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"UPI" Newspaper Interview

Publication date confirmed in “UPI” (archived) (“August 18, 1977”)

“UPI” (August 18, 1977) (archived) (HQ scan archived mirror)

Girls tear at his clothing, pull his arms, try to touch his flesh. One fan showed him a hunk of hair she grabbed from his head and saved in her wallet. Michael Jackson is only 18 and this has been going on for more than 10 years. Ever since he can remember, Jackson knew he wanted to be a singer. And since he was 5 years old and started singing with his brothers as The Jackson 5, girls swooned over him. In the 1970s, the group--Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine, who was later replaced by Randy--began earning gold records for "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There." And they haven't stopped. Jackson doesn't know how many gold records are plastered on the den walls of the suburban Encino home he shares with several members of the large family, including parents Joe and Kathy. But he does know The Jacksons, as the multitalented family troupe is now known, has sold more than 60 million records. What was it about the group that clicked?

"The drive behind us, the push," Jackson explained. "We had a different sound. We were the first young group doing rock and roll and soul together. We had a style. But none of it happened overnight," he said. "In Gary, Ind., where we started, we rehearsed every day after school into the night. There was a big baseball park behind us and we'd listen to the roaring of the crowd, the home runs, and we'd want to get out there and do that too, but we couldn't."

Jackson said he made up for missing the "normal" childhood things.

"We got to see things that ordinary kids don't get to see. Things you study about in history books."

The softspoken, handsome young man was recovering from a cold and although he had to take frequent breaks to regain his strength, he remained smiling and cooperative throughout a day-long session of interviews. He is confident about his ability and the group's overwhelming success, but still appears down to earth and even a trifle shy.

"I don't see how a person can get big-headed. Ever since I can remember I was told, 'Don't get a big head, don't get a big head.' I don't see how a person can think they're better than somebody else just because they have a certain job. If I was king, I wouldn't think I was better than the people, because they made me king. What is the king without the people? What am I without the fans? I'd still be me, but not where I am today."

For all he owes the fans, though, he admits that sometimes their love can be dangerous. "Sometimes you get mobbed and you feel terrible. They just grab you. It's the worst feeling when they mob you. London was the worst. The security guards made a long line. Fans were pushing and the whole line just caved in and all these fans got in the car with us. Ooooh, my legs."

And there is a disturbing lack of privacy.

"People come in and act like they own you," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's awful. There are people who jump our gate, come and sit right here in the den. There was one lady who took a whole tour of the house."

Jackson said the group is growing musically and is starting to write more of its own material.

"I write when I want to get a message across. I don't like simple stories and I get tired of love songs all the time. I like different things. I like to write about a tree or a dog or a horse. In our new album, I like 'Different Kind of Lady.' It's smokin'. You can dance to it."