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"Victory Tour" Press Conference

Hotel Stay (July 4, 1984)

"Record Mirror" newspaper (July 21, 1984)

[July 4, 1984] The Jacksons and entourage are staying in the Alemeida Hotel. They've booked a floor. 150 security men are based in the hotel, checking everybody who goes in and out of the elevators. Nobody gets out on the fifth floor, that is the sole preserve of the Jackson family.

Michael is in his room with his video and his film projector. He daren't leave the hotel. While his brothers stroll around the lobby--security men in tow--or go shopping, he sits in his room and stews.

Eventually, Michael braves a trip to the hotel pool, where he chases his manager Frank Dileo round the pool perimeter. Dileo falls in, and Michael laughs hysterically. He attracts attention, and soon people are looking out of their rooms and pointing at him. Michael and Dileo exit quickly; we won't be seeing them again until the press conference the next morning [(July 5, 1984)].

“People” magazine (July 23, 1984)

When they weren’t fielding criticism about the tour’s exorbitant mail-order ticket policy (which has been changed) and promoter Chuck Sullivan’s demands for reduced hotel rates and free newspaper ad space, the close-knit clan had spent its pre-V-Days polishing the act. There was none of the ambitious partying that once characterized rock tours: Meals prepared by the Jacksons’ two cooks were taken in the privacy of the brothers’ rooms. Idle moments were devoted to playing riffs and (in Michael’s case) autographing photos. The Gloved One slipped out of the hotel (via an elevator leading to the garage) to see Ghostbusters and to announce publicly that he would donate his share of the concert proceeds to charity.

Philadelphia Daily News (July 6, 1984) (mirror)

Rumors abound: He is in the Alameda Plaza Hotel because it is swanky. He is in the Westin Crown Center because it is easily secured, and President Reagan stays there. (The possibility that Jackson is a Republican remains.)

He is at a private home. He has been here all week, and saw “Gremlins” Wednesday [(July 4, 1984)] night. He is not here at all, but will be air-lifted in at concert time.

“Victory Tour” Press Conference (July 5, 1984)

Michael Jackson, speech transcript

We’re beginning our tour tomorrow and I wanted to talk to you about something of great concern to me. We’ve worked a long time to make this show the best it can be. But we know a lot of kids are having trouble getting tickets. The other day I got a letter from a girl in Texas named Ladonna Jones. She’d been saving her money from odd jobs to buy a ticket, but with the current tour system, she’d have to buy four tickets and she couldn’t afford that. So, I’ve asked our promoter to work out a new way of distributing tickets, a way that no longer requires a $120.00 money order. There has also been a lot of talk about the promoter holding money for tickets that didn’t sell. I’ve asked our promoter to end the mail order ticket system as soon as possible so that no one will pay money unless they get a ticket. Finally, and most importantly, there’s something else I am going to announce today. I want you to know that when I first agreed to tour, I decided to donate all the money I make from our performances to charity.

"Record Mirror" newspaper (July 21, 1984)

...Hacks are falling over themselves to get near the Jacksons, all sorts of strange foreign tongues and American accents are shouting the odds and using their elbows. Jackson enters the room and people scream. In fact, journalists scream, there's nobody else there but the Jacksons, their bodyguards, and these mad journalists with no bait and and one helluva story to hook.

Michael reads his prepared statement. Deplores the mail-out of tickets, and announces that his cut from the tour--a cool five million dollars--will be donated to charity. It takes 90 seconds and that's all we'll see of him 'til showtime…

Philadelphia Daily News (July 6, 1984) (mirror)

Jackson almost scotched the last rumor when he appeared at a news conference here yesterday.

The problem was that Jackson was only in the room for three minutes and you had the feeling that a first-rate look-alike could have pulled off his act.

The press, three hundred strong, quivered with anticipation and fear of losing their seats.

“Somebody said Brooke Shields is out in the hall!” exclaimed one unfortunate reporter, ignorant of the fact that His Hotness was most recently cited with Tatum O’Neal, not Shields.