Interview with Michael Bearden

I had the privilege recently of interviewing Michael Bearden for Dot to Dot. He is widely known  as Michael Jackson’s musical director for the This Is It tour, but I discovered he was much more than that.

Michael has worked, performed and recorded with some of the great artists of our time, has composed numerous film scores, is a consummate musician and arranger,and is currently musical director for Lopez Tonight on TBS. As impressive as his credits and gifts are, Michael remains humble. In this interview, he shares a refreshing view on his friend Michael Jackson, and a very human element of “celebrity.”

Valmai:  Michael, you are a very accomplished keyboardist, arranger, composer and musical director. Can you tell us how and when your career began in the music/entertainment industry?

Michael:  The first time I ever played or performed music in front of people was probably around the age of 11 or 12. I played for neighborhood events, personal parties and other things like that. I realized very early on that getting paid for something I would do for free was a path I wanted to pursue more. With much hard effort, perseverance and a lot of dues paid, I eventually progressed to where I am now. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I don’t have plans to stop any time soon.

Valmai:  Who was the first major artist you performed with or recorded for?

Michael:  The first major artist I worked with was Ramsey Lewis. I was very young when I met him- probably around 15 or so. He took a liking to my potential and me. I would go to his house and sit with him on the weekends when he was available. I learned a lot just by being around him. He probably doesn’t even remember those days. I also met and was mentored by Herbie Hancock around that time. He was and still is a major influence on me.

After I left Chicago and moved to D.C., I met Stevie Wonder. I was able to meet him when I was 18. He invited me on stage with him when he was just passing through D.C. and I got my first taste of what a true genius is like.

My first big break after I left D.C. and moved to Brooklyn, NY, was with the legendary flutist, Herbie Mann. With Herbie, I traveled the world and was exposed to many huge artists in the business. I was able to work with many of them because of Herbie’s influence. Fortunately, it hasn’t stopped since.

Valmai:  There is a long impressive list of artists you have either performed with or recorded for including Sting, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. What were those experiences like for you?

Michael:  All of my musical experiences are different. However, the one thing that remains consistent throughout is that child-like feeling I get anytime I work with a new artist or an artist I’ve worked with before. It’s still a lot of fun for me. Hopefully that will never change.

Valmai:  What did you learn professionally and personally from working with some of these artists that has enhanced your career and life?

Michael:  Great question! I learned many things from working with these artists. What I see consistently is that every artist I’ve worked with just wants to be loved. It sounds corny, but it’s true. The art they create is not necessarily the same as the human being who creates it. I learned from Herbie Hancock years ago that to be a great artist, you must first be a great human being and citizen of the world.
Yes, even MJ and I talked about how he longed for a greater sense of normalcy in his life. It is true that many artists seek attention and some sort of validation. There is no debate about that, but at the end of the day I go back to my original statement; we all just want to be loved.

Valmai:  I’m sure you have experienced some very memorable moments on stage, but are there any that stand apart from the others?

Michael:  There are so many memorable moments on stage for me. Too many to mention here, but I’ll point out two.

A few years ago, I was on stage performing with several different artists at Michael Jordan’s celebrity golf tournament in the Bahamas. The great Billy Preston, or the fifth Beatle as he is affectionately known, was performing a solo organ piece. Billy was very sick and was towards the end of his life, but he performed as if his health was perfect. He ended his piece by standing up and doing an amazing glissando just with his feet on the organ pedals. The entire place erupted in applause and cheers. It was an extraordinary moment.

Another memorable moment was during a performance with Whitney Houston. This was during her “hey day” and we were on a very long tour. I don’t remember the city we were in, but I do remember the song. We used to play a song called “In Return." We played this song just about every night. However, on this particular evening Nip, (as all of her close friends call her) decided to put something extra on her delivery. She didn’t tell us she was going to do, she just did it. At the end of the song at least half the band was crying including me. It was the first time it had ever happened to me and hasn’t happened since. Whitney was the only artist ever to do that to me while I was playing with them on stage. What an amazing gift she had in those days. We’ll probably never see a gift like that again anytime soon in this lifetime.

Valmai:  Michael you are an arranger and composer and you have also scored quite a few films. What inspired you to take this direction in music as opposed to popular songwriting?

