At a time when he should have had enthusiasm for his life and career, Michael Jackson was on the verge of hopelessness and despair. "People hurt each other over and over and over again," he said bleakly. "I spend a lot of time being sad. I feel like I"m in a well," he concluded. "And no one can reach me."
Losing to Motown.
Michael Jackson"s vote was just one of six when it came to group decisions: the five brothers, plus Joseph. (When Jermaine left the group, young Randy took his place in the line-up, though he would rarely sing leads. Marlon took most of Jermaine"s parts in the songs, and Jermaine"s solo hits were, of course, never performed by the group.) Though it was obvious that Michael was probably the most important member of the group, the family did not want to allow him any special consideration. It was feared that if he was bolstered too much, Michael might one day have the confidence to separate himself from the group which was the last thing they wanted to happen. Michael recognized their fear. "They don"t listen to me because they"re afraid to," he said to one a.s.sociate. "I guess I can understand it. They don"t want to lose me. They don"t want me to have too much power. But it makes me mad."
When Joseph signed the boys to CBS-TV to do a television series in 1976, Michael made it clear that he did not want to partic.i.p.ate. However, he was outvoted. The Jacksons The Jacksons was a thirty-minute programme that ran for four weeks featuring the family, with celebrity guest-stars. The first episode, aired 16 June 1976. As in the family"s Las Vegas act, LaToya, Janet and Rebbie partic.i.p.ated in the series, too. was a thirty-minute programme that ran for four weeks featuring the family, with celebrity guest-stars. The first episode, aired 16 June 1976. As in the family"s Las Vegas act, LaToya, Janet and Rebbie partic.i.p.ated in the series, too.
It was the first time a black family had ever starred in a television series, and if the show received decent ratings, there was a chance CBS might pick it up in January as a mid-season replacement. Michael was miserable. Because of a gruelling production schedule, there was no time for him to polish any of the routines and he loathed going on stage feeling unprepared. He hoped that the show would not be renewed. Unfortunately for him, the ratings were solid enough for CBS to order more episodes, to begin airing in January 1977. Michael cringed... and then he signed on the dotted line. Today, he refers to the venture as "that stupid TV series. It was a dumb move to agree to do it," he says, "and I hated every minute of it."
In the end, Michael"s instincts about the programme were inadvertently on target; The Jacksons The Jacksons proved to be more trouble than it was worth. Apparently, someone at CBS-TV, probably a hapless a.s.sistant in the art department, accidentally used a picture of the old Jackson 5 with Jermaine in a proved to be more trouble than it was worth. Apparently, someone at CBS-TV, probably a hapless a.s.sistant in the art department, accidentally used a picture of the old Jackson 5 with Jermaine in a TV Guide TV Guide advertis.e.m.e.nt for advertis.e.m.e.nt for The Jacksons The Jacksons series. As soon as Joseph alerted CBS to the mistake, the network pulled the ad and sent a letter to Motown apologizing for it and promising that it would never happen again. Too late. Motown used the goof as an opportunity to amend its original lawsuit against the group, raising the damages sought from five million to twenty million dollars. Michael Roshkind said the mistake "had a severely damaging effect on our credibility" and "caused us real dollar damage". The allegation was extreme. The ad was one-half of a page, its artwork so blurry no one could even recognize Jermaine in the picture. It was obvious that Joseph was not the only one holding a grudge. series. As soon as Joseph alerted CBS to the mistake, the network pulled the ad and sent a letter to Motown apologizing for it and promising that it would never happen again. Too late. Motown used the goof as an opportunity to amend its original lawsuit against the group, raising the damages sought from five million to twenty million dollars. Michael Roshkind said the mistake "had a severely damaging effect on our credibility" and "caused us real dollar damage". The allegation was extreme. The ad was one-half of a page, its artwork so blurry no one could even recognize Jermaine in the picture. It was obvious that Joseph was not the only one holding a grudge.
Joseph tried to prove that he had been treated unfairly by Motown, even going so far as to forsake his pride. He admitted in his deposition that on that fateful day in Detroit (26 July 1968) when he sat with Berry"s attorney, Ralph Seltzer, and was presented with the contract, he didn"t read it before allowing his children to sign it. Ralph even backed Joseph up, admitting in his deposition: "I do not recall that any of them [The Jackson 5 or Joseph Jackson] read it through in its entirety prior to signing it."
Why not? Joseph explained, "Because the extent of my formal education is through the eleventh year of high school. The 1968 contract with Motown was the first recording contract that I was ever presented with or ever looked at." (Joseph"s statement didn"t seem likely since his sons were signed to Steeltown Records before they were signed to Motown... unless he hadn"t read that contract, either.) Joseph had to admit that he also didn"t read the "Parental Agreement" before he signed it it which said that he would make certain his sons abided by the provisions of the Motown recording contract. In truth, Joseph hadn"t read anything. He"d just signed the contract where instructed to sign it. He wanted his kids to make it. He would have done anything for them. Of course, he signed a contract. which said that he would make certain his sons abided by the provisions of the Motown recording contract. In truth, Joseph hadn"t read anything. He"d just signed the contract where instructed to sign it. He wanted his kids to make it. He would have done anything for them. Of course, he signed a contract.
