Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Hi everyone. Welcome to the it's all for Love podcast. I'm Cheryl Mazza, the healing dancer, your host.
This podcast is all about Michael Jackson and how he continues to spread love in our world and inspires us to live our best lives.
Thank you so much for watching and or listening to this episode. But before we get to the episode, I have a few things that I want to tell you. If you are watching this podcast on YouTube, please make sure that you are subscribed to the YouTube channel and also like the video of the episode that you are watching. And I would also love it if you would leave us some comments about how much you loved the episode. If you are listening on any other podcast platform, if you are able to please subscribe on that platform. And also what would really help me is if you would leave a review on whatever podcast platform you are listening on. The reviews help the podcast to be more seen and to spread the word to other Michael Jackson fans about the podcast. And as always, I am looking for guests to be on the podcast. So if you would like to be a guest on this podcast and tell your Michael Jackson story, I would absolutely love to chat with you. Make sure to check out the show notes and find the link to click on to schedule a coffee chat with me.
Or you can email me. The email address is also in the show notes. Thank you again for listening and or watching. It's all for Love.
[00:01:42] Speaker A: Hi everyone.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: Welcome to the it's all for Love podcast. I'm Cheryl Mazza, the healing dancer, your host. And today we have Kim Anderson from Atlanta, Georgia with us.
Kim is married and a mother of four. She and her husband Ken have been married for 30 years.
This spring, they launched Divine Perfect Mate, a mentoring program for ladies who are ready for true love to find them once and for all.
Kim grew up in Detroit, and music has always been an important part of her life. One of her earliest musical recollections began with Michael Jackson.
He has always been such a constant in her life. And that is exactly why we are here today to talk about Michael. So welcome, Kim.
[00:02:25] Speaker A: Hello. Thank you.
[00:02:28] Speaker B: I cannot wait to hear all of your stories about Michael.
[00:02:33] Speaker A: Yes. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.
What a fun topic. Like someone that has been so loved, so, so impactful.
You know, it was funny because when we first started, I told like, this isn't the normal podcast that I would do, but I love to talk about Michael Jackson. So I just wanted to do your podcast and share with your audience. Just, just for fun and love. Exactly. Like Just, that's what it's all about, right?
[00:03:08] Speaker B: It's all about love.
[00:03:11] Speaker A: For real. Truly. Yeah.
[00:03:13] Speaker B: Well, tell me then, when did Michael first strike you in the heart?
[00:03:17] Speaker A: Okay. And so, you know, with him growing up, it's like there was no middle ground, right? It's like either you loved him fiercely or you didn't, Right? Like, there was just, I don't want to say obsession, but really, you know, it bordered on that at times, right? But I remember now, I know I told you earlier about one in high school, but I was like, but, you know, but really it was before that and I remembered the moment, okay?
So I don't know what year it was, but I think I was 6 or 7.
And that Christmas, my mother gave me the Jackson. Excuse me, the Jackson 5 Christmas album.
And I had to have had some recollection before then, but I'm thinking I was 6 or 7, right? Like, I was 6 or 7 when that album came out.
And I got a turntable, a little portable turntable that went with it.
And I remember just staring at the album cover, like, just staring at it, played it non stop. However many days we got off for Christmas break. Like, I don't know, like, however many. Those two weeks that we were off for Christmas break.
Like, I play. I must have played it from morning till night, straight through, pick the, Pick the thing up, put it back, play it again. Like.
Like, I must have just.
And I just remember staring at that picture. I mean, all of his brothers were on there with him, but, like, I just remember just staring at him, the picture on that album cover, just like, we were such nerds, right? So you pull out the album cover and then you read every little thing on the back. Like fan club information.
And this, like, just. I. And that Christmas was really when, like, the fierceness, the love, like, really began. I don't remember what happened or what I did in the, you know, in those years, but sometime again, I think when I was like maybe 11 or 12, they came out with.
I think the album was called Get It Together. But that was.
That was.
That album had Dancing Machine on it. And once then it just took me over. Like, I just, you know, like, I mean, I was doing the Robot everywhere. Like, just, you know, like, I was just.
I was, I was right. Like, like, you know, like, you can hear the song, you know, like, everybody's, like, doing the robot.
It just, it just, it took me over. Like, I just, I was. I was forever gone after. After that point. Yes. Oh, my gosh.
[00:06:27] Speaker B: I love how little Michael. Little Michael. Got you just.
[00:06:32] Speaker A: And I'll have you know, I have passed that on because it's not Christmas in my house and my kids are all adults now. But we have. But it was always. It wasn't Christmas, Christmas morning until we played the Jackson 5 Christmas album. Like, it just.
And now we play it on our phone.
Yes.
[00:06:53] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: We have a cassette. We don't have the turntables anymore, but.
But it's not Christmas morning until we play Jackson 5 Christmas album. It just. It is what it is.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: That is great. That is great. I love it.
Yes. What an amazing moment. And also Christmas tradition.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: 40 years of Christmas. No.
Well, yeah, 45 years, if you want to. You know, I'm in my 50s, so if I was 6 or 7, like, that's just how long he's. He's. When I say he's been a constant in my life, like, he's been a constant in my life. He stayed in my life longer than some relatives.
Yeah, but. But you know what? Wait.
[00:07:39] Speaker B: Well, he's only family, right?
[00:07:43] Speaker A: It's like. It's like he became part of the family.
[00:07:45] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
[00:07:47] Speaker A: Part of our family traditions, for sure.
[00:07:49] Speaker B: Well, do you want to tell your story about high school?
You don't have to. You don't want to. I can cut that out so bad.
[00:07:57] Speaker A: I mean, like, do you want me to tell high school or you want me to tell the concert tickets? Like, it's just.
I don't know. It's so embarrassing now to look back at just how out of my mind I was about him, about his music.
And, you know, it just. It only intensified.
Right? So.
And being from Detroit, I'll say this, like, he and his brother, you know, when it was the Jackson 5 and then it was the Jacksons and then it was Michael Solo. Like, all of that was extra special.
