Adorable MJ Moments

       "Michael showed me his newly finished private theater, complete with plush red velvet seats. I thought his blue sweater would complement the deep red, and I asked him to take a seat and pretend as if he were watching a movie. “Which movie?” he asked. I said, “It doesn’t matter. Any movie will do.” But Michael insisted: “Todd, you’ve got to tell me which movie I’m supposed to be watching if you want a reaction from me.” O.K., what about a Charlie Chaplin comedy, I suggested. “Which one?” Michael asked. “He’s made so many, you know.” My mind went blank; luckily, my assistant shouted out, “Modern Times.” Michael responded, “O.K., which part?” Exasperated, I said, “Michael, it’s a comedy, just laugh!” It was getting late and we were all tired and a little punchy, but Michael was having fun with all of this. “Well,” he began, “if you want me to laugh, then you have to tell me a joke. But you said you wanted me to act like I’m watching a movie. Which is it you want?” Finally I gave up and made a ridiculous clown face, which made him laugh."

---Todd Gray,  excerpt from his book  "Michael Jackson: Before He Was King"

source: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2009/10/michael-jackson-excerpt-slideshow-200910#slide=4

“He is very much alive in my mind and always in my heart.”

Here's another MJ account article:

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Dickinson College grad to talk about his years working with Michael Jackson

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If Michael Jackson was the king of pop, Vincent Paterson was the man behind his crown. In his expansive resume of entertainment projects, the 1972 graduate of Dickinson College spent chunks of the last 25 years choreographing performances for celebrities including Madonna and Jackson, who died last summer.

Paterson, a theater major, will return to Dickinson to discuss his career at 7 p.m. March 31 in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium on West Louther Street between College and Cherry Streets in Carlisle.

He already knows the first question everyone’s going to ask about the “amazing, amazing man” who employed him for 16 years: “Most people what to know what I thought of Michael Jackson,” said Paterson. “Was he a nice guy or was he weird?”

Paterson portrays the white gang leader in the “Beat It” video. He also helped choreograph and played a zombie in “Thriller” before Jackson put him in charge of his moves in “Smooth Criminal.”

“(Jackson) never said a mean thing to anybody,” said Paterson. “He is very much alive in my mind and always in my heart.”

To Paterson, Jackson was the catalyst of his success, not the Wacko Jacko, off-the-deep-end image concocted by the tabloids. “I lived with Michael through all of those years with the press,” Paterson said. “I would sit in the trailer and he would cry. He would say ‘I don’t understand why they want to tear me apart.’”

The 59-year-old, who lives in California’s Hollywood Hills, occasionally hears Jackson’s soft voice in his head -- a voice he can imitate almost perfectly. “He always told me to let the music talk to you,” Paterson said. “Don’t ever impose your thoughts on the music. The music will tell you what it wants to do.”  

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source: 

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/03/dickinson_college_grad_to_talk.html

Here's another personal encounter account, related to the pictures posted yesterday (please see http://shineingrace.blogspot.com/2011/01/mj-history-in-pictures-at-phantasia.html );

Report published in the German magazine "Hoerzu" in 1992
By Sabine Wagner
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"He’s always on the run. Hoerzu met him nevertheless. Skin to skin. A child of 33 years. Immeasurably rich. And immeasurably sad. A ghostly encounter in the dark.
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Bruehl, near Cologne, location Phantasialand (= amusement park). At 6.30 p.m. the last visitors leave the park, the heavy gates closing behind them. In silence a small group of employees gather in front of the faked up Brandenburger Tor. Somewhere blares a walkie-talkie. Outside, a huge amount of journalists are gathered, clinging to the gates. Their cameras aim at us like muzzles. If God decided to come down to earth right now, it could hardly be more exciting. But for today, he sends us one his representative aliens: In but a few minutes, Michael Jackson, US megastar of the shyest kind, will arrive.

6.45 p.m.: A convoy of cars is arriving slowly, consisting of three black-shining Mercedes 500 SEL, a dark red van and a bus. All of them have windows with blackened glass and British registration numbers. Those who desire to meet the phantom of the pop scene normally find themselves in a dead-end street. No audiences, no interviews. Wishes for autographs are frowned upon. Managers and bodyguards – twelve massive colored people – guard Jackson and the scars of his eight facial surgeries from audacious curiosity. Perfect and merciless. Even brutal, when called for.