In the end, Berry would be awarded $600,000 in damages, including un-repaid advances and some compensation for the group having signed with CBS before the Motown contract had officially expired. He was also paid compensation for "damages" suffered when Joseph would not allow the boys to record new songs for Motown (this, after he figured out that the group owed $500,000 for all the other ones they"d recorded that hadn"t been released). In all, the Jacksons paid Gordy and company about two million to leave Motown.
More importantly, and maybe surprisingly to some, the Jacksons agreed to surrender royalties due them on recordings they made before 1 December 1979 and on future releases of recordings made before 11 March 1976 in other words, on all of their hits. on all of their hits. In exchange, Motown agreed to accurately account for, and pay, royalties on any "new product", which included pre-1976 recordings that had been recorded but not yet released and on any "best of" alb.u.ms they may put out in the future. In exchange, Motown agreed to accurately account for, and pay, royalties on any "new product", which included pre-1976 recordings that had been recorded but not yet released and on any "best of" alb.u.ms they may put out in the future.
It actually wasn"t unusual for a Motown act to abandon their royalties in order to settle things with Motown. However, in retrospect, it often proved to be a bad decision for them which may be one of the reasons there are so many former Supremes, Marvellettes, Vandellas, Temptations and Miracles who, today, find themselves in dire financial straits.
When the judge ruled in Motown"s favour, Motown"s vice-president Michael Roshkind said, "This is a gratifying day, not because of our winning but because it was a matter of principle."
It was enough to make some observers sick to their stomachs.
The first Jacksons alb.u.m for CBS, The Jacksons, The Jacksons, was released in the spring of 1977, on the Epic label. The alb.u.m had a lot going for it. "Blues Away", one of the first songs Michael had ever written, and "Style of Life", written by the brothers, were both included. Those two songs were co-produced by The Jacksons, so they were actually doing that for which they had left Motown. For the rest of the alb.u.m, executive producers Gamble and Huff recruited their staff producers (Dexter Wansel, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead) to a.s.sist them in compiling a strong, if not innovative, collection. Michael says he learned a great deal from working with Gamble, Huff and company, in terms of structuring a melody and what he calls "the anatomy of a song". was released in the spring of 1977, on the Epic label. The alb.u.m had a lot going for it. "Blues Away", one of the first songs Michael had ever written, and "Style of Life", written by the brothers, were both included. Those two songs were co-produced by The Jacksons, so they were actually doing that for which they had left Motown. For the rest of the alb.u.m, executive producers Gamble and Huff recruited their staff producers (Dexter Wansel, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead) to a.s.sist them in compiling a strong, if not innovative, collection. Michael says he learned a great deal from working with Gamble, Huff and company, in terms of structuring a melody and what he calls "the anatomy of a song".
The Jachsons sp.a.w.ned one major hit for the group, "Enjoy Yourself", their first single for Epic. A rollicking dance number, it went on to become their most successful record since "Dancing Machine", three years earlier. The single went to number six on the pop charts, but because it was the only hit from the alb.u.m, sp.a.w.ned one major hit for the group, "Enjoy Yourself", their first single for Epic. A rollicking dance number, it went on to become their most successful record since "Dancing Machine", three years earlier. The single went to number six on the pop charts, but because it was the only hit from the alb.u.m, The Jacksons The Jacksons peaked at only number thirty-six on the American charts. Not great. In the UK, "Enjoy Yourself" didn"t even chart, when first released. Then it was reissued, but still didn"t crack the Top 400. The international record-buying public seemed confused, maybe because Motown issued its own Jacksons alb.u.m, peaked at only number thirty-six on the American charts. Not great. In the UK, "Enjoy Yourself" didn"t even chart, when first released. Then it was reissued, but still didn"t crack the Top 400. The international record-buying public seemed confused, maybe because Motown issued its own Jacksons alb.u.m, Joyful Jukebox Music Joyful Jukebox Music (compiled from some of those previously unreleased songs for which the group had been charged), in what seemed like a cra.s.s attempt to cash in on CBS"s promotion of the group. The Motown alb.u.m was the first Jackson 5 alb.u.m not to enter the Top 200 in America, and did even worse in the UK. It also served to dilute the impact of the new CBS product. As Michael would put it, "Berry Gordy was playing hardball, of course." (compiled from some of those previously unreleased songs for which the group had been charged), in what seemed like a cra.s.s attempt to cash in on CBS"s promotion of the group. The Motown alb.u.m was the first Jackson 5 alb.u.m not to enter the Top 200 in America, and did even worse in the UK. It also served to dilute the impact of the new CBS product. As Michael would put it, "Berry Gordy was playing hardball, of course."
