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"Soul Train Music Awards" (1989)

Date confirmed in LA Times as “Wednesday”, April 12, 1989

LA Times (Friday, April 14, 1989)

Michael Jackson!

Bobby Brown!

Anita Baker!

Whitney Houston!

The third annual Soul Train Music Awards on Wednesday at the Shrine Auditorium featured virtually all the top stars in contemporary black music, as well as presenters such as Mike Tyson and Eddie Murphy—who bestowed yet another lifetime achievement award on Michael Jackson.

Unlike the Grammys, the show came in on time. Unlike the American Music Awards, there weren't any victories by white pop star George Michael for the producers to explain, and Murphy behaved himself while sharing the mike with Jackson.

So why was Don Cornelius, the show's co-executive producer, so low-key after the ceremonies?

Because he thinks that the show still isn't getting a fair shake from the television industry.

"It seems that everything in television is viewed as black or white," Cornelius said in an upstairs production office after the taping of the show, which was syndicated to 89 stations around the country, including Los Angeles' KTTV Channel 11.

"And if a program seems black it doesn't get honest and equal consideration on any level, whether you are talking about networks or syndication," added the founder of the long-running "Soul Train" dance show.

"Just on the strength of Michael Jackson's name, we should have had 30% more stations than we did last year, and we have 17 fewer stations.

"I don't have an explanation for it. But it's frustrating to bring in this kind of talent package and have it treated like it's just another show that independent stations could get any day of the week."

Cornelius acknowledged that having more white artists and presenters on the show might make it more "palatable" to a general audience, but he said that he doesn't want to go that route. (The only non-black celebrities on the bill were Sheena Easton, who performed her pop/R&B hit "The Lover in Me," and presenters Elizabeth Taylor, Heather Locklear, Melissa Manchester, Paul Rodriguez and the members of the group Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.)

"We're not trying to do a gerrymandered black show that appeals to white people or compete with the so-called general market efforts," he said, referring to the American Music Awards and the Grammys. "We've had to make a decision as to what we want to be in character, in style. And we want to be a show about black music. We don't want to duplicate something that's already being done. If you do that, who needs you?"

If the show, hosted by Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle and sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, still doesn't get the respect it deserves from the TV industry, it does have the support of the black music industry.

Anita Baker, the top winner with three awards including song of the year for "Giving You the Best That I Got," told the reporters in the backstage press area that she received her first television exposure on "Soul Train."

"Were it not for that show, I wouldn't have been seen on national TV until much later in my career," said the singer, who has also won numerous Grammys and American Music Awards. "A lot of times inner-city or black talent is overlooked or pushed over to the side."

Even Jackson, a no-show at this year's Grammy Awards, was on hand to accept two honorary prizes—the Heritage lifetime achievement award and the new Sammy Davis Jr. Award, which honors the year's top live performer. Davis and Elizabeth Taylor spoke affectionately of the pop star in their presentations.

Jackson also won two awards in the regular competition—for music video and single by a male artist, both for "Man in the Mirror." The singer, who was shut out at this year's Grammys and American Music Awards, later made his way backstage to pose for the photographers—but sidestepped the print and television reporters.

Al B. Sure!, who was named best new artist, said that he, too, got his start on "Soul Train."

"I'm glad to see that a black man has taken charge here," said the singer, whose "Nite and Day" single was a major pop/R&B hit. "The other shows—the Grammys and the American Music Awards—are nice, but this is from the heart."

The show featured several rap and street-oriented R&B performances. It has had a rap category since its inception in 1987, whereas rap was added only this year at the Grammys and the American Music Awards. (D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince swept the rap awards in all three competitions this year.)

Jam Master Jay, a member of the first 1-million-selling rap act, Run-D.M.C., said backstage that rap can no longer be denied.

"Five years ago we weren't even invited to the Grammys," he said, "and this year were were nominated for a Grammy, and next year we might be on the Grammys, and the year after that we might be running the Grammys."