The man who always manages to bewitch his millions of fans suddenly stands right in front of me. In person. Each and every double looks more real than the genuine King of Pop. The black corduroys are clinging to his small hips. The nose is pointed, the small lips are painted in a colour matching his red uniform shirt, under which his slightly lifted shoulders seem very vulnerable. Thin curls are wrestling their way from under the black hat into his face. His cheeks are pale. Mirrored sunglasses prevent the gaze into his eyes.

He is accompanied by 90 men and women from his crew, among them always a number of children. For around four hours Michael Jackson visits the amusement park. I sit two rows behind him during a show which lasts around 45 minutes. Close enough in order to observe him: He massages his neck, passes around peppermint bonbons, giggles loudly, applauds spontaneously, explains the magical tricks to his companions and calms the youngsters when they are frightened because of the loud screams coming from the stage.

The question suggests itself: Does the 33 year-old, of whom they say that his career-addicted father whipped the childhood out of him, need the company of children in order to make up for the childhood he himself lacked? Answer or simply a coincidence: While leaving the theatre, he puts on a red and white coloured jacket. The back of this jacket flaunts the picture of Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up.

In the meantime, it has begun to rain cats and dogs. An electronic car takes the star through the park. Suddenly I stand directly in front of him. Clearly frightened by this unexpected closeness he stares at me. A helpless expression is on his masked-like puppet face. And I find myself unable to address him. Wordless seconds pass by, agonizingly slow. Then his lips form a tense smile. A bodyguards takes my arm and jerks me aside: “Keep distance! Michael doesn’t like things like that!” His suspicion follows me from now on. Two hours later: Jackson has escaped his crew and visibly perks up. In the pouring rain the photographer and I follow him all through the park. At the old merry-go-round we catch up with him. Brightly, it goes round and round in the dawn. All just for Michael Jacskon, who sits on a swing above. And for me, who sits in a gondola underneath him. His feet, which are moving mechanically in time with the waltz being played, are dangling closely above me.

Shortly after our ride, a miracle happens: The man, who seemingly uses a disinfectant instead of an aftershave, comes to me. His fine, rangy fingers shake my hand carefully. My skin is visibly darker than his. Dutifully he takes my pen and writes his name on the CD which I present to him…

Screeching elation some hundred inches away: Screaming fans cling to a fence. Horror-stricken he covers his ears with his fingers, and runs inside the `casa magnetica´ (= a magnetic house, one of the attractions). I follow him and stand beside him. And see the truth. His skin is smoother than I expected. His cheeks now are feverishly red. No, besides me isn’t a silicone-monster with psychopathic flaws, but an overtaxed child. An overtaxed child in the centre of fame, miles and miles away from happiness.

All of a sudden, he talks with an accentuated voice: “The people are screaming so loud, they are frightening me…” For seconds, I don’t feel addressed, for his gaze is fixed to a point on the wall ahead of him. Only his head is slightly inclined into my direction. “The kids love you”, I simply say, just to say something to him. “But why do they scream, then? I don’t like that, it frightens me”, he repeats. And then, I ask the question: “Why are you so unhappy?” The answer comes out of pressed lips: “I am never alone…”. Having said that, he remains silent and steps a bit away from me. As we leave the house, bodyguards step between him and me, disapproval on their faces: We have come to close to their master. And while the mega – star disappears into a gift shop, we hurriedly buzz of. In the night, we see Michael Jackson once again. At approximately one a.m., a dark silhouette with hat appears at the lightened window of his hotel suite. Absolutely unnoticed. His fans have gone to sleep long ago, laying in the grass, hugged by their sleeping bags, in front of the hotels. Gods do not sleep, Gods wake lonely."

story source:
http://www.mjfriendship.de/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Itemid=55

Another Rare MJ Story 

(warning: may cause some sadness though, it did to me)

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Michael Jackson Slept Here

At a difficult time in his life, the King of Pop was looking for a safe haven—and wound up at our house.

