Michael's friendship with Katherine Hepburn

From a new book coming out April 16.  In the Company of Legends, by Joan Kramer and David Heeley. 

"... he invited me to one of his concerts at Madison Square Garden."

Soon after 8 p.m., the show started.  But as with most rock concerts, the main attraction isn't the first one to appear.  So as the clock ticked away, Kate became increasingly angry. 

"Let's go," she said.  "He's late and I don't want to wait any longer.  Kate was with her great-niece who encouraged her to wait.
And then, finally, out he came.  Hepburn was horrified by his erotic pelvic moves and the volume level of the whole performance.

She said, "Let's get out of here  I don't ever want to see him again.  He's vulgar." Again, her great-niece encouraged her to go backstage.

A frenzied melee erupted when Katherine went backstage to see Michael.  In a voice everyone could hear, she said, "Michael, what was that?  Asinine and lewd." 

I'm sorry, Miss Hepburn," Michael said, "but that's what I do when I perform on stage." 

"Well take my advice.  Don't ever do it again."





Read more here:
http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/inside-katharine-hepburn-and-michael-jackson-s-secret-friendship-54808


Michael was a master on stage and he knew what worked. 

Michael's powerful message

“We have to heal our wounded world. The chaos, despair, and senseless destruction we see today are a result of the alienation that people feel from each other and their environment.”~Michael Jackson



As I read more of  Michael's quotes on our journey to find the perfect quote  for our 6th tribute I am struck once again how wise Michael was.  He was so attuned to the world we live in, from a very young age.  Michael really was a messenger of peace and love. Now it's up to us to continue to spread his words to heal our world not just in words but in practice.

Join us in our 6th tribute to Michael on June 25, 2015    Peace

The Facebook page with more info
https://www.facebook.com/events/1541824662747280/

Sweep Around Your Own Front Door...re: john legend on Michael

John Legend's uneducated tweet just shortly after Michael passed has surfaced again recently. 


from July 09, 2009  @johnlegend


"I wonder what young black kids are thinking now as we glorify MJ who went through such lengths to change his complexion and have white kids
interesting to think about in the context of the comments about the complexion of the kids at the pool.
Just to be clear, I’m very much an MJ fan and I believe he should be celebrated. Just acknowledging that there were some troubling and sad aspects of his life that should at least be thought-provoking to us.
Ok, enough “deep thoughts” for tonight. Hope I didn’t offend w/ the MJ thoughts. I truly appreciate and respect him as an artist…
And my comments were in no way meant as a diss to him. Just looking at bigger questions that came to mind with the Philly incident"

Then in 2013
John treasures meeting the late king of pop, Michael Jackson in Bahrain before his death.
“He’s the soundtrack to people’s lives,” John said about Michael Jackson. “I was at a dinner with him in Bahrain during the Formula One. We talked about music, traveling… you know, international musicians small talk.”

 Another interview done about the same time in 2013.  Same words but with a little variation...

John Legend says Michael Jackson is the ultimate legend.

The musician gushed about the late King of Pop in a new interview, claiming he is one of the greatest people ever. John can't believe he was lucky enough to meet him.

"He's the soundtrack to people's lives," Legend exclaimed to British magazine Marie Claire.

"I was at a dinner with him in Bahrain during the Formula One. We talked about music, traveling... you know, international musicians small talk."


After some research this morning, this is all I could come up with along with comments about that tweet and a short clip about him writing a song with Will.I.am  for Michael.  No mention of an apology for that insensitive and ignorant tweet. 

As I said in my FB post, it is disappointing when those who have a platform to educate, inspire, and inform the masses don't use it to their best advantage to benefit as many as possible.

In the past almost 6 years, I am guessing John (so not a ) Legend, has not heard anything about the autopsy or the doctor's report confirming that Michael did indeed have vitiligo.

Here is a  snip from a response to that tweet back in 2009, that was funny and right on. Link to the full article will be here.

I'm not sure who the author is but it is from Yazmar.com on July 10, 2009
"Legend had diarrhea of the mouth, and decided to add his 2 cents about Michael Jackson's appearance on his twitter.  I'm not understanding the issue, because at least one doctor has come forth to say Michael had Lupus, and was being treated for an auto-immune disease which causes vitiligo and skin deterioration, so what's all the fuss about?"

http://www.yazmar.com/2009/07/10/john-legend-throws-dirt-on-michael-jackson/


and I do have the complete picture of Michael and john, but I felt that much was sufficient...

Peace

Spike Lee Projects on Michael

Not only is Spike Lee working on the documentary for 'Off The Wall',  but he also has another MJ movie in the works. I loved the BAD documentary.  Especially the footage of Michael in concert and in the studio.


“Definitely,” he said, “I have a script that's a mutherf*cker. I just gotta get the money for it. It's called ‘Brooklyn Loves MJ.’ So if we get the money for that, you'll like that too.” “Brooklyn Loves MJ,” which we've written about previously, is a Cain and Abel-esque story set against a backdrop of gentrification in Lee’s Fort Greene neighborhood during the summer of '09, when fans were mourning Jackson's death.


I am so looking forward to the 'Off The Wall' documentary and 'Brooklyn Loves MJ' sounds amazing too.   While I go back and forth regularly on which is my favorite album,  'Off The Wall' is pretty consistently my number 1.


Read the full story here:  http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/spike-lee-will-follow-up-bad-25-with-a-doc-about-michael-jacksons-off-the-wall-record-20150218

Revolutions 2, The Art of Music Exhibition at Forest Lawn

This is the picture of Michael in the exhibit

Beginning February 6, 2015, Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale has a new exhibition entitled "Revolutions 2 ~ The Art of Music".  

This exhibition is a collection of music memorabilia that includes concert posters, tickets, album cover art, photographs, paintings and sketches and ink drawings of musicians from just about every genre from Blues Legends like Bo Diddley, Billie Holiday, and Muddy Waters.

The collection includes Michael Jackson.  There are only 2 items that are Michael.  One is a large 8 ft by 5.5 ft painting of the "Michael" album cover by Kadir Nelson.  It's large but definitely not the largest piece in the exhibit.  There is one other item of Michael and it is a framed 8 x 10 of Michael, Marlon, Randy, and Janet from 1970.  I was hoping there would be more and something really great of Michael so I was a little disappointed.

This is the painting.  I went in wishing there was a painting by Nate Giorgio.  This one doesn't quite capture Michael.  Each drawing is a little off. Even the drawings of Paris and Blanket are not quite right.  Hopefully one day we will get a great exhibit of great art of Michael.

The exhibit is heavy on Jimi Hendrix, The Beatls, Kiss, The Rolling Stones, Canned Heat,  and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

There are busts of both Quincy Jones and Lena Horne that are very nice.  There is also a cast of Lionel Richie and his father's hands entwined.  There are large portraits of Tina Turner, George Harrison, Miles Davis, Lyle Lovett, George Harrison, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Madonna.

My favorites from the exhibition would have to be the picture of Michael, Marlon, Randy, and Janet, an amazing drawing of Jimi Hendrix entitled "Merman", an ink drawing of the Nat King Cole Trio from 1947 and the portrait of Miles Davis.

Playing during the exhibition is a video from Live Aid.  I was told there is a little bit of Michael from the recording of "We Are The World" in the beginning of one of the dvds but they couldn't find it.  I offered to bring in one of my Michael dvds but they weren't interested.  :) 

The exhibit is free of charge and runs until August 3.  No photography allowed.  The large painting of Michael is right in front of where the employee sits.  They probably put that one there because they know MJ fans will try to take a picture.