Michael:  I’ve always loved film and film music. When I was a kid, our parents would take us to the movies often. I was always more fixed on the music than the actual images. I loved the other dimension music adds to the scenes. Music makes a scene more loving, scary, suspenseful, joyous, etc…I did not know I had the talent to score film until I went to college. While at Howard University, I was asked to provide music to a score for a documentary on Chief Justice Turgood Marshall. After seeing and hearing the music I composed married to the images on the screen, I was hooked. I’ve been scoring film ever since that moment.

Valmai:  What do you think are the necessary qualities needed to make a good arranger?

Michael:  You definitely need necessary qualities like command of music theory, orchestration, instrument ranges, imaginative musical phrasing, colors, textures and the like. But I think the most important quality might be un-teachable. That quality is taste. You have to know what to put in and what to leave out. I recently performed with icon Sergio Mendes. He paid me a great compliment after the show. He told me that anyone could learn technique, theory and all the rest, but he said you couldn’t teach taste. I’m always humbled when artists tell me that. I’m not sure where it comes from, but I’m glad to know what that means.

Valmai:  You first met Michael Jackson in 1993, and worked with him professionally for the first time in 2001. What were both experiences like for you?

Michael:  I met MJ in Mexico, at his concert in 1993. I was working with Madonna at the time and we all went to see the show. He was having a difficult time breathing in that Mexico City altitude. I was having a hard time and I wasn’t even on stage performing. We went back stage and I was able to say hello and all of that. He’s always been one of the nicest artists you ever wanted to meet. He was just a really sweet human being.

I first worked with him on stage in 2001 at his 30th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He wasn’t what I was told he would be. He was easy to talk to, engaging and not as shy as I had heard. His brothers were around so maybe he was in his comfort zone. I found him to be extremely professional and very detailed oriented. He knew what he wanted and how to get it. His talent speaks for itself.

Valmai:  Did you keep in contact between 2001 and 2009?

Michael:  Not every single year, but I did see him a few times when he was recording. MJ always recorded a lot of music when he was working on a record and I was in the studio with him for a few of those recordings. A lot of stuff I played on never made the final record, but it was always great working in the studio with Michael.

Valmai:  How did you come to get signed on for This Is It?

Michael:  When I found out I was on the short list of music director hopefuls for MJ's tour, surprisingly I was somewhat reluctant. I had been the music director for so many big stars in my career and wanted to pursue other musical endeavors closer to home. However, when it's Michael Jackson calling you have to at least explore the possibilities.

I first met with the This Is It director Kenny Ortega. We had a great meeting and he invited me back down that evening to meet with MJ. I asked that there be keyboards in the room when MJ and I met. When they finally brought MJ in to see me, I was already playing around on the keyboard. He walked in smiling broadly with pep in his step. Instantly, he started dancing and swaying to me playing "Workin Day and Night". We hugged and began talking about what he was looking for, and I told him what I was looking for. I interrupted him several times to have him sing songs as I played them. To his credit he did and we had a great bond immediately. We did a concert for about half an hour; just him and me. As I was leaving, I asked him for the set list and he just laughed. They were looking at a few more guys after me. He said, “God bless you,” and I left the room. I wasn't even home good before I got the call to be his musical director. I had a private gratitude moment and went right to work learning songs!

Valmai:  Michael Jackson knew every element, instruments, notes and chords in his music. He knew when something wasn’t right and we see this in the film with his song “The Way You Make Me Feel.” Was this the only time you and he didn’t see eye to eye with a musical arrangement?

Michael:  Many people seem to think me and MJ didn’t agree in that moment. Not true. We we’re having a “creative joust” as we called it. MJ had a strong opinion and so did I. We laughed and hugged at the end of it and you can see the mutual respect and love in the film. I have never been one to just be a sycophant and bow down to everything the artists say. Why else would you hire a musical director? Just hire a person to execute what you want to have happen and go with that? MJ was brilliant in that he always wanted to grow and push boundaries. He would always tell me to push him so that’s what I did. I have no problem doing that with any artist I work with. That’s the way it was with MJ and me and that’s the way it is. We saw eye-to-eye and then pushed our vision even further. The results are always better with that approach. It was all done in love.

Valmai:  What is your most memorable moment working with Michael on This Is It?