The Jacksons" showing on the pop charts proved disappointing, but not as upsetting as the showing of Jermaine"s record. After all the public and private angst about whether he should go with his father and brothers, or stay with Gordy, showing on the pop charts proved disappointing, but not as upsetting as the showing of Jermaine"s record. After all the public and private angst about whether he should go with his father and brothers, or stay with Gordy, My Name Is Jermaine, My Name Is Jermaine, peaked at just 164 on the Top 200. The single "Let"s Be Young Tonight" only went to number fifty-five. In the UK, Jermaine didn"t matter at all to record-buying audiences. This was a terrible shame; Jermaine deserved better from Motown in terms of promotion. One now had to wonder what Motown"s intentions were where Jermaine"s career was concerned. (As it would turn out, he only had a few hits at the company, never really fulfilling his potential, there. He should have been a much bigger star for Motown; he had everything going for him.) peaked at just 164 on the Top 200. The single "Let"s Be Young Tonight" only went to number fifty-five. In the UK, Jermaine didn"t matter at all to record-buying audiences. This was a terrible shame; Jermaine deserved better from Motown in terms of promotion. One now had to wonder what Motown"s intentions were where Jermaine"s career was concerned. (As it would turn out, he only had a few hits at the company, never really fulfilling his potential, there. He should have been a much bigger star for Motown; he had everything going for him.) The Jacksons continued to tour without Jermaine. It was business as usual. They performed in Memphis, Tennessee, in May 1977. During that engagement, Michael had to escape to the roof of a Woolco department store when ten thousand people caused a near riot as they waited in line for hours hoping to jam into the store"s record department, where Michael had promised to autograph copies of The Jacksons. The Jacksons.
That same night, backstage before the show, John Seaver, who worked for the firm that promoted the Memphis engagement, later recalled, "I showed a Billboard Billboard article to Michael that said Jermaine"s Motown alb.u.m was a big bomb. It made unfair comparisons to The Jacksons" alb.u.m, saying that that one was a smash. Michael didn"t say anything at first. Then he commented, "Oh, he"ll bounce back. I know it. Jermaine won"t let this get to him." He seemed genuinely sorry for his brother. article to Michael that said Jermaine"s Motown alb.u.m was a big bomb. It made unfair comparisons to The Jacksons" alb.u.m, saying that that one was a smash. Michael didn"t say anything at first. Then he commented, "Oh, he"ll bounce back. I know it. Jermaine won"t let this get to him." He seemed genuinely sorry for his brother.
"The article was pa.s.sed along to the other brothers, who scanned it. Marlon said something about "too bad". t.i.to said that the alb.u.m wasn"t any good, but that Jermaine would probably come up with something stronger next time out. "No matter what, he"s our brother," t.i.to said, "and I don"t like seeing him do anything that"s not a success. Just proves, I think, that Berry doesn"t know what he"s doing." They all agreed with t.i.to."
Then Joseph came into the dressing room.
"What are you boys reading?"
Jackie handed him the article. "Read this, about Jermaine," he said.
Joseph read the feature quickly. "Well, you know, I think it serves Jermaine right," he said as he smacked the magazine on a table. He then walked away. The brothers looked at each other with raised eyebrows. There was silence. It must have been difficult for them to recognize Joseph"s pain, the betrayal he felt not to mention the way he felt taken advantage of by the Motown machinery. Of course, Joseph never revealed himself to his family in a way that might bring about any kind of understanding for him. Therefore, he never got it. As he walked out the door, Michael gave him a cool, appraising glance. "Some father," he muttered.
PART FOUR.
Tatum.
By the time Michael Jackson turned nineteen in August 1977, he was one of the best-known entertainers of recent years, the idol of many young women. While his brothers often availed themselves of the s.e.xual opportunities presented to them on the road, Michael never followed suit. Though much of Michael"s music has had a sensual edge over the years, and his dancing has often been suggestive, he was not s.e.xually adventurous as a young man.
"I think it"s fun that girls think I"m s.e.xy," Michael told me in 1977. "But I don"t think that about myself. It"s all just fantasy, really. I like to make my fans happy so I might pose or dance in a way that makes them think I"m romantic. But really I guess I"m not that way."
Most people who were close to Michael when he was a teenager agree that he never had a serious romantic life at that time. Michael did not trust anyone enough to allow them to penetrate the sh.e.l.l he had built around himself. Perhaps he felt he had been betrayed too often by people he had loved or admired his father, his brothers, maybe even Berry Gordy to permit himself to be vulnerable to a relationship. Still, Michael understood the value of public relations and show-business hype. Therefore, he did parade a few "relationships" for public consumption.
As recently as the Martin Bashir interview in 2003, Michael said that actress Tatum O"Neal, who was thirteen in the summer of 1977, was his first girlfriend. Michael and Tatum first met two years before at a party hosted by Paul McCartney aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. They had no contact with each other again until the spring of 1977, when Michael spotted Tatum with her father, Ryan O"Neal, at a club in Los Angeles. Michael was socializing with two publicists from Epic, Susan Blond and Steve Manning when, as he recalled it, "all of a sudden I felt this soft hand reach over and grab mine. It was Tatum." The fact that Tatum had deigned to hold Michael"s hand was, for him, a colossal event. "It was serious stuff to me. She touched me, She touched me," he said.