Growing up in Detroit, having grown up with the Motown sound and history and tradition all being around us all the time, even though at that point, you know, the Motown headquarters have moved to LA and they weren't in Detroit, but it was still very much a part of our musical DNA. So it felt personal. It felt. Felt like family. It was a big deal when Michael left Motown and went to Sony. Like, why do I know that? Like, it was just, you know, it was. It was a big deal, and it was a big deal. And his brother stayed with Motown and married Barry Gordy's daughter, and he couldn't go with the brothers. Like, it was just such a big deal in Detroit, in the musical DNA of of that city. Like so everything and all the moves he made, they felt, they felt really personal and extra special to us growing up because of like that Motown connection. So we were maybe more hyper aware of that family and what they were doing and the moves they were making. Even though at that point they were all like in California, it was, it still was a very much an emotional connection to, to what they were doing. So all of that to say so so as it's, it's always just intensifying. So from 6 to 11 or 12 to high school and this, what we did in high school. I mean I'm so, I just.
So we were just nuts. We were just nuts because high school for us now mind you, I went to an all girls Catholic high school.
And so.
So what do girls always think about guys?
I don't know. I don't know if they, if they thought like being away from guys was going to make us not think about guys.
But it kind of backfired because this literally all we thought about, right? So I'm in high school when, when Thriller comes out and Billie Jean and everybody's dressing like Michael and everybody's wearing beaded jackets and you know, we're just, we're all collectively nuts, right? So we all just kept enhancing our craziness together in a high school of 1200 girls. Like, it just kept going up and up and up. And I remember there was this one girl who, she had like the Jheri curl and she would dress like him and we would do talent days and she would be Michael Jackson. I mean, it was like. And I'm sure that was going on like all over the world, right? Like, I'm pretty sure, like it was. Yeah, but, but, but we had our own. And we would make her do stuff like, oh, there's an assembly, get on stage and do Michael Jackson. Like just, just, just insane. So we, one of the things we did just to prove our love was we would take in our, in our, you know, in the beginning of the school year. You know how you take your school pictures in the beginning of the school year and you get all the packages with all the stuff with the, the 5 by 7 and the 8 by 10 and the stickers and just all the stuff. So we would get our parents to get like the big package because they had buttons in them, like, just like buttons. And they initially had our pictures on them. But what we would do is we would pry the back off the buttons and we would go to the store and we would get magazines that had Michael in the magazines. And we'd cut Michael's picture out, and then we put it. We'd redo the buttons, and then we'd walk around with Michael buttons. And who had the most up to date? Michael buttons. And.
And just.
And it was terrible because, like, they're, like, reused. And we were trying to keep the plastic over the pictures just a mess. Could you imagine what the nuns were thinking? Like, what do we do? Like, what. What do we do?
It's like, yeah, there's nothing. Like, you guys probably listen to Michael, too. Like, I just. I don't know what to tell you.
So, yeah, it was just, you know, and from there, it just kept going up. So I have to tell the story about my brother and the concert after.
After I graduated from high school.
Once again, he's still alive after I tell this story. But so.
So they're doing. They're doing. They announce. And for those of you guys that are, like, my age, so you remember, like, it was such a big deal because they. The brothers were doing, like, the reunion tour, and they had signed with Pepsi, and it was just.
Everything was crazy. And then Michael had the accident where he burned his scalp. And we were like, oh, my gosh, it was getting ready to happen. And then they announced, like, this tour. And people don't. You know, it's hard for folks to imagine today how the world stopped because of Michael. Like, just, like, it just stopped. And so it's like Michael burned his scalp. There was a fire. He was filming a commercial. And, like, we all stopped. It's like, can we get. Can we get news? And they're like, okay, he's recovering, and now they're having a concert, and it's just. They're having a tour, and, like, everything just blows up. And it's like, okay, he's okay. There's going to be a concert. They're coming to Detroit. We have to get tickets because we have to see Michael. We have to make sure that he's okay. I mean, just. We're just nuts. Like, there's just. There's no way.
Like, there's. It's not rational. We're just.
But we're still so connected to him. Like, and it'd be different if the music wasn't good. But all along, the music and his artistic expression just kept getting better and better and better, and it kept spreading further and further and further.
And so. So I'm really embarrassed about this story if I haven't been embarrassed enough already, right? So there. They announced what the reunion I think that's what it was called, like the reunion tour because Thriller had, he had done Thriller and then the reunion tour. And I think really after that he was really just getting ready to just do solo. Like it's like, okay, gonna do this one last time. And then that's it guys, right? So everybody kind of knew if you ever want to see the Jacksons perform, you better go because you know, Michael's getting too big by himself to tour with his brother. So, so when the tickets were announced now back then guys be like, there was no Internet, so there wasn't like you could just go online and buy tickets like we do for shows now. So no, we physically had to go be there. Well, this one particular day that the count and I don't just count it to my ignorance, like, I don't know, I don't know what I was thinking. Like, I don't know.
Did they announce it like that day? Like, I don't know, like we couldn't make any plans. I was, I don't know, I was 18. Who just who. You couldn't make plans. It was like all of a sudden, boom, the tickets are going on. Said, you better go, you have to get there. So I'm at, I'm at my dad's house and I'm babysitting my little brother and my girlfriend's like, him, we gotta go, we gotta go now to go get the tickets.
And so why in my brain that I think it was okay to leave like my 6 year old brother in the house by himself like, and leave him and go with my friend to go buy concert tickets? Like, I just can't even understand what my thought process would have been like. And we talked about this, like I could have maybe given her the money and let her go get tickets. I could have taken my brother with me and we could have all gone together to buy the tickets. But I don't know, I literally left him in the house and went to go get tickets. And I don't, I can't even imagine what my father thought when I came in. Like, I know I left this six year old home by himself, but yo, I'm going to see Michael.
When I got the tickets, like when you look at your kid, like, what the heck is wrong with you? Like, yeah, well, like what reasonable explanation other than, well, I got the tickets and, and sure our tickets were, we got floor tickets.
We were like row 11 stage right. Like we were like right there.
Wow.
You know, my brother lived, you know, he's married, he's got three kids. Like, you know, my brother lives fine.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: He's fine.
