When ‘Rock with You’ also made number one, and then ‘Off the Wall’ and ‘She's Out of My Life’ both went to number ten, Michael became the first solo artist to have four Top Ten singles from one album in America. In Britain, Off the Wall also made recording history with five hits released from a single album. Although it would sell six million copies worldwide, it never went beyond number three in the US and number five in the UK. Michael was excited but cautious. ‘It's a start,’ he said.
Joseph was a bit concerned. ‘This thing with Michael, it's good,’ he said to one of the family's attorneys. ‘I'm proud of the kid, but I'm worried.’
‘About what?’ asked the lawyer.
‘Too much independence,’ Joseph said. ‘It's not good.’
‘You know, throughout history, stars have left groups,’ said the attorney. ‘Sammy Davis left his family. Diana left The Supremes. Smokey left The Miracles. It happens. You can't keep a good star down.’
Joseph shook his head. ‘Not in this family, it doesn't happen,’ he said. ‘Michael knows. He knows,’
When Off the Wall won only one Grammy (in an R'B category), Michael was crushed. ‘It bothered me,’ he said. ‘I cried a lot. My family thought I was going crazy, because I was weeping so much about it.’
‘He was so disappointed,’ Janet concurred. ‘I felt bad for him. But he finally said, “You watch. The next album I do, you just… I'll show them.”’
For his part, though, Joseph wasn't so disappointed. ‘I think it's good to keep things in perspective,’ he said, privately. ‘The boy doesn't need more success, he needs to get into the studio with his brothers. That's what he needs.’
Michael Turns Twenty-one…
and Gets His Own Lawyer
On 29 August 1979, Michael Jackson turned twenty-one. Even though he, as a Jehovah's Witness, did not celebrate his birthdays, we in the media did, especially the important ones. I had interviewed Michael for magazine articles to mark important age milestones – ‘Michael Turns 16’, ‘Michael Turns 18’ and even ‘Michael Turns 20’ – so I was happy to meet with him once again for, yes, ‘Michael Turns 21’. It was a turning point in his life, and he felt it in a keen way. He had come of age, was about to take his life and career into his own hands. ‘I really feel that being a man is doing exactly what you want to do in this life and to do it successfully and to conquer a goal,’ he told me. ‘Age is just a number, I know. I'm no more a man now than I was yesterday. But, still, it means something to me to be twenty-one. I've seen a lot, done a lot. However, now I think things will be different for me, better.
‘To me, Walt Disney is a real man,’ he observed. ‘Charlie Chaplin, a real man. Fred Astaire, a real man. Bill Robinson, a real man. Not only did they achieve goals, but look at how much joy they gave other people. People looked up to them. I want people to look up to me, too. They made paths. I want to make one, too. That's what being a man means to me.’
Just days after I interviewed Michael, he and Joseph had an argument, one more bitter than any in recent memory. Michael decided that the time had come to make it clear to his father that he wanted more control over his career. Joseph didn't like being criticized by Michael, but he asked for it. When he inquired as to the problems Michael had with the way things had gone in the past, Michael gave him a list of grievances. In part, he didn't like the way the situation with Jermaine had been handled, wasn't satisfied with the way the group had left Motown, and was also unhappy with the recent CBS product, with the exception of Off the Wall. Wisely, Michael kept it all about business; he left out personal complaints and certainly didn't address the subject of Joseph's blatant unfaithfulness to Katherine.
‘I let you make that movie, didn't I?’ Joseph shot back at him. ‘This is how you repay me?’
‘You didn't let me make that movie,’ Michael answered, his eyes blazing. ‘I'm a grown-up now, Joseph. I'm Michael Jackson. I make my own decisions.’
‘Why, you little…’ Joseph lifted his hand and was about to smack his son, just like old times. However, he changed his mind. Michael gave him a defiant look and walked away.
