[00:00:17] Speaker A: Hey MJ friends. Welcome to the it's all for Love podcast. I am your host, Cheryl Maza, the Healing Dancer. This podcast is all about Michael Jackson and how he continues to inspire love in the world and inspires us to be our best selves. In this episode I am speaking with DJ Fears from Chicago, Illinois. Some of the highlights from this episode is when DJ Fierce mentions wearing a white glove and how he did the MJ moves as a kid. We also talk about how Michael Jackson just stood on stage and people lost their minds and how no other entertainer could ever have that effect on their fans. I hope that you enjoy this episode with DJ fears. If you are watching on YouTube, please make sure to like this video and subscribe to the channel. Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know how much you like the episode. If you are listening on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or any other podcast platform, please make sure to subscribe there. And I would love it if you left me a positive review. I am always looking for more guests to be on the podcast, so feel free to reach out to me and let me know if you are interested in chatting with me about being a guest on the podcast and telling your Michael Jackson story. You can reach me on Instagram or Facebook at the it's all for Love podcast or you can email me at mj it's all for
[email protected]. there'll also be a link in the show notes to schedule a coffee chat with me. Thank you for listening and or watching it's all for Love.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Let's welcome DJ Fears from Chicago, Illinois.
[00:01:55] Speaker C: How you doing?
[00:01:57] Speaker B: Welcome. Welcome to the podcast. DJ Fears is a working DJ in lifestyle clubs and alternative parties, mostly before the pandemic. And now he cares for his cousin full time who suffers from an aggressive form of Ms. And together they they sell collective items and memorabilia like graphic novels, dolls, movies and music online.
That is so cool. I love all of that.
[00:02:23] Speaker C: Boys and fangirls.
[00:02:25] Speaker B: Yes, yes. Well, thank you so much for being on the podcast and chatting with me.
[00:02:30] Speaker C: Thank you for having me.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Yes, welcome. And so let's get into it. So tell me, when did you first discover Michael Jackson?
[00:02:42] Speaker C: I was always aware of Michael Jackson as we was always into music in my family. But I think when it the wave really hit, I think Thriller was out and I think it was that Motown special. The first time we saw him do the Moonwalk on TV and yeah, the mania hit and yeah, I was like everybody else. I was, I would. Yeah, maybe I was. I was obsessed at the Time as a kid for sure. Because I couldn't afford the jacket. We, you know, we didn't have much money, so I couldn't afford that rhinestone glove. I couldn't afford the Thriller jacket. I wanted that stuff, but I still wanted to be Dan. So I took a winter glove and I put on one winter glove. And it wasn't even cold outside, but everybody knew what I was, you know, representing. And, yeah, they made fun of me, but I could do the moves. So that shut all that down because, yeah, he was unmatched. And, yeah, that's fell in and the whole MTV generation thing. And, yeah, it just took over.
[00:03:49] Speaker B: I love that. I love that so much. And I love that you just wore the winter glove. I mean, people already know who it is. It didn't have to be sparkly. It didn't have to be exactly what it was. You just already know what it is. And I love that you're like, I could do the moves.
[00:04:05] Speaker C: Did you still do the moves? All the teasing down knocked all that off.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Nice. Did you do the moonwalk?
[00:04:13] Speaker C: Yes, of course.
[00:04:14] Speaker B: Okay. All right. All right, good.
[00:04:17] Speaker C: I mean, we already knew about the moonwalk because, I mean, it was already a part of breaking culture, you know, so we were aware of it. And it made it even that much more dope because he's his pop star doing this on primetime. And that was still breaking, was still new. I'm showing my age now, but we used to carry, like, cardboard around and get into battles.
We would get into battles and crews and just. Yeah, you know, and yeah, I pop lock and all. That was my thing. So he was bubbling up with that at the time when that was still going on. So you remember they had the breaking movies was out. Yes, all that stuff. So it was a phenomenon of a new kind of music, rap. All that was still new. So it was still this whole urban thing coming up. And Mike had his finger on the pulse. I heard he had people living in his house. He moved them in, you know. Wow.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: Really?
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Yeah, he studied them and studied them and studied them, and that album dropped. He had all these new moves, man, and it was. Yeah, he was a new dude. He was introducing himself.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: That is awesome. Yeah, I could definitely see Michael doing that. He. He'd studied all the greats when it came to his dancing and his music, so that's why he was great. How has Michael inspired you throughout your life?