[00:17:46] Speaker A: He's fine. He's fine. He's fine. Well, maybe not fine, but he's fine. He's fine, he's fine.
So, you know, I. I didn't have an adverse effect on him, I'm sure, Like. But yeah, I mean, just some of the most ridiculous things that I'm. I really can't believe I did that. Like, I. I just.
My brain was short circuited. I don't. I don't. I don't have any reasonable explanation. I really don't. I just. I was crazy.
[00:18:12] Speaker B: Just blame it on Michael.
Blame it on the Boogie.
That's the only reasonable explanation.
[00:18:24] Speaker A: That's the only thing that makes sense, right?
[00:18:26] Speaker B: Yes, exactly.
Well, how was the show? I mean, like, do you remember anything from it besides it being spectacular?
[00:18:35] Speaker A: I think I just remember being in awe.
Like, at that point, it was so worth it. I don't sound so bad, but at that point, being there at the show, on the floor, row 11.
I mean, it was. It was worth it.
So bad. But I just. It was just such a moment.
[00:18:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm sure.
[00:18:59] Speaker A: Right. Like, it was such a moment. They were right there.
Old songs, new songs. Michael songs. Like, it was just.
It was just amazing. And I just remember being in awe. Like, they're here. Like. Like, we made it. Like, it was just.
It was the best. It was the best. It was the absolute best.
[00:19:21] Speaker B: Awesome. I've seen him live. I really do.
[00:19:26] Speaker A: It was, you know, and there was. There was another concert that wasn't my first concert, but it was one when I was earlier.
I don't even. I can't even, you know, say it was the concert. I can't. I don't know how old I was, but there was the. There was another Jackson's concert that I went to because the album Jackson's Live came from that concert tour.
And so I remember.
I remember my mother went with me.
My mother was getting in on it. But. So that was before. But I don't know how many years before that one was that we went.
And it seems like there might have been another one sprinkled in there because they always came to Detroit, so.
So, yeah, but there was one that she went and he came. He came down. And it seems like. I. I don't know if we were on the floor, but it seems like he wasn't far from us.
So he, like, walked into the crowd when he's saying, like, she's out of my life or something. And I remember my mother going, so. I don't know. We were on the floor. I just remember, like, I just remember he. He was. He seemed really close at one point, and it was. And. And I remember my mother freaking out, like, just like, he's right there. And I was like, right.
[00:20:50] Speaker B: This is why women used to faint. Women and men. And it's kind of. No, they were just faint.
[00:20:58] Speaker A: And so. Just imagine. So whenever that was. That was really early Michael maybe solo, because it seems like he had, like, a solo stage during the concert with his brothers. It seems like there was, like, you know, somehow there they would leave and he would stay type thing, if I. If I'm recalling correctly. So, yeah, so I. I remember my mother freaking out, like, oh, my gosh. Like, he's really close, like, Right.
So I've been trying to tell you, Right.
He's amazing. Don't you want a poster, too, Mom? Like, you know, I know you want a poster, so. Yeah, but it was so. She was. But she was always very, like. She didn't dissuade me from, like, having the posters on the wall. I know, like, some parents might be like, I can't believe now. My mom was really very cool about that. Like, he was like, I understand why you love them, but it's like, Right. Thank you.
[00:21:58] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:21:59] Speaker A: So. So she never gave me any slack about. About the posters and the buttons and the. All the stuff.
[00:22:06] Speaker B: She.
[00:22:06] Speaker A: I don't know if she even knows about the other one, though. When I left my brother in the house because it. Because my parents had separated, so. So I don't ever know if she even knew that I did that craziness.
[00:22:15] Speaker B: But she knows now.
[00:22:16] Speaker A: Sure, I know.
[00:22:18] Speaker B: Right?
[00:22:18] Speaker A: Like, okay, well, I'm just. But he's fine. He's fine.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: He's fine. It's. It's so many years later.
[00:22:26] Speaker A: I see. I don't think she'll be mad. I don't think she'd be mad.
[00:22:32] Speaker B: Well, has Michael Jackson inspired you throughout your life?
[00:22:38] Speaker A: Of course.
Of course. I think, you know, I was talking to my husband about this, and I was like, you know, it's. It sounds. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but I think because like I said, he's. He was always in my life in some. In some form or fashion that there were some things that, like, if I talk musically, there's a definite influence musically, because he taught me. He taught us what good music was.
He taught us that.
He gave us music in a way that was pure.
The spirit behind his music was pure and it was beautiful.
And so that influence, when I think about it, has been very profound because of the sounds that he gave us. It was like I was able to recognize and say, oh, well, I like this, or I don't like that. That's.
I mean, I don't really. That's not really my cup of tea type music.
And then I think personally, as. As from the type of person he was, that loving, gentle person, that it just was such an inspiration to be the best version of yourself, to accept your flaws. We all have them. No one's perfect. We're not aiming for perfection, but we might be aiming for excellence.
And so to be that person, I mean, if we all. I mean, think back to the songs he gave us and the messages he gave us in his songs, it's like, really, how can you sing man in the Mirror and not think about being a better version of yourself?
And how can I be better? How can I. How can I be better to the people that I'm around, that I interact with? And so it's. It's sort of. It's that thing. It's always been there.
But when I think about, wow, how my life has been impacted, it's. It's real.
Like. Like the impact that he made on my life personally is real. Because even musically, what he has given, I've given to my kids.
Like, my kids all have. Have MJ playlists. You know, my kids have all that, even with the Christmas tradition. Like. Like, I've given him to my kids, right. And so I expect that my kids will take that, and then they'll probably be like, there's this guy, you know, back in your grandmother's time, his name was Michael Jackson. You need to know about him. Like, I just think that it will just. It will continue.
And maybe they'll just know him by the time my kids have kids. Maybe they'll just know him musically.
But.
But in sharing that, it keeps the legacy. It keeps the legacy going. Yes. And I think that's.
That's probably going to be the most amazing thing about Michael, is that his music will never die.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: Exactly. It'll live on forever.
[00:26:00] Speaker A: It'll live on forever. It really will.
