Part 24 (2/2)

'Yeah, I do. Of course I do,' Michael answered.

'Well, you know what? Elvis used to give his people Cadillacs,' Frank said. 'You're a little cheap sometimes, Mike,' Frank added with a grin. He nudged him, good-naturedly.

'What do you mean cheap?' Michael asked, defensively.

'Well, hey, Mike, you got sort of a reputation. No big deal. Let's change the subject.'

Frank had planted the seed.

A few months later, when Michael and John Branca were in London negotiating the ATV acquisition, Michael said to him, 'Branca, if you get me The Beatles catalogue, I'll buy you any car you want, just like Elvis would have done.'

'Including a Rolls-Royce?'

'You got it,' Michael said.

Of course, John Branca later brilliantly closed the deal... and Michael bought him that Rolls. The only problem was that he didn't buy one for Frank Dileo. Frank was on the phone to John as soon as Michael told him he had bought him a car.

'He got you a f.u.c.king Rolls-Royce?' Dileo asked, bewildered. 'I can't believe this. It was my my f.u.c.king idea, and you ended up with the Rolls!' The two had a good laugh. Finally, Frank got a Rolls from Michael as well. Both guys had played Michael, no doubt about that. John deserved a vehicle, that much was clear, if only for clearing the way for f.u.c.king idea, and you ended up with the Rolls!' The two had a good laugh. Finally, Frank got a Rolls from Michael as well. Both guys had played Michael, no doubt about that. John deserved a vehicle, that much was clear, if only for clearing the way for Thriller to Thriller to be released, both the alb.u.m and the video. One has to wonder about Frank Dileo though, considering the undeniable damage he had done to Michael's image. However, in truth, he was doing exactly what Michael had asked him to do... so, yes... he probably deserved a Rolls-Royce, too. be released, both the alb.u.m and the video. One has to wonder about Frank Dileo though, considering the undeniable damage he had done to Michael's image. However, in truth, he was doing exactly what Michael had asked him to do... so, yes... he probably deserved a Rolls-Royce, too.

On 23 February 1988, Michael Jackson brought the Bad tour to the United States for the first time at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. By this time, the three single releases from Bad Bad 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You', 'Bad' and 'The Way You Make Me Feel' had all gone to number one. Michael was in good spirits, especially since Frank Dileo predicted that there would probably be two more number-one hits. 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You', 'Bad' and 'The Way You Make Me Feel' had all gone to number one. Michael was in good spirits, especially since Frank Dileo predicted that there would probably be two more number-one hits.

Before the show, the Jackson crew unloaded eight truckloads of equipment, including seven hundred lights, one hundred speakers, a ma.s.sive stage, two huge video screens, and eighty-five costumes. On the night of the concert, banks of floodlights rose from the stage bathing the audience in blinding white light before he he appeared, frozen still onstage in a line of dancers. Dressed in a black toreador's outfit with buckles down the trouser seams, Michael exploded as a supernova of energy in motion to the strains of the opening number. 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin''. appeared, frozen still onstage in a line of dancers. Dressed in a black toreador's outfit with buckles down the trouser seams, Michael exploded as a supernova of energy in motion to the strains of the opening number. 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin''.

There were startling and grandiose effects: bullet-like, multi-coloured laser beams, smoke bombs and explosions, all of which were effective and loud. loud. There was also plenty of shtick: Michael disappearing from one side of the stage and reappearing on the other in a puff of smoke; Michael swinging out over the audience on a boom crane during 'Beat It'. In terms of pure stagecraft and showmans.h.i.+p, it was impossible to fault Michael and his huge supporting cast, including four male dancers who took the place of Michael's brothers. There was also plenty of shtick: Michael disappearing from one side of the stage and reappearing on the other in a puff of smoke; Michael swinging out over the audience on a boom crane during 'Beat It'. In terms of pure stagecraft and showmans.h.i.+p, it was impossible to fault Michael and his huge supporting cast, including four male dancers who took the place of Michael's brothers.

In this show, Michael also became much more s.e.xually suggestive. He grabbed his crotch at least five times during the opening number. His ungloved hand hovered around his groin during most of 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Bad' and 'Beat It'. It was an odd gesture coming from someone like Michael, but the seventeen thousand mostly middle-cla.s.s white fans seemed to love it; the audience was on its feet for the entire slick, demanding, two-hour performance. Every time Michael moonwalked across the stage the audience would cheer and Michael's face would light up. It was clear that he still enjoyed performing.

'The word ”superstar” became meaningless compared with the power and grace pouring from the stage,' wrote Gregory Sandow, who reviewed the concert for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. Los Angeles Herald Examiner.