The next day, Tatum invited Michael to a dinner party at Playboy Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner"s rambling Holmby Hills estate. There they watched publisher Hugh Hefner"s rambling Holmby Hills estate. There they watched Roots, Roots, the highly rated Alex Haley television mini-series, on videotape. When Tatum became bored, she asked Michael to get into the hot tub with her. "But I don"t have a bathing suit," he said. the highly rated Alex Haley television mini-series, on videotape. When Tatum became bored, she asked Michael to get into the hot tub with her. "But I don"t have a bathing suit," he said.
"Who needs bathing suits?" Tatum responded.
When Michael began to blush, Tatum asked one of Hefner"s a.s.sistants for two swimsuits, then handed one to Michael.
Tatum"s hair was soft, blond and flowed just below her shoulders. Her skin was baby pink and her figure quite ample for a girl who wouldn"t turn fourteen until close to the end of the year. She was almost plump. "She"s like a sacred doll," Michael observed of her to a friend. He said that while soaking in the water and watching for shooting stars, the two shared secrets with one another.
Years later, rumour would have it that they were nude together in the hot tub. "Oh, we weren"t naked," Michael firmly pointed out to me in an interview. "We had on bathing suits. Why do people have to always find something dirty in everything?"
Tatum O"Neal had won an Oscar at the age of nine for her role as the chain-smoking, swearing companion to a Bible-belt swindler (played by her father) in the film Paper Moon. Paper Moon. Her own childhood was difficult. Her own childhood was difficult.
Born to actress Joanna Moore and Ryan O"Neal, Tatum saw her parents split up when she was three. For a while, she lived on a ramshackle ranch with a dying horse, some dead chickens, and a mother who was addicted to drugs. At seven, Tatum grew flowers in a wrecked car in the yard and cooked breakfast and lunch for herself and her younger brother, Griffin. Her father was permitted to visit on weekends.
"When she was living with her mother, I could always tell what shape Tatum was in by the look of her hair," Ryan said. "I knew if it was healthy, she was at peace with herself. If things were bad, there were clumps missing from her hair. She"d sometimes take a scissors to herself."
Joanna, anguished and on the verge of defeat by 1972, decided to seek help from her ex-husband, who had been giving her thirty thousand dollars a year in alimony. Ryan paid for her rehabilitation and she, in turn, surrendered eight-year-old Tatum to him. Tatum hated Joanna. When the little girl went to visit her in the hospital, Tatum became so disgusted with her mother that she spat in her face. When she told Michael about her life, he said he had never heard a story so tragic.
"My mother is a saint," Michael said in 1977. "When I hear about Tatum"s mother and what she went through with her, it makes me thank G.o.d for Katherine. People think I have had a hard life. But look at Tatum"s. That"s why I like her, because she"s a survivor."
Unlike Michael, whose goal it was to be an entertainer, Tatum became an actress by accident. Ryan helped her get her first solo mostly as a way to keep an eye on her while he worked on Paper Moon. Paper Moon. When Tatum became a working actress, Ryan O"Neal took over her career much the same way Joseph Jackson had commandeered Michael"s. "I chose When Tatum became a working actress, Ryan O"Neal took over her career much the same way Joseph Jackson had commandeered Michael"s. "I chose International Velvet International Velvet for her," Ryan said. "She didn"t even read the script. I just said, "This is the one you"re doing," because I knew it was good." for her," Ryan said. "She didn"t even read the script. I just said, "This is the one you"re doing," because I knew it was good."
When Tatum complained about the way her father ruled her life, Michael empathized with her. "I know exactly what you"re talking about," he told her.
However, Tatum did make some of her own decisions. She once told Michael the story of how she turned down the role of the young hooker in Taxi Driver, Taxi Driver, a part that eventually went to Jodie Foster. At the audition, Tatum said she wanted to play the part of the taxi driver; she was twelve. The producer ignored Tatum"s suggestion and kept talking up the role of the hooker. Finally Tatum said, "Frankly, I think the part"s too small. I did win an Academy Award, you know." a part that eventually went to Jodie Foster. At the audition, Tatum said she wanted to play the part of the taxi driver; she was twelve. The producer ignored Tatum"s suggestion and kept talking up the role of the hooker. Finally Tatum said, "Frankly, I think the part"s too small. I did win an Academy Award, you know."
"I can"t believe you said that. I don"t think I would ever have the nerve," Michael told her when he heard that story. "I want to be like that. I want people to think of me as having a lot of nerve."
In his autobiography Michael wrote that Tatum was his first love "after Diana". Tatum has indicated, however, that her relationship with Michael was strictly platonic.