Joseph was as hurt as he was angry. He thought Michael was being far too critical of him as a manager, and couldn't imagine how he had ended up with a son who was such an ingrate. When Michael said he was going to meet with an attorney to investigate his ‘options’, Joseph was crushed. Prior to this time, Michael and his siblings only used Joseph's attorneys and accountants. Now that Michael wanted his own representation, Joseph felt as if his son didn't trust him. Of course, Michael didn't trust him. Michael had more than a million dollars in his own bank account now, as a result of Off the Wall, and he wanted to hang on to it. He realized that money was power, and if he wished to break away from the family it was his bank account that would best support that effort – not Joseph, and not his brothers. All of this information was a rude awakening for Joseph. ‘All right, fine. If that's what you want,’ he said, defeated. Wisely, he didn't want to further antagonize his son. He hoped that Michael would not follow through with the idea, that this particular storm would blow over. He was wrong.
Michael's accountant, Michael Mesnick – who also represented the Beach Boys – arranged for Michael to meet with three entertainment lawyers and choose the one he liked best. First on the list was John Branca, a thirty-one-year-old native New Yorker with a background in corporate tax law and music industry negotiations for performers such as the Beach Boys, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan. Bright, young, aggressive and determined, John was eager to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
Because he was more a rock and roll fan, John was only vaguely familiar with Michael's music and career. However, when he checked with his colleagues he was told that Michael was perceived by the music industry as someone with the potential to be a superstar. John was intrigued. He thought that Michael might be an artist he could take to the next level. At the same time, he felt that an association with Michael could establish his own career as an attorney.
John recalled that his meeting with Michael was a bit unusual. Michael took his sunglasses off only once, at the beginning when he eyed John and asked if the two had previously met. When they established that they hadn't, Michael smiled and put his sunglasses back on. Michael Mesnick asked John a list of questions, and Michael listened to the answers. At first, he seemed shy and uncomfortable. Finally, when he began to relax, he told John that the reason he needed representation was that he wanted independence from his family, ‘once and for all,’ and especially from his father. At that time, The Jacksons had a group contract with Epic; Michael said he wanted one for himself as a solo artist, as well as a member of The Jacksons. Also, he wanted all of his business affairs reviewed, including his publishing deal and his record sales.
John was enthusiastic, full of valuable information and eager to assist in any way possible. He was also, as far as Michael was concerned, the right man for the job. After the meeting, Michael cancelled the other two interviews, and hired John Branca. John was impressed with Michael's total belief in himself, he said, later. It was infectious; John could not wait to get started working for him.
Early in their relationship Michael confided in John his two principal goals: first of all, he said, he wanted to be ‘the biggest star in show business’. Secondly, he wanted to be ‘the wealthiest’. He told John that he was angry that Off the Wall had only garnered one Grammy nomination. ‘I sold five million in the US, six million foreign. That's a big record,’ he told him. ‘It was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year, and it can never happen again.’
Michael was frustrated by what he saw as a lack of respect from the entertainment industry. For instance, he felt he deserved to be on the cover of Rolling Stone and asked his publicist, Norman Winter, to try to arrange it. ‘We would very much like to do a major piece on Michael Jackson but feel it is not a cover story,’ was publisher Jann Wenner's response in a letter to Winter (dated 27 November 1979).
When Michael s
aw that letter, he became exasperated. ‘I've been told over and over again that black people on the covers of magazines don't sell copies,’ he complained. ‘Just wait. Someday those magazines are going to be begging me for an interview. Maybe I'll give them one. And maybe I won't.’
For the next twenty-odd years, John Branca would, unarguably, be the single most important figure in Michael Jackson's career. He would negotiate every business deal for him, become a trusted friend and adviser, and see to it that this talented kid from Gary realized both of his goals.
John's first course of action was to renegotiate Michael's CBS contract with the company's president, Walter Yetnikoff. John managed to secure for Michael the highest royalty rate in the business at that time: thirty-seven per cent of a hundred per cent of wholesale, which was the same rate given to Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan. He also made a deal with Walter and with The Jacksons' legal representation, John Mason, that Michael could leave The Jacksons at any time in the future. John Branca worked it out that if Michael did leave the group, CBS would still be obligated to record The Jacksons without him. It was a nice gesture and one that placated Joseph. He fully believed that without Michael the group could continue because, as he had been putting it for years, ‘It's not all about Michael.’ Of course, Joseph must have known better, but his focus was always on family.