By Del Walters

On his final night in Loudoun County, Jackson hosted a gathering at the house, where he introduced his three children to the Walters family and posed with Taylor, 15, McClaine, 13, and their mother, Robin. All photographs courtesy of Del Walters.

This is the story of how Michael Jackson—the King of Pop and at the time one of the world’s most wanted men—hid out at my family’s house.

Among his staff, Jackson was referred to as the Principal. In our family, he was known as the Secret—one we kept for nine days five years ago. We believed then, and do now,  that not revealing Jackson’s whereabouts was the right thing to do.  Now that he’s gone, I can tell why and how we did it.

It was March 2004. The previous year, Jackson had appeared on TV explaining why he believed it to be normal for adults to share their beds with children, that it was the most loving thing you could do. What he saw as innocent a Los Angeles district attorney saw as criminal. Rumors were swirling that Jackson would be indicted on charges of child molestation by an LA grand jury. The King of Pop became a subject of ridicule. Gone was the cute boy who had swooned his way into the hearts of generations. He was replaced by a man-child, a suspected pedophile.

In April 2004, Jackson was to receive an award from the African Ambassadors’ Spouses Association for his humanitarian work. But few of the journalists seeking credentials for the event cared about his work in Africa—they wanted to ask him about what had happened at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. So a routine trip to Washington became anything but routine. Jackson needed a place to stay, and those closest to him were finding that there was no acceptable room in a Washington hotel.

The real-estate agent assigned to locate lodgings for him was running out of options. Stopping for a bite to eat, she saw the April 2004 Washingtonian. It featured a “Great Places to Live” article with me, my wife, and our two children on the cover. The story talked about how we had designed a house near Leesburg with no walls and plenty of open space. The agent knew us well enough to pick up the phone and ask whether we’d consider allowing Michael Jackson and his children to stay in our home.

What would you have done if a friend had called out of the blue and suggested that Michael Jackson might be interested in staying at your home? We first assumed she was joking. But she was serious.

On the previous Sunday, the sermon delivered by our minister, Reverend Dr. Norman A. Tate, had been about the Good Samaritan. Reverend Tate was the first person we consulted. Should we offer Michael Jackson safe haven? That night, following a lengthy family discussion and vote, we ironed out the details and began preparing for the Jackson family’s arrival.

Michael Jackson traveled with an entourage of 14. There were two cooks, three nannies, three children, personal assistants, tutors, security men, and Jackson himself. He moves in, you move out. (We stayed at a hotel.) Those who surrounded him called him the Client or the Principal. Rarely was he referred to by name. There were stretch Hummers and Suburbans that suggested a visit by a head of state—which is what our neighbors suspected.

Before he moved in, the house had to be prepared. His entourage covered all glass windows and doors. He was to have white bed linens and towels only. His favorite scent, a mountain fragrance, was sprayed everywhere and lingered for weeks after his departure.

Then, under the cover of darkness, he arrived. His private jet flew in and out of the Leesburg airport.

That evening as he moved in, we dined at a local restaurant, courtesy of the entertainer, and wondered whether he was enjoying our house as much as we did. We wondered whether he admired the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the deck and whether he took a stroll and noted the seven species of birds that call our acres home. Did he play the baby grand piano? Did his children frolic in the small dance studio? Would he enjoy the pool and hot tub and five acres, or would he just hole up and hide?

The next morning brought invitations for us to attend several events, including a BET reception and the African ambassadors’ reception. Before Jackson’s arrival at the BET affair, a who’s who of Washington’s African-Amercan elite waited patiently. There were plenty of nasty remarks; some couples talked about how they wouldn’t let their children anywhere near Jackson. Then he arrived and the stampede began. Those who had ridiculed him the most were first in line.

His assistant ushered us to the front of the receiving line. We were told Jackson wanted to meet us first to thank us for allowing him and his children to use our home. He talked about the family pictures on the walls and how comfortable the place felt.

It was all very pleasant, but you could tell there was something unsettled about him. You could tell what he coveted most: He’d grown up without a childhood, and our house is filled with the kind of childhood memories money can’t buy—baptisms, first-birthday parties, family adventures.