It"s telling of the fantasy Michael has created around his childhood and teen years that the women he claims to have had romances with including Diana Ross and Brooke Shields ("We were romantically serious for a while," he wrote of Shields in his book) have all denied ever having been intimate with him. After Michael talked about Tatum on his 2003 Martin Bashir interview, saying she came on to him, she issued a statement saying he had "a vivid imagination". Says actress Sarah Jackson (no relation to Michael), who was a friend of Tatum"s at this time, "Tatum told me that Michael was a nice guy, but so shy. "How can any girl have a relationship with him? When we"re together, he hardly says two words. I know he"s a virgin. Someone needs to have a talk with him about it. I wonder if he"s afraid to have s.e.x. He doesn"t seem very interested.""
"Why do people think I"m gay?"
Michael Jackson"s s.e.xuality has been the subject of speculation since he was a teenager. Perhaps it was his high-pitched speaking voice; or maybe it was his bashfulness, or the fact that he tended to avoid eye contact and seemed so uncomfortable in his own skin that caused some to think that he was either concealing something about himself or had not yet come to terms with it.
Michael has been dealing with the tabloid press for many years and feels he is misunderstood because of unfair and dishonest media coverage of his life. However, it was when he was nineteen that he first became upset about a story that was not true. Like a lot of untruths, it was silly: supposedly, he was going to have a s.e.x-change operation and marry a handsome actor named Clifton Davis, writer of "Never Can Say Goodbye". The story spread quickly across the country; numerous music publications rushed to the presses with it.
Michael once told me that he was in the music department of a store in the South when he first heard about the rumour. He said, "This girl came up to me and said, "Please tell me it isn"t true! Please tell me!" She was crying. I asked, "What? What isn"t true?" She said, "Tell me you"re not going to become a girl. Tell me. Tell me.""
"Where in the world did you read that?" Michael asked. "Jet magazine," she responded. "It was in magazine," she responded. "It was in Jet Jet that you were going to have a s.e.x change." that you were going to have a s.e.x change."
"I felt I didn"t know who I was at that moment," Michael recalled. "I told her to tell all her friends that it was just a stupid rumour."
"Stupid" as it was, it seemed to Michael that everywhere he went, he heard the story. At the time, nothing could be worse for him than the notion that there were people who thought he might be h.o.m.os.e.xual. Michael was raised in a family where h.o.m.os.e.xuality was sinful.
After the rumour had been circulating for months, Michael was at Caesars Palace to see Diana Ross perform when he ran into Clifton Davis. Clifton was backstage with performer, Leslie Uggams. "I was with Diana, holding her hand," Michael remembered. "Clifton was standing next to me, and he was holding Leslie"s hand. As I was standing there posing for the photographers, I thought to myself, Oh no, this is a perfect setup for some magazine to doctor up a picture so that it looks like Clifton and I are holding hands. That"s how paranoid I was getting about that story," Michael confessed.
After the photographers departed, Clifton went over to Michael and joked, "Hey, look at you. You"re not a girl after all, are you?" Michael didn"t think Clifton"s question was very funny. He would never get used to the stories that he leads a secret gay life, and is still upset when confronted with questions about his s.e.xuality.
"Just for the record, are you or are you not gay?" I asked him during an interview in 1979.
"No, I am not gay," Michael snapped. "I am not a h.o.m.o. People make up stories about me being gay because they have nothing else to do. I"m not going to let it get to me," he continued. "I"m not going to have a nervous breakdown because people think I like having s.e.x with men. I don"t and that"s that," he said, his sentences pouring out. "If I let this get to me, it will only show how cheap I am. I"m sure I must have a lot of fans who are gay, and I don"t mind that," he continued, speaking faster. "That"s their life and this is mine. You can print that," he said, thrusting his index finger at me. "What is it about me that makes people think I"m gay? Why do people think I"m gay?"
I didn"t think I should answer his question. He was already upset.
"Is it my voice?" he continued. "Is it because I have this soft voice? All of us in the family have soft voices. Or is it because I don"t have a lot of girlfriends? I just don"t understand it."
The truth is that Michael would never have allowed himself to have h.o.m.os.e.xual relationships, even if he did have feelings for other men. He was too puritanical as a result of his religious background. The Jehovah"s Witnesses firmly believe that world destruction is imminent and that only a few of G.o.d"s servants will survive the horrible holocaust. One question had hung over Michael"s head for his entire youth; would he win salvation or burn in h.e.l.lfire? If he wanted to be saved if he wanted to be with his mother through all eternity he would have to live up to all of the church"s rigid teachings, which sure meant he couldn"t be gay. Indulgence is not part of the Jehovah"s Witnesses" creed. Any congregant who does not adhere to the rules and dogma is shunned or "disfellowshipped". By the time Michael was a teenager, he had been trained to live his life a certain way. He would not be able to break that conformity.
Also, if Michael had any h.o.m.os.e.xual leanings he would have been too fearful to act on them. He knew that with any relationship he ever had be it with a man or a woman he ran the risk of the other person reporting the details to a newspaper or magazine, one that would pay astronomical sums for the story, especially if it were a sensational one. Although some public figures who are h.o.m.os.e.xual have come out of the closet in recent years not many, though back in the 1970s it just didn"t happen at all.
