Michael Jackson

by J. Randy Taraborrelli

  Because Joseph was nervous about his tenuous position with Michael, he reacted impulsively and hoped to force Michael's hand where Weisner and DeMann were concerned – thereby leaving him the only sure thing in his son's career, just as it had been in the past. ‘It's over,’ Joseph told Billboard magazine of Ron and Freddy. ‘My boys are not re-signing with them. There are a lot of leeches trying to break up the group,’ he observed, possibly referring to Ron and Freddy's continued emphasis on Michael's solo career. ‘A lot of people are whispering in Michael's ear, but we know who they are. They're only in it for the money.’ Then, as if to put pressure on Michael, he added, ‘I was there before it started, and I'll be there when it ends.’

  The brothers were not happy with Weisner and DeMann, anyway, because of all the attention the two had lavished upon Michael in recent months. For that matter, they wanted to leave Joseph, too. However, they were waiting for Michael – not Joseph – to make an announcement. They knew that there would be trouble now.

  They were right. Michael was angry with Joseph for taking matters into his own hands, and even more outraged that his father would talk to a reporter about their private business affairs. It was as if Joseph wanted the world to know what was happening so that Michael would then be reluctant to move against his own father. However, the more Joseph talked, the worse things got for him. ‘There was a time when I felt I needed white help in dealing with the corporate structure at CBS,’ Joseph explained. ‘And I thought Weisner-DeMann would be able to help. But they never gave me the respect you expect from a business partner.’

  For their part, Weisner and DeMann said to the press that, yes, they did have problems with Joseph, ‘but we have no problems with Michael or The Jacksons,’ and that Joseph had not been involved in any major business decisions in recent years. ‘We don't have a good relationship with him,’ Freddy admitted, ‘but I don't think he enjoys a good relationship with anyone whose skin is not black.’

  ‘People have called me a racist. I am not a racist,’ Joseph countered. ‘If I were a racist, I would not have hired a lot of white people to work for me. I'm not a racist. I'm an American. I gave my children one hundred per cent of my know-how, knowledge and time trying to develop them to be what they are today, and it has paid off and is still paying off.’

  Finally, Michael realized that too much was being said to the press, especially about race. He decided to cut to the chase and fire Weisner and DeMann; he was going to do it, anyway, so his father didn't really need to do anything but seal the deal. ‘They said Thriller would only go two million and it's way over that,’ Michael reasoned to John Branca. ‘So who needs them? They told me not to do Motown 25. And look what kind of bad advice that was.’

  John reminded Michael that he had not wanted to do the Motown special, anyway. Michael argued, ‘That's not the point. Ron and Freddy agreed with me when they should have tried to convince him otherwise. Do it,’ he told Branca. ‘They're finished.’

  Ron Weisner and Freddy DeMann got their walking papers from Michael on 22 June. Oddly, Ron had talked to Michael earlier that morning and, during their conversation, Michael acted as though no problem existed between them. When he then received the letter of dismissal from John Branca, Ron was astonished. Obviously, it wasn't the bravest way to handle the problem, having someone else do his dirty work, but for Michael it proved the easiest and, besides, John Branca made a lot of money doing the things Michael would rather not have to do himself. Though Michael may not have been influenced by Joseph's contentious nature, he was definitely his father's son when it came to dealing with those he felt crossed him, and he remains the same today: once someone falls from Michael's grace, that person disappears from his thoughts – as though he or she never existed.

  As for Joseph, Michael made a public statement to distance himself from his sentiments. ‘I don't know what would make him say something like that,’ Michael told a reporter, referring to Joseph's comments about ‘white help’.

  ‘To hear him talk like that turns my stomach. I don't know where he gets that from. I happen to be colour-blind. I don't hire colour. I hire competence. The individual can be of any race or creed as long as I get the best [representation]. Racism is not my motto.’

  With Ron and Freddy gone, and Joseph not re-signed, it looked like the number-one artist in the world, Michael Jackson, now had no manager. His team now consisted of his attorney and chief adviser, John Branca; his security man, Bill Bray; his accountant, Marshall Gelfand; and a secretary. When ‘Beat It’ and ‘Billie Jean’ were both in the Top Ten, Quincy Jones asked for a three-way-conference telephone call among himself, Michael and John Branca.

