moved, honestly. Michael was the first, second and third trending topic on twitter. Here are the tweets.
This picture came from a fan with the twitter handle @3Tluva.
A fan who was at Gary, Indiana with the twitter handle @mgeniusjackson, took a picture of the Jacksons at 2300 Jackson Street.
This is from Rev. Jesse Jackson's daughter Ashley.
Bryshere Gray is a rapper/actor who is on the show Empire who plays a character name Hakeem. Another huge fan.
From @BonnieLamrock who runs the website MJ UpBeat.com.
These pictures were taken by a fan with the twitter handle @IthaMaya.
What are we gonna do with this man? He can't even say "Happy Birthday" to his brother. He must make it about himself. How crazy is that? What a sad soul, really.
Youtube -
I am going to post a couple videos of the celebrations for Michael's birthday.
Brooklyn Loves MJ Event, 2015.
Gary, Indiana Michael Jackson Event, 2015.
Happy birthday to the King.
A great painting of a young Michael and a older Michael, 2015.
This blog entry is dedicated to Sam Dubose, Sandra Bland, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Sharonda Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance and Rev. Daniel Simmons, Alison Parker, Adam Ward and Bobbi Kristina Brown. May they all rest in peace.
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References:
Articles/Websites/Blogs -
"Anti-Semitic Lyrics Alleged in New Album of Michael Jackson....", Murray Dubin and Jennifer Weiner, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 1995
http://articles.philly.com/1995-06-16/news/25692886_1_lyrics-jewish-leader-anti-jewish
"History", Loudon Wainwright III, Entertainment Weekly, June 23, 1995
http://www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/history-past-present-and-future-book-i
"Pop View: Michael Jackson is Angry, Understand?", Jon Pareles, New York Times, June 18, 1995,
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/18/arts/pop-view-michael-jackson-is-angry-understand.html
"History: Past, Present and Future, Book 1", James Hunter. Rolling Stone, August 10, 1995
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/history-past-present-future-book-i-19950810
"How 'Scream' Became the Craziest Video of the '90s", Michael Craigg, dazeddigital.com,
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/24901/1/how-scream-became-the-craziest-video-of-the-90s
"20 Years Later, 20 Things You May Not Have Known About Michael Jackson's History", Drew Mackie, people.com
http://www.people.com/article/michael-jackson-history-album-20th-anniversary
"MJ101 - HIS2ORY", Alex Healy.
http://mj101.squarespace.com/history
"History 20: Michael Jackson's Secret Meetings With Prince and Other Memories From the King of Pop Recording Engineers", Damien Shields, June 20, 2015
http://www.damienshields.com/history20-michael-jacksons-secret-meeting-with-prince/
"Michael Jackson's Son, Prince Graduates From High School", ABCNews.com, Luchina Fisher, June 1, 2015,
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michael-jacksons-son-prince-jackson-graduates-high-school/story?id=31442777
"Rijo Jackson to Play Hoops at Northland College", lompocrecord.com, July 8, 2015
http://lompocrecord.com/santamaria/rijo-jackson-to-play-hoops-at-northland-college/article_b4f76e1b-dffc-5452-8f7c-d657485e0e7c.html
"Encino Might Become an Official Museum?" MJvibe.com, August 8, 2015
http://www.mjvibe.com/encino-might-become-an-official-museum/
"Lifetime to Air Jackson Family Reality Series", Dan Snierson, ew.com, August 4, 2015
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/03/jackson-family-reality-show-lifetime?hootPostID=ad290b4c0b409676a4d98a6a9a2246a1
"Donald Trump and Michael Jackson: A History", Ashley Codianni, cnn.com, July 31, 2015
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/31/politics/donald-trump-michael-jackson-relationship/index.html
"47 Reasons Michael Jackson Will Always Be the Most Important MJ" , Christine Edwards, blavity.com, August 2015
http://blavity.com/47-reasons-michael-jackson-will-always-be-the-most-important-mj/
"10 Mind-Blowing Gifs to Celebrate Michael Jackson's Birthday", DeWayne Rodgers, rollingout.com, August 29, 2015
http://rollingout.com/2015/08/29/michael-jacksons-birthday/2/
"Michael Jackson Felt Young at 50 Never Reached 51", Chris Connelly, ABCNews.com, August 29, 2009 (repost in 2015).
