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"Sepia" Magazine Cover Photoshoot

Date range assessed by the fact that fan Desiree in FaVE Magazine mentions the costumes that Jackson 5 fans will see “this summer on their concert tour”

“FaVE” Magazine, September 1971, “The Day The Jackson 5 Came to my House”

This story is true. It was submitted to FaVE by the 13-year-old girl whose Dad is one of the few Hollywood photographers who get to take pictures of The Jackson Five! This girl's name is Desiree Johnson, and when we at FaVE read her story, we just absolutely had to print it so that you could share with her the incredible day Michael, Marlon, Tito, Jackie and Jermaine spent at her house!

"It all began on a Wednesday morning at breakfast. I was kind of scurrying around the house, getting ready for school. As I ran through the kitchen and snatched up a piece of buttered toast that Dad had ready for me, he very casually mentioned, with a sly smile, "Oh, by the way, I'm going to be doing a shooting session with The Jackson Five this Saturday... I immediately felt my stomach do a flip-flop as visions of Jermaine danced through my head. I said: "Really? Where? Down at the studio?" "No, Dad said, "We want to get some outdoors shots so they're going to be taken outside in our garden and up on the hill next door. We're going to have to prepare lunch and refreshments because we'll be shooting most of the afternoon. Would you and your girlfriend Valerie like to be the hostesses?"

VALERIE AND I MAKE OUR PLANS!

Well, as you can imagine, when I got to school and told Valerie what was going to happen, she almost went wild! She's a freak for Tito, and she could hardly believe that she was really going to meet him at last.

Somehow we both lived through the rest of the week. Valerie stayed overnight with me Friday night and Saturday morning Dad piled us into the car and we all went to Green's delicatessen in Sherman Oaks. Dad and I and Valerie picked out all kinds of great things to eat and the man at Greens made them up into a huge platter and two other trays, all wrapped up in shiny aluminum foil and colorful cellophane. We also got lots of Cokes and Seven-ups because we knew they were special favorites of the guys'.

Valerie and I laid everything out on a buffet at ten minutes to one afternoon. The J-5 would be here in ten more minutes, and I would have been hungry for all those goodies if I hadn't been so full of butterflies. There were ham, turkey, roast beef, three kinds of cheese, chopped liver, ripe and green olives, chips and dips of all kinds, and lots of everything to go around. Just as I was putting the finishing touch on everything, I heard a voice at the open front door say: "Girl, that sure looks good!" The voice came from the smiling mouth of Jackie Jackson!

JACKIE, THE FIRST TO ARRIVE!

Jackie walked right in and I got him seated comfortably with a big plateful of goodies that included some of everything. He had driven his new sports car, a Datsun 240-Z, and had arrived before everyone else. The rest of the guys were coming in the J-5's special blue van, Jackie told us. I was so impressed by how very natural Jackie is. He talked with us just as though he had always known us and we were his real close friends. When you meet Jackie, you'll see that he'll be the same way with you, too.

THE J-5 VAN ARRIVES!

Dad was out in the garden with his assistant photographer getting everything ready when Valerie looked out the window and saw the Jackson Five's long blue van pull up and park in front of our house. We live in the Hollywood Hills and our neighbors are used to seeing famous people anyway, so there was no problem of privacy for the J-5 as they came up our front stairway and into the front room where Jackie was waiting and enjoying his lunch.

It was a strange feeling to see, coming into our living room which was so everyday to me, first the Jackson Five’s  manager, Tony, and then Marlon, Tito, Michael, and Jermaine! They were all feeling fine, and smiling to each other and they came right up and introduced themselves to me and Valerie. We just couldn't believe how friendly and sweet they were to us. Not a bit of the conceit or proudness some stars show when you meet them. We began to love them all even more than we did already! So many things happened that day that it would fill up this whole magazine

 if I tried to write them all down for you. But I'm going to tell you the ones that stuck in Valerie's and my mind the most.

MICHAEL AND CHARLIE THE CAT!

I have a little yellow kitten named Charlie. He's only about four months old and he’s full of fun and mischief every minute. Well, he and Michael took a liking to each other right away. All the while Michael was waiting for the make-up man to get make-up on his brothers, Michael was out in the back yard playing with Charlie. And when Michael would have to go before Dad's camera for pictures, Charlie just didn't want to leave Michael alone! They became such good friends that Michael was hoping he could take Charlie home with him. But Tony reminded Michael that there were already two dogs at home, and they might not like Charlie except as dessert. Michael agreed, and I was relieved, too, 'cause I didn’t want to give Charlie up, though I would have for Michael Jackson!

TITO AND HIS PICTURE-TAKING!

Tito likes to take pictures more than anything else, and he must have shot more pictures of everyone, including Valerie and I, than my dad did! Tito’s photographs are really super, too! He took some pictures of Valerie and I with Jermaine, and then Jermaine took some of us with Tito! What a treasure those shots are to us!

All day the J-5 were changing into different costumes for different shots. Some were the colorful things they wear onstage during their concert appearances. Others were more informal, almost everyday garments. It was really exciting to see the Jackson Five wearing the costumes that millions of fans will see this summer on their concert tour, and we were seeing them right there in my own back yard!

JERMAINE'S QUIET, COOL WAYS!

But the best thing about that wonderful day I’ll always remember will be the quiet but so romantic way Jermaine has about him! Jermaine is not in any way loud or fast in the way he talks to you. His voice is very low and soft, and filled with kindness and consideration for your feelings. He has a very natural and likeable way about him, and when you meet him you'll find yourself warming up to him right away, no matter how shy you may feel at first. I really got to know Jermaine that day, and I feel closer to him now than I ever thought I could. I only hope that you get to meet him like I did so you, too, will know what a super guy he is!

Well, that's how our day with The Jackson Five at my house went. It was a memory I'll always treasure. And I hope that I've helped you share it with Valerie and me. Peace & Love, Desiree.

J5Collector Blog Post (June 25, 2010)

I bought the complete home movie from Desiree herself (Ed. Clip available in media document) many years ago and at the time, she indicated that this was the Maybe Tomorrow LP cover shoot, but there's nothing here or in the additional seven or so minutes I have (most of which is Jermaine eating a sandwich and then an orange, and Tito playing with the cat). Perhaps her father shot that at their home on a different day.