Michael Jackson_ The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story, 1958-2009 Part 22

The Koppelman and Bandier offer was being financed by the MCA company, so John made a telephone call to the head of the company, Irving Azoff. 'Man, you can't give these guys money to buy this catalogue,' John told Irving. 'Did you know that they're competing against Michael for it? Remember, you were a consultant for the Victory tour?'

'Johnny, don't worry about it,' Irving Azoff said. 'I'll take care of it.'

Azoff then pulled the rug out from under Koppelman and Bandier by refusing to finance their offer. John Branca had put Michael back in the driver's seat.

Soon, Robert Holmes a Court was telephoning John Branca and practically begging him to go to London and close the deal. John played hardball and acted as if Michael wasn't interested. Holmes a Court offered to pay for John's plane fare, but John could afford his own ticket, and didn't want any favours at this stage of the game. John agreed to go to Europe, and Holmes a Court even said that if the deal wasn't closed on that trip, he would reimburse all of John's travel and accommodation expenses.

After Michael gave John power of attorney, he went to England and closed the deal in twenty-four hours. Michael Jackson never signed the important, history-making contracts; John Branca did. John then telephoned Michael long-distance to give him the news, bad and good. The bad news: he was out $47.5 million. The good news: he owned ATV.

Michael couldn't believe his good fortune. The same could be said for Paul McCartney, who said, 'Someone rang me up one day and said, "Michael's bought your songs." I said, "What??!!" I think it's dodgy to do things like that,' Paul complained. 'To be someone's friend and then to buy the rug they're standing on.'

After the deal was struck, Michael did attempt to telephone Paul to discuss the matter. Knowing his personality, that probably wasn't an easy thing for Michael to do, still he at least tried. However, when he called, Paul hung up on him. Finally, Michael concluded, 'Paul's got a real problem, and I'm finished trying to be a nice guy. Too bad for him. I got the songs and that's the end of it.'

Robert Hilburn, in an a.n.a.lysis of the ATV acquisition for the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, explained Michael's purchase in dollars and cents: 'If, for instance, "Yesterday" earns $100,000 a year in royalties from record sales, airplay and live performances, the Lennon estate and McCartney as co-writers divide about 50 per cent of that income, about $25,000 each. The publisher now Michael Jackson collects the other 50 per cent. The publisher also controls the use of the song in terms of films, commercials and stage productions.' explained Michael's purchase in dollars and cents: 'If, for instance, "Yesterday" earns $100,000 a year in royalties from record sales, airplay and live performances, the Lennon estate and McCartney as co-writers divide about 50 per cent of that income, about $25,000 each. The publisher now Michael Jackson collects the other 50 per cent. The publisher also controls the use of the song in terms of films, commercials and stage productions.' Yesterday Yesterday in particular probably earns considerably more. in particular probably earns considerably more.

As soon as Michael made the purchase, he and his representatives investigated tactics to make it pay off for him. He hired a staff to develop an anthology series and four films using The Beatles' music, including Strawberry Fields Strawberry Fields, an animated feature; Back in the USSR, Back in the USSR, a movie based on Russian rockers; and films based on 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'The Fool on the Hill'. Michael also planned musical greeting cards and music boxes. When he licensed 'Revolution' to Nike for a sneaker advertis.e.m.e.nt, he obtained Yoko Ono's consent, but not Paul McCartney's. In fact, Paul, like many Beatles fans, felt Michael was cheapening the music. a movie based on Russian rockers; and films based on 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'The Fool on the Hill'. Michael also planned musical greeting cards and music boxes. When he licensed 'Revolution' to Nike for a sneaker advertis.e.m.e.nt, he obtained Yoko Ono's consent, but not Paul McCartney's. In fact, Paul, like many Beatles fans, felt Michael was cheapening the music.

In the end, though, Paul had to accept Michael's decision. Every time Paul performed one of the songs he wrote between 1964 and 1971, he had to pay Michael.