Vocally, Michael was in terrific shape; his voice teacher, Seth Riggs, travelled with him for much of the tour. 'He's a high tenor with a three-and-a-half octave range,' Riggs said. 'He goes from ba.s.so low E up to G and A-flat above high C. A lot of people think it's a falsetto, but it's not. It's all connected, which is remarkable. During his vocal exercises he would put his arms up in the air and start spinning while holding a note. I asked him why he was doing that, and he said, ”I may have to do it onstage, so I want to make sure it's possible.” I'd never seen anything like that before. I thought maybe I should stop him so he can concentrate on his voice now, and dance later. But I figured if he can do it, let him do it.'

A good third of the show consisted of material Michael and his brothers had used in Kansas City four years earlier when the Victory tour opened, right down to some of the dialogue. This time, though, Michael performed 'Thriller' in his act complete with werewolf mask and the kind of high school jacket he wore in the video now that he no longer considered himself a Jehovah's Witness.

When Katherine and Joseph saw the show, they were disturbed by it. 'He should have his brothers with him,' Joseph said, not letting go of that idea. 'What the h.e.l.l's the point in not having them? I don't get it. He's got a good show, but with his brothers it's a better show.'

Katherine told Frank she thought Michael was better when he performed with his brothers. Frank laughed in her face. 'You are crazy,' he told her. Imagine, telling Michael's mother that she was crazy! Of course, she was offended. 'I am not crazy,' she shot back. 'The show would have been better with the brothers, and that's that.'

'Yeah, well...' Frank said before walking off.

Just prior to going onstage in Kansas City, Michael was handed a copy of the Star, Star, a tabloid, with the cover headline, 'Michael Jackson Goes Ape. Now He's Talking with His Pet Chimp In Monkey Language'. The story claimed that Michael was now obsessed with learning how to communicate with his pet monkey by making chimp sounds. 'Did Frank plant this?' Michael wanted to know. 'Where'd they get these pictures of me and Bubbles?' a tabloid, with the cover headline, 'Michael Jackson Goes Ape. Now He's Talking with His Pet Chimp In Monkey Language'. The story claimed that Michael was now obsessed with learning how to communicate with his pet monkey by making chimp sounds. 'Did Frank plant this?' Michael wanted to know. 'Where'd they get these pictures of me and Bubbles?'

Michael's aide shrugged his shoulders.

'Well, I don't like it,' Michael said. 'I don't want to see this. Don't show me this kind of stuff before I go onstage. What the h.e.l.l's the matter with you?'

Like many stories published about Michael, the tale of his fixation with Bubbles a three-and-a-half-year-old chimp who had been released to Michael from a cancer lab in 1985 was false. Michael enjoyed his ape, the way he enjoys all of his animals, but even though master and ape sometimes ate together at the dinner table good enough material for a story in and of itself, one would think he wasn't speaking chimp language to his pet, not that anyone knew, anyway. (Incidentally, contrary to some reports, there has only been one Bubbles not a series of monkeys named Bubbles. Just the one.) Katherine had been after Frank for months to stop promoting her son as 'Wacko-Jacko'. She later said, 'I spoke to him about it on numerous occasions. I knew it was not a good idea, it was backfiring. But, there was nothing I could do about it.'

Partly as a result of the bizarre image Michael had cultivated, it seemed that some of his public had begun turning against him. Rolling Stone's Rolling Stone's readers voted him the worst artist in nearly every category in its yearly poll. Still, he hoped for some redemption at the Grammy Awards on 2 March. readers voted him the worst artist in nearly every category in its yearly poll. Still, he hoped for some redemption at the Grammy Awards on 2 March.

He decided to perform on the telecast, the first time in five years he had entertained on television. 'Michael wanted to erase all the negative publicity that had been trailing him and replace it with a positive image of him doing what he does best,' said Bob Jones, vice president of communications for MJJ Productions. He wanted to prove to the world that he is serious about entertaining, that the very essence of him is a performer, not an eccentric. He did it, too. Anyone who saw his riveting performance that night would have to agree. He is an intensely compet.i.tive person; he wanted to leave an unforgettable impression of himself with the academy and with his audience.

However, after truly inspiring, absorbing performances of 'The Way You Make Me Feel' and 'Man in the Mirror', Michael then had to sit in the first row of Radio City Music Hall, in full televised view of millions, and suffer one humiliating defeat after another. Out of four nominations Alb.u.m of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Producer of the Year he had no wins. The last time Michael appeared at the Grammys, with Thriller, Thriller, he had received more awards (eight of them) than anyone else in the history of the event. This time, he got nothing. Most of all, he had craved the Grammy for Best Alb.u.m for he had received more awards (eight of them) than anyone else in the history of the event. This time, he got nothing. Most of all, he had craved the Grammy for Best Alb.u.m for Bad. Bad. However, much to his dismay, U2 won it for However, much to his dismay, U2 won it for The Joshua Tree. The Joshua Tree.