  ‘It's unbelievable what's happening here, Michael,’ Quincy said. ‘You need a manager, man. How could you fire Weisner and DeMann? What are you going to do now?’

  ‘Branca can handle it, Quincy,’ Michael said, according to Quincy's memory. ‘He's brilliant. I'm not nervous, why are you?’ Before Quincy could fully respond, Michael cut the conversation short and hung up.

  Later, Quincy telephoned John Branca.

  ‘John, I'm worried, man. This thing, Michael's career, it's like a plane with no pilot,’ he said. ‘This kid's career is in trouble.’

  John couldn't believe his ears. ‘What? He's got two records in the Top Ten and his career is in trouble?’ he asked with a laugh. ‘Hey man, don't worry about it. It's going to be fine.’

  Quincy was perplexed; he didn't understand how Michael was going to have a flourishing career without managerial guidance. If the sales of Thriller slowed down because there was no manager calling the shots, it would affect everybody's bank account, including Quincy's. However, at this time Michael was the Golden Child; the public was pulling for him, and the music spoke for itself.

  ‘Mike knows what he's doing,’ John told Quincy. ‘This kid is a genius. And we got CBS and Walter [Yetnikoff] covering the bases. All we have to do is follow Michael's instructions.’

  ‘But – ’ Quincy began again.

  John cut him off. ‘This is our chance, man, and I'm just gonna go on out there and kick ass for this kid because he's got it, Quincy. I love this kid and I just want to do his bidding.’

  Son vs. Father

  As angry as Michael was with Joseph, taking that next step – severing his professional relationship with him – was still difficult for him to do.

  Just as he had felt it important to give Berry Gordy a chance to redeem himself before the group took their first steps away from Motown, Michael now hoped his father would do something to ingratiate himself. However, Joseph simply couldn't rise to the challenge… mostly because he didn't even know he was being tested. Joseph never tried to impress his children. In his view, getting them to Los Angeles and making them stars had been impressive enough. He had proved himself, he felt, and that was the end of that.

  ‘He's finished,’ Michael decided of Joseph. Katherine may not have been able to get rid of him as a husband, but Michael was sure able to unload him as a manager. Once Michael Jackson made up his mind to fire someone, he stuck to the decision, no matter who the person was – even his own father.

  ‘Joseph knew it was coming,’ said Joseph's friend of fifteen years, Larry Anderson. ‘He knew his time was up.’

  Michael had John Branca draw up the official documents informing Joseph that his managerial services would no longer be required. Michael then left the house the day he knew they would be delivered by messenger. He stayed away from home until Joseph had time to get used to the idea. ‘It's not easy firing your father,’ he would later explain, in what was quite an understatement.

  In a rare show of unity, the brothers acted as one on this decision. They wanted Joseph out too and if Michael was prepared to take the first step they would follow suite. None of them renewed his contract with Joseph.

  Joseph was angry at first, but soon he was crushed. ‘I can't believe they're leaving me,’ he told Katherine. And his despair caused great conflict in Katherine.
Of course she was livid with him about his treatment of her; the divorce was still pending. However, her heart went out to him over the matter of their sons. ‘I knew how much he had done for them,’ she would later say, ‘and this… well, this was just plain suffering. I didn't want to see him suffer.’

  According to one of Michael's advisers, Michael had a meeting with Joseph in the living room of the Encino house to discuss the matter. Michel asked his adviser to be present because he didn't want to meet with Joseph alone.

  ‘The fact that you can't even talk to me unless you have this guy here,’ Joseph said, motioning to the adviser, ‘it hurts me, Michael. Do you know how it makes me feel?’ He had tears in his eyes; he looked broken. ‘You know how I feel about you. Why do I always have to say it?’

  Michael averted his eyes; he didn't even want to look at his father. ‘You never said it, Joseph,’ he said, venomously. ‘Don't act like you ever said it, even once, because you never said it.’

