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Annual Lucasfilm Picnic

Date confirmed by attendee Diana Dawn DiAngelo, who says it “took place every year around the 4th of July” and “it was during the time Michael Jackson was working with George Lucas on his Captain EO 3D project”; could also be July 4, 1986, but 1985 seems more probable, due to Michael’s quotes on pre-production work as opposed to post-production, which occurred in 1986.

Michael Jackson, “Moonwalk” autobiography

I flew up to San Francisco a couple of times to visit George at his place, Skywalker Ranch, and gradually we came up with a scenario for a short film that would incorporate every recent advance in 3-D technology. Captain EO would look and feel like the audience was in a spaceship, along for the ride.

Diana Dawn DiAngelo, SFTalent (Ed. note to self - Verify URL later)

I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to meet many Great American Superstars in my life, but this is the story about THE DAY I MET MICHAEL JACKSON.

The day I met Michael Jackson was such a Thrill for me... It was at one of Lucasfilm’s Annual Picnics, in the late 80's, which took place every year around the 4th of July, out at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County.

It was during the time Michael Jackson was working with George Lucas on his Captain EO 3D project. My sister was working for Lucasfilm at the time and invited me to the party.

It was also around the same time I had been hired by Lucasfilm to be their Tiger-Woman Double for The Morf to Morphing scene in the film Willow. Which can be seen on The Special Edition DVD of Willow.

Soon after arriving at the picnic at Skywalker Ranch I spotted Michael Jackson and went over to say hello. He was talking to George Lucas and a handful of kids were surrounding him so I didn't get the chance to say hello up close and personal until later that day. However I was able to take some great photos of Michael in those first few moments.

Michael was wearing his trademark shades, black slacks, black shirt and black hat, along with a blue surgical mask over his mouth. And when I pulled out my camera and held it up to take some photos of Michael, he kindly took off his hat, and surgical mask and smiled for the camera. His smile was brighter than The Sun and could have lit up the entire galaxy that day. He had a presence that was truly magical.

Later that day I ran into Michael under a covered shaded area where he was sitting at a picnic table all alone, well with his bodyguard and a big German Shepherd Dog standing close by, so I approached slowly and asked his bodyguard if I could say hello to Michael and get an autograph, his bodyguard said "ask Michael yourself" so I did and I slipped right into the seat next to him and said HI! very shyly, and he said "HI!" back just as shy and his voice was as soft and sweet as you would imagine Marilyn Monroe's being.

I told Michael that I loved his music and said that his lyrics really move me and touch me. Michael replied by saying, "Thank You that really means a lot to me, really it does! Thank You!" I felt like I was floating on air in that moment and knew that his words were genuine and that he really appreciated his fans and I could tell that he truly loved being a performer and making a difference in people's lives.

I also asked if he would mind signing The Lucasfilm yearbook I had and he graciously agreed to do so, as did George Lucas earlier that day.

A little later I was walking down the dirt road to my car, and a fire truck they had on the property was driving down the road in the same direction, and it was ringing its bells and tooting its horn, so I thought they wanted me to move off the road to give them more room to pass, but even after I moved over into a ditch they were still ringing their bells and tootin their horn, so I looked back again and to my surprise, I saw Michael Jackson hanging out of the passenger side window of the fire truck and he was waving and ringing the bell like an excited 5 year old kid would be.

It seemed as though he was staring at me, but I couldn't image that, so I looked over my shoulder to see who he was waving at and no-one was there, it was just the parking lot filled with cars behind me, so when I looked back at him, he was still waving, and it suddenly dawned on me that he was trying to get my attention all along and waving at me.

In that very moment I saw his true child-like spirit shining thru and it felt so pure and innocent. It was a really special moment for me and I will always cherish those moments with Michael. I feel very lucky to have met him that day. He had a beautiful spirit, a precious soul, and an angelic smile, and I am so grateful to have witnessed his playful side.

CNN iReport (Abbreviated Version of the Story) (June 25, 2009)

The day I met Michael Jackson was when I went to a Lucasfilm Picnic during the summer of "86 or 87" at The Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. He was walking around with his bodyguard and a beautiful German Shepherd dog, (as seen in the photo) He was wearing his surgical mask, until I held up my camera to snap a photo of him and then he took it off for a few minutes to smile for the camera. When he sat down at a picnic table I asked his bodyguard if I could say hello and get an autograph and he said ask Michael, so I sat down and scooted in right next to him and we both locked eyes, smiled at each other and said Hi! in a very shy way to one another, I told him I really loved his music and asked if he would mind signing the Lucasfilm yearbook for me and he graciously did right next to George Lucas's signature. A little later I was walking down the dirt road at Skywalker Ranch and I saw a Fire Engine coming down the road and it's bells were ringing and it's horn was blowing, so I moved over closer to the ditch, thinking they needed more room to pass by, since it was a narrow road, and to my surprise, they blew the horn again and when I turned to look back at them I saw Michael hanging out the passenger side of the truck and waving excitedly, so I looked behind me thinking he was waving to someone else, but no one was there, so it suddenly dawned on me that he was waving to me. So I smiled and waved back, and he seemed to be as excited as a kid would be riding in a Fire Truck for the first time.  I will cherish that memory forever... Diana Dawn (These photos [Images 002-003] of Michael Jackson and George Lucas have never been published before.)