'He couldn't have looked any more heartbroken if someone had walked away with his pet chimp,' wrote Robert Hilburn, the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times pop music critic. pop music critic.

'He went back to the Helmsley Palace, where he was staying, and cried,' one friend said. 'He and Frank had made a vow that they would at least win Alb.u.m of the Year and, of course, they didn't. He thought the whole thing was unfair. It wasn't about the music. It was about the image. Would the Academy give Record of the Year to a guy who sleeps in an oxygen chamber? Not likely.'

There was little time for Michael to feel sorry for himself, though. The next day he was due to give a conceit at Madison Square Garden. After the show, he and a representative from the Pepsi-Cola Company (which had sponsored the Bad tour) presented a $600,000 cheque, the proceeds from the concert, to the United Negro College Fund. Four years earlier, Michael had endowed a scholars.h.i.+p programme at the UNCF with a portion of his earnings from the ill-fated Victory tour. By 1988, seventy students at UNCF member schools had received Michael Jackson scholars.h.i.+ps. (At some of the country's smaller black colleges, that could be an entire graduating cla.s.s.) Michael maintained a low profile when it came to such donations. Perhaps if his generosity were better known, he would not have been so roundly criticized by many African-Americans for not having a so-called 'black consciousness'. In truth, he has given many millions of dollars to black charities over the years.

Most people who accompanied Michael on his Bad tour also recall how generous he was to children who wanted to see him perform. At every concert stop on his Bad tour, he set aside a portion of tickets for underprivileged youngsters who otherwise would have been unable to attend his shows. All of the royalties from his number-one single 'Man in the Mirror' were donated to Camp Good Times, a charity for terminally ill patients in Los Angeles.

Though his good deeds were going unnoticed, his eccentricities were still getting the once-over by the media. While on stage at Madison Square Garden, Michael shared a kiss with model Tatiana Thumbtzen, who appeared in his video 'The Way You Make Me Feel'. A week later, the photo showed up in the National Enquirer National Enquirer with the headline, 'Michael Jackson and Model Fall Head-Over-Heels in Love'. The story said that Michael and Tatiana were having an affair (which was not true) now that Michael's romance with makeup artist Karen Faye was over (the two were never romantically involved). with the headline, 'Michael Jackson and Model Fall Head-Over-Heels in Love'. The story said that Michael and Tatiana were having an affair (which was not true) now that Michael's romance with makeup artist Karen Faye was over (the two were never romantically involved).

Later, the National Enquirer National Enquirer would run with the story that Michael saw Jesus Christ materialize from a cloud of smoke while he performed onstage. That same week, would run with the story that Michael saw Jesus Christ materialize from a cloud of smoke while he performed onstage. That same week, Star Star would print that Michael had fallen in love with Princess Diana and wanted her to star in his next video. When Michael demanded to know where these stories came from, all fingers pointed at Frank Dileo. By this time, though, Frank wasn't doing anything to promote such stories. The media was acting on its own, providing Michael with the image it felt he wanted. would print that Michael had fallen in love with Princess Diana and wanted her to star in his next video. When Michael demanded to know where these stories came from, all fingers pointed at Frank Dileo. By this time, though, Frank wasn't doing anything to promote such stories. The media was acting on its own, providing Michael with the image it felt he wanted.

A favourite story among those in Michael's inner circle also appeared in the Enquirer. Enquirer. It claimed that Prince had used ESP to drive Bubbles the chimp crazy. 'Prince has gone too far this time,' a furious Michael was quoted as saying in the article. 'What kind of sicko would mess with a monkey? This is the final straw. Poor, poor Bubbles.' It claimed that Prince had used ESP to drive Bubbles the chimp crazy. 'Prince has gone too far this time,' a furious Michael was quoted as saying in the article. 'What kind of sicko would mess with a monkey? This is the final straw. Poor, poor Bubbles.'

Actually, Michael liked that one. John Branca and Frank Dileo had never seen him laugh so much.

Buying Neverland.

In March 1988, while he was still on the road, Michael Jackson finalized the purchase of his new home, a twenty-seven-hundred-acre estate in the Santa Ynez Valley then called Sycamore Ranch. He had become enchanted by the ranch when he stayed there during the time he and Paul McCartney filmed the 'Say, Say, Say' video in Santa Ynez; Paul had leased the home for the duration of his and his wife Linda's stay.