When Michael sold 'All You Need is Love' to Panasonic for $240,000, Paul finally called him and told him he was going too far. Michael didn't even hang up on him. He explained that he felt using The Beatles' songs in commercials enabled the music to reach an entirely new generation of fans who would then buy Beatles' records. 'I just don't like the idea that Michael Jackson is the only guy in the world who gets to sit in judgement as to which Beatles songs can be used in commercials,' Paul later said. 'He's drawn up a list! I don't see how he should have that power.'

Paul said he had hoped that 'All You Need is Love' would remain an anthem of the sixties, not become a jingle for 'a friggin' loudspeaker system. And I also don't want "Good Day Sunshine" to become an Oreo cookie,' he complained, 'which I understand he's done. I think that's real cheesy. I don't think Michael needs the money.'

On the other hand, Paul owns the Buddy Holly catalogue and had exploited Holly's songs commercially many times over, because, as he's reasoned, 'Buddy himself did commercials, and his widow actively wants us to earn money via commercials. It's her call.'

Yoko seemed satisfied with what Michael did with The Beatles' catalogue and called his ownership 'a blessing'. She said in November 1990, 'Businessmen who aren't artists themselves wouldn't have the consideration Michael has. He loves the songs. He's very caring. There could be a lot of arguments and stalemates if Paul and I owned it together. Neither Paul nor I needed that. If Paul got the songs, people would have said, "Paul finally got John." And if I got them, they'd say, "Oh, the dragon lady strikes again."'

In 1990, Paul and Michael met to discuss what Paul called 'this problem of publishing'. Paul recalled, 'I put it to him this way: "When we signed our deal, John and I didn't even know what publishing was. We thought songs were in the sky and everyone owned them. These days, even kids know better than that. Last year, "Yesterday" pa.s.sed the five-million-plays mark in America, which no other song has ever done. Not even "White Christmas". But no one has ever come up to me and said, "Hey man, I really think you need a bonus. You've done great for this company." So what the f.u.c.k is going on? You mean I've got to be content for the rest of my life to be on this deal I signed when I was a fresh-faced twenty-year-old? I've done a lot for this company.'

Michael acted as though he didn't understand what in the world Paul was telling him. Therefore, Paul spelled it out for him. 'I wanted him to recognize in the deal that I'm a big writer for this company that he now owns,' McCartney recalled.

Michael told Paul that he didn't 'want to hurt anyone', and Paul said he was happy to hear that. 'He's a genuine bloke, Mike is,' a placated Paul would then say of him. Michael promised that he'd try to work something out.

The next day, John Eastman, Paul's attorney, telephoned John Branca and told him that Paul and Michael had agreed to renegotiate a higher writer's royalty for his songs. John checked it with Michael. 'Heck, no, I didn't tell Paul that,' Michael said, annoyed. 'In fact, he's not getting a higher royalty unless I I get something back from get something back from him, him, in return.' in return.'

John pa.s.sed Michael's comment on to Paul's attorney.

'Okay, then fine. We'll sue,' Eastman threatened.

'Hey, be my guest,' Branca told him.

When John told Michael that Paul might sue him, Michael laughed out loud. 'Cool. Let him sue,' he said. 'Meanwhile, go license some more songs, Branca. Let's make some money. Let's run this thing like a business.'

An a.s.sociate of Michael's said, 'Privately, Michael's feeling was: Paul had two chances to buy the company. Both times, he was too cheap to spend the money. Mind you, Paul is said to be the richest entertainer in the world, worth about $560 million. His royalties in one year come to $41 million. As Mike told me, "If he didn't want to invest 47.5 million in his own songs, then he shouldn't come crying to me now." He's a hard-hearted son-of-a-gun, Michael Jackson is, just like his father. And when it comes to Paul, Michael doesn't want to know anything. "I got those songs fair and square," he's said. "They're mine, and no one can tell me what to do with them. Not even Paul McCartney. So, he'd better learn to deal with it."'