To keep his stay at our house secret, we arrived there in the morning in time for the school bus to pick up one of our two daughters. We were always met by one of Jackson’s bodyguards dressed in all black. I finally told him that if he wanted Jackson’s presence to remain secret, he shouldn’t meet us every morning looking like Mr. T.

Reporters were in high gear searching for Jackson. We feared a media circus in our neighborhood. Our daughters, then 13 and 15, went to school each day wondering if their world would unravel.

On day eight, we were surprised Jackson wasn’t ready to leave, as the agreement had called for. That night, he arranged for a private wine-and-cheese reception at our own house so our children could meet his. He was more than gracious. While I worked, my wife and daughters were greeted by Jackson and his three kids. They spoke of childhood and normality. His children were very talkative; he was soft-spoken but playful. My wife described him as a gentle soul who obviously loved his children and they him. He also was willing to discipline his kids. He posed for pictures and agreed to autograph many things, including CDs.

By day nine, Jackson and his children were gone. The empty wine bottles hidden around the house hinted at a man we now know was deeply tormented. There were other signs, but my wife and I have agreed they will remain secret. We knew from his representatives that Jackson tended to live nocturnally, sleeping during the day and roaming the house at night.

A visit by guests to our house now always leads to a conversation about Jackson’s visit. His picture, taken when he was standing by our baby grand piano, sits atop a table in the living room. Almost everyone sees it and wonders what it was like to talk to him and have him live in our home.

I’m always asked why I’ve never talked about Michael Jackson’s stay at our house.  I say I met Jackson three times in my life—twice face to face.

Most African-Americans of my generation were introduced to a young Michael Jackson through the radio or by a friend who had one of his records. For me it was a 45-RPM played at Sonny Mason’s barbershop in my hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia.

The second encounter was in 1984 when Jackson and his brothers kicked off their Victory Tour in Kansas City. I stood out among the other reporters covering it because I didn’t appear to care about Michael Jackson the celebrity as much as I did the revenue the tour represented in the cities it visited. That night, I received two tickets to attend the concert and a private reception at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. In a receiving line for the Jacksons following the concert, I met Michael in person for the first time.

The third time was the Washington visit.

I, too, wonder why I’ve never talked before about his stay in our home. Was it because Jackson and I were the same age or the fact that, like so many African-Americans, I liked to remember the little kid from Gary, Indiana, more than I did the man with another reputation?

Perhaps, as Reverend Tate suggested, it was just the right thing to do.

As word of Michael Jackson’s death on June 25 spread,  my family mourned the man we’d met not as the King of Pop but as a person trapped inside a world that was and was not of his own creation, a man who came to us through his representatives in need of a place to stay. As I sat on our deck and looked west toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, I hoped he now was seeing what I see each and every night—a perfect sunset.

source: http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/13134.html

Here's a beautiful, touching MJ recollection by Mrs. Yoshiko Morita, wife of Japanese businessman and Co-founder of Sony Corporation Akio Morita;

Memories of Michael Jackson

"The first time my husband Akio saw Michael was at Yokohama Stadium in 1987. We traveled from our house in Tokyo to Yokohama and were going on to our villa in Hakone for the weekend. We were simply enthralled by his music and incredible dancing. 

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Unlike today, there were no cell phones and the road conditions were bad, so it was very late when we arrived at the villa. On arrival we received a call from the house in Tokyo saying that Michael's manager had been calling again and again because Michael was anxious to meet with Mr. Morita, so Akio hurriedly called his hotel. 
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Michael thanked Akio for coming to the show and apologized as he felt his performance was not 100%. His voice has not been at its best and he invited us to come again when he promised an even better performance. For artists there is no peak—they constantly strive to do better—to a point that might even be called self-indulgent. 
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Subsequently, Michael was in Japan at the time of my birthday and he came to a party being held at my home, where this picture was taken.