The awards provided some consolation for Michael Jackson and Bobby Brown, who lost to George Michael for top soul/R&B male vocalist at the American Music Awards.

Michael, whose "Faith" album topped both the pop and black charts, wasn't even nominated in the Soul Train awards, which are voted on by 2,000 members of the black-music community—artists, radio programmers and record store personnel.

Cornelius said pop stars like Michael don't stand a chance with that voting body.

"That would only be possible if white people were doing the voting," he said in the interview. "The nonchalant disregard for the meaning of the word soul is not something that black people are likely to do. Pop music means many things, rock 'n' roll means many things, but soul means only one thing."

Michael Jackson, transcript

[After accepting the "Heritage Award for Career Achievement" and the "Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year"]

Thank you very much, Elizabeth Taylor. [turns and kisses her on cheek] Thank you, Eddie Murphy. [turns and shakes his hand, laughs]

First, I'd like to thank God, who makes all things possible. I'd like to thank my mother and father, who I love very much, Joseph and Katherine Jackson. I thank Quincy Jones, who’s in the audience, I don’t see him, he’s somewhere… He was right there, but thank you Quincy. I thank Bill Bray, John Branca, the Epic family, Walter Yetnikoff, Larry Stessel, and [Glen Berman?]. I love you, thank you very much.

[After accepting "Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single" award for “Man in the Mirror”]

Again, I say thank you. Thanks to God, and thank you Quincy Jones, and Bruce Swedien, and Siedah Garrett, and everyone who worked on the project. I love you, thank you.

[After accepting “Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Music Video” award for “Man in the Mirror”]

Quincy, come up here. I’m so happy to see Quincy again. I was looking for him earlier and he wasn’t- Hi [Rashida?]. [waves] Thank you again, I want to thank the entire public; I want to thank everybody who worked on these wonderful projects. I’d like to thank all the children at the Cleveland School in Stockton, California, I love them very much. And you, the public, thank you very much. I love you.

Randy Taborelli, biographer, The Magic and the Madness

Editor’s Note (Background info in brackets for context of Taborelli’s excerpt): [Kenneth Choi is a Korean businessman with his affiliates, known as the Moonies, who tried to push a Jacksons reunion tour - four two-hour concerts at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul. The brothers agreed, as they all needed the money at the time. But Michael didn't want to, despite the Moonies showering the family with gifts. At one point, there was even a $1 million reward to be given to whoever got Michael's signature on a contract. After six months of pressure by everyone around him, Michael signed a contract in June 1989 for four proposed concerts to take place in August. He agreed to four songs and a medley with the brothers, but nothing else. Unfortunately, the deal fell apart completely.]

[Randy Taborelli excerpt begins here]

Finally, Kenneth Choi got the meeting with Michael Jackson he had so desired. Katherine brought him along with her to the Soul Train Awards where Michael was an honouree. When Katherine introduced him to her son, he dropped to his knees and kissed Michael’s hand. ‘My people need you,’ he told Michael. ‘You must perform in Korea. After all, Japan attacked our country two times, and you performed in Japan two times. You even held a Japanese baby in your arms.’

‘Huh?’ Michael asked. He looked perplexed. ‘Who the heck are you? Mother, who is this person?’

‘Why, Michael, this is the nice man I told you about,’ Katherine said, eagerly. ‘Kenneth. You know, the man who is putting together the concerts in Korea?’

From the look on his face, Michael didn’t have the vaguest idea who his mother was talking about, or why the man in front of him was on his knees.

‘My people need to see you,’ Kenneth continued. ‘You are a hero, a saint of men.’ He then pulled out a video camera and began taping Michael. ‘No, wait!’ Michael said, putting his hands in front of his face. ‘Stop! Is this that reunion thing? Is that what this is?’

‘Yes, Michael,’ Katherine said. ‘Yes! This is him. Kenneth Choi.’ She was brimming with excitement.

‘But I don’t do business with my family,’ Michael said, turning to Kenneth. ‘And stop taping me. Stop it, I said.’