  ‘After all I've done for you and your brothers?’ Joseph asked. ‘Think about it. It's always been about you and your brothers. That's how I say it.’

  Michael shot him a look of disdain. ‘Oh yeah?’ he responded, bitterly. ‘And what about all you've done to Kate? What's that been about, Joseph?’

  Michael's comment set Joseph off, according to the witness's memory. ‘That ain't got nothin' to do with nothin',’ he said, raising his voice to a level that made Michael recoil. Joseph rose so that he was standing above his son, who was still seated. ‘My marriage has nothing to do with you, Michael,’ he shouted at him. ‘You know I love your mother. It's between her and me.’

  Michael stood up to face his father, his dark eyes were blazing. ‘It's between all of us, Joseph,’ he exclaimed. ‘If you can't see that, then I don't know what to tell you.’ He stormed out of the room.

  Joseph then turned on the adviser. ‘It's because of you,’ he said in a hurting but still furious voice. ‘You put this bullshit in my son's head and you're ruining our family. It's because of you.’ He then crumpled into a chair. Joseph appeared to be reeling as if, for him, all logic, fairness and common sense had suddenly been suspended and now… this. He put his face in his hands and sat in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief.

  In the summer of 1983, those Jacksons living at the Hayvenhurst estate – Michael, Janet, LaToya, and Joseph and Katherine – existed in a state of emotional siege. Imagine it: Michael had fired Joseph as his manager, yet they were still living in the same house together. Katherine had filed to divorce Joseph, yet he was sleeping down the hall. Of course, the sensible thing would have been for him to move out. However, Joseph wasn't going anywhere. The fact that he didn't even own the house any longer was irrelevant.

  ‘My father's very stern, very strict,’ LaToya complained to freelance writer Todd Gold at this time. ‘Deep down inside, he's a wonderful guy, but you have to know him. If you don't, you can get the wrong impression. You'd think that he's mean and whatever he says goes, which it does. Sometimes, though, if you really fight it out, you can have your way.’ She let out an exasperated sigh. ‘But it's just not worth it.’

  As soon as Joseph would leave the estate for a day of work elsewhere, a sense of relief washed over the premises. On Saturdays, for instance, when he went to visit Joh'Vonnie, the Hayvenhurst household came alive. LaToya told Todd Gold, ‘We invite lots of kids over and play some movies in the theatre, and the popcorn machine's going, the animals are all out, and everyone's dancing to music.’

  Throughout the week, Michael tried to make certain that he never crossed paths with Joseph. Should the two accidentally meet, a loud argument would be the inevitable result. Michael would end up in his room, sobbing, Katherine trailing him there. Joseph would follow. There would be shouting, then more crying. Doors would slam all around. The tension affected everyone; Janet and LaToya spent a lot of time in their bedrooms with their music turned up.

  Of course, the Jacksons may have been having tough personal times, but they were still the Jacksons and therefore lived with a sense of entitlement that was, sometimes, astounding. They all expected devotion from their staff; employees had no lives of their own. Steve Howell, Michael's videographer at the time, remembered what happened when he took a vacation to Lake Tahoe. ‘I was there with my girl and made the mistake of calling the house to see if everything was okay. “You have to get back here right away,” Bill Bray, Michael's security man, told me hysterically. “There's no television reception and Michael needs to watch TV! Get back here right away. So I cancelled the rest of my trip, flew back to Los Angeles, bee-lined it to the house, only to discover that the cable wire was unplugged. I plugged it into the wall and the TV went on, and Michael sat down to watch TV. “Thanks,” he said.’

  Good help was hard to find, even in Encino. At one point, money was stolen from one of the bedrooms. The Jacksons suspected a maid. They then began leaving money out in view, and would then sneak about and peer around corners to see who would take it. Ah-ha! It was the maid. Michael was the one who busted her; twenty bucks! After that, the family employees were often tested. Katherine would leave the alarm on the closet unarmed, the one in which she kept her minks, chinchillas, and other expensive furs. She would leave the door slightly ajar so anyone walking by could see what was inside. She would then stand very still at a nearby vantage point to see who expressed the most interest in the furs. That person would be scrutinized very carefully from then onward. ‘Keep your eye on that one,’ she would tell Michael. ‘I don't trust her as far as I can throw her.’ Perhaps this kind of surveillance kept their minds off their troubles with Joseph.