By acquiring ATV, Michael Jackson proved himself a perceptive, hardheaded businessman, exactly the kind of entrepreneur his father, Joseph, would like to have been, but wasn't. Where Joseph bullied, Michael ingratiated. Where Joseph shouted, Michael usually listened but he, too, could be unreasonable. Where Joseph rushed in unprepared, Michael usually studied every angle before reaching a decision or, at least, he had someone else do it for him, namely John Branca. Indeed, Michael had the wisdom to surround himself with brilliant people, and then allow them to do their jobs without interference; Joseph never did. He always felt that he had to have final-say over everything. It's almost as though Michael had studied Joseph's technique and then tried to do exactly the opposite. However, what father and son did share back then and still do today is that they trust no one and can be ruthless to those they have vanquished. Rarely do they allow anyone a second chance.

'We Are the World'

By January 1985, the Victory tour was history. Though it hadn't been an easy experience, Michael did find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: Chuck Sullivan gave him eighteen million dollars, cash, cash, to develop a clothing line. Michael barely got a few fashions into the stores which didn't sell when Chuck went bankrupt. Michael got to keep the eighteen million. to develop a clothing line. Michael barely got a few fashions into the stores which didn't sell when Chuck went bankrupt. Michael got to keep the eighteen million.

The Jacksons made a lot of money on the Victory tour, even if the promoters didn't; each brother made about $7 million, one-sixth of the share after all expenses, net. Michael donated his take to charity; his brothers spent theirs on a lavish lifestyle and, before very many years, would need to work again.

Michael has never again gone on the road with his brothers though they have repeatedly tried to convince him to do 'just one more tour'.

Once he got home to Encino, one of the first things Michael did was get into LaToya's black Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL and speed off without any security. He simply wanted some freedom as if he could ever have it! As always, there were about two dozen fans waiting at the front gate for someone anyone who looked like a Jackson. They never dreamed they might actually catch a glimpse of the the Jackson. When they saw him pull out of the gate, they jumped into their cars and followed in hot pursuit. Michael tried to lose them, but to no avail. He was almost to Quincy Jones's house, miles away, when the vehicle car ran out of gas. Michael jumped out of the car, leaving it in the middle of the street, and then ran for blocks, with his stalkers following him, until he reached Quincy's home, where he found refuge. Jackson. When they saw him pull out of the gate, they jumped into their cars and followed in hot pursuit. Michael tried to lose them, but to no avail. He was almost to Quincy Jones's house, miles away, when the vehicle car ran out of gas. Michael jumped out of the car, leaving it in the middle of the street, and then ran for blocks, with his stalkers following him, until he reached Quincy's home, where he found refuge.

After the Victory tour, Michael became involved in 'We Are the World', the historic effort to feed the hungry of Ethiopia. For some time, Harry Belafonte had been making plans to draw together some of the biggest artists in the entertainment business to record a song, the proceeds of which would go to a new nonprofit foundation, USA for Africa, to feed the starving ma.s.ses. In addition to providing emergency food, medical relief, and self-help programmes to stricken areas of Africa, the undertaking was also to set aside funds for hunger relief in the United States. Harry contacted Ken Kragen, an entertainment manager with a history of fund-raising, to ask if he could enlist his clients, Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie, in the endeavour. Kenny and Lionel, in turn, obtained the cooperation of Stevie Wonder to add more name value to the project. Lionel then telephoned Michael to ask if he would perform on the recording. He not only wanted to sing on the song, Michael said, he also wanted to help Lionel write it.

Michael has always been empathetic to the plight of the hungry, homeless and sick, especially children. In the past, Frank Dileo has told many heartbreaking stories of Michael's influence on dying children. It is as though an unexplainable part within Michael is able to reach children close to death; his touch seems to act as some kind of soothing balm for kids facing a frightening time. It's an important, positive side of Michael, and one he thinks is the best thing about himself.

