Before You Judge Me Read online

  “‘Thriller’ Actress Ola Ray Paid $75,000 in Royalties Dispute: Report.” Billboard.com, January 4, 2013. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1481596/thriller-actress-ola-ray-paid-75000-in-royalties-dispute-report.

  TeamMichaelJackson.com.

  Vindicating Michael. Blog. vindicatemj.wordpress.com/.

  Vineyard, Jennifer. “Michael Jackson Shocks Al Sharpton by Calling Tommy Mottola a Racist.” MTV.com, July 8, 2002. http://www.mtv.com/news/1455976/michael-jackson-shocks-al-sharpton-by-calling-tommy-mottola-a-racist/.

  Vogel, Joseph. “The Return of the King.” Slate.com, May 13, 2014. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/05/rodney_darkchild_jerkins_produces_michael_jackson_s_song_xscape.html.

  Whitcraft, Teri, Kristin Pisarcik, and Kimberly Brown. “TIMELINE: Michael Jackson’s Final Days.” ABCNews.com, June 23, 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/MichaelJackson/michael-jackson-final-days-timeline-year-death-king/print?id=10974394.

  Yoshino, Kimi, and Andrew Blankstein. “‘Lethal Levels’ of Anesthetic Propofol Killed Michael Jackson.” LATimesBlogs, August 24, 2009. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/08/lethal-levels-of-anesthetic-propofol-killed-michael-jackson.html.

  Video Sources

  Bad 25. Dir. Spike Lee. ABC, 2012.

  Conrad Murray’s phone recording of Michael Jackson on May 10, 2009. YouTube (accessed June 2, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3nBDVxOW80.

  “Jermaine Jackson Talks About His Islam on Al-Arabiya Channel with Suhair Al-Qaissy.” YouTube (accessed March 31, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-cF9B-J8jU.

  Live from Neverland Valley—1993. YouTube (accessed March 27, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w270PK4o2_c.

  Living with Michael Jackson: A Tonight Special. Dir. Julie Shaw. ABC, 2003.

  “Michael Jackson and His Children: Prince, Paris and Blanket at Tom’s Toys—May 15, 2009.” YouTube (accessed May 30, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDQ_R_yBMrs.

  “Michael Jackson at the BET 2003 for James Brown HQ.” YouTube (accessed March 19, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN48lsXL1oA.

  “Michael Jackson—Dangerous Live at Apollo, 2002.” C-SPAN (accessed March 19, 2015). http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9wowt_michael-jackson-dangerous-live-at-a_music.

  “Michael Jackson—‘I Got the Feelin’,’ 1968.” YouTube (accessed April 14, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux3joe0GdTA#t=47.

  Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Dir. Andrew Eastel. Universal Pictures. DVD, 2011.

  “Michael Jackson—World Music Awards 2006.” YouTube (accessed March 18, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WviiygVo3Oc.

  Michael’s First Christmas. FOX, 1993. YouTube (accessed April 7, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ewQrp2jWw.

  MTV Most Wanted. Interview with David Williams. YouTube (accessed March 24, 2015). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPodK48YRZA.

  This Is It. Dir. Kenny Ortega. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. DVD, 2009.

  The Wiz. Dir. Sidney Lumet. Universal Studios Home Entertainment. DVD, 1999.

  Personal Conversations

  Areheart, Shaye

  Charles, Ray

  Dileo, Frank

  Gaye, Marvin

  Gordy, Berry

  Jackson, Janet

  Jackson, Katherine

  James, Rick

  Jones, Bob

  Kawashima, Dale

  Kelly, R.

  Kravitz, Lenny

  Phillinganes, Greg

  Robinson, Smokey

  Roshkind, Michael

  Taylor, Bobby

  Yetnikoff, Walter

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  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Welcome

  Epigraph

  Prologue

  1. This Is It

  2. Who Will Buy This Wonderful Feeling?

  3. Stranger in Moscow

  4. Demerol

  5. Jehovah

  6. Managerial Warfare

  7. Spring

  8. Father, Father

  9. Managing Managers

  10. More and Better

  11. Interlude

  12. April Fools’ Day

  13. Milk

  14. Disappear into the Dance

  15. Heat

  16. Wordless

  17. Vulnerable Today, Ruthless Tomorrow

  18. Family Reunion

  19. Elvis

  20. Do or Die

  21. How Did It Get So Late So Soon?

  22. On the Good Ship Lollipop

  23. Breaking News

  24. “Give Me Your All—Your Endurance, Your Patience, Your Understanding”

  25. June 25, 2009

  26. Before You Judge Me

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Authors

  Also by Tavis Smiley

  Bibliography

  Newsletters

  Copyright

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2016 by Tavis Smiley

  Cover design by Mario J. Pulice

  Cover photograph by Getty Images

  Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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  First ebook edition: June 2016

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  ISBN 978-0-316-25910-1

  E3-20160402-JV-PC