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/michael-jacksons-tv-interview/story?id=8429051
"Remembering Michael Jackson: 40 Iconic Moments In Photos", Mark Sundstorm, fuse.tv, August 29, 2015
http://www.fuse.tv/galleries/2012/06/remembering-michael-jackson?campaign=scl%7Ctwt%7Cfsc
"Mike Been Told You: 7 Times Michael Jackson Kicked Cold Game With His Lyrics", @ImCamQuotes, theurbandaily.com, June 25, 2015
http://theurbandaily.com/2015/06/25/michael-jackson-best-lyrics-ever/
"Remembering Michael Jackson's Style Legacy on his Birthday", Grace Gavilanes, Instyle.com, August 29, 2015.
http://www.instyle.com/news/remembering-michael-jackson-birthday?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter
"Steve Harvey Interviews Michael Jackson", IamSteveHarvey,com, August 29, 2015.
http://www.iamsteveharvey.com/vision-board-feeder/2015/8/21/2jl8avmb7g3luehecleu4iurgq94xm
"Michael Jackson's Former Personal Chef Dishes on the King of Pop Quirky Eating Habits", people.com, August 28, 2015
http://greatideas.people.com/2015/08/28/michael-jacksons-chef-favorite-foods/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag
"Brooklyn Celebrate Michael Jackson, 'Do The Right Thing' Block Party Style [Photos], Scott Heins, okayplayer.com, August 29, 2015.
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/brooklyn-spike-lee-michael-jackson-party.html#slide1
"It Happened To Me: Make-A-Wish Sent Me to Neverland Where I Met Michael Jackson", Natasha Kirker, xojane.com, September 2, 2015
http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/make-a-wish-michael-jackson
Facebook -
The Facebook statuses of LaVelle Smith Jr., Debbie Allen, Nile Rodgers came from their official Facebook pages.
Twitter -
The tweets from celebrities/media/famous places came from their official accounts. Pictures of the Gary, Indiana event came from @BonnieLamrock, @IthaMaya, @mgenusinjackson and @3Tluva personal accounts.
Instagram -
The instagram posts from celebrities/media came from their official accounts. The picture with fellow fan @_jeremyhorn with Michael's cousins came from his personal account.
Video -
All video comes from youtube.com
Audio -
Choreographer Tina Landon Interview with the Kelly Alexander Show
http://kellyalexandershow.com/?episode=kas-episode-267-may-28th-2015
Pictures -
The pictures came from a google.com search, lipstickalley.com, thatgrapejuice.net, lompocrecord.com and my personal harddrive.
Articles/Websites/Blogs -
"Anti-Semitic Lyrics Alleged in New Album of Michael Jackson....", Murray Dubin and Jennifer Weiner, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 1995
http://articles.philly.com/1995-06-16/news/25692886_1_lyrics-jewish-leader-anti-jewish
"History", Loudon Wainwright III, Entertainment Weekly, June 23, 1995
http://www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/history-past-present-and-future-book-i
"Pop View: Michael Jackson is Angry, Understand?", Jon Pareles, New York Times, June 18, 1995,
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/18/arts/pop-view-michael-jackson-is-angry-understand.html
"History: Past, Present and Future, Book 1", James Hunter. Rolling Stone, August 10, 1995
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/history-past-present-future-book-i-19950810
"How 'Scream' Became the Craziest Video of the '90s", Michael Craigg, dazeddigital.com,
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/24901/1/how-scream-became-the-craziest-video-of-the-90s
"20 Years Later, 20 Things You May Not Have Known About Michael Jackson's History", Drew Mackie, people.com
http://www.people.com/article/michael-jackson-history-album-20th-anniversary
"MJ101 - HIS2ORY", Alex Healy.