For instance, a small child suffering from a brain tumour and spinal cancer was brought to Michael on a stretcher one night after a show. When the boy reached up to Michael, Michael grabbed his hand and held tight. The child smiled. Frank Dileo turned away and broke into tears. 'He's not afraid to look into the worst suffering and find the smallest part that's positive and beautiful,' Frank concluded.

Seth Riggs, his voice teacher who has travelled with Michael on tours, recalled, 'Every night the kids would come in on stretchers, so sick they could hardly hold their heads up. Michael would kneel down at the stretchers and put his face right down beside theirs so that he could have his picture taken with them, and then give them a copy to remember the moment. I couldn't handle it. I'd be in the bathroom crying. The kids would perk right up in his presence. If it gave them a couple days' more energy, to Michael it was worth it.'

While working on 'We Are the World', Lionel Richie went to Hayvenhurst every night for a week where he and Michael sequestered themselves in Michael's room to labour on lyrics and melodies. They knew that what they wanted was some sort of anthem, a song both easy to sing and memorable. Though Michael and Lionel have never said as much publicly, LaToya who watched the pair work claims that Lionel only wrote a couple of lines of the song. She contends that 99 per cent of the lyrics were written by Michael, 'but he's never felt it necessary to say that.' The lyrics and the melody were finished on 21 January 1985, just one night before the recording session.

While Michael and Lionel were composing, Ken Kragen went about the business of lining up the all-star cast: Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, The Pointer Sisters, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Bob Dylan and many others, forty-five in all. Another fifty artists had to be turned down to keep the project from becoming too unwieldy. Michael asked LaToya to show up, and she did. (She got to stand next to Bette Midler in the line-up.) Marlon, Jackie, t.i.to and Randy were also there.

Quincy Jones took time away from producing the film The Colour Purple The Colour Purple to produce and arrange (with Tom Bahler) the Jackson Richie collaboration at A&M Studios in Hollywood. Because the American Music Awards had been held that same night, many of the artists came directly from those festivities. When the performers showed up, the first thing they saw was a sign outside Studio A: 'Please check your egos at the door.' It was astonishing that so many artists of diverse backgrounds and individual renown were able to do just that: there were no ego problems, at all. Diana Ross could not conceal her excitement and asked the other stars for autographs. The Pointer Sisters took pictures of Michael. 'I've never before felt that strong sense of community,' Kenny Loggins observed. to produce and arrange (with Tom Bahler) the Jackson Richie collaboration at A&M Studios in Hollywood. Because the American Music Awards had been held that same night, many of the artists came directly from those festivities. When the performers showed up, the first thing they saw was a sign outside Studio A: 'Please check your egos at the door.' It was astonishing that so many artists of diverse backgrounds and individual renown were able to do just that: there were no ego problems, at all. Diana Ross could not conceal her excitement and asked the other stars for autographs. The Pointer Sisters took pictures of Michael. 'I've never before felt that strong sense of community,' Kenny Loggins observed.

At around ten p.m., the proceedings turned solemn. Ken Kragen addressed the group to a.s.sure them that money generated from the recording would, indeed, 'go to the right places'. Bob Geldof, the leader of the Boomtown Rats and organizer of the British Band Aid musical charity effort, which produced the single, 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' told of his visits to Ethiopia. Two Ethiopian women, whose presence had been arranged by Stevie Wonder, reported on the horrible suffering there.

Finally, Michael addressed the a.s.semblage of stars. Very quietly and somewhat awkwardly, he explained his and Lionel's composition as 'A love song to inspire concern about a faraway place close to home.'

The musical tracks had been recorded earlier in the day, so it was just a matter of fine-tuning the lyrics 'Should it be "brighter day" or " day" or "better day"?' and adding the voices. Michael taught the artists the melody and lyrics most had already been sent taped demos of the song with Michael performing and worked with them on vocal arrangements. day"?' and adding the voices. Michael taught the artists the melody and lyrics most had already been sent taped demos of the song with Michael performing and worked with them on vocal arrangements.