[00:05:41] Speaker C: His humanitarian work is inspiring, like how he is with the kids and the family. And he would always. That was his mission, was like, love It. And in a way, too, it would almost be kind of corny because as I got older, you know, I was attracted to darker things. But you always save the space for him, you know, because it's still. How can you. How can you be mad at a Care Bear? You know, this dude just wants to love people and wants the world to get there. So it was like, yeah, it's. It's Mike, you know, so, yeah, I always thought that that was cool and he would do things that seemed. Well, aside from being an innovator and an artist, which really drew me into it, like his vision of stuff and making music. But he did seem like he genuinely cared about people and liked making his fans and taking them for a day or where the kids have cancer and stuff. Make a wish he would show up for people. That was a dying wish, was to meet Michael Jackson. I mean, wow, that's.
That person can't be all bad, you know, Right?
[00:06:53] Speaker B: Yeah, he did.
He did a lot of that.
[00:06:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: I'm trying to. You just said something.
[00:07:03] Speaker C: Interrupt me sometime because I'll run on.
Gotta push your way in there.
[00:07:11] Speaker B: No, you said something and I was like, it thought. Made me think of something, but I lost it. It'll come back. Sorry.
[00:07:17] Speaker C: If it's meant to happen, definitely come back.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Yeah. When did you start DJing?
[00:07:24] Speaker C: Officially or professionally? I released.
I like to say I've always been a DJ in my heart. And I'm only saying that because when we were little and we used to play records and stuff, they used to let me pick the music and they let me handle the records now anybody again, I'm dating myself. But you didn't let the kids play with the records because they fingerprint them. They could get broken. So it's like that meant they trusted me and then more than that, they trusted my taste to know what people wanted to hear. So that planted the seed to liken to play music for people.
When I professionally started, though, was with my wife, who's soon to be my ex wife now.
But at the time we were together and we. She got me into it as far as, you know, really wanting to do it, and we got together and we were doing it professionally together. And that was back in about. Oh, I want to say we had just got married. It was 2011, so. Yeah. Yeah, around that time.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah, yeah.
[00:08:33] Speaker C: But I was an obsessive nut again with music. Like, I would spend days putting together a playlist. Like, I want the order it went in, who the genres had to blend together. It all had to make sense. And to me, that's the difference. Just playing music randomly and no. Understanding the science of sonics and stuff and how things work and trying to.
You try to evoke emotions by using. By doing certain things. Rather, it's making not necessarily people. People angry, but getting them riled up or pumped up or calming and cooling the floor. Cooling it down. Not killing the floor, but cooling it down. Like, there's a science to all that stuff in which.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I could totally see that. I just like my. I wish that the club was still like a thing these days. You know, when I was in college, it was. It was huge. And I miss. I miss that because, you know, good DJs can really work a room. And it was like I could dance all night long.
[00:09:37] Speaker C: It could be a religious experience. I've seen people when house music was out. It was a song called Blackout. And I saw this guy and we. You. I didn't. We didn't even understand the culture, really, like, of house music. Not to segue too far off, but just to say it was such. We would just be like, oh, he's house. You could look at how he's dressed and you could just tell, right. Guy was in the middle of the floor and, like, he was in praying and tears running down his face. He was so emotional and saying the words and we were just looking. I mean, granted, yeah, drugs were probably involved, so.
But it. There's plenty of people who didn't mess around that was just as fanatical about it. That's the only time you can use that word, fanatical. And it's a good thing. Like, they were really, really, really. And it inspires you. And that going into Mike, how you would. I watched him pop out of the stage and stand there. He stood so long. Like, we started. Like, that's not really him. It's a statue or something. He just stood there.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:10:48] Speaker C: Do you understand men? Grown men were passing in the front row. They're passing out. He hasn't moved. He hasn't sang. He hasn't done a move. Then he went and took his glasses off and more people fast. I never saw that before in my life and I never saw it again since. Like, he drained that whole arena.
[00:11:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:13] Speaker C: And he had the song, one song J right out of the stage.
[00:11:19] Speaker B: His energy is just like, it. Yeah. It just. It struck people. It was like, you know, zapping people.
[00:11:29] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: In a good way.