As a vegetarian he avoided meat and fish and as you see we prepared a large plate of Twenty Century (Asian) pears, which were in season. I dont remember anyone else eating them except him, and that day remains a topic of conversation in our house to this day. 
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He found some of Akios toys, such as a mechanical piano, music box, miniature street organ and a record from the Edison Museum, and spent the evening playing with them like a child. 
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While in Japan he visited Sonys head office, the CBS Sony Studio that was in Shinnanomachi, Sony Media World, the Ginza Sony Building and so on, asking many questions and getting hold of the latest Sony products.
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As promised we were invited to see him perform again at Tokyo Dome in 1992. The studio always arranged for an official photo to be taken backstage and we have many lovely photos that were later signed by the artist. 
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The History Tour came to Tokyo Dome in December 1996. Akio had already fallen ill by that time and I dont remember the details, but I went to the Capitol Tokyu where Michael was staying and rode to the Dome in the same car. Many fans surrounded the car and others followed in taxis. When we stopped at red lights people would pass him paper or handkerchiefs. He would sign them quickly and my job was to hand them back. He gave autographs to so many people between the hotel and the Tokyo Dome, but he never once made a face. He happily signed them, and as I sat next to him helping, I thought what a truly kind person he was. 
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He genuinely looked forward to meeting Akio. In 1995 he released History and at that time had a special shield made to present to Akio, as well as a signed album. On the shield it said: THIS ALBUM OF MY MUSIC WARMLY DEDICATED TO AKIO MORITA FOR OUR EVERLASTING FRENDSHIP. WE ARE LIVING IN THE SAME DREAM FOREVER WITH ALL MY LOVE. 
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After Akio fell ill in October 1993, the first message of support we received from abroad was from Michael Jackson. It was a healing tape that he had made himself on which he had recorded his own voices saying Mr. Morita Mr. Morita many times, as well as phrases such as You will get better you will speak again, and a gentle song that he had chosen. 
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He also included a handwritten letter that said, Play 3 times a day right before awaking before sleeping and mid day. Michael Jackson. I played it every morning for 10 minutes before Akio got up and every night when I put him to bed for the six years until he passed away. 

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In 1998 Michael performed in Honolulu, Hawaii. Pushing Akio in a wheelchair, we went to see the show at Aloha Stadium, and the next day Michael visited us at our villa. I can't say how delighted Akio was and to this day I can not forget his kindness at that time. 
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It is 10 years since Akio passed away. Michael treated Akio as a respected teacher and friend. Many times he asked questions such as How can I better engage young people?, What can I do to be more respected? and Who should I trust? 
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Michael couldn't trust anyone and he found comfort in children and animals. Now he can rest in the comfort and peace of heaven, unbothered by others. 
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Many times he called me to say I need your help. This was 10 years ago and I regret that at the time, when Akio's condition was at its worst, I wasn't able to respond. I am so sorry to Michael for that. But now I believe he is resting peacefully in a happy place. 
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--- Yoshiko Morita., 7 July 2009
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source: http://www.akiomorita.net/en/contents/episode/index.html

Michael Jackson and the Cascio's

After watching the Oprah show featuring the Cascio's, I wanted to learn more of this MJ's 'second family' of whom Michael had known for more than twenty-five years, as I am one of those who had very little knowledge of them, almost nil really, and seeing them and hearing their MJ accounts, what a revelation for me... and so here are some more bits and pieces I found from other sites;

 "To me, Michael was more than a superstar entertainer: he was a brother, a father figure and probably the most loving person I have ever met. With all that has been written and said about Michael, what has been missing are his countless acts of anonymous kindness that I witnessed to those in the most desperate situations. ... Michael, we love you. You are the true Peter Pan."

--- Frank Cascio

source: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/story?id=7968002&page=5

"Michael Jackson yearned for normalcy..."

For one of the most famous men in the world, simple housecleaning was an escape from the hectic and isolated life that came with being Michael Jackson.

Longtime Jackson friend Frank Cascio, 28, told "Good Morning America" today that the King of Pop would just show up at his family's New Jersey home in hopes of capturing a sense of normalcy.

"And he would come with no security and nannies," Cascio said. "That's when he was himself."

Cascio said Jackson paid his family such a visit earlier this year and got a lot of joy from the pleasures of a simpler life.