From this point on, legally and thanks to John Branca, Michael Jackson would never have to record another song with his brothers, unless he truly wanted to do it. Obviously, the Jackson brothers weren't happy with Michael's new independence, but the full ramifications of the deal would not hit them for a while. They were accustomed to Michael doing solo albums, and still felt secure that he would remain with the group. (Of course, in structuring Michael's freedom, he and John Branca had not considered the ‘Katherine factor’, soon to come into play: if the brothers would want Michael to do something he didn't want to do, they would learn to ask their mother to intervene.)
Michael's new deal was impressive, so much so that his brother, Randy, who suddenly had solo aspirations, decided that he wanted to hire John Branca. During a lunch meeting with him, John asked Michael what he thought of the idea. ‘I think it stinks,’ Michael told him, according to the attorney's memory. ‘I can't believe it. I do this one thing for myself, hiring you, and now they're all gonna try to weasel in on it. You wait, first Randy. Next, you'll be hearing from Jackie. Probably Tito wants to do a record, too.’
‘Are you saying you don't want me to represent Randy?’ John asked with a smile. He couldn't help but be bemused by Michael's adamant reaction (not to mention the notion of Tito Jackson making a record).
‘What I'm saying,’ Michael told him, his voice crisp and cool, ‘is that I don't want you representing Randy, Jackie, Tito or anyone else with the last name Jackson, ever. If you do, then we'll be finished, you and I.’
‘You got it,’ John agreed.
‘Oh, and another thing,’ Michael added. ‘I don't want Randy to know that this is my decision,’ Michael added. ‘I want you to make it look like it's yours.’
‘Cool,’ John said. The two shook hands. They were developing trust in one another, and nothing could come of such faith but the very best that the record business had to offer – for both of them.
Joseph's Secret
Many people today think of Michael Jackson as an enigma. It's ironic that, twenty-some years ago, his father, Joseph, was thought of in exactly the same way – if not by the public, most certainly by his family and friends. ‘Sometimes, I think he leads a double life,’ Michael said of his father back then. ‘He is a very mysterious person.’ Of course, Joseph's other life involved the women with whom he had assignations outside of his marriage. But was there more? In 1980, office employees at Joseph Jackson Productions began to suspect that their boss was trying to hide more than just infidelity.
By early 1980, a nineteen-year-old employee named Gina Sprague had become particularly close to Joseph. Gina is of Mexican-English-Irish descent. At five feet five, one hundred pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair, she was vivacious, intelligent and gorgeous. Joseph was taken by her. However, she insists that she and Joseph were not having an affair, though many Jackson intimates do not believe her. They were, she says, just close friends. ‘He needed a friend,’ she said. ‘He was so estranged from his family. Sometimes, he would need to talk. I was there for him. I knew he had a reputation of being a womanizer, but that is not what our relationship was about.
‘If he believed in you, he gave you enough strength and courage to try and attain your goal, even if you didn't think you could do it. Once I knew him, I could understand why the family had become superstars. I had to remind Joseph that he should be proud. I used to tell him, “Sure, Michael and the rest get all of the attention, but look at where they came from.”
‘“The kid hates my guts,” he said of Michael. I said, “Joseph, that's not true.” He said, “You haven't seen the way he looks at me.” There were tears in his eyes. “The kid hates me, Gina. Hates my guts. They all do.”
‘One thing that struck me very strange is that Michael and his brothers and sisters called him Joseph,’ she recalled. ‘The first time Janet came into my office she was about thirteen. She walked in and, in a very flip manner, said, “Hello. Where's Joseph?” Or Michael would call. “Hello, Gina, this is Michael. Is Joseph there?” And I would say, “Your father is in a meeting at the moment.”’
One day Gina, concerned about Joseph's recent mercurial behaviour and mysterious disappearances, asked him what was going on in his life. ‘I'm not gonna tell you,’ he said with some hesitation. ‘Instead, I'll show you.’
Joseph then drove Gina to a building in a suburban Los Angeles neighbourhood where he introduced Gina to Cheryl Terrell. Then, a small African-American child of about six years of age came bounding into the living room. ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ she exclaimed.