[00:11:31] Speaker C: I mean, talking about it, I got goosebumps. Like, just think relig. I wasn't there. You would think I was there. The way I'm saying, I saw this on TV and I'm just like, wow, I never saw an entertainer do that before. And actually not. I mean, in other ways. Sure, yeah. But again, no, he, he did his. It was just. I just never saw that. He didn't do anything. He just stood there and then he took his glasses off real slow and they just lost their.
Okay, is it okay to swim?
[00:12:04] Speaker B: It's okay. I do too.
[00:12:08] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:12:12] Speaker B: So have you ever, when you were DJing, did you play Michael Jackson as you were DJing at some places? Like, how did the crowd respond?
[00:12:22] Speaker C: Well, like, also too, I'm a. I'm a disco head. Like I love all forms of different kinds of music, but one of my favorites to play is disco. So I'm not so much a Michael Jackson like fanatic, but I am a big fan of the Michael Jackson disco era.
[00:12:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:12:40] Speaker C: And yeah, I can't I include Thriller in that. Some people will argue, but I do, definitely.
And also, things don't have to be labeled that way to still work in the mix. You just gotta again understanding the science of it. But yeah, you could play it's songs you can play today that aren't. They're timeless. You can play the old, like the disco stuff that I love. Or you could display some stuff that's you talking 20 some odd years ago and says it still works, it'll still go off. PYT still goes off. Thriller definitely around this time of year.
I mean, yes, that, that goes off in different versions of it. And bad, not so much unless you're just a fan of it already. That doesn't always go go. But yeah, there's a number of different songs. Like I said, off the wall I can go for.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, how about don't stop till you get enough like that Always.
[00:13:45] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:13:46] Speaker B: Some of the stuff, I mean it gets me going.
[00:13:49] Speaker C: Some of the stuff he did with his brothers, like this place, I think it's called, the one that a lot of people call it Heartbreak Hotel. Yeah, that goes off. Yeah, that goes off. Because also you haven't heard it a bunch as a single. Really. So. Yeah, I can you feel it. Like there's some Jackson 5 stuff that still works.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:08] Speaker C: So talented family, but that guy. Yeah, right there.
Yeah. He's got some classic legacy joints that definitely still work.
[00:14:18] Speaker B: Of course. Yeah. I say, well, they will be a lifetime.
[00:14:22] Speaker C: Yeah, right.
[00:14:24] Speaker B: Awesome. If you had to pick a favorite Michael Jackson song, what would it be?
[00:14:32] Speaker C: Another part of me is a Good one. That's what it's called. I really like that. Again, I think. I think there's only like a live video, but I'm like, man, this went under the radar. Like, this is really, really good.
That break it down one is really good. It's slower, you know, I think I saw they sampled that. Yeah, it's. I mean. And my mood shifts. I moved the goalpost because I'm really feeling this right now. And then I end up feeling something else. So. Yeah, Rewtito. Is that right now? That's. That one keeps jumping in. But I think I would. If I was spinning right now. Yeah, that would go on. I'd find a way to get that in there.
[00:15:12] Speaker B: Nice.
Do you have a favorite Michael Jackson video or short film?
[00:15:21] Speaker C: That's what those were his videos. Right? I mean, I have to say I like Bad a lot, actually. What was Wesley Snipes debut? Right. But I think Thriller is still, though. And maybe because I was a kid when I saw it finally. But yeah, that's still one of my favorites. Like, that's. Yeah, there's nostalgia attached to that. So, yeah, Thriller is hands down still one of my favorite. And I love horror movies and stuff. So that was right up my alley. Yeah.
[00:15:53] Speaker B: Awesome. Yes. Thriller is the best.
[00:15:56] Speaker C: Do you have a favorite?
[00:15:59] Speaker B: Gosh, my favorite. Oh, God, it's hard to pick. It's like, for me, it depends, like, what mood I'm in. But I have to say it's a. I don't know if it's a short film or if it's a movie, but Moonwalker, like, the whole thing.
[00:16:16] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, that was a movie.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: Yeah, right. Smooth Criminal is part of that. But it was. It was a whole movie for. It was like an hour long, so.
[00:16:24] Speaker C: It was out the same time you two had they movie out, so they were kind of competing. That was. That was a thing. And I think he was upset about that too. Yeah. Problems with his record label and stuff. So. Yeah, that's what I heard. So. Ever saw that, though?