"He would even help my mom vacuum the rug," he said. "He would, like, help clean up the house. And he was just a real human being."

Cascio said the two would even sneak off to hit the local stores or have dinner unnoticed.

"Sometimes we would sneak out ... with no security," he said. "And I would get him all dressed up in disguises."

"You know," Cascio continued, "everyone can walk down the street and go shopping. And, you know, we take that for granted, but he could never do that."

Cascio also praised Jackson as "the perfect father."

"He was the greatest father in the world to those kids," he said.

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source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MichaelJackson/story?id=8020392&page=1

'Mr. Dominic Cascio who owns il Michelangelo Restaurant in Boonton Township, NJ told me (Tommy Garrett) exclusively, "We loved Michael. He was a genius and a beautiful person.  I've known Michael for twenty seven years and all I can say is he was not only a friend of ours, but he was part of our family. I don't know anyone as warm and caring as Michael Jackson and he will be missed. Michael was a real genuine person, who cared deeply for others. Our hearts are broken."  Mr. Cascio added, "We pray for Michael's children."'

source: http://www.canyon-news.com/artman2/publish/On_the_Industry_1168/This_Week_in_Hollywoodland062809.php

MJ with his 'second family'

ADDENDUM:
And here's something to look forward to;  MJ'S "Secret" Work Tapes with the Cascio's 
"But now sources tell me that there were “work tapes” made during the Cascio sessions. These aren’t outtakes of the songs, but tapes running in the studio while Michael discussed what was going on with Eddie Cascio and other members of the Cascio family. Jackson’s own kids even make cameo appearances on the tapes. At some point, the work tapes will be released, although it’s unclear by whom. The main thing is, there’s plenty of evidence of Michael Jackson working with Eddie Cascio.

Still, it’s nice to know that the tapes prove once and for all what was going on in the Cascios’ home studio in the summer of 2007. It’s truly, without a doubt, Michael Jackson on the recordings."

--- Roger Friedman

source:http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/11/14/michael-jackson-secret-work-tapes-will-prove-its-his-voice-on-tracks

SWEET MJ TEDDY BEAR  STORY

From Bodyguard Michael La Perruque:

One afternoon I had to take Michael for a doctor's appointment in Santa Monica, CA. As the afternoon turned into the evening the doctor decided that Michael should spend the night in his office so that the nurse could monitor Michael all night. Around 7:00 at night Michael told me to go back to hotel in case his children needed anything.

Around 11:00 that night I got a call from Michael saying he was really bored and he asked me to bring him some magazines. Michael loved magazines and he loved to read and look at the pictures. His favorite was Robb Report with all the high end toys. I woke up the limo driver Kato, the chinese guy-do you remember him? and had him drive me to the all night store that sold magazines.

When I got to the store I must have bought over a dozen magazines. Magazines on big beautiful homes, magazines on fashion and the music industry. I got him anything I thought would be an interest to him. I must have been walking down the childrens toys aisle towards the cash register and saw a light brown medium sized stuffed teddy bear. It was sort of cute I guess. I thought it would be sort of a gag to give him a teddy bear so I bought it and put it in a brown paper bag.

I got to the doctors office and gave Michael all the magazines that I chose. He seemed delighted with all of my choices. He thanked me for coming out- He always thanked me-

As I was about to leave I gave him the brown paper bag which contained the teddy bear and said to him, "here ya go- in case you get lonely tonight, this will keep you company".I then said good night and told him that I would be there in the morning to pick him up. He said good night but still did not look in the bag-

The next day I got to the doctors office around 9:00 in the morning and told the nurse I was there to pick up Michael. I had the limo parked by the VIP door so that he could go directly from the office into the limo. The nurse came to the door and told me that he would be ready in a couple of minutes and would be coming out shortly. I did my usual security check around me making sure there were no cameras or paparazzis etc.

The door opened and Michael came out. He smiled and said "Good Morning Mike"
As I was saying good morning back to him, I saw that in his hands, holding it against his chest was the Teddy Bear that I gave him. It was the only thing he brought with him- he left all his magazines behind. In the limo I saw he held on to the teddy bear and it never came out of his hands.

