Michael Jackson, Inc.
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31. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 167.
32. Michael Jackson, interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson Talks to . . . Oprah Live, 1993, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1dTHdckzg.
33. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 106–108.
34. Neil Weinberg, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
35. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 114.
36. Emanuel Legrand, “International Publishing for Non-Publishers,” Midem Academy 2013, 4, http://www.midem.com/RM/RM_MidemEvent/documents/pdf/library/academics/midem-academy-emmanuel-legrand-international-publishing-non-publishers.pdf.
37. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
38. Joe Jackson, interview by author, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 2012.
39. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 115.
40. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
41. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 185.
42. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
CHAPTER THREE: EPIC CHANGES
1. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
2. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 177.
3. Joe Jackson, interview by author, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 2012.
4. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
5. Smokey Robinson, Smokey: Inside My Life, 212.
6. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 178.
7. Ibid., 185.
8. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 117–120.
9. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
10. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 128–129.
11. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
12. IMDB staff, “The Wiz,” IMDB, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078504/.
13. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 133.
14. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
15. Joel Schumacher, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
16. Susan Blond, electronic message to author, October 2013; interview by author, New York, New York, August 2012.
17. Joel Schumacher, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
18. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 136, 142, 150.
19. Quincy Jones, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones (New York: Doubleday, 2001), 232.
20. Bruce Swedien, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
21. Matt Forger, electronic message to author, June 2013.
22. Keith Jackson, interview by author, Gary, Indiana, July 2012.
23. Bruce Swedien, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
24. Roger Ebert, “The Wiz,” Chicago Sun Times, October 28, 1978.
25. Globe and Mail staff, “Film Drops a Great Yellow Brick,” Globe and Mail, October 28, 1978.
26. Adam Lee Davies, Tom Huddleston, David Jenkins and Anna Smith, “Cinema’s 50 Greatest Flops, Follies and Failures,” TimeOut London, http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/10340/.
27. IMDB staff, “The Wiz,” IMDB, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078504/.
28. Joel Schumacher, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
29. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
30. Stephen Holden, “Michael Jackson: Off the Wall,” Rolling Stone, November 1, 1979, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/off-the-wall-19791101.
31. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
32. Smokey Robinson, Smokey: Inside My Life, 212.
33. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 152.
34. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
CHAPTER FOUR: EMPIRE BUILDING
1. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
2. Karen Langford, telephone conversation with author, July 2013.
3. John Branca, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2012.
4. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
5. John Branca, telephone conversation with author, April 2013; Entertainment Law Initiative speech, Beverly Hills, California, February 2012.
6. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
7. Guardian staff, “Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ Voted Best Video,” The Guardian, July 31, 2001, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/jul/31/2.
8. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 176.
9. Michael Jackson, “Learning from the Past,” unpublished notes (circa 1987), dictated to author by Karen Langford via telephone, July 2013.
10. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 147, 176.
11. Matt Forger, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
12. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 180.
13. Matt Forger, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
14. Quincy Jones, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, 236–237.
15. Matt Forger, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
16. Bruce Swedien, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
17. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 198.
18. Matt Forger, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
19. Quincy Jones, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, 238–239.
20. Bruce Swedien, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
21. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
22. Freddie DeMann staff member (name unknown), telephone conversation with author, July 2013.
23. Ron Weisner, telephone conversation with author, September 2013.
24. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
CHAPTER FIVE: KISSING THE MONSTER
1. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
2. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
3. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
4. Michigan.gov staff, “US Motor Vehicle Sales,” Michigan.gov, date unknown, http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/Issues/MOTORVEH/MOTORVE1.html.
5. Christopher Connelly, “Thriller,” Rolling Stone, January 28, 1983, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/thriller-19830128.
6. Billboard staff, “Thriller,” Billboard, December 11, 1982, http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/others/thriller-937199.story.
7. John Rockwell, “Michael Jackson’s Thriller: Superb Job,” New York Times, December 19, 1982, http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/19/arts/michael-jackson-s-thriller-superb-job.html.
8. Walter Yetnikoff, Howling at the Moon (New York: Broadway Books, 2004), 153–154.
9. Jay Cocks, “Sing a Song of Seeing,” Time, December 26, 1983.
10. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 200.
11. Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite, interview by author, Brooklyn, New York, January 2013.
12. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
13. Paul Grein, “Chartbeat,” Billboard, February 26, 1983.
14. Paul Grein, “Jackson and Q in View; The British Are Coming,” Billboard, March 5, 1983.
15. Billboard staff, “ ‘Billie Jean’ Gets Her MTV,” Billboard, March 26, 1983.
16. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
17. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 204.
18. John Kellogg, interview by author, Boston, Massachusetts, January 2013.
19. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
20. Michael Jackson, “Motown 25 Performance of Billie Jean,” unpublished notes (circa 1983), dictated to author by Karen Langford via telephone, July 2013.
21. Michael Jackson, interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson
Talks to . . . Oprah Live, 1993, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1dTHdckzg.
22. Michael Jackson, spoken interlude, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, 1983.
23. Michael Jackson, “Motown 25 Performance of Billie Jean,” unpublished notes (circa 1983), dictated to author by Karen Langford via telephone, July 2013.
24. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
25. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 213.
26. Jay Cocks, “Sing a Song of Seeing,” Time, December 26, 1983.
27. Joseph Vogel, Man in the Music (New York: Sterling, 2011), 67–68.
28. Kevin Liles, interview by author, New York, New York, August 2012.
29. Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges, interview by author, New York, New York, June 2012.