  During this time, outsiders were not welcome at Hayvenhurst, especially the press who might sniff out any trouble on the home front. Of course, persistent fans were always a problem. ‘I love my fans, but I'm afraid of them,’ Michael told photo journalist Dave Nussbaum. ‘Some of them will do anything to get to you. They don't realize that what they are doing might hurt you,’ Michael talked of a fan who had managed to get beyond the gate. ‘We woke up and found her sitting by the pool. She had jumped the gate. Luckily our dogs were caged at the time. They're usually out, and they would have destroyed her. We brought her inside. She demanded not to leave, in a very rude way, so we held her there until we had somebody come and take her out.’

  On his way out, the reporter asked Michael if he would like to join him for a bite to eat.

  ‘Oh, no,’ Michael said, shaking his head. ‘I can't go out there.’ He motioned beyond the electronic gate. ‘They'll get me for sure. They're around the corner, and they want to get their hands on me.’ The terror in his eyes seemed genuine. ‘I just don't want to go out there.’

  As Michael talked to the reporter, his security man, Bill Bray – a former police officer – stood nearby watching.

  Bray, who worked with Michael until his recent retirement, was formidable in his day. Once, when a Jackson employee left the estate, a fan slipped in as the gate opened.

  Steve Howell recalled, ‘I was talking to Mike in the front yard. It was about three in the afternoon. I remember the time of day because at three – when the kids got out of school – two guards went on duty, instead of one. Mike and I were talking, and the next thing I knew this girl walked up to us and said hello. Then, she gave him a big bear hug. With her back to me, Mike motioned to me with his arms helplessly as if to say, Who is this person? I was about to say something when, suddenly, I felt the air break. Something moved like – whoosh! – the speed of light. It was Bill Bray.

  ‘He grabbed that chick, smacked her to the ground, handcuffed her and dragged her out of there. The cops came, took her away. She was crying hysterically, probably scared to death. Michael took it all in, turned to me and without missing a beat, said, “So, anyway…” And we went back to talking like nothing had happened.

  ‘We had a lot of fifty-one fiftys around there, so that was nothing new.’ A 51–50, Steve Howell explained, was police terminology for a mentally u
nbalanced person.

  *

  How long could the siege continue? Joseph had a good deal of resolve and, as he may have put it at the time, ‘It will continue for as damn well long as I want it to continue.’

  Finally, Katherine had enough of the divorce drama – which was dragging on throughout this parallel family crisis. Years later, she explained her predicament. ‘I was stuck between a rock and a hard place,’ she recalled. ‘Even though I wanted Joe out, I didn't want to go public by having him forcibly removed. I knew that the press would jump on the story, and I couldn't bear the publicity. It was the strangest of times for me. Some days, just the sight of him would fill me with anger. Other times, I found myself talking to him as if nothing had ever happened between us.’

  After ten months, Katherine decided to withdraw the divorce papers. Without Joseph, she decided she would only lead an empty and shallow existence, anyway. She loved him still, she told herself, though she said she didn't know why she felt that way.

  ‘A part of me believes that a person hurts herself more than the person she's feuding with by holding a grudge. Also,’ she explained, ‘I subscribe to Christ's teaching on forgiveness. How many times, He said, do you forgive a person? Seventy times seven… as many as it takes.

  ‘But I'm not going to pretend that suddenly everything was the way it used to be between Joe and me,’ she concluded, perhaps somewhat romanticizing her tumultuous history with him. ‘Because it wasn't.’

  Putting Pressure on Michael

  Michael Jackson suspected that, with his parents now reconciled, Joseph might expect to be welcomed back into the fold not only as Katherine's husband, but also as the boys' manager. ‘And that's not gonna happen,’ he told Janet, according to her memory. ‘Mother may want him back, but I don't, and I don't think my brothers do, either. There's no way they'll let him back in.’