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Lisa Robinson Interview

Date confirmed in Vanity Fair (archived)

Lisa Robinson, “Disc” Magazine (October 28, 1972) (archived)

On October 8, 1972, I went to 4641 Hayvenhurst Drive in Encino, California, to meet the Jackson Five for the first time. I was there to do a big story for a little fan magazine I edited called Rock & Soul. We put the Jacksons on the cover as often as possible, because the family group had sold over fourteen million albums, had four Number One singles, and were teen heartthrobs—complete with lunchboxes, posters, a television cartoon show and dolls. Like most of the houses that Michael would live in for the rest of his life, it had a long driveway leading to a locked gate. This gate had a sign on it—“Beware of Guard Dog”—with the phone number of the dog training establishment. (“Promotion,” Michael would tell me later.) The family had two dogs: a German shepherd named Heavy, and a Doberman named Hitler. One of the Jackson kids, I don’t remember which one, told me that their bodyguard named the dog Hitler but they all officially referred to him in interviews as “Duke.” But unlike the other houses that Michael would live in, the house on Hayvenhurst was not crawling with security or cloaked in secrecy. In fact, Michael met me when I arrived, and was friendly, outgoing, curious, fun. For Katherine and Joseph Jackson and their nine children, this Encino house—with its swimming pool, small outdoor basketball court, lemon and orange trees, and room for the family’s menagerie (dogs, snakes, llama, giraffe)—was a “mansion.” Michael told me that Liberace used to live across the street and the Jacksons would visit him and look at his diamonds. On that day in October, Michael wore a short-sleeved brown shirt, jeans and sneakers. His hair was in an Afro. In his hand was a comb that he used to keep fluffing out his hair. He took me on a tour of the house—showing me the rehearsal room, the pay phone, and his bedroom, which he shared with his younger brother Randy. The bedroom had two beds, a telephone, a clock with time zones from various cities around the world, and a TV set. Michael showed me some dance steps--routines that had been drummed into him by his father, who managed the family group. By the time Michael was six, he had performed with his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon in strip clubs. When they performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Michael stood in the wings and watched—no, studied— Jackie Wilson and James Brown. Michael was fourteen years old when I met him, but I thought he was twelve, because when the Jacksons were signed to Motown in 1969 and Michael was ten, he was told to say he was eight. Motown owner Berry Gordy thought it would sound “cuter.” After spending the day interviewing all of the brothers, but mostly chatting with Michael, I called a friend and said, “This kid is going to be the greatest entertainer ever. Seriously, like Frank Sinatra.”

Michael asked me more questions that day than I asked him. He told me he was going to London “to perform for the Queen,” and asked if I had seen her palace. He said he wanted to go shopping for souvenirs and antiques. He said the Temptations and the Supremes told him Ringo Starr had taken them shopping when they went to London. I told him about the antiques on Portobello Road, and he asked, “Cheap?” He asked if I had ever heard of Napoleon—he said he “wanted to see him” when he was in Paris. He asked what airline I took to Europe. He asked if I’d heard of the comic actor Marty Feldman. He asked what kind of tape recorder I was using. We talked about how, if tape recorders were made much smaller, people were going to be able to sneak them into concerts and make bootlegs. I asked him the usual fan magazine questions: what did he like to do in his spare time? “Swim . . . play pool,” he said. “When we lived in the other house we would go to the park to play basketball, but now we have everything here.” There was a discussion about my maroon nail polish. He told me he loved magic tricks. He practiced speaking in French. When I asked him if he ever got scared onstage, he said, “No. If you know what you’re doing, you’re not scared onstage.”

Interview Tape, transcript https://youtu.be/I7fokSWHq3M

I met Michael at his family’s house in Encino in 1972, and he was just absolutely adorable. Precious, enthusiastic, inquisitive, fun. He was, at that time, 14, but, I thought he was 12. Because when he went to Motown, he was 10, but they told him to say he was 8 ‘cause they thought it would be cuter. But, he seemed like a young 14 year old and he was just absolutely adorable, special... [At one point], He literally was dancing around the pool, doing little dance steps for me.

Lisa Robinson:The group is going to perform in London soon?

Michael Jackson: Yes . . . and I want to go shopping when I go over there, get a lot of souvenirs, and antiques . . . Ever hear of Napoleon?

L.R.Yes . . .

M.J. I want to see him too.

L.R.You mean the monuments? His tomb? In Paris?

M.J. You’ve seen that? What airline did you take?

L.R.Well, several. I’ve taken Pan Am, TWA, Air France . . .

M.J. What kind of tape recorder are you using?

L.R.Sony. [A discussion ensues about the size of the tape recorder, how, if they get any smaller, people will be able to sneak them into concerts, tape, and make bootlegs.] They’re really excited you’re going to be performing in England.

M.J. I know, we got a lot of letters, so we decided to go. But we want this time to be the biggest . . . for the Queen.

L.R.Ah . . . you’re performing for the Queen. Her palace is huge . . .

M.J. You’ve seen it?

L.R.Well, only from the outside. Have any of the other groups told you what it’s like performing in England?

M.J. Well, the Supremes and the Temptations told us some stuff. You ever hear of Marty Feldman? [I say yes.] When the Supremes went there, Ringo Starr went shopping with them. But I don’t know what [the audiences] will be like, whether they’ll be quiet or loud.

L.R.So, what do you like to do in your spare time?

M.J. Swim, play pool... anything.

L.R. Athletics?

M-hm. We don’t go much out of the gate because everything is here, you know. When we lived in another house, we used to go to the park and play basketball, well we have it here.

(Michael asks me more questions than I ask him; there are discussions about my maroon nail polish, buying antiques on Portobello Road, the Apollo Theater, Madison Square Garden.)

L.R.Do you ever get scared onstage?

M.J. No. If you know what you’re doing, you’re not scared onstage.