As integral as Michael Jackson had become to the process, he was also very much separated from it. Whereas everyone else present was filmed (by six cameras) as they performed for the 'We Are the World' video, Michael's solo was taped later, privately, and spliced into the final version. He never took off his shades. Some people speculate that he chose not to record with the rest because he was so awestruck by his fellow celebrities. The ultimate perfectionist, he would feel that he could not perform to the best of his abilities in front of them. Others offer a more cynical explanation: Michael likes to feel he is different from everybody and emphasizes this difference by erecting barriers between him and his fans, his peers and his family. Indeed, in the video of 'We Are the World', the shot of Michael begins at his Ba.s.s Weejun shoes and trademark sequined socks, and then pans upward to his carefully made-up face, all at Michael's direction. 'People will know it's me as soon as they see the socks,' he said, proudly, and he was right about that. 'Try taking footage of Bruce Springsteen's socks and see if anyone knows who they belong to,' he added with a grin.

The recording and taping session took all night. Who would sing what and with whom had been decided a couple of days earlier by Lionel Richie, producer Quincy Jones, and arranger Tom Bahler. Some of the interesting vocal pairings included Tina Turner with Billy Joel, Dionne Warwick with Willie Nelson, and, of course, Diana Ross with Michael Jackson. The only hint of things not going as planned involved the pairing of Michael and Prince. Michael didn't like Prince, but for charity he would sing with him. However, Prince didn't even show up. At six the next morning, he called the studio to ask if he might come in and lay down a guitar part. Quincy told him it was too late.

By seven-thirty in the morning, the job was done and the artists began to leave. 'Michael was as exhausted as anyone,' Jeffrey Osborne reported. 'He didn't say much, maybe something about being very happy, but I could tell that he was delighted.'

'I did expect to see more ego,' Paul Simon reported. 'You know, "The Gloved One" meets "The Boss" and things like that, but it just didn't happen.'

'I just don't want this night to end,' Diana Ross said as she hugged Tina Turner.

It would seem that everyone who partic.i.p.ated in the 'We Are the World' recording session shared Diana's sentiments. The gentle, uplifting spirit of the song also touched the public's emotions when it was finally released on 7 March 1985. The initial shipment of 800,000 records sold out within three days of its release. The song was number one in America for a month, and also spent a couple of weeks at the top spot in Britain, as well as in other countries. The 'We Are the World' video lent itself well to the benevolent spirit of the celebration and helped to sell four million records in all, earning about eight million dollars for the USA for Africa fund.

A Prank That Didn't Work.

The 1986 Grammys set the stage for one of Michael's more bizarre pranks but one that didn't pan out as he had expected.

Frank Dileo, John Branca, Norman Winter and Michael Jackson had often discussed the careers of show-business icons like Frank Sinatra and The Beatles, and how their representatives were known to sometimes hire teenagers to scream and weep at the sight of them at public appearances. Hysteria does photograph well. Michael always believed that hiring youngsters to holler, faint and sob was a masterful public relations stroke.

One evening Michael and Frank telephoned Norman to tell him of an idea. Michael wanted to cause a commotion during the televised Grammy Awards presentation in February. It had been decided that Quincy and Michael would accept the award if 'We Are the World' won for Record of the Year, accompanied by some of the other partic.i.p.ants on the record. It's not known whether it was his intention to do so, but it would seem that Michael wanted to steal a little of Quincy's thunder during the acceptance. He and Quincy always had a strange relationship, symbiotic but also compet.i.tive.

Michael's plan was to have a female teenager run out on to the stage from the wings and jump him as he stood next to Quincy. Bill Bray's security staff would be ready and waiting to pull the girl off Michael, who would then act surprised and frazzled. Since the Grammys are televised internationally, the whole world would witness this mad scene. The next day, Michael's popularity, and the hysteria it had caused at the Grammys, would be the subject of worldwide news. The scene caused by Jackson's 'overwrought fan' would probably even overshadow the fact that 'We Are the World' had won the coveted Grammy for Record of the Year. Certainly, Quincy's acceptance speech would be overlooked in favour of Michael's manic adoration.