30. Matt Forger, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
31. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
32. Myrna Oliver, “Milton Rudin; Hollywood Attorney,” Los Angeles Times, December 16, 1999, http://articles.latimes.com/1999/dec/16/news/mn-44506.
33. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
34. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
35. Nancy Griffin, “The ‘Thriller’ Diaries,” Vanity Fair, July 2010, http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/07/michael-jackson-thriller-201007?printable=true¤tPage=2.
36. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
37. Bob Pittman, electronic message to author, January 2013.
38. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
39. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
40. John Branca, telephone conversation with author, April 2013; interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
41. Michael Jackson, “Thriller” music video, 1983, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA.
42. Gayle Gaviola, electronic message to author, September 2013.
43. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
44. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
45. Tom O’Neil, “Flashback: Michael Jackson’s Historic Grammy Triumph for ‘Thriller,’ ” Los Angeles Times, June 26, 2009.
46. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
47. Walter Yetnikoff, Howling at the Moon, 159.
48. Jessica Erskine, electronic message to author, September 2013.
49. Ronald Reagan, speech introducing Michael Jackson, 1984, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEmj9MTqoGk.
50. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
51. Author’s note: In our March 2013 interview, Yetnikoff didn’t recall giving Jackson his masters back. Then again, he admits his memory of the 1980s is spotty, as evidenced by the following interchange that occurred when we discussed the Motown 25 special.
Yetnikoff: It probably did spike sales . . . what year was that?
Greenburg: 1983.
Yetnikoff: I was drunk.
CHAPTER SIX: THE BUSINESS OF VICTORY
1. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
2. John Branca, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, February 2013.
3. Joe Jackson, interview by author, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 2012.
4. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 238.
5. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 243.
6. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
7. Ben Sisario, “Frank Dileo, Michael Jackson’s Manager, Dies at 63,” New York Times, August 24, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/arts/music/frank-dileo-michael-jacksons-manager-dies-at-63.html.
8. Robert Hilburn, “The Long and Winding Road,” Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1985.
9. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
10. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 247.
11. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
12. Edward C. Baig, “The Can-Do Promoter of the Jacksons Tour,” Fortune, August 20, 1984.
13. Cynthia Minor, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
14. John Branca, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2012.
15. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 245.
16. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 236.
17. Karen Langford, telephone conversation with author, July 2013.
18. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 237–238.
19. Susan Blond, interview by author, New York, New York, August 2012.
20. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 247.
21. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
22. Bruce Swedien, telephone conversation with author, November 2012.
23. Author’s note: Over the course of his career, Jermaine Jackson actually released three self-titled albums—Jermaine, Jermaine (yes, again) and Jermaine Jackson—as well as another called My Name Is Jermaine (at least there was only one Precious Moments).
24. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
25. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 256.
26. Cynthia Minor, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
27. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 245.
28. Cynthia Minor, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
29. Michael Cohl, telephone conversation with author, September 2013.
30. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 259, 263.
31. Cynthia Minor, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
32. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
33. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 242.
34. Cynthia Minor, telephone conversation with author, October 2012.
35. Jermaine Jackson, You Are Not Alone, 273.
36. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
37. Michael Cohl, telephone conversation with author, September 2013.
38. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
39. Karen Langford, telephone conversation with author, July 2013.
40. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
41. Linda Moss, “Jeans to Jackson,” Crain’s New York Business, June 2, 1986.
42. Monte Burke, “Unlikely Dynasty,” Forbes, September 19, 2005.
43. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012.
44. Monte Burke, “Unlikely Dynasty,” Forbes, September 19, 2005.
45. Charles Sullivan, interview by author, New York, New York, September 2012; electronic message to author, June 2013.
CHAPTER SEVEN: BUYING THE BEATLES
1. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
2. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
3. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk, 189.
4. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
5. Karen Langford, telephone conversation with author, July 2013.
6. Les Bider, telephone conversation with author, October 2013.
7. John Branca, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2012; telephone conversation with author, April 2013.
8. Andrew Ross Sorkin, “Berry Gordy Sells EMI a Stake in Catalogue of Motown Songs,” New York Times, July 2, 1997.
9. Berry Gordy, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2013.
10. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
11. Louis Kraar, “Australia’s Acquisitive Recluse,” Fortune, August 19, 1985, http://m
oney.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1985/08/19/66315/index.htm.
12. Yoko Ono, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
13. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012. Author’s note: Eastman doesn’t remember any such conversation. “Michael Jackson’s people never called me,” he told me when reached for comment via telephone.
14. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
15. Joe Jackson, interview by author, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 2012.
16. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
17. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, March 2013.
18. Tom Barrack, telephone conversation with author, August 2013.
19. Michael Jackson, unpublished memo (circa 1985); see appendix.
20. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
21. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
22. Ibid.
23. John Branca, interview by author, Beverly Hills, California, August 2012.
24. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013
25. J. Randy Taraborrelli, Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, 337.
26. Paul McCartney, interview with David Letterman, The Late Show, July 15, 2009, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4cVsqUF7GQ.
27. John Branca, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2012.
28. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
29. John Branca, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2012; telephone interview by author, October 2013; telephone conversation with author, April 2013.
30. Dale Kawashima, telephone conversation with author, December 2012.
31. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
32. Walter Yetnikoff, interview by author, New York, New York, April 2013.
33. Marty Bandier, interview by author, New York, New York, January 2013.
CHAPTER EIGHT: DANCING WITH THE STARS
1. Author’s observation, Anaheim, California, February 2013.
2. Author’s note: this figure includes the cost of upgrading theaters to accommodate Captain EO.
3. John Branca, electronic message to author, February 2012.
4. Rusty Lemorande, interview by author, Anaheim, California, February 2013.