Michael:  That question is always so hard to answer. I grew up idolizing Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 as many of us did. And now here I was working closely with a childhood hero. Not only working but confiding in, hanging with and having the blessings of his trust and faith in me to deliver him to the next level of his professional life. What can be more memorable than that? Towards the end, MJ trusted me implicitly and told me as such while he was here. I’ve been eternally “validated”, if you will, by MJ, and that alone is memorable enough for me.

Valmai:  Other people who have known Michael, speak about energy or an aura that surrounded him- that when he walked into a room the air literally changed. Did you experience that?

Michael:  Yes, actually I did. Everything they say about that is true. MJ just had a certain swagger with him nobody else could duplicate. That aura was real. The air would change because he always made it a concerted effort to smell good. And he smelled amazing! I always knew when he was around even if I didn’t see him.

Valmai:  You were the last one from the company who saw Michael after that last rehearsal. Did he seem happy and ready to do this tour?

Michael:  You’ve done your homework. Yes, he was very happy. Kenny Ortega and I were with him for the better part of the day taking care of tour business stuff. Travis was out working with the dancers. We got to the stage late that evening, but put in a full rehearsal. MJ looked great and he said he felt good. The band said he had a glow about him that night. They were right. I hugged him; he told me he loved me, talked about the next day and we got in our cars and left Staples Center. I have a very positive mental image of the last time we spoke. I’m at peace with it.

Valmai:  Many people have said Michael would never have been able to complete 50 concerts. What is your opinion on this?

Michael:  Who are these many people and were they at the same rehearsals I attended? I’m always amazed at people who talk in full confidence with no advantage of firsthand knowledge, obviously basing their opinions on hearsay and rumor. Look, It’s difficult to say if MJ would have completed all 50 dates or not. He was never one to mark when he worked. He always went full out every time I’ve worked with him. A couple of his brothers did express surprise when they saw an early cut of This Is It. They couldn’t believe that was MJ going full out like that. They told me he always used to try and save it for the show. I guess MJ felt he had something to prove. In my opinion, he was well on his way to doing it too. There is no way to fake what he did in This Is It. That was MJ doing what he did best. He was working his way back up to being show ready and those last few nights he was on! And he knew it! I don’t see any reason why we would not have made it through those dates. He even talked about the possibility of extending the tour in another country. That said it all to me.

Valmai:  Looking back on all the love that has been expressed for your friend since he died, what do you imagine he would say about that?

Michael:  I don’t really have to imagine. I know he would be very humble about it. He would embrace it and wallow in it. Even from the hypocrites. MJ only wanted to be loved for the art he created. I know he was hurt by all of the tabloid attention and paparazzi stalking him, but he understood it. He just wanted to be judged fairly and to have the attention he garnered to be more balanced. He was a giving and loving person and wanted that in return. As his friend, I will never try to deify him. He was only a man and not a deity, albeit an extraordinary man.

Valmai:  If you could have time to spend with him today what would you say to him? What would be very important for him to know? 

Michael:  There is not a day that I don’t think about MJ. Not one day since he passed. We will be linked forever and I’m good with that. I don’t really like to live my life in hypothetical, but if he were here the most important thing he would need to know is that his children are doing well and look as though they are going to be extraordinary world citizens. He would be most happy about that. All other issues would be secondary to him. I’d also let him know his true friends have never abandoned him and would back it up with actions and deeds, not just words. Then, we’d probably laugh a lot and go get something to eat from a place we liked to have lunch. I’d enjoy that immensely.

Valmai:  Have you experienced his spirit with you as so many others have? 

Michael:  Yes, but not in the way you might think. I experienced it when he was here. There is a moment in This Is It when we’re working on “Earth Song”. MJ is explaining what he wants and then he tells me when to “start that piano.” At the very moment he gives a thumb up to me, I felt something. I remembered it as I drove home from rehearsal that night. I forgot about it until we started making the film. As soon as I saw it, I got the exact same feeling I did the first night it happened. Transferring of energy is real amongst creative beings, but that was something else.

Valmai:  What is the one thing that you will always consider to be your fondest moment with Michael?

Michael:  I have many fond moments with MJ. He was just that way. One of my favorite moments is when he and I were working on the set list in the beginning of rehearsals, even before we had a band and dancers. We talked about how the show should flow and how we were like roller coaster designers. That’s what he wanted his show to feel like- a roller coaster ride. The warm moment for me was when he showed me his personal hand written notes about the set; he