Frank and Norman were against Michael's idea. If word ever got out to the press that the girl who had attacked Michael had actually been hired by him to do so, it would be embarra.s.sing to everyone involved. 'But it'll never get out,' Michael said, enthused. 'So, who do we get? Who can we hire to do this thing?'

Frank and Norman didn't have a clue. Finally, a female publicist who worked in Norman's office found a teenager who she felt was savvy enough to pull off the hoax. She was hired for the job.

The night of the awards, those involved in the trickery held their breath as 'We Are the World' was announced by presenters Sting and Phil Collins as Record of the Year. Michael, who was wearing a black military jacket, red shirt and red brooch, rose from his seat. Frank, seated behind Michael, smiled broadly, a cigar hanging from his mouth. Michael then walked up on to the stage with Lionel Richie.

Before long, Quincy Jones, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers and Stevie Wonder were also on stage. As Quincy gave his speech, Michael nervously rocked from side to side. He kept looking off into the wings, as if he was wondering when the girl was going to make her move.

Unbeknownst to Michael, the teenager, who had full backstage credentials, was having a difficult time trying to break through the crowd of people technicians, production people, members of the press who had gathered in the wings to gawk at the celebrities on stage. Before the hapless 'attacker' knew what was happening, the speeches were over and she had missed her moment. The scheme didn't work.

'What happened? What happened?' Michael wanted to know later. 'I'm standing there waiting and waiting, and nothing?'

When Frank Dileo explained, Michael cracked up into laughter. 'The joke's on me, I guess,' he said. 'I couldn't even concentrate on what was going on because I'm waiting for this girl to come out and jump me... and she never did it. Quincy said I was squirming so much, he thought I had to go to the bathroom! Next time, we'll have to plan it better,' Michael concluded, with a wink.

More Plastic Surgery.

In June 1986, Michael Jackson underwent another operation to have his nose made slimmer, his fourth rhinoplasty. He also wanted Steven Hoefflin to create a cleft in his chin. Years later, he would tell one a.s.sociate that the 'greatest joy I ever had was in knowing I had a choice about my face.' This same a.s.sociate asked Michael for advice about rhinoplasty surgery, and Michael recommended that Steven Hoefflin operate on him. 'There's nothing to it, man,' Michael said. 'After the first one, it doesn't even hurt that much. Once you have it done, you'll never stop looking in the mirror. That's how great you'll feel about yourself. Do it. You'll love it.'

When Michael told Katherine he was going to have a cleft put into his chin, she thought he was going, as she put it, 'overboard'.

'Why?' she wanted to know. 'I just don't understand.'

As Katherine told a friend of hers, Michael explained, 'I can afford it, I want it, so I'm going to have it.' It was as if he were buying a new car instead of undergoing painful, appearance-changing plastic surgery. Whereas most people can only fantasize 'Wouldn't a new nose be nice, and maybe a new chin too?' Michael could afford to make those whims a reality. 'And I think if more people could afford it, they would do it too,' his sister Janet has reasoned. 'I see nothing wrong with it.'

One psychologist has speculated that it was Michael's narcissistic side that dictated he have a cleft carved into his chin. 'Michael Jackson was obviously becoming more and more enchanted by his own image,' Dr Raymond Johnson said. 'He is apparently continuing his quest for the perfect face.'

'I do do want to be perfect,' Michael confirmed. 'I look in the mirror, and I just want to change, and be better. I always want to be better, so maybe that's why I wanted the cleft. I don't know how else to explain it.' want to be perfect,' Michael confirmed. 'I look in the mirror, and I just want to change, and be better. I always want to be better, so maybe that's why I wanted the cleft. I don't know how else to explain it.'