Still today, many entertainers hide their true s.e.xual ident.i.ties from their fans and peers because they fear rejection, and the loss of income. Ever practical where his work is concerned, Michael is aware that being gay would damage not only his career, but his relationships with his family, as well. How would Katherine and Joseph handle it if he were to announce that he is, as he put it so many years ago, "a h.o.m.o"? "When I first heard the rumours that he was gay, I thought I"d go crazy," Katherine once said. "He"s my son and I know the truth. He knows the truth too. We both talked about it and cried about it. Michael was very hurt by the rumours. He is not gay. It"s against our religion." They cried about it; tears shed over the fact that people they didn"t even know had whispered such things.
How would his brothers react if Michael said he was gay? Back in the seventies, they would have been upset because it might have projected a controversial image for the group. Today? Publicly, they might offer their support. However, privately, they would probably be thrown. Like their mother, they are not progressive-minded. Indeed, if Michael were a gay man today and no one is saying he is and suddenly made the decision to bolt from the closet after all of these years, the only Jackson who would probably be able to come to terms with it would be Janet, a woman who has been around enough and seen enough to know that there are gay people in all walks of life.
Besides dealing with upsetting questions about his s.e.xuality, Michael had other problems in the late seventies. Of course, most people have a difficult time with certain stages of adolescence, but Michael was much more sensitive than most people his age about the common challenges of p.u.b.erty, perhaps because he was the subject of such intense public scrutiny. For instance, his face had broken out severely with acne in the mid-seventies; he was so ashamed of the way he looked that it was extremely difficult for him to go out into public. "I seemed to have a pimple for every oil gland," he recalled. Onstage, his condition was difficult to notice because of carefully applied makeup and the benefit of lighting. However, offstage it was obvious that Michael had complexion problems. Reporters would comment to each other about his skin. Fans would be shocked by his appearance. Michael could barely stand the humiliation.
"I became subconsciously scarred by this," he has confessed. "I got very shy and became embarra.s.sed to meet people. The effect on me was so bad that it messed up my whole personality."
Michael couldn"t look at people when he talked to them. Rather, he would look down or away. He wouldn"t even look at his mother when he spoke to her. "He didn"t want to leave the house," Katherine would recall. "When he did, he kept his head down." He would never really recover from the psychological effects of the acne. "The changes that it wrought in him became permanent," Katherine said. "He was no longer a carefree, outgoing, devilish boy. He was quieter, more serious and more of a loner."
Complicating matters was Michael"s belief that, acne aside, he was not good-looking. His skin was too dark, he decided, and his nose too wide. Even though his family was aware of Michael"s sensitivities, Joseph and the brothers did not afford him any special treatment. They were a rowdy, boisterous bunch offstage and teased each other, playfully. Either a brother took it well, or he didn"t.
At nineteen, Michael was nothing if not a study in contrasts. He was a young man who could muster enough courage to meet with the president of Motown, yet was afraid of the kinds of propositions most teenagers found exciting, such as the opportunity to drive an automobile. Whereas many youngsters are eager to get behind the wheel of a car by the age of sixteen, Michael was still petrified of the notion three years later. "I just don"t want to," he said, when pushed. "I just don"t have the desire. Whenever you do something, you have to want to do it. And even though there are some things you just have to do, I don"t have to drive. And I simply don"t want to. There"s nothing special about it for me." Michael would usually have a limousine take him wherever he wanted to go, though often one of his brothers would drive him.
Besides the fact that he was frightened of driving, Michael also didn"t want to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to take the driver"s test. He was afraid he"d be recognized and then be humiliated because he still didn"t have a licence at his age. The thought of this kind of embarra.s.sment was stressful for him. At one point, when he thought he might at least try to drive, he tried to obtain special consideration so that he wouldn"t have to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the testing. However, the Encino division of the D.M.V. is accustomed to dealing with celebrities; officials there don"t consider any of them special. It was all just too much to bear for Michael. He couldn"t do it. "But suppose you"re someplace and your chauffeur gets sick," Katherine argued with him. "You need to be able to drive." Michael would be twenty-three before he"d finally obtain his driver"s licence, and only at Katherine"s insistence.
Michael and Joseph Meet with CBS.
