A Passion in My Soul

billie jean

Michael Jackson - Thriller

“I’m not like other guys…”

billie jean

Via Tc Tompkins.

Encino c.1981

August 29th, 1958. Happy 60th Birthday, Michael Jackson ♡  Forever and Always in our hearts.

♡

Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and the rest of the All-Star Choir recording session for Donna Summer’s song “State of Independence" (1982)

The All-Star Choir: Christopher Cross, James Ingram, Michael Jackson, Peggy Lipton Jones, Quincy Jones, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Lionel Richie, Brenda Russell, Donna Summer, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Dara Bernard and Dyan Cannon

Quincy Jones has claimed that this song laid the foundation for the group effort “We Are The World,” which was written by Jackson and Richie and was produced by Jones, who called upon many more of his famous friends for help.

Polaroid pictures of Michael Jackson at Disney World in December 1983

“It was at a McDonald’s near Disney World in Florida, back in 1984. The restaurant was packed. I was in the far, right line and I turned to the left. Michael was just walking in. He wore a hat, but not really any disguise. We had direct eye-to-eye contact. I smiled at him, and he gave me this huge smile back, then he got in line three rows over from me. I so wanted to go and talk to him, but I did not want to take the chance of giving him away. So I turned back around. A couple minutes later, Michael was there standing next to me, facing me. He had the biggest smile on his face! I turned toward him, and we are standing there face-to-face smiling at each other. Then he winked at me. Based on that, I knew he wanted to stand in line with me, so I moved over a few steps and we stood together in the same line. I noticed there was a man on the other side of him. I assumed it was a bodyguard. Then he turned toward the counter and pulled his hat way down on his face. I turned straight too. I wanted to talk to him so bad, but I didn’t think I could without him feeling obligated to answer me back, and I knew if anyone heard his voice, it would be very bad for him. We were in line for over ten minutes.

I felt bad for him as I could tell he was very nervous—the line was so slow. We were almost up to the counter when then there was this loud scream. I turned around and saw this little girl (who couldn’t have been more than six or seven) standing by a booth. She yelled, “There’s Michael Jackson!” I turned to Michael, but he was already about five feet from me running to the door. Then there was a stampede of people. It all happened so fast. I put my arms up in front of me and pushed my way through all these bodies. I can remember being surrounded by people coming at me, and all the pushing and shoving. I never even thought to run after Michael, I would never do that to anyone.

I made it to the counter and leaned back against it as most everyone in the restaurant ran after Michael. After they passed me, I had a good view of it all out the window. It was scary! I saw Michael running for his life and this mass of at least seventy or eighty people running at him. I can remember to this day, how my heart was pounding so hard and so fast. I was very afraid for Michael’s safety. Had one of those people pushed him down onto the pavement, he would have likely been trampled from all the people trying to get a piece of him. Michael did make it to the car, and got away. I was so thankful and relieved. I truly saw Michael in a different way after seeing what he had to go through.”   —At McDonalds Disneyworld, by Janice Frogel

“Michael can go out and perform before 90,000 people, but if I ask him to sing a song for me, I have to sit on the couch with my hands over my eyes and he goes behind the couch. He is amazingly shy.” — Quincy Jones