Of course, one of the public's favourite theories about him is that Michael was trying to transform Himself into the image of Diana Ross as if Diana has a cleft in her chin! Mostly this theory is the result of the popular connection between the two stars over the years, and some family members' recollections of Michael making statements to Janet and LaToya such as, 'You're not pretty until you start looking like Diana.' After surgery and with the help of carefully applied makeup, Michael sometimes did did resemble Diana, with tweezed, arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a tapered nose (actually much more tapered than Diana's). Still, the resemblance was in the eye of the beholder. When an a.s.sociate told Diana that Michael was trying to look like her, Diana was dismayed by the notion. She sized Michael up and snapped, 'I look like resemble Diana, with tweezed, arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a tapered nose (actually much more tapered than Diana's). Still, the resemblance was in the eye of the beholder. When an a.s.sociate told Diana that Michael was trying to look like her, Diana was dismayed by the notion. She sized Michael up and snapped, 'I look like that? that?'

In fact, Michael does not want to look like Diana, even if he was enraptured by her image, allure, glamour and, also, her power. He did try to recreate her from time to time, though, by playing out certain 'Miss Ross' fantasies in front of witnesses. Beverly Hills limousine chauffeur, Ralph Caricosa, recalls having driven Michael to a destination. He looked into the rear view mirror and asked, 'Where to now, Mr Jackson.' Michael said, 'Call me Miss Ross, won't you?' Then, there was the night Diana caught him putting on her makeup backstage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Former Supremes star Cindy Birdsong reported that when Diana scolded him ('How many times have I told you to stay out of my makeup!'), Michael responded by saying, 'But, Diana, it's magic. magic.'

Once, when Michael checked into the sw.a.n.k Helmsley Palace in Manhattan, he telephoned the front desk from a house phone in the lobby and, in front of amused witnesses, used his best imitation of Diana's speaking voice to hoodwink the operator. 'My suite is not good enough,' he said, acting like a disgruntled diva. 'How dare dare you put me in that suite? There are no flowers, and I think I saw a mouse, and I'm, well, I'm just really you put me in that suite? There are no flowers, and I think I saw a mouse, and I'm, well, I'm just really upset. upset. I can't even go back up there.' I can't even go back up there.'

'Who is this?' the surprised operator apparently asked.

'Why, it's Miss Ross,' Michael answered, trying to suppress a giggle. 'Miss Diana Diana Ross. Who do you think it is? How dare you even ask?' Ross. Who do you think it is? How dare you even ask?'

By the time the operator put him on hold, Michael was grinning from ear to ear. 'She believes me,' he whispered, excitedly. 'She thinks I'm Diana Ross!'

The operator came back on the line. 'Diana Ross isn't staying here.'

'Oh, she's not?' Michael responded. 'Sorry.'

Then he quickly hung up, laughing so hysterically he could barely catch his breath.

Most people who know Michael agree that there are two reasons why he has had so much plastic surgery. First of all, he strove for some ideal of physical perfection, or his version of it, anyway. He spent most of his life studying pictures of himself, not to mention the hours dancing in front of mirrors, looking at videos, deciding which are his best features and which are not. 'I just want to look the best I can look,' he told Frank Dileo.

'But when do you stop?' Frank asked.

Michael shrugged. 'I'm a work in progress,' he said with a gentle smile.

Publicly, Frank never had much patience for questions about Michael's plastic surgery, mostly because he could not explain it. 'Okay, so he had his nose fixed, and the cleft big deal. I got news for you,' he said, 'my nose has been broken five times. It's been fixed twice. Who gives a s.h.i.t? Who cares? Elvis had his nose done. Marilyn Monroe had her nose done, had her b.r.e.a.s.t.s done. Everybody's had it done.'

As well as improving his appearance, Michael also had another reason for the operations. All of the Jackson boys grew up to resemble their father, Joseph. Michael could not have imagined a worse fate for himself, and he did everything he could do to destroy the resemblance. Certainly, he has many of his father's characteristics, whether or not he recognizes them: Joseph's determination to the point of ruthlessness, his coldhearted business sense, and on the plus side, his love of family. Emotionally, Michael may be a lot like Joseph though he would never emulate Joseph's coldhearted unfaithfulness in love and, he has said, it frightens him. Outside, though, he isn't like Joseph at all.

