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“Melody Maker” Magazine Interview

Date range of publication confirmed in Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson the Maestro”

“Melody Maker” magazine (July 15, 1972), from Chris Cadman’s “Michael Jackson The Maestro” (article summary/quotes)

The Jackson 5 was in the middle of their summer tour in America when Jacoba Atlas interviewed Michael. Atlas noted Michael cautious approach in answering the questions put to him and giving the impression of being slightly bored, if not a little shy.

Highlights included:

Was he nervous of the screaming fans? “No, we have security guards that line the stage. If they weren’t there I’d be a little nervous. At most of our concerts, girls try to get past the police, and if the guards weren’t there, I would be expecting something bad to happen.”

Michael remembered coming from school when living in Gary with the instruments set up in the living room: “I used to come home from school at three and everything would be set up in the living room, the drums and all, and we practised until night and we kept on and kept on and had different meetings and stuff and we used to wonder when we will have a show.”

Michael repeated the Motown rehearsed story of meeting Diana Ross at a show and being taken to Motown. Michael enjoyed being on the Diana Ross TV Special: “I liked being on the Diana Ross special. It wasn’t hard learning the lines ‘cause they had written out.”

Michael said his favourite film during this period was The Godfather and he was impressed to find out that Marlon Brando had memorised all the words for the film.