[00:16:37] Speaker B: You never saw Moonwalker?
[00:16:39] Speaker C: I like Smooth Criminal. I love that. I mean, again, the dance move. Yeah, that. And that is a song that will go off now too. And I think there's an alternative group called Alien and Farm that has a nice remake.
[00:16:53] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah.
[00:16:55] Speaker C: And I still play that too.
[00:16:58] Speaker B: I love that one.
[00:16:59] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:17:01] Speaker B: I like the way that they made it their own.
[00:17:05] Speaker C: Yeah, right, right.
[00:17:07] Speaker B: Yeah. But you have to watch Moonwalker. If you go on YouTube, you can watch it for free.
[00:17:10] Speaker C: I believe I really will. I should treat myself to That I saw the last thing he had did after his passing. This is it. And that was really. It was really, really like what he was getting ready to do with Thriller and updated and everything.
[00:17:25] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, that would have been amazing. Yeah.
[00:17:28] Speaker C: Yeah. So that's who he was, though, man. That guy. That's a master craftsman right there.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: Exactly. Yeah. Always was.
[00:17:37] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: Yeah. So what do you want the world to know about Michael Jackson?
[00:17:44] Speaker C: We need to take better care of our gifts.
I think for everything he gave us. I think he was in a lot of pain, you know, And I don't think people, fans included, treated him well. Definitely toward the end. And just at times he had became a prisoner of, like, his own success and everything. And people, you know, calling him Wacko Jacko. And it just. It. They. It.
They turned on him. And it's not just him, people. It's like we build them up and we tear them down.
[00:18:20] Speaker B: Right.
[00:18:22] Speaker C: You know, I think. And I say take care of our gifts because I think the Creator gives us people to help us see in the dark. Right.
[00:18:33] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:33] Speaker C: And dancing and singing, and since he was a child, that's a gift and he shared it with everybody. I think we need to take better care of our kids.
[00:18:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
And also share them more with the world.
[00:18:46] Speaker C: Well, he definitely did. He was sharing his gift.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:18:49] Speaker B: No, he was. I mean, like, if we take us, we take care of gifts, but in turn share that with the world, you know, like.
[00:18:57] Speaker C: And some people, you see somebody acting out a lot of times, like, they say, hurt people, hurt people. You're seeing somebody that's damaged.
[00:19:04] Speaker B: Right.
[00:19:04] Speaker C: So, yeah, call them on what they're doing, but at the same token, try to lend a hand or try to help in some kind of way.
[00:19:13] Speaker B: Right. Try to love on them still.
[00:19:15] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:19:17] Speaker B: Because when we're hurting, that's what we need.
How does Michael continue to spread love in your world?
[00:19:28] Speaker C: The music, when I play them at parties, barbecues, schools, kids still know Mike, it's like. Yeah, I was talking to you off the camera. We were talking about. I was talking about doing MJ versus Prince. You know, both of these great talents are gone, and they still have an effect. Today you were telling me about a whole. They had a whole tour of the. At the clubs or the different things they were doing with that, celebrating both of these men's music. And so, yeah, I spread his love by continuing to play these music and play his music and still remix it and do different things and refresh it and keep it alive, you know?
[00:20:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
Well, if you decide to do a Prince vs Michael Jackson show out there, you have to let me know. And I will share that with all of the viewers. If anyone's out in that area, definitely will do. Go support you.
I mean, if I could make it out there, I would.
[00:20:38] Speaker C: I know. I could tell. I could sense your fandom is like, yeah, you're one of us.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: I love Prince too. I love him so much as well. Like, just the two of their music together, totally different, but both at this same level of legendary amazingness. Like, yeah. And the energy from both of them, their music, the energy that it puts off is just unexplainable. Like, you just have to feel it for yourself. And if you're a fan of either of them, you just know.
[00:21:13] Speaker C: Yeah. Excellent performance. The both of them. Both of them. Like, if you went to a Prince show, you saw a show, you went to Michael Jackson concert, you definitely know you saw that guy. So both of those guys was at the top of their game. They both definitely loved music. The only thing I think that where Prince may one up on Mike is that he's a musician who plays a lot of instruments, so he has instrumentation that Mike doesn't necessarily have. But they're both very high performing performers. Like, no, no, there's. There's no fat to trim on either of those dudes when it comes to what they do, so. And just their commitment to the. To the craft. So, yes, even as a casual fan, you still.