'He told me so himself,' said a former girlfriend of Berry Gordy's who has known Michael for years. 'He would do anything anything not to look like Joseph. Believe me, the last thing he wants to see when he looks at the man in the mirror is his father. With each operation, he distances himself not only from his father but from the whole family. I'm afraid that's the sad point of all the surgery.' not to look like Joseph. Believe me, the last thing he wants to see when he looks at the man in the mirror is his father. With each operation, he distances himself not only from his father but from the whole family. I'm afraid that's the sad point of all the surgery.'

'The tragedy is,' concluded Joyce McCrae, a longtime intimate who worked in Joseph's office, 'no matter how much Michael tries to scrub Joseph off his face, he's still there.'

Or as Joseph Jackson so aptly put it, 'It takes a father to make a son.'

It was after Michael's operation to have a cleft in his chin that he first began being seen wearing a surgical mask with a black fedora and sungla.s.ses. The press speculated that he was obsessed with catching germs, reminiscent of Howard Hughes' fixation with health issues. Michael said nothing publicly. 'If you knew Michael well enough, you knew what was going on,' Joyce McCrae said. 'As soon as I saw him wearing the surgical mask, I said, "Oh, he's had the cleft done." People told me, "What? That's ridiculous." Well, sure enough, that's what was going on.'

At this time, Michael appeared at a movie memorabilia showcase at the Continental Hyatt Hotel in Hollywood wearing a blue surgical mask and a black fedora. To say he looked conspicuous would be an understatement. When the vendors saw him coming their way, they would triple the prices of all of their goods just because they knew Michael represented a windfall for them. He was shopping for Disney memorabilia with a young boy and Bill Bray, his security man. Whenever he saw something he liked, he mumbled through his surgical mask for Bray to purchase the item. Bray would then pull out a wad of hundred-dollar bills, pay the vendor, and move on to the next display. The fact that the prices were raised especially for him did not escape Michael. 'They see me coming, and they feel like I have a lot of money, so they take advantage of me,' he told me. 'That's not really fair, is it?'

'No, it's not, Michael. But what's with the surgical mask?' I asked.

'I had my wisdom teeth taken out,' he told me. 'Oh, man, the misery. You can't believe what I have been going through.'

'Sounds awful,' I said.

Michael shook his head, sadly. 'It is awful.'

When Michael did not cover his face with a surgical mask, he would venture forth in public wearing a hairy gorilla head mask with fur and beady eyes. 'I love it when people stop and are scared,' he said. 'And I love it when they don't know that it's me inside the mask. I just love that.' It's a great paradox about Michael that he is as much a public show-off as he is a recluse. Sometimes, though, his exploits can prove embarra.s.sing. Once, while walking through an airport wearing the gorilla mask, he tripped over a sand-filled ashtray and fell to the floor in a heap in front of a host of paparazzi, all because his vision was obscured.

When the bandages came off after the cleft operation, Michael concentrated more than ever on his appearance. The new cleft seemed oddly out of place on the bottom of his soft, ingenue-like face. After all of the procedures, Michael's nose was slimmer than ever. It also pointed upward, an odd touch. Tweezing his eyebrows gave him a softer, even more feminine look. His skin seemed to be getting lighter with each pa.s.sing day. He had begun using an over-the-counter skin-bleaching cream called Porcelana to achieve that look. LaToya used it as well. They had crates of this cream stored at Hayvenhurst, hording it as the most valuable beauty product ever produced.

Also, Michael existed on a strict macrobiotic diet that had left him quite thin and made his face look even more sculpted. 'If I ate like him, I'd be dead,' Frank DiLeo said succinctly.

In truth, Michael Jackson had begun looking more than a little unusual. It was difficult to be in the same room with him and not stare in disbelief, especially if you had known him since he was a child. Comedian Eddie Murphy probably put it best when he said, 'I love Michael, but the brother is strange strange.'

Duets Gone 'Bad'