Fans Memories Of Michael

The 'King of Disguises': Michael Jackson in my shop

Shopkeeper Pascal Perrault recalls Michael Jackson's visit to his toy store in Cannes [France] in 1997.


"At the time, we didn't have a cell phone capable of taking pictures. I just had a little basic camera. When Michael Jackson left, I asked if I could take a picture and i handed him a piece of white cardboard from a toy. He signed it. But since I didn't speak English very well, he didn't understand what I was saying.

He spent at least 45 minutes in the store. No one's ever been in his way. I always told myself that if I ever had a chance to meet Michael Jackson, I would ask him to take a Moonwalk step. But I didn't. I just took a picture of the silhouette on his back and the car that brought him back to Cannes. It's my only memory and proof of your presence in Juan, in my shop. My wife, who was there, can also attest to that."

The toy store owner can't believe it, although he's used to seeing stars in his store, and Michael's visit remains a unique experience for him.

"There was a legend around him and his extravagant personality. I met someone dreamy, like a child in front of all these toys. But no one closed my shop as was the case elsewhere. 7 outside. Michael Jackson came in with his hands in his pockets. There were customers in the store. I even heard one of the clients ask him, 'Are you the real Michael Jackson?' For my part, I was very intimidated, especially when he spoke to me. He wanted an unusual gift for his son Prince Michael< waiting for him at the hotel in Cannes.


Michael acquired the Luxi firefly, a doll that had the particularity of having a fluorescent face. So ideal for your child, He bought in total value about 100 euros in toys, nothing more. He showed me something he wanted to buy for himself. A little statuette, I think. I gave it to him. Then he left in silence to the applause of some fans appearing on the scene."


A few hours later, the King of Pop made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of the film Ghosts.


— Press Reader, Letters to Michael

That's a great story. Thanks.

Michael Jackson and the Cherry Blossoms


Memories of a meeting with the King of Pop in a Japanese restaurant

"Michael loved sushi,"recalls Mr. Nobuyoshi Kuraoka, owner of Nippon Restaurant. According to him, Michael Jackson ordered sushi almost every day during recording sessions in New York in 1995.


Mr. Kuraoka vividly recalls the first time he received a request from the King of Pop —calling from his van in traffic.


"I'll be there in seven minutes and I'd like to order toro, salmon and tuna rolls, please."


Mr. Kuraoka had to ask him to request at least fifteen 15 minutes in advance next time.


As of the next day, as requested, Michael called exactly 15 minutes before his van arrived at the restaurant.


He always waved from inside the van as his assistant went out to pick up the order.


One day, Michael and his team had lunch in a private restaurant room.


When Mr. Kuraoka and his wife Eiko went to greet him after the meal, Michael impressed by singing Sakura, Sakura (one of the children's best-known songs, about cherry blossoms in Japanese).

Michael told Mr. Kuraoka that he learned many Japanese children's songs while touring Japan.


Mr. Kuraoka asked Michael why he chose Sakura Sakura amongso many.


He replied, "It's very mysterious, you know?" and he smiled at Mr. Kuraoka.


The smile reminded Mr. Kuraoka about a mysterious tale titled Sakura no kia shita (Under the trees of the cherry trees) by Motojiro Kajii.


During his time as a writer, in the 1920s and early 1930s, until tuberculosis took his life at age 31 in 1932, Kajii left masterpieces of poetic tales.


''Corpses are buried under the cherry trees! You have to believe me. Otherwise, it could not explain the beauty of cherry blossoms. I've been restless lately because I couldn't believe this beauty. But now, finally, I understood: dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees You have to believe.''


The celestial beauty of cherry blossoms has been a profound mystery to many who are enchanted with them. No one knows if Michael knew the story, but Michael's ability to feel the mystery in Sakura impressed Mr. Kuraoka.


Mrs. Kuraoka still remembers the day Michael sang Sakura Sakura. She felt that her clear voice was a reflection of her pure soul.


Michael Jackson's sudden departure recalls the abrupt end of the cherry blossom season. Just as Sakura's mystery fascinates many, her sudden death thrills her fans.


— by Ryoichi Miura, on July 4, 2009, New York.

''I was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2000. I was 15. In August he was scheduled to begin chemotherapy sessions. Many people don't know this, but Michael Jackson opened his Neverland several times so anyone could enjoy the park. Everything was free. Rides, games, food. everything.

A friend of mine who frequented Neverland called me and said that the park would be open for two weeks in early August of that year.

I asked my parents if they would take me a week before the scheduled date for the start of chemotherapy. All my doctors advised against it, but I ended up convincing my parents. We had to drive what looked like thousands of miles... And many hours later, we arrived!

Neverland!

We went through the gates and as we drove down the meander road, something happened to me that I can't explain until today. It was a sense of peace I can't describe. When my family and I got out of the car, we didn't know what to do. A man approached us, introduced himself and explained to my parents how it all worked. We signed our names and other information, received bracelets and told us that we could go wherever we wanted, eat what we wanted, play any of the games, etc. My parents thanked the man and within minutes I was on top of the Ferris wheel with my father. We've rotated three times in a row!