So- that is the story of the teddy bear. I hope it was not too boring to you. It made me realize just how sensative and/or appreciative he was for small gestures of caring. We never spoke of the teddy bear. I never shared this story (if I remember correctly) with anyone else. You have my permission to share this story with as many friends or fans as you wish!

Okay, thats all for now- I hope everything is well with you.

Hugs,
Mike
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text source: http://www.themjifc.com/forum/michael-jackson/14437-cute-michael-stories-his-friends-6.html

loving MJ with every beat of my heart... 

French Illustrator Céline Lavail's MJ Account 
Céline Lavail first crossed Michael Jackson’s path in 1996 while the superstar was staying in Monte Carlo, but it was only two years later that Michael, particularly touched by one of her creations, commissioned a first piece for his private collection. This was the beginning of a collaboration that gave birth to several commissioned portraits of the star : "Peter Pan", "Inspiration", "Archangel", "Allegory" and "Scared of the Moon".

"I was only 17 years old when I first met Michael Jackson. It was 1996 and he was staying in Monte Carlo for a few days. I’d always been a fan of his music and I’d heard he was also a massive art lover. At that time I used to draw and sketch a lot as a hobby. My plan was to go to his hotel and give some of my pictures to his security staff in the hope that they would reach him in some way. When I got there with the pictures, the security guards handed them to a member of his staff.

Amazingly, I was told that Michael wanted to see me. I couldn’t believe it. I was shaking. Thank god I had the drawings — if the worst came to the worst, I could always hide behind them. Suddenly I was being ushered up to his suite, by now terrified. As I entered the room — surrounded by his aides, people in suits — Michael was just standing there, welcoming me with a big smile. That relaxed me a little, but I knew things would be difficult because my English was not so good. I lived in Perpignan in France at the time, a town near the Spanish border, but I had only learned some of the language at school. “I’ve done something for you,” I said. He stared at my pictures. I’d brought five or six sketches, they were rough but I was pleased with them. “You study art?” he said. I told him that I didn’t and this caused the most unusual reaction: he started clapping. “You’ve got a gift,” he said. “It comes from God, you have to cherish this gift and feed it. Please keep on creating, I want to see more.” I felt proud and embarrassed at the same time. It was such a surreal experience. As I walked out of the suite, one member of his staff handed me a piece of paper. On it was the name of Michael’s assistant with a telephone number. I was told that “Mr Jackson would love to see more art,” and I walked away from the hotel, my head spinning, lost for words. 

Almost immediately, I started sending sketches to Los Angeles without knowing exactly if they would eventually end up in Michael’s hands. I soon found out that they were getting through: I would sometimes get feedback from him or suggestions. I would ask Michael for hints. I wanted to know what I should work on and his answers varied from a single word like “royalty”, or a very precise scene he wanted to see. Most of all, he said, he wanted me to pull from my guts and be creative. He even called one day. The phone rang and a voice enquired, “Celine?” I recognised him straightaway, but I couldn’t believe it. Michael Jackson, the man who made Thriller, the dancer who moonwalked at the Motown 25 show, had called me. Still it was hard to match that person to the voice because he was so humble and normal. I had sent him some sketches of Peter Pan and he told me he loved them. I’d been drawing other Disney characters for him, but he told me to be “more creative.”

“You’ve got imagination, I know it,” he said. “Do something that has never been done before.”

He told me several times to study and to be inspired by the great artists. I was astonished when I realised how knowledgeable he was when it came to classic art. He told me about Michelangelo, Delacroix, Leonardo Da Vinci and Nicolas Poussin. We talked about modern popular illustrators such as Norman Rockwell or Scott Gustafson. In his hotel room there were often piles of art books. He was very fond of the figurative style and enjoyed everything related to fantasy. Following his advice I paced up and down most of Paris’ museums, staring at the work of all the greatest masters and worked hard to improve my craft.