Michael Jackson"s teenage melancholy intensified when The Jacksons" second alb.u.m for CBS, Goin" Places, Goin" Places, released in the winter of 1977, was a major disappointment. Despite the fact that the first alb.u.m for the new label had received mixed reviews and had only gone gold when everyone was hoping for platinum sales, CBS sent the group back to Philadelphia to work once again with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The t.i.tle track of released in the winter of 1977, was a major disappointment. Despite the fact that the first alb.u.m for the new label had received mixed reviews and had only gone gold when everyone was hoping for platinum sales, CBS sent the group back to Philadelphia to work once again with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The t.i.tle track of Goin" Places Goin" Places only went to number 52 on only went to number 52 on Billboard"s Billboard"s top 100; the alb.u.m peaked at 63 on the Top 200. In the UK, it peaked at number forty-five and only stayed on the charts for a week! However, despite such sporadic sales, The Jacksons at Epic were still faring better than Jermaine Jackson was at Motown. His top 100; the alb.u.m peaked at 63 on the Top 200. In the UK, it peaked at number forty-five and only stayed on the charts for a week! However, despite such sporadic sales, The Jacksons at Epic were still faring better than Jermaine Jackson was at Motown. His Feel the Fire Feel the Fire alb.u.m, released at the same time, peaked at number 174 in America and did even worse in the UK and the rest of Europe. Most industry observers now believed that Motown was mysteriously intent on wasting Jermaine"s career even if he was married to the boss"s daughter. alb.u.m, released at the same time, peaked at number 174 in America and did even worse in the UK and the rest of Europe. Most industry observers now believed that Motown was mysteriously intent on wasting Jermaine"s career even if he was married to the boss"s daughter.
On Goin" Places, Goin" Places, Michael wrote a rhythm number called "Different Kind of Lady", which became a successful club hit but was seldom played on the radio. It was not issued as a single. Another song penned by the group, "Do What You Wanna", also went unreleased as a single. By this time, The Jacksons hadn"t had a number-one record since "Mama"s Pearl" in 1971. Joseph was concerned. It was painfully clear that the new relationship with CBS wasn"t working out as he had hoped it would for his sons. Michael wrote a rhythm number called "Different Kind of Lady", which became a successful club hit but was seldom played on the radio. It was not issued as a single. Another song penned by the group, "Do What You Wanna", also went unreleased as a single. By this time, The Jacksons hadn"t had a number-one record since "Mama"s Pearl" in 1971. Joseph was concerned. It was painfully clear that the new relationship with CBS wasn"t working out as he had hoped it would for his sons.
Joseph decided to meet with Ron Alexenberg, the man who had originally signed The Jacksons to Epic, to try to convince him once and for all that the group should be able to write and produce its own material. Perhaps Joseph remembered the way Michael used his own initiative to meet with Berry Gordy when the chips were down, because he asked his son to accompany him.
Michael was astonished that his father would ask for his a.s.sistance and couldn"t help but be suspicious of his motives. Still, he agreed to go along. Michael considered the group"s future so important, he was willing to overcome at least temporarily his aversion to his father and cooperate with him on this matter. Just as Joseph put on his public facade as father, Michael would put on his public facade as son.
"He was still the soft, tender Michael Jackson everyone thought he was, but something was definitely different about him by this time," said James Situp, the Jacksons" pianist and band director. "Everyone who dealt with him closely, family included, began to tread softly when dealing with Michael. The quiet power he was gaining was amazing to me. I"d never seen anyone have that much influence over people without having a stern att.i.tude. I noticed that when he spoke, people were starting to listen. He was still outvoted on things, but now it was a bit more reluctantly. Joseph and the brothers were beginning to give him s.p.a.ce. I began to notice that if they saw one iota of displeasure in his face, they began to get worried. For sure, things were changing as Michael was growing up."
Still, it is not difficult to imagine that his brothers resented Michael"s power. Even if it did benefit them, it didn"t feel good to them that Michael was the one who always ended up meeting with their record company bosses.
During the meeting with Ron Alexenberg, Michael and Joseph explained that they were unhappy with the way the Jacksons" careers had thus far evolved at CBS, and that the time had come for the company to finally allow them control over an alb.u.m. "If you can"t do it," Michael said, "then we need to move on. Why waste more of your money on records that aren"t going to sell? Let us work on our own record. Then, you"ll have a hit. Otherwise, you won"t."
Ironically, and unbeknownst to Michael and Joseph, the new CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff had already decided to drop The Jacksons from the label. In his view, The Jacksons were no longer commercially viable. With that thinking, he was on the same page as Ewart Abner at Motown!
The two CBS alb.u.ms were not successful enough to warrant a third, said Walter Yetnikoff. Bobby Colomby, then head of Epic"s West Coast artist relations, recalled, "The people I was working with at CBS really wanted me to get them out of the deal with The Jacksons. They wanted me to try to buy them [The Jacksons] out. But I felt so bad for these guys. I liked them. I said to myself, "My G.o.d, if I give these people a hundred thousand dollars to go away, they"re going to take it, pay their bills and then be out of the music business for ever.""
Imagine the humiliation Joseph and his sons would have suffered if, after all they had gone through to sever their ties with Berry Gordy, the new label"s president were to them drop them from his roster. Bobby Colomby was right; the setback probably would have finished The Jacksons for good, and Joseph would have been blamed for the act"s demise.
Luckily for all concerned, Bobby Colomby managed to convince his bosses to give The Jacksons one more chance at Epic. This time, the brothers would have more involvement in their work. If they failed, they would have no one to blame but themselves. So, when Michael put forth just that proposition at the meeting, Ron Alexenberg agreed to it. It was a done deal, anyway, before Joseph and Michael even got to the meeting. However, father and son apparently needed to show the label executives that they had the incentive and drive to take on a project of their own before they would be guaranteed the company"s full support.