At Sycamore Ranch, there would be plenty of room for Michael's menagerie, an important consideration, and the location was far enough from Encino to guarantee s.p.a.ce between Michael and his pesky family members. The property was owned by developer William Bone, who had spent many years and a fortune building it to his specifications; the main house is thirteen thousand square feet. The asking price was $35 million furnished, or $32.5 million unfurnished. Michael toured the estate by horse-drawn carriage provided by Bone.

John Branca had advised Michael that, from a business standpoint, the ranch was not a good investment. Michael intended offering 50% of the asking price, but even so the re-sale opportunities would be limited: there are not many buyers for a twenty-seven- hundred-acre ranch that costs seventeen million dollars. John wrote Michael a letter and told him that if he really wanted to buy the ranch, he shouldn't do so with any 'future profit motive'. He felt it would be a more sensible idea to purchase the property that was once used as the estate on The Beverly Hillbillies The Beverly Hillbillies television show. He also suggested that Michael buy the surrounding property, demolish the houses that were there, and then he could have five acres of property to do with what he pleased. television show. He also suggested that Michael buy the surrounding property, demolish the houses that were there, and then he could have five acres of property to do with what he pleased.

Michael couldn't understand why he should settle for only five acres when he could have almost three thousand. When he used to visit Paul McCartney, he was always impressed with Paul's sumptuous acres and acres of verdant property. 'My guests expect something grand,' Michael told John. 'It's gotta look like I've made it big, because I have.'

A difficult and lengthy negotiation with William Bone ensued because John was determined to secure the best possible deal possible for Michael. However, Michael was impatient; he called John three times a day, prodding him on. Finally, Michael decided that John really did not want him to have the property, that his stalling could lose the deal altogether. He became angry. He wanted that estate, and that's all he wanted. He went right off the deep end over it, and reportedly asked another of the attorneys at John's law firm to break into John's office and steal the file on Sycamore Ranch... and then get to work on closing the deal. Of course, the lawyer didn't do it and, in fact, informed John, who was astonished. He telephoned Michael and asked how he could think to do something so terrible.

'Because I think you don't want me to spend too much money,' Michael said in his own defence. 'You don't want me to have the ranch.'

John told him he was right, he didn't think Michael should make the purchase. However, he intended to follow Michael's wishes, anyway. He hoped that Michael would never again pull a stunt like that one. John was genuinely hurt by it, but it also showed him how irrational Michael can be at times not that he needed further proof of this fact.

At the last minute, William Bone began having second thoughts about selling the ranch to Michael. He said that he didn't want to lose his emotional connection to the property; he treasured it that much. More than likely, he realized that he was losing a lot of money and was getting 'cold feet' about it. John submitted an offer of fifteen million dollars, which was not accepted. After a series of counteroffers, Michael's final offer of seventeen million dollars was accepted, certainly a let-down for Bone, considering his thirty-five-million-dollar asking price. Why William Bone took such a loss is still an open question, except that he may have just wanted out of Sycamore Ranch. Michael also got all of the furnis.h.i.+ngs and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century antiques as part of the purchase. A fully stocked wine cellar went along with the deal. Because Bone started causing a fuss and John knew that if he lost this deal, Michael would become a real liability in his life he came up with a clause in the sales agreement that allowed Bone to spend one week out of every year at the ranch for the next three years, subject to Michael's schedule. Therefore, Bone wouldn't feel that he was losing the property entirely. The sale was concluded, successfully. The press reported that Michael paid twenty-eight million dollars for the estate, which was fine with Michael, for obvious reasons.

The first thing Michael did was change the name of the ranch to 'Neverland Valley', though it is usually called, simply, Neverland. When Michael had to conduct business in Los Angeles, he would stay in a condominium he leased in Westwood, which he called his 'hide-out'. Otherwise, he would stay at Neverland, and never again at Hayvenhurst.

Leaving his parents' home was obviously a big deal for Michael. He was sad to leave his mother, but eager to view Joseph as someone to whom he no longer had any responsibility. Still, he couldn't actually face them with the news. In fact, he didn't tell them anything about his negotiation for Neverland Valley, nor did he tell them when it was purchased. Katherine and Joseph found out that Michael was leaving Hayvenhurst while watching the American television programme Entertainment Tonight. Entertainment Tonight. Panicked, Katherine telephoned Marlon to ask him if he knew anything about it. Marlon then called Michael. Michael said it wasn't true. Panicked, Katherine telephoned Marlon to ask him if he knew anything about it. Marlon then called Michael. Michael said it wasn't true.

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