And with just a little bit of research about him, you'll find out that he was the.
The largest human to walk to be on earth. Like, when I say large, I mean aura, I mean talent, I mean giftedness, I mean performance. I mean just how he allowed everyone.
He. He gave himself to everyone. Like, just, you know, and so many people in. In our generation latched on to him, around the world. Like, there was no one larger.
I mean, Elvis was big. I don't think Elvis was larger than Michael was. No.
[00:26:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:54] Speaker A: I don't know anyone since who. Who reaches approaches that level.
Not saying that there aren't people that are popular, but.
[00:27:07] Speaker B: Yeah, it's just he.
He was so much more than, like, just the artist, you know, like you said, it's like his aura, his energy, it's all the things about him that made it so that there will never be anyone like him ever.
Like, people can try, but he was just another level completely.
[00:27:34] Speaker A: He was his own level. Right. Like. Yeah, yeah. I see the. I see the videos from when he was.
He was like, running to get to the venue, and it's just people for miles running behind him. It's just like, you couldn't fathom the power, the impact, the aura. Like, you just. You just. You had to see it. You had to witness it. Like, you, like.
I remember. Remember the Super Bowl. Like, his performance at the super bowl when he stood there.
I read the. Or I saw a video from the director when he was at the Super Bowl. He stood there for two minutes, and he didn't move. And the director was freaking out because he was like, he didn't want to miss the cue to tell everyone to go. But he didn't know that Michael was going to stand there for two minutes. And so he was freaking out. He was just like, did I miss it?
And. And it was just like, no, you didn't miss it. But. But to command, like, this is. It's the Super Bowl. He's like, we're going to just stand here for two minutes until I move. Like, Right? Yeah, you can't. You can't do that now.
[00:28:52] Speaker B: No, you can't. People will be like, what the hell is he doing? You know?
Now people losing their. For two minutes.
[00:29:00] Speaker A: Two minutes, right?
So, like. And the director was like.
And then the pressure. That, man, the pressure on him because if he. If he went early, like, you're. You're gonna mess up the whole show if you go early and you miss and you make Michael go like you're gonna. Yeah, the pressure on him. He was like. He had no idea that Michael was gonna. He was gonna do that. Right? So he thought maybe 30 seconds, like, then he'd take off his glasses. But he's. He.
He literally stood there for two minutes. Yeah. Did you. Two minutes of air time. I can. I can understand what the director was. Was. Was literally freaking out because you're like, what is he gonna do is he, you know, and, and you don't want to be that guy that messed up Michael Jackson's super bowl performance. Right, so. Exactly. But just, but just.
He just commanded the attention and respect.
I just. And it was one of the, it's still one of the best super bowl performances that's ever been, but he just commanded, you know, that level. Like I said, he was his own level. But I mean, it was amazing and beautiful to watch just how he carried himself. I mean, you know, the. Okay. Of course he had his, he had his moments. I'm not saying he was perfect, but in the, in the beauty of his art, it was, I mean, it was like, almost untouchable.
Like, you can't even begin to understand and approach it now at, at how magnificent, you know, like, Michael Jackson was.
[00:30:47] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:48] Speaker A: Is still, but just magnificent. I'm trying to, I'm trying to think of adjectives to describe that era.
And it was, I mean, it's astounding. It's astounding to think back on it very much. Very much indeed indeed.
[00:31:08] Speaker B: Do you ever have Michael Jackson synchronicities, how he just shows up magically in your life, just pops up?
[00:31:17] Speaker A: You know, it's funny because I, I, I think now, I think now, honestly, it cracks me up how, like, on, on my social media, that he pops up literally, like on, on Facebook, Michael Jackson shorts pop up all the time, like, every day. And if you watch one, they go, oh, did you like that? Let us give you more. I'm like, okay, thanks. I appreciate that. So I, So I still see him a lot. Yes, I saw, I think I saw him today.
And it seems to me that lately there's been, there's been an understanding, probably because of the times we're living in and that things that people see, especially from the media, like, I want to say, you know, 20 years ago, a lot of people just took what they saw on TV and thought, oh, this must be true.
But having that understanding of what we've experienced, let's say, just since COVID understanding that, wow, these guys lie, right? Like, they lie, right? I am, I am seeing an understanding of, of what was done to him and people who might have thought he did things all those years ago, understanding now that, wait, they only go after the ones that are righteous.
They don't. They don't go against the ones that are, that are in line with all of their nefarious deeds. They only go after the righteous ones.
And so I think I see a lot of people now understanding that, wow, he was the good guy.
And then if you listen to his songs now, people are like, Michael was always trying to tell us that the world isn't what the world is. Just being presented to you isn't really how it is. And I saw some stuff last week, I think when back were they were playing they don't really Care About Us a lot last week, and they were like, this might be the anthem of the new generation. And I'm going, he was trying to tell us, right? Like, he was trying to tell us and to see that folks are beginning to really understand that no, he was the righteous one all along.
And the fact that this song now is starting to play again and they're like, no. Like, I was like, really? Michael's song is going to be the anthem of the new generation.
How fitting, right? Like, how fitting, right? So he's, he's still, he's still around, he's still relevant. And, you know, it's like, and people are just, you know, maybe they had turned their backs, but now they're, I mean, like, they're really starting to understand that things haven't always been as. As we've been told they were.
And so that, even so that awakening is taking people back to him, saying, wow, wow, I think I made a mistake.
Michael, Michael was, was victimized. They really went after him to try to take him out.
Now we can say lots of reasons why, but I'm seeing that recognition and understanding. So he's still, he's still like on my social, like you would think he posted and you know what? So I was thinking, what would be, what would it be like? And I, and I, when we, when we talk about K Pop, I'll explain this a little bit more, but what would it be like if we actually had Michael in a social media era and he could talk directly to us?
Right? Right. Like, he, he didn't, he didn't have to. He wouldn't have had to gone through people or gone speak to the media. Like, he could, he could just talk to us. He could just get on Instagram and go, hey, you know, hey, hey, this is what's going on. Like, what would it have, what would it have been like to have Michael Jackson in a social media era and that A lot more like, just, could you imagine, could you imagine like Michael Jackson getting on Instagram just saying, hey, let me just tell you what's going on. Like, you're like, wait, seriously? Oh, my gosh.