‘There she is,’ Joseph said with a big smile. ‘My little girl.’ He scooped the child up in his arms and hugged her tightly.
As he later explained it, Joe and Cheryl Terrell had an affair in 1973. The result of that relationship was a daughter, Joh'Vonnie, born in Los Angeles on 30 August 1974, the day after Michael's sixteenth birthday. Joseph Walter Jackson's name appears on the birth certificate. His occupation is listed as ‘entertainment manager’. His age was recorded as forty-six at the time of the baby's birth; the mother's age, twenty-six.
Joseph kept the secret for many years but by 1980 he had decided to tell his family about his daughter. He wanted to become more involved in her upbringing and wanted her to be recognized as a member of the family.
After breaking the ice with Gina, Joseph gathered his sons together in a dressing room after a performance to tell them that they had a half-sister. One can only wonder what he thought their reaction to such news might be – and why he decided to tell them the news before telling Katherine? Of course, they were all upset. The sons then told the daughters, who were also hurt and angry. The children then wrestled with the question of how to tell Katherine, or, if they even should tell her. What a burden it was for them to have this information. In the end, according to LaToya, one of the brothers – it's not known which one – told Katherine. Of course, she was overcome with understandable emotions.
After she and Joseph had it out, there was nothing to do but deal with the situation as it existed. As a practical woman committed to family values, Katherine put her feelings aside and agreed that Joseph had a responsibility to Joh'Vonnie and to her mother. As a way of providing for them, she and Joseph purchased a three-bedroom home in Van Nuys, a suburb of Los Angeles, for $169,000. As a trustee of his daughter's estate, Joseph then signed the property over to Joh'Vonnie. She and her mother then moved into the home. Katherine could do no more than that. Her nephew, Tim Whitehead (Tim's mother was Katherine's sister, Hattie, and his father is Joseph's stepbrother, Vernon), said, ‘Joseph wanted the child to be accepted into the family, but there was no way that was
going to happen, I'm afraid. It was too painful for my aunt, and for the children. This was difficult, heartbreaking.’
According to Jerome Howard, Joseph's and Katherine's former finances manager, ‘Katherine told me she went into the grocery store one day and saw Joseph's girlfriend and the daughter. She said she just stood there, frozen. “Jerome, the girl looks exactly like Joseph,” she said.’
Though Katherine seemed to be acting in a logical and sensible manner, she was not as unfazed by the news of Joh'Vonnie's existence as she may have wanted people to believe. Michael would indicate later that it was at this time that he sensed an emotional transformation in his mother. She rarely smiled during these days. Her temper would flare over unimportant matters. She ever swore from time to time, which was unusual, and had called Joh'Vonnie a ‘bastard’. When Michael protested, she suggested that if he looked up the word in the dictionary, he would find that she was using it properly. Apparently, Joseph's indiscretions had worn her down, chipped away at her self-esteem, her pride. She now sometimes seemed bitter and angry.
Even though Katherine was going through an ordeal, and the family was being torn apart by the recent turn of events, the Jacksons had no choice but to continue to express a strong sense of unity to the media. Public relations was an important consideration. The family had been turning away from reality and toward image-making ever since they arrived in Los Angeles from Gary. However, for Michael, nothing would ever be the same. Joseph's actions had resulted in the ultimate betrayal of his mother, indeed his entire family, and Michael would have a difficult time dealing with his father on any level, for many years. Despite what people may have thought, Michael somehow expected more from his father.
Though Katherine was clearly angry, and had good reason to be, she was a religious woman who desperately wanted to be a forgiving Jehovah's Witness. She would not confide in anyone about her fury, would not discuss her hurt over what had happened with Cheryl Terrell and Joh'Vonnie. It was just a matter of time before her suppressed rage would erupt, especially when she heard rumours in the summer of 1980 that Joseph was having an affair with Gina Sprague, the woman in whom he had first confided about Joh'Vonnie. Some of her friends felt that Katherine Jackson was much like a time bomb, ticking, ticking, ticking… about to explode.
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