Your favorite band, that's their favorite guy, that's their favorite. That's who they like. You know, musicians loved Prince and Mike was as a performer again, since a kid. So.
[00:22:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:17] Speaker C: And even that, you know, we say that and we make it kind of sound still easy. But even that, there are other people who have performed since they was a kid and still didn't reach those heights or that level. He was something special. He was. He had it. Whatever it is he had that I just wish I had a little bit of.
[00:22:36] Speaker B: I know, right?
[00:22:38] Speaker C: And I'd be so much better.
So much better.
[00:22:42] Speaker B: But you do. I'm sure you shine your light when you're DJing.
[00:22:45] Speaker C: And I just try to be me, like, and all it is. I'm not everybody's cup of tea. But you. You know that what I do, I come from the heart with. I am not the best dj. Let me come on and say that. I am not. But you're gonna have a good time. You're gonna. If you like music and you messing with me and you come into one of My things. You're gonna. I'm gonna find you, and I'm not. I don't even want you to tell me what you like. I'm going to work it and I'm gonna figure you out. And then, boom. I'll know when I hit that sweet spot. And there we go.
[00:23:16] Speaker B: The whole crowd is like, you earned it.
[00:23:20] Speaker C: You earned it. Right?
All gravy from there. So that's. I love. That's the good part about that job. It's like, I like that. So.
[00:23:30] Speaker B: One of these days, I'm going to get to one of your dance parties.
[00:23:34] Speaker C: I got to check out your studio and the whole thing that guys do because you got a whole dance.
A whole dance. Is it a whole troop or just, like the studio? How does that work?
[00:23:46] Speaker B: No, Well, I have a class. It's called Healing Through Dance.
[00:23:49] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:23:51] Speaker B: I do it once a month at a studio here.
And it's also on zoom, so. But yeah, we dance and we use dance for healing, but it's the fun side of healing because it's all upbeat and dancing it out. Dancing out the emotions. And it's all spiritual.
[00:24:12] Speaker C: Yeah. Music, dancing. It's all spiritual, right?
[00:24:16] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So is there anything else that you like to share?
[00:24:22] Speaker C: I need to tune in. I need some therapy anyway.
We all do hard out here, man.
[00:24:29] Speaker B: Yeah, we all do. But it's all about taking care of yourself, you know?
[00:24:32] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:33] Speaker B: Loving yourself, self. Love.
[00:24:35] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:35] Speaker B: Well, is there anything else that you want to share with us about you, about Mike?
[00:24:41] Speaker C: I'm grateful to have met you and had the opportunity to share this with you. And I hope it reaches people and I hope somebody else gets inspired that sees it or just has some old records or something. Go back and revisit a happy time.
[00:24:55] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah.
[00:24:57] Speaker C: And then I. That'll make me happy right there. Now. Need nothing else. That's good.
[00:25:03] Speaker B: It's the music.
[00:25:05] Speaker C: Yeah, it is. It really is that simple. Now, you were saying in one of your posts, I think last week or last weekend or post you had put up where you were saying. I think you were talking about love was the message or that's it.
[00:25:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:21] Speaker C: Was the answer. There's a song called Love is the Message. That's what it. Keep reminding me.
Yeah. But that. That truth is still true. It doesn't change. I always feel like that's the truth. It's like when. If it was the truth. Wednesday. It's going to be the truth on Friday.
[00:25:34] Speaker B: Right.
[00:25:36] Speaker C: It's going to be what it is. And sometimes it's that simple. Of course there's a lot that goes into it and people are complicated, sure, but the main ingredient, love. Put your real love into it. It's a child or a garden playing records. Whatever it is you do, put your heart into it. You put your heart into it. It can't be bad.
Everybody may not dig it, but that's okay. Cook it with love.
Put it out there. Let it. Let it do what it do.
[00:26:08] Speaker B: As long as you love it, that's all that matters.
[00:26:11] Speaker C: All right, I'm done. I'm sounding woo woo. Now I'm being artsy fartsy.
[00:26:16] Speaker B: I love that. That's awesome.
Well, thank you so much for being on this podcast with me and for chatting with me about Michael and all the other wonderful things that we have talked about.
So we will see you all next time. Thank you so much. It's all for love.
