Today In Michael Jackson History (December 25th)

1995 - Michael leaves a videotaped Christmas message for the British music TV program “Top of the Pops” viewers, presenters and fans from his Neverland Ranch: “Hello, Top Of The Pops. Hello, and thank you for all your love, your support and your loyalty. I love you all so much, it has been a source of strength and inspiration. I wish you a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. I look forward to seeing you soon, and I love you all dearly. Thank you very much.”

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1988 - Michael perform 8th of 9 dates at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo during the Japanese leg of Bad tour.

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2003 - From the Beverly Hills Hotel, Michael gives an interview to Ed Bradley (shown on CBS’s 60 minutes 3 days later) in the presence of Mark Geragos, Leonard Muhammad & Grace.

Impassioned Michael vehemently denies the charges against him, “Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists”

“I’ve helped many, many, many children, thousands of children, cancer kids, leukemia kids. This is one of many.” Michael says his relationship with this boy he first met a year ago was positive. He says he was determined to help him with his battle against cancer.

“When I first saw him, he was total bald—headed, white as snow from the chemotherapy, very bony, looked anorexic, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. And he was so weak, I would have to carry him from the house to the game room, or push him in a wheelchair, to try to give him a childhood, a life. Cause I felt bad. Because I never had that chance, too, as a child… Not being sick, but not having had a childhood. So, my heart go out to those children I feel their pain.”

Jackson says he tried to help in the healing process by taking the boy around the grounds of Neverland to Jackson’s favorite places. “He had never really climbed a tree. So, I had this tree that I have at Neverland. I call it, “My Giving Tree.” Cause I like to write songs up there. I’ve written many songs up there. So, I said, “You have to climb a tree. That’s part of boyhood. You just gotta do it.”
I helped him up. And once he went up — up the tree, we looked down on the branches. And it was so beautiful. It was magical. And he loved it. To give him a chance to have a life… Because he was told he was going to die. They told him. They told his parents prepare for his funeral, that’s how bad it was. And I put him on a program. I’ve helped many children doing this. I put him on a mental program.”

When Bradley asks him why a child would accuse him if it weren’t true, he replies: “Because parents have power over children. They feel they have to do what their parents say. But the love of money is the root of all evil. And this is a sweet child. And to see him turn like this, this isn’t him. This is not him.”

Michael adds: “Just because it’s in print doesn’t mean it’s the gospel. People write negatives things, cause they feel that’s what sells.” He also says that the police search of Neverland Ranch was overdone and so violated his privacy that his home will never be the same. He tells Bradley, “I won’t live there ever again. It’s a house now. It’s not a home anymore. I’ll only visit.”

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1971 - Sugar Daddy by the The Jackson 5 enters the Billboard US Top 40 Singles chart, where it will peak at No 10 during an eight-week run.

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1972 - Ben becomes the No 1 pop single in Australia’s Kent Music Report.

1988 - Michael plays the eighth of nine dates in this month at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo (Japan) to an audience of 45,000.

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Source: Michael Jackson For All Time / MJJEternal / MJJCommunity / MJJTime / MJ-Upbeat.com

Animation For The Day:

Merry Christmas from MJ-Upbeat.com!

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