As we sat at a table with our snacks, we noticed a crowd of children running in one direction. I got up from the seat of the table we were at, but I couldn't see anything. Several minutes later, the crowd began to move towards us and it was then that I saw Michael one with a huge umbrella and laughing as the children hugged him.

Mine and I walked up to him. We introduced ourselves and my mother told him how much fun we were having. She then told me about my cancer and that I would start chemotherapy next week. When she said that, Michael put one of his hands on my head and said, "God bless you."

When he touched me, I felt the same sense of peace and comfort I felt as we passed the gates of Neverland. He stayed there and talked to us for a few more minutes and then left.

I kept playing with my family and the other kids, but I couldn't stop thinking, ''I met Michael Jackson!''

Almost time to leave, the man we spoke to when we arrived handed him a note to my father. It was Michael's note and he invited the three of us to dinner with him. Without hesitation, my father accepted the invitation and the man then led us to another gate leading to the main house.

I was surprised when we were in front of the house. I expected it to be a gigantic mansion, but it wasn't. It wasn't small, but it certainly wasn't huge.

We had dinner with Michael and his kids that night and to this day it was the best night of my life. After dinner, he asked my parents if it would be okay if he prayed and of course they said yes.

I had never heard anyone pray as he prayed. When I was 15, it made me cry. After he finished praying, I opened my eyes and noticed that my parents were crying too.

Michael was kind enough to show us some of the things we couldn't see on the day. He showed us the arcade and the cinema.

Cinema in Neverland was no ordinary cinema. Not only were there seats like a real cinema, but also beds for children who were too sick to sit down.

After showing us the place, we said goodbye and thanked us for everything.

Imagine my mother's surprise when she got a call from him several days later!

We assumed he searched for our number on the signature sheet we filled out when he arrived in Neverland. He asked how I was doing and she said she'd start chemo on Monday. He then gave her a number to contact him directly and asked her to call to tell her how I was doing.

I went to the hospital that Monday morning to start chemo.

When the doctor came into the room, he asked my parents to sit down. The three of us feared he'd say the cancer had spread...

When the doctor started talking, he looked at my parents and said:

"I don't know how to say this. I don't know how to explain it, but Danielle doesn't have cancer anymore.''

My mom, dad and I started crying. We left the hospital and the first thing my mom did when we got home was to call Michael.

I was embarrassed because she was crying on the phone, and then she handed me the phone to talk to him and it was obvious that he was crying too.

Over the years, Michael has kept in touch with my family and called us several times a year to say hello. He also sent us gifts and cards.

I've been cancer-free for ten years. I can't explain what happened when I went to Neverland.

I want people to know that I'm not the only one who visited Neverland when I was sick. There are hundreds, if not thousands of us. Our stories were never made public because Michael didn't want it. He was a really wonderful man. I've never met anyone who cared so deeply not just for children, but with all people.''

— Danielle's (Swiftheart) testimonial in a discussion forum on Michael Jackson's official website on October 18, 2010

"He was a very sensitive and generous man, very, very generous. Sometimes he would select fans to visit his hotel room and he would sit down and talk to all of them... then another batch of fans would come in.

His English fans were among the most loyal of all fans around the world... They'd drop everything, go wherever he was. I remember when we went to Tokyo in Japan and they didn't even know where he was going... and then, there they were in the lobby of the hotel in Tokyo, sitting in the lobby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... actually living in the lobby.

And the Japanese are very private people, and they didn't know how to deal with it.

And as an example of his kindness, we went to Disneyland and he rented a bus to these fans. And they closed Disneyland for us and he took all the fans. It was very beautiful to witness the relationship he had with all of them.''

— by Mark Lester, British actor

''As a child in 1986, Amanda Porter (now Amanda Swafford) appeared on Good Morning America to talk about a rare illness that caused her to gradually lose her sight.

On the show, the interviewer asked her which celebrity she would like to meet:

"You've met Stevie Wonder, Julio Iglesias and Charlton Heston, but is there anyone you'd really like to meet?"

''No doubt Michael Jackson, 'Amanda said.

After the meeting, we returned to our room at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Woodland Hills, California. The doorbell rang and I answered. It was Michael Jackson with his hands full of presents for Amanda.

Amanda and Michael became friends and it was a 23-year friendship until his death. Michael called Amanda Mandy and she called him MJ....

When the charges arose against Michael, his family asked us to go to Geraldo Rivera's program.

Amanda, my son, Billy was there to defend Michael.

Michael's kindness and devotion to Amanda continued over the years, exchanging gifts when the two had children. Unfortunately, his absence is greatly missed and we had the opportunity to meet the person and artist he was.

We are grateful that we had the opportunity to meet Michael, the person, and Michael, the artist. "

-by Carole Porter, Amanda's mother