http://mj101.squarespace.com/history
"History 20: Michael Jackson's Secret Meetings With Prince and Other Memories From the King of Pop Recording Engineers", Damien Shields, June 20, 2015
http://www.damienshields.com/history20-michael-jacksons-secret-meeting-with-prince/
"Michael Jackson's Son, Prince Graduates From High School", ABCNews.com, Luchina Fisher, June 1, 2015,
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michael-jacksons-son-prince-jackson-graduates-high-school/story?id=31442777
"Rijo Jackson to Play Hoops at Northland College", lompocrecord.com, July 8, 2015
http://lompocrecord.com/santamaria/rijo-jackson-to-play-hoops-at-northland-college/article_b4f76e1b-dffc-5452-8f7c-d657485e0e7c.html
"Encino Might Become an Official Museum?" MJvibe.com, August 8, 2015
http://www.mjvibe.com/encino-might-become-an-official-museum/
"Lifetime to Air Jackson Family Reality Series", Dan Snierson, ew.com, August 4, 2015
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/03/jackson-family-reality-show-lifetime?hootPostID=ad290b4c0b409676a4d98a6a9a2246a1
"Donald Trump and Michael Jackson: A History", Ashley Codianni, cnn.com, July 31, 2015
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/31/politics/donald-trump-michael-jackson-relationship/index.html
"47 Reasons Michael Jackson Will Always Be the Most Important MJ" , Christine Edwards, blavity.com, August 2015
http://blavity.com/47-reasons-michael-jackson-will-always-be-the-most-important-mj/
"10 Mind-Blowing Gifs to Celebrate Michael Jackson's Birthday", DeWayne Rodgers, rollingout.com, August 29, 2015
http://rollingout.com/2015/08/29/michael-jacksons-birthday/2/
"Michael Jackson Felt Young at 50 Never Reached 51", Chris Connelly, ABCNews.com, August 29, 2009 (repost in 2015).
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/michael-jacksons-tv-interview/story?id=8429051
"Remembering Michael Jackson: 40 Iconic Moments In Photos", Mark Sundstorm, fuse.tv, August 29, 2015
http://www.fuse.tv/galleries/2012/06/remembering-michael-jackson?campaign=scl%7Ctwt%7Cfsc
"Mike Been Told You: 7 Times Michael Jackson Kicked Cold Game With His Lyrics", @ImCamQuotes, theurbandaily.com, June 25, 2015
http://theurbandaily.com/2015/06/25/michael-jackson-best-lyrics-ever/
"Remembering Michael Jackson's Style Legacy on his Birthday", Grace Gavilanes, Instyle.com, August 29, 2015.
http://www.instyle.com/news/remembering-michael-jackson-birthday?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter
"Steve Harvey Interviews Michael Jackson", IamSteveHarvey,com, August 29, 2015.
http://www.iamsteveharvey.com/vision-board-feeder/2015/8/21/2jl8avmb7g3luehecleu4iurgq94xm
"Michael Jackson's Former Personal Chef Dishes on the King of Pop Quirky Eating Habits", people.com, August 28, 2015
http://greatideas.people.com/2015/08/28/michael-jacksons-chef-favorite-foods/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag
"Brooklyn Celebrate Michael Jackson, 'Do The Right Thing' Block Party Style [Photos], Scott Heins, okayplayer.com, August 29, 2015.
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/brooklyn-spike-lee-michael-jackson-party.html#slide1
"It Happened To Me: Make-A-Wish Sent Me to Neverland Where I Met Michael Jackson", Natasha Kirker, xojane.com, September 2, 2015
http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/make-a-wish-michael-jackson
Facebook -
The Facebook statuses of LaVelle Smith Jr., Debbie Allen, Nile Rodgers came from their official Facebook pages.
Twitter -
The tweets from celebrities/media/famous places came from their official accounts. Pictures of the Gary, Indiana event came from @BonnieLamrock, @IthaMaya, @mgenusinjackson and @3Tluva personal accounts.
Instagram -
The instagram posts from celebrities/media came from their official accounts. The picture with fellow fan @_jeremyhorn with Michael's cousins came from his personal account.
Video -
All video comes from youtube.com
Audio -
Choreographer Tina Landon Interview with the Kelly Alexander Show
http://kellyalexandershow.com/?episode=kas-episode-267-may-28th-2015
Pictures -
The pictures came from a google.com search, lipstickalley.com, thatgrapejuice.net, lompocrecord.com and my personal harddrive.