[00:35:50] Speaker B: Yeah, it would be unbelievable.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: It, you know, like, could you, like, could you imagine what it would be like to have Michael Jackson on social media. Huh?
Huh?
[00:36:03] Speaker B: Right.
[00:36:04] Speaker A: A lot of that stuff would have. Would have gotten nipped in the bud.
[00:36:08] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:36:10] Speaker A: So much faster than for it to have taken over a decade. But people are starting to wake up. Yes, they're starting to wake up.
[00:36:18] Speaker B: I'm so glad that you brought that up, because it. I see it too. I see people are waking up and. And Michael is part of waking people up, you know, like, he's. He's helping the world to wake up and see that we've been lied to for decade, for decades, thousands of years, you know, like.
[00:36:40] Speaker A: Huh.
[00:36:41] Speaker B: So thank you, Mike.
[00:36:42] Speaker A: Isn't that crazy?
[00:36:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:43] Speaker A: So, like, that's so. When you say synchronicities, but that's what. That's what really trips me out. Like, he's the voice.
He's. He's the voice. Yeah.
[00:37:00] Speaker B: It's like, I. I'm not. Like, I don't talk about politics or anything like that, but when the whole, like, presidential thing was going on, the recent one, I was always posting Michael Jackson for president, I was like, wouldn't it be great if Michael Jackson was the President of the United States? Because everything would be great with the world.
[00:37:20] Speaker A: Exactly, Exactly.
[00:37:22] Speaker B: He's all about love, and that's all we want, all of us. So.
[00:37:27] Speaker A: For real, for real. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness.
I know, I know, I know, I know. And I'm like, I know. I just. I mean, we love him.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:37:39] Speaker A: So much. So much we love him.
[00:37:41] Speaker B: We do.
Do you have any. Do you have a favorite song?
[00:37:48] Speaker A: That's almost an impossible question, but.
Because.
So here's. Here's what I discovered when I was thinking about that.
What I discovered is there are songs, there are favorite songs depending on my mood.
So one of my songs. And then. And then it's not always, like, popular, what you would think would be a popular song, right? So.
So one of my. One of my jams. One of my jams is another part of me.
[00:38:19] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:38:20] Speaker A: Yeah, it's one of my jams.
It's like, you know, it's like I love the video because it's the video for that one is him in concert.
And so. So I love another part of me. There are just times when I could just play another part of me, like, all day on repeat.
Then there's one. Now this one might get you, but get on the floor.
[00:38:43] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah.
[00:38:47] Speaker A: Dance with me. Dance with me.
Right, right. He taught us how to groove. He taught us how to groove. So, like, so, you know, so get on the floor.
And then if I'm feeling.
If I'm feeling raunchy, it could be Dirty Diana.
[00:39:05] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:39:05] Speaker A: You know, like, you just want to blast. You just want to just.
You want to hear the guitar. You want to hear the drums. You want to just hear the thumping. Yes, it could be Dirty Diana.
And so a lot. A lot of times it would just depend on, you know, as my daughter would say, like, how funky do you want to get? Like, so it's. It's not always.
It's not always, like, the more popular ones, because, like, I mean, like, I love Billie Jean, but I don't. Like, I wouldn't be like, oh, put on Billie Jean.
[00:39:37] Speaker B: Right.
[00:39:38] Speaker A: It can play.
But.
But if I was listening to Thriller, like, I might like Human Nature sometimes just to.
To chill out and just, you know, be mellow and let that play in the background. So it just.
It really. My favorite song is Whatever is sort of like, my ear needs to hear when it comes to him. So it's not one. It's never. I don't think it could ever be one song. But.
But, yeah, it just. It really. It'll depend on what I. If I'm walking, if I'm, like, exercising, it could be something that's more upbeat.
And even.
Even there's been times when the duet that he did with Paul McCartney, I will play that. There is a note that Michael hits in that song that I'm just like.
So I promise, it just sometimes it'll. Some songs will catch me different on a certain day, and I'm like, man, I just need to hear that again. Let me just put that on repeat and just let it go. Yeah. So there you go.
Yes and no.
[00:40:43] Speaker B: Okay.
No. It's funny. A lot of people answer it that way, too. Or it's like, it's all about the mood, how you're feeling. What is it that, you know, what song is gonna, you know, pick you up or, you know, kind of thing.
[00:40:56] Speaker A: And. And then even sometimes some days, it's Earth song.
Because when you hit. When you hit that chord in Earth Song and you're. You just like, yeah, it. You know, like, I will go blast. Yeah, I will still blast Earth Song. Like, it's just, you know.
Yeah, I can, you know, like, just. And I mean, and I play it, like, I'll take it. Put it on my phone, and I'll take it downstairs when I'm cooking. And, like, everybody hears kids here. My husband here's. Like, everybody hears it. It's like, jamming. This is where we Are today.
This is what we're doing today.
[00:41:34] Speaker B: Yes, Yes.
[00:41:37] Speaker A: I can't help it. Like I just once, once one of those songs clicks for me that day. Like, I can't, I can't help it. Like, that's, that's where we are. This is gonna be playing loud. It's going to be playing loud always.
[00:41:53] Speaker B: You cannot play it low. You cannot.
[00:41:58] Speaker A: Promise.
[00:42:01] Speaker B: Well, let's talk about Michael's influence on K pop. I want to hear your, your take on.
[00:42:07] Speaker A: Yes.
Okay, so I went through. I just got a fan because I'm, I'm having a.
You got me talking about one of my things and so I'm getting like fired up. Okay. So a couple years ago, I really wasn't listening musically. And I told you, like, music is really important to me.
But musically, especially here in the States, I hadn't found anyone from, if I could put it in like terms like a secular. I had listened to Christian music and that kind of thing and you know, went through that sort of phase of life and.