"That went pretty well, didn"t it, son?" Joseph said in the elevator after the meeting. He emphasized the word "son". They were descending in a car full of CBS executives and employees during lunch hour. Michael was observed smiling bitterly at his father. He later recalled that the subsequent ride back to the hotel was "a silent one". When they got back to the hotel, as Michael recalled it, Joseph put his arm around Michael"s shoulder as they walked through the lobby. "You"re a winner, Michael," he told him. "All my boys are winners. Every single one of "em. You got that?"
"I got it, Joseph," Michael said. "I got it."
The Wiz.
By 1977, nineteen-year-old Michael Jackson happened to find himself on the same career path as his mentor, Diana Ross. He wanted to begin making decisions regarding his own future, just as Diana, who had been dominated by Berry Gordy for seventeen years, was beginning to break his hold on her. Determined to be a film actress, she was anxious to find a property in which to star, and one she could claim responsibility for finding unlike her previous two opuses, Lady Sings the Blues Lady Sings the Blues and and Mahogany, Mahogany, both Motown discoveries. both Motown discoveries.
At the same time, through a production deal with Universal, Berry Gordy"s Motown Productions had acquired The Wiz, The Wiz, a musical based on L. Frank Baum"s cla.s.sic, a musical based on L. Frank Baum"s cla.s.sic, The Wonderful World of Oz. The Wiz, The Wonderful World of Oz. The Wiz, an all-black production, had opened on Broadway in January 1975 and gone on to win seven Tony awards. an all-black production, had opened on Broadway in January 1975 and gone on to win seven Tony awards.
By 1977, Rob Cohen, a twenty-four-year-old white wunderkind who headed Motown Productions, had been trying to launch The Wiz The Wiz for some time. He recalled that the project was intended to be a low-budget film featuring Stephanie Mills, who had starred in the Broadway play. Stephanie had also been a Motown artist, though her experience at the company was less than satisfying for her; her one alb.u.m for the label, for some time. He recalled that the project was intended to be a low-budget film featuring Stephanie Mills, who had starred in the Broadway play. Stephanie had also been a Motown artist, though her experience at the company was less than satisfying for her; her one alb.u.m for the label, For the First Time For the First Time (produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis), was a commercial disaster when issued in 1975, despite the fact that it was an excellent recording. Appearing in the motion picture version of (produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis), was a commercial disaster when issued in 1975, despite the fact that it was an excellent recording. Appearing in the motion picture version of The Wiz The Wiz would have been a coup for her. However, when Diana Ross decided that would have been a coup for her. However, when Diana Ross decided that she she wanted to play Dorothy, it was all over for Stephanie Mills. "I absolutely believed in Dorothy and in her search to find who she is," recalled Diana. "It seemed so very parallel to who I am." wanted to play Dorothy, it was all over for Stephanie Mills. "I absolutely believed in Dorothy and in her search to find who she is," recalled Diana. "It seemed so very parallel to who I am."
To Diana, this film presented an opportunity to demonstrate to Berry that she had not only talent but creative vision, as well. Berry disagreed. He thought casting her in The Wiz The Wiz was a dreadful idea which only encouraged Diana to want the role even more. A tug-of-war ensued between Svengali and protege. Eventually Diana prevailed. was a dreadful idea which only encouraged Diana to want the role even more. A tug-of-war ensued between Svengali and protege. Eventually Diana prevailed.
Practically everybody at Motown agreed that, at thirty-three, Diana was too old to, as Berry put it, "play anybody"s d.a.m.n Dorothy". Still, Berry and Rob Cohen secured a million-dollar contract with Universal for her. "I wanted to do this project, and I honestly didn"t care what I was going to be paid," Diana said at the time. "I was very happy, though, to be paid what, at this point in my life, I should be should be getting paid." getting paid."
After the Ross casting, Berry decided to give full responsibility for The Wiz The Wiz to Rob Cohen. Rob then recruited director Sidney Lumet, whose film credits included to Rob Cohen. Rob then recruited director Sidney Lumet, whose film credits included Serpico, Serpico, and and Dog Day Afternoon Dog Day Afternoon and and Equus. Equus. He"d never before directed a musical. He"d never before directed a musical.
Sidney Lumet"s concept was to make the film a modern-day Manhattan fantasy using actual New York locations. Diana would play a twenty-four-year-old school teacher Dorothy who is whisked into Oz by a blizzard. The late Ted Ross and Nipsey Russell were hired to play the Lion and Tin Man, respectively. Richard Pry or and Lena Home were also featured players. It was also Sidney"s idea to cast comic Jimmie Walker, best remembered for his overblown portrayal of the loud-mouthed J.J. on television"s black sitcom Good Times, Good Times, as the Scarecrow. However, Rob Cohen wanted Michael Jackson for the role. as the Scarecrow. However, Rob Cohen wanted Michael Jackson for the role.