Hot on the heels of the incident in Germany which left Michael suffering the embarrassment of heavy criticism for dangling his then nine-month old son Blanket off a balcony, his long-time and most loyal friend Elizabeth Taylor, sent him this letter: Don’t ever let them get you down, Michael. You’re loved by too many, especially this kid. I love you just as much as I always have and understand you just as much as I always have. Don’t hide. You haven’t done anything to be ashamed of. Be proud of how you are bringing up your children. God knows I... »

In this taped telephone conversation, Michael talks about being privy, from a very young age, to his father’s blatantly philandering ways and the burden he felt at having to keep the latter’s countless indiscretions a secret from his mother. He also speaks about his brothers and how they followed their father’s example by also having many dalliances with fans. Growing up in this environment, Michael was deeply affected by the way the men in his family treated women. On one occasion, he even begged a young girl not to have sex with Jackie, warning her that she would only get hurt.           [kml_flashembed... »

Before they were discovered, Michael Jackson and his brothers regularly performed on the Chitlin’ Circuit, the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African American entertainers to perform during the age of racial segregation in the United States. The name comes from the soul food item chitterlings (stewed pig intestines). In his excellent blog, Hog and Hominy: Culture, Cooking, Travel, and Traditions, Frederick Douglass Opie gives a vivid account of what the Chitlin’ Circuit would have been like for the young Jacksons. By: Frederick Douglass... »

Tom Joyner from Ebony magazine conducted an exclusive interview with Michael on the set of the Beat It video: The ‘tudor castle’ Tom refers to is Hayvenhurst, the Encino estate Michael’s parents, Joseph and Katherine, had bought for the family to live in. In 1981, Joseph was experiencing financial trouble due to some failed business ventures. He needed some cash and so he sold Michael half the estate’s equity for $500,000. Joe and Katherine retained ownership of the other half. Eventually, Joe also sold his quarter to Michael, leaving Katherine with 25% ownership of... »

After the credits have rolled, signaling the end of the This Is It movie and most people have left the cinema, Michael appears on the screen saying these words: ” Let me breathe in my own time when i come back. I’m gonna button up my shirt jacket, i’m gonna look around a little bit, snap my fingers baby, then…BAM!” What does this mean, if anything? Is it a special message from Michael to his fans (the ones devoted enough to remain in the cinema till the lights went back on) heralding his return? Or is it the film makers thinking they’d be... »

In 1984, John Branca, Michael’s lawyer, received a call from Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole asking if Michael would donate Beat it as background music for an ad on drink-driving. Michael’s initial reaction to this request was to refuse, saying he thought the idea was tacky. Then, thinking it over, he came up with an idea. Ever the clever businessman, Michael told John that if he could get some kind of award from the White House, then he would give them the song. According to biographer J Randy Taraborrelli, Michael asked John to negotiate something, saying, “i want to go to... »