But like to listen to people that would be like, technically on the radio, like, I hadn't done it for years. And so if I was, if I was going somewhere, if I was driving, whatever, literally my playlists were like, you know, 80s 90s, hip hop, rap, Michael Jackson's Janet. Like, and so I was just playing songs from then up to two years ago. Like, I was like, okay, well I'll do 80s. Like, I'm just not, you know, there's nothing, there's no one now that captivates me, right. Or that, that I feel has that same spirit that I would want to listen to. I think everything had gotten so hyper sexualized and just noise, musically, everything just was like noise. So I was like, I mean, you know, and I honestly thought that there would not ever be anything else that I would listen to. Like, I thought, well, maybe I'll just listen to Christian music. And you know, I didn't think there would be anything that would stir my soul to.
In any form. Like, I just didn't, I didn't, I didn't think it was possible. I thought, you know what? It's done, right? I'll just keep listening to Michael. I mean, okay.
I mean, okay. And you. I promise you, my daughter used to. She would ride horses and we'd have to go drive like 40 minutes to where her horse, whatever place is.
And all, all I would play, I would play, I would play Michael. I played Jackson 5. Like, I just, like that's literally all I would play. 40 minutes going and 40 minutes come back.
So, you know, okay, so like, that's. I thought that's. This is it.
This is just what I'll do.
And so 2023, my. And my kids have been listening to K pop for a while, and I just thought that I was like, it went. What is that? Like, I just, you know, all my Korean friends now just bear with me. I just, I just, I didn't, I didn't get it. Like, I was like, I don't. What?
Why? Yeah, and so a couple years ago, 2023, she was. She had gotten me into watching K dramas, Korean dramas, which I highly recommend because all the smut and stuff that we have on TV here, their dramas don't have it. It's. It's. It's very.
It's the story. And they don't get into any agenda driven stories. They just tell you a story.
That's it. They just tell you a great story. How about that? Okay, So I was like, you know what? So I'm watching this one thing and this, this one particular drama, and she's like, mom, you. Like, she was. And she was very adamant, like, mom, you got to watch this drama. And I was like, okay.
And I was like, why? So she was like, it's because of this guy. Like this particular guy, this guy that was acting. And I was like, okay, well, what, what, what did he do something else? She's like, well, he did this drama. And I looked at it and I was like, I mean, I mean, I guess he's okay. Like, okay, sure.
So I'm watching the drama. Cause, you know, and the way that their dramas would roll out is that they would show two episodes a week so that the anticipation for the drama builds. So we now call this taking the ride. When a show comes out, you watch the first two episodes and then you follow it every week. You get online, you talk about it, you do all kinds of stuff till the next episode comes out and you talk about that. Okay? So I was like, okay. So. So by the time we get maybe halfway through the power of this guy that, that's acting kind of hits me. And I was like, okay, who is this guy? So I go on Twitter and I'm, I'm. I'm talking about it. And if anybody wants to know, the name of the drama is called King the Land. So I'm watching it and I'm like, this dude, okay? And they're like, hey, this guy, he's about to release a single. And I thought, well, that's really Something. How cool is that? He's got his show going on, and he's releasing a single.
What is that?
I thought he was going to release some little ballad.
And he. He. He releases this song that's like.
And it's like, it's bumping. And I went, wait.
I was like, oh. He.
Wow. You know, because you're like, if you think someone's gonna do a. Sing a song for a show, you think, oh, it's just gonna be, you know, it's gonna be some little cute, cute song. But no, he introduces the song. And I was like, wait, wow, he can. He can. He can move like that.
I was like, whoa. So then I go online to talk about the song that he's releasing, and people started telling me, no, this guy, he's an idol. And I was like, what's. What's an idol?
And they said, yeah, like, that's what they call the. Their musical stars in Korea. They call them idols. And I was like, okay, I'm not really down with that name, but okay, sure. And they were like, no, this dude's been around since 2008.
He's really something. And I was like, really?
Huh?
So I'm on Instagram, I'm on Twitter. And I was like, well, let me me check this guy out.
Turns out this guy has been in a group since 2008.
And I started looking at them, and I went, whoa, these are Michael's kids.
One of the first things I said was like, these are Michael's kids because they.
They perform, they dance, they sing. Some of them sing step into acting. But their. Their musical performances are all him, like, his influence. And. And a lot of them that I discovered from that era, that kind of. They call it a debut when they finally are, like, released into the world as a group or a soloist.
So they debuted in 2008, but before they. They had that debut period. And obviously this is because I was, like, becoming a nerd, and I'm watching all their videos, like, before they debut and stuff, that Michael's influence is unquestionable. Literally, the guy that was on that show before he debuted, his parents got together all their money and actually, like, rented out an amphitheater for him.
And he literally did Michael Jackson songs and performed them the amphitheater. So he might have been like, 14 or 15 when his parents, like, rented out this theater because they were trying to get the attention of, like, the executive, the. The musical companies to see him. So they literally rented out an amphitheater. He goes up there and he Performs nothing but Michael Jackson songs. And he's dancing and. And break and popping and, you know, moonwalking and flipping and doing all kinds of things at 14 and 15. But all he's using is Michael Jackson's songs. And he's. He's not necessarily.
[00:49:44] Speaker B: He's.
[00:49:45] Speaker A: He's using some of Michael's moves, but then he's adding his own.
[00:49:50] Speaker B: He's.
[00:49:51] Speaker A: What do you call it when they're spinning on the floor? I forgot. It just jumped out of my head. But, you know, like, huh.
[00:49:56] Speaker B: Break dancing.
[00:49:57] Speaker A: Break dancing, yes. So he's break dancing and doing all kinds of things. And so they took that concert that he did when he was 14 or 15, got him on a TV show so that he could show even more. And then. Then the. The leader of the. The. Or the group of the company that ended up signing him, saw him, put him on, and then it's like. And then he became. He got another group that was law. I mean, like, in. In Asia, they were huge, selling out stadiums. Like, you just. I was like, there's a whole nother side of the world. That's. How did. How did King of Pops influence Jump In Ocean? Like, I mean, I knew. I knew he, you know, he had done. Of course he had done concerts in Seoul, and I knew, like, I. I got that. But to. To actually influence a whole generation of young Koreans who said, no, we're gonna take what he. He did and we're gonna just add on to it. We're gonna. If we can, we're gonna take it to another level. But his influence so prevalent in how they move, how they sing, how they. How they dance, like, how they perform.
