Transcripts

Michael Jackson on His Father, Joe Jackson

Michael Jackson: He did a brilliant job with training me for the stage as an artist, but [as a] father he was very, very strict. I hate to judge him, but I would have done things a lot different as a father. I never felt love from him. I remember being on the airplane and they used to have to carry me on the plane because I hated turbulence and I would be screaming and kicking because we would take off in storms. I remember it very clearly. He would never hold me or touch me and the stewardesses would have to come and hold my hand and caress me.

Michael Jackson on Aging

MJ: I don’t want a long [life]. . . I don’t like, I don’t, I don’t. I think growing old is the ugliest, the most, the ugliest thing. When the body breaks down and you start to wrinkle, I think it’s so bad. I don’t, that’s something I don’t understand...And I never want to look in the mirror and see that. I don’t understand it. I really don’t. And people say that growing old is beautiful and it’s this and that. I disagree. I totally do.

Michael Jackson on Children

MJ: My greatest dream that I have left—I have accomplished my dreams with music and all that and I love music and entertainment—is this children’s initiative, is this thing that we are doing. But, um, ’cause I don’t care about [anything else], I really don’t, I don’t care about [career], I honestly don’t... What keeps me going is children, or else I would, I would seriously. . . I’ve told you this before, I swear to God I mean every word. I would, I would just throw in the towel if it wasn’t for children or babies. And that’s my real, my honest [answer]. . . and I’ve said it before, if it weren’t for children, I would choose death. I mean it with all my heart.

Michael Jackson on Fame

MJ: I am going to say something I have never said before and this is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you and God knows I am telling the truth. I think all my success and fame and I have wanted it, I have wanted it because I wanted to be loved. That’s all. That’s the real truth. I wanted people to love me, truly love me, because I never really felt loved. I said I know I have an ability. Maybe if I sharpened my craft, maybe people will love me more. I just wanted to be loved because I think it is very important to be loved and to tell people that you love them and to look in their eyes and say it.