By 1999, I decided it was time to show Michael the new piece I’d been working on: a portrait of him as Peter Pan. I knew he would love it, he was so fond of the Disney character. He was staying at the Ritz in Paris so I arranged a visit. When he saw the picture, he opened his eyes wide and hugged me really hard. “I love Peter Pan,” he laughed. “I am Peter Pan!”. That wasn’t all. Michael was about to commission an artwork from me. He pointed to the delicate mouldings on the walls that represented cherubs and softly explained the exact scene he had in mind: “Babies are adoring me with love and affection, which represent peace, love and harmony of all races,” he said. This artwork would later be named Inspiration.

During the creative process of this piece I occasionally received instructions from Michael’s part, asking me to add or remove details in the composition. In the picture, Michael is pictured reaching for the finger of a cherub who is Prince, his first son. When he finally found out about this “detail” he seemed happy. He believed I’d been inspired by Michelangelo’s Creation Of Adam. At first, this painting was hung in Neverland. Later it would be reproduced on the carts that were used to drive around the ranch, though I don’t know where they are now. Overall, I think he had five paintings of mine, plus a jacket I made for him and a book.

Looking back, one moment summed up our collaboration. I remember that Michael loved the fact that Michelangelo — one of his favourite artists — had inspired generations of others. His great achievements were still widely acknowledged centuries after his death. One day, I had a very interesting discussion with him about the power of art and the way it can transcend life, space and races. At the end of our meeting, Michael handed me a piece of paper. On it was written, “I know the creator will go, but his work survives, that is why to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” He looked at me. “Michelangelo said this,” he explained, though in hindsight, it’s probably a perfect way with which to describe Michael Jackson’s life".

source: http://www.celine-lavail.com/en/michael-jackson.php

PETER PAN

"... if you knew the man you would only have seen a shy, naive and kind soul.", David Nordahl on Michael Jackson

Excerpt from a news article:

An artist has described how he became friends with Michael Jackson after being commissioned to paint the singer in a variety of unusual poses.

David Nordahl created the works in his Santa Fe, New Mexico studio, depicting Jackson with half naked cherubs, reading stories to enthralled children and even as Michelangelo's David.

One oil painting entitled, "Field of Dreams," sees the 1980's mega-star leading a menagerie of children across a yellow brick road scene.

"From 1988 to 2005, I completed thousands of drawings and roughly a dozen epic paintings for Michael," said Mr Nordahl.

"The most expensive commission that Michael offered me for a painting was around £90,000 and despite rumours to the contrary he always paid me on time.

"It is fair to say that over the last twenty years me and Michael became friends and it was a pleasure to portray him in such a manner."

Mr. Nordahl said he first heard from the singer in a midnight phone call 22 years ago.

"The voice who I answered the phone to said 'This is Michael Jackson'," said Mr. Nordahl.

"I thought, yeah, right, pull the other one, but I quickly realised that it was in fact Michael Jackson, the most famous man on Earth."

Jackson told Mr. Nordahl that he had noticed one of his paintings on the wall of director Steven Spielberg's office and wanted him to paint a series for him.

"He wanted firstly to know if I could teach him to draw and paint, but I told him that my schedule was too busy.

"However, his assistant arranged for me to travel to Denver when Michael was on his BAD world tour.

"I couldn't believe the world that Michael introduced me to when I travelled to meet him at the Denver Embassy Hotel.

"He booked me into a full suite for six days and we spent that time taking in the sights of the mountain city.

"We even went to the Tutankhamen exhibition when it was in the town."

Nordahl, who shared the bond of a difficult childhood with the pop-superstar, developed his friendship with Jackson over the next twenty years.

"I helped him with planning his Neverland Ranch and marvelled at his relatively Spartan lifestyle," said David.

"He would always wear cheap clothes that couldn't have come from anywhere but a second hand store.

"His shoes would be torn and frayed and his t-shirts always grubby.

"All he did was work."

Despite the subject matter of Jackson's portraits, Mr. Nordahl feels that the commissions were almost a dig at his critics.

"Look, Michael loved children," said Mr. Nordahl.

"He was innocent of all charges in 2005 and if you knew the man you would only have seen a shy, naive and kind soul.

"He was broken by the accusations and never recovered.

"These paintings are a way of seeing how Michael would like to have seen himself."

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/6778086/Michael-Jackson.html