Like, the stages were like his. Like, it just. I was. I was so stunned that I was like, does any. Is it just this one group or is it like, is it more? Like, is it really? And then the R B influence was crazy. And I just went, how did R and B that I grew up with, that started in Detroit? Like, how did it jump in Ocean and get to Korea? And now some of the R and B songs, I just was. I was flabbergasted. And I went.
I went, whoa.
Like, this is his musical legacy.
They have dancing studios with him on the walls. Like, this is the Michael Jackson studio.
You can go here. When you. When you need to rehearse, you go to the Michael Jackson studio to rehearse. And so the love and respect that they have for him, like, I felt like, this is how I felt like, like I had. I had found my people Again, like, you know, it's like. Right? Yeah.
Okay.
Okay. And then so. So my husband was literally. I was going crazy. Like, I was just like, I.
How. How did it get there like this? And I would. And I would. I would go up to him and I go, I go, babe, listen to this song. And I was like. And I was just like. And he was just like, chemistry Korean. I was like, it's English in there too. Just hang. Hang with me. There's English there too. But just listen to the music. And I, like, play songs for him. He'd be like, okay, okay.
I was so excited that I found that. I found this vein that was pure, musically influenced by him. And here's, here's the difference is that these kids have grown up on social media, right? And so, so you get to know them as people, not just artists, because they have spent their whole career on video doing Instagram lives and watch. Feeding their cat and showing you how they're living off stage, which we never really got to see from Michael. Like, you know, he was so protected that we didn't get to see that part of him. And so that's why I was thinking earlier, what would it be like if we had Michael on social media? We really would know. We would know him so much more intimately. And if. If he had. If he had lived to this era, like, we'd have known him so much more.
Because what I've discovered about.
And of course not all, but. But most. A lot of the K poppers, and I'll just use that term, you get to know them as people and you see them in their struggles.
They're very. Because you can't be in front of people to the extent that they are and not be real. At some point, maybe in the beginning, you're trying to. You're trying to. I, you know, okay, I wanna. I wanna be a super successful person. But.
But the amount of work that they do, as much as they're in front of cameras, at some point, they. You have to be yourself and you can't. You can't hide who you are. And so we get to see them as people, understand their struggles. Even though they might be on a stage with, you know, 50,000 people, you really get to see the type of people they are. And I think that's probably the biggest influence. Not only do they take after him artistically, but they also are very concerned about who they are as people.
And I think that becomes such a precious thing that you get to recognize that their character off camera, if you can Put it that way, because they're always on camera, but that their character is true, their integrity is real.
They don't reach those levels without working hard. There are no shortcuts for them in Korea.
There's bad people and everything, but for the ones that have made it. And last, there are no shortcuts. They actually just put in the work. And you see them putting in the work and it. So it's something that you can respect as you see them grow in their artistry. But understanding that purity that I talked about earlier, like, the spirit that it comes from is a place of love.
The love that they have for Michael, the love that they have for the fans, like, it. It really comes from a really pure well. And, you know, I'm like. And that. So for me, I felt like it was such a continuation of his love, and I was like, k Pop, the real K Pop.
That's his legacy. That's his musical legacy. They have taken it, they have internalized it, and now they're giving it back to the world. So you. So you're going to see, I think, more.
More K pop. Come.
Where are we? The Easter. You're gonna see more K pop. Come, Come West. Yeah.
Because.
Because of the purity of. And the spirit behind their music.
And when you see them, you see the respect that they have for him.
[00:56:39] Speaker B: Right.
[00:56:40] Speaker A: And how can you not love it? Yeah, so. So, yeah, I don't. Did you see the concert that I sent you? I did.
[00:56:46] Speaker B: Not yet.
[00:56:47] Speaker A: Okay. When you do, you're gonna. You're gonna. You're gonna be like that kid. That kid, he. They call him the Korean Michael Jackson, but 13, 14 years old. There's videos of him doing Michael, like, just, you know, being Michael doing Michael. And, you know, and here he is almost 20 years later, and he has taken Michael's dance moves, internalize them and taking them to another level. Like, it's just the. The fact. I think the fact that they love and honor him so much, it's like, okay, well, I'll give it a listen. I'll give it a watch. Like, okay, I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt. And then you find, wow. Like, the. Like, you guys are really good. Like, you're in it. It's not just voice. It's just that whole aura of an energy and love and respect that makes you love them, because they know where they got it, right? And so.
And it's like, how can you not love them? They. They. They are taking what they saw from him and they're taking it to another level. And then they're going to. What's going to be crazy is when they bring it back to us over here in the States and they do. They have concerts and stuff here. But. But when. But I think it's going to come even more and we'll probably be like, what is this Korean K pop invasion? Like, what is that?
[00:58:14] Speaker B: I'm here for it.
[00:58:15] Speaker A: I'm here for it.
When you see it. When you see it, you'll go, I was listening to something yesterday and there's a song and I was like, the opening. And I went, that's a Michael opening. That's a Michael opening. I was like, no one else? And I'm like, there's no one here I can talk to. There's no one here for me to tell. I was like, that's Michael's opening. I've been around long enough to have heard all of his songs. So when I hear something from him that they're now using, I'm like, there it is. There it is. That's Michael's opening. Okay. Okay. All right.
Well done, boys. Well done.
[00:58:51] Speaker B: Well, that's awesome. I love, I love that. And I love to hear how his influence has been on the K pop industry because, like, with you talking about, like, how they just, like, made it their own too. So it's not like, you know, they're not just like copying him or like, you know, doing exactly what he did. It's like they took those lessons from him because dance these days, like, well, Michael's dance was obviously different than regular dance, right? Because he made that his own.
Right. Studied all the greats, you know, like that. Did the ballet and jazz and all this stuff. But he made it his own. So that's basically what they're doing. They're taking Michael Jackson style dancing and making it with like, the break dancing and like, you know, all of that. So, yeah, I'm excited to see it.
[00:59:44] Speaker A: And when you see, when you see it, you have to call me or text me or email me or something. When you see it, you're gonna go like, that's Michael's pose. It is, but now it's his pose, right? It's like. But he's taking Michael's pose and now he's, you know, the. With the arms out pose. You'll see it when. And you'll go that.
Okay, okay. I, I was like, I see you and it's, you know, I was the, the, the show that I sent you, the first song, I think I was like, this is the most Michael Jackson song. Like, even the. The sounds, the moves, the. Like, it's this. When you see it, you're gonna go, wow. Okay, okay. And.
But it's their love. It's the love that they have for him that even took them to the place where they thought.
Even if in the beginning they were copying him, but it was because they were like, he showed them that they could do.
They could do it too.
And so as kids, they're like, well, what do you know? I'm just gonna be Michael Jackson. I'll just do Michael Jackson. If I can do Michael Jackson really well, maybe I can catch someone's attention.
And more than one occasion, that's how some of the bigger names that are still around now in K pop got started.
[01:01:07] Speaker B: Wow.
[01:01:08] Speaker A: Yeah, it's. It's a beautiful thing. And, and so I. It's. It's. It's almost weird for me because, you know, there's. They're so much younger, but I'm like, gushing over them because.
Because Michael.
[01:01:20] Speaker B: Michael. Yeah.
[01:01:22] Speaker A: Oh, my.
My gosh. And. And. And listen, they are cutie patooties, let me just tell you. So.
So, you know. Yeah, there's that part too.
[01:01:34] Speaker B: All right, that helps.
Oh, I can't wait to check it out, and I will definitely let you know.
[01:01:40] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. I can't wait for you to see it.
Oh, I can't wait.
[01:01:46] Speaker B: I can't wait to see it. What do you want the world to know about Michael Jackson?
[01:01:50] Speaker A: He was probably the best there ever was.
And I think we can take a lot of lessons from Michael in. In terms of his excellence and. And apply those same things to our lives, which I tend to do a lot. Like, just, you know, where can I gather inspiration? What. What can I glean from, you know, his hard work, his attention to his craft, his attention to detail, his level of excellence? Like. Like, what can I glean from. From. From someone that I can apply to be better? And for me, his. One of the things for me was that how can I. How can I take who he was, the example that he set, apply it to my life and. And be a better version of me? And so when I say he was the best that ever was, I mean that sincerely.
I think people should still go back. I think they should listen to him all the time.
[01:02:48] Speaker B: Amen.
[01:02:48] Speaker A: I think musically you should still be listening to him. And if you haven't and go back and. And listen again because, you know, you're gonna find yourself uplifted. You're gonna. You're gonna find Yourself moving. You're gonna find your soul stirred. And I think that's one of the. The gifts that he left us.
[01:03:07] Speaker B: Yes.
[01:03:09] Speaker A: I love him. I always will.
[01:03:11] Speaker B: I know.
[01:03:12] Speaker A: I was like, this is like our fangirl chat and talks like, oh, I know.
[01:03:17] Speaker B: My favorite thing in the world to do is talk about Michael.
It just puts a smile on your face and you.
[01:03:25] Speaker A: It does.
And we need that.
[01:03:28] Speaker B: Yes.
[01:03:28] Speaker A: Because it's crazy out there. So we need things that bring us joy, and we don't. We don't have to touch to put those things away or hide them anymore. Which is why I think, for me, it was. I was such a fan girl for K Pop, and I was like, this is ridiculous. I'm in my 50s, and I'm gushing over guys that, you know, are 20, in their 20s and 30s. But. But it was joyful.
And. And then I. And once I recognized Michael's connection, it was even more joyful for me. So I was like, I don't care. I mean, this. I don't care if it's loud, noisy, they. They're dancing. Whatever. It's. It brings me joy. And so there's those things that inspire us and give us joy. We. I think we have to embrace them. I don't care how old we are. We have to embrace them and have more of it. Because we need those things that uplift us.
Lord knows. We need. We need those things that uplift us. Because it's crazy. It's crazy right over there, right outside.
It can be crazy out there.
[01:04:32] Speaker B: Yes. No, I mean, I. 100. We need to have more things in our lives that bring us joy. Concentrate more on what brings you joy and do more of that.
[01:04:45] Speaker A: More of that.
More of that.
[01:04:47] Speaker B: Cut out all of the crazy crap.
[01:04:49] Speaker A: Going, right, because it'll be. It'll still be there.
[01:04:51] Speaker B: It'll be there, right?
[01:04:52] Speaker A: Yeah, it'll still be there. And if listening to, you know, get on the floor and you start dancing around your house and you're feeling good and you're in the car and you crank it up and you're like, you know, it's like, I don't know what's going on with you guys out there, but in here, I might have to go play that. You know, I was just thinking.
[01:05:10] Speaker B: I was like, man, I hope I wish I didn't get copyrighted. I would totally put it on right now.
[01:05:19] Speaker A: I mean, right in this.
[01:05:20] Speaker B: Go dance to that song.
[01:05:22] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you. You owe it to yourself.
[01:05:25] Speaker B: Yes.
[01:05:26] Speaker A: It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay. Those things that make us happy and bring us joy, it's okay for us to embrace them.
[01:05:34] Speaker B: Yes. Don't let anyone.
[01:05:36] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[01:05:36] Speaker B: Otherwise. Yeah.
[01:05:39] Speaker A: No matter how old you are. I'm gonna add that part, too.
[01:05:41] Speaker B: Yes. No matter how.
Because you're never too old.
[01:05:45] Speaker A: You're never too old.
Good music is good music. It doesn't matter.
[01:05:49] Speaker B: Yes. Yes. Yes.
Well, thank you so much, Kim, for this conversation.
[01:05:56] Speaker A: My pleasure.
[01:05:58] Speaker B: It's been amazing. And thank you, everyone, for watching. It's all for love.
We will see you next time.
Bye for now.
[01:06:06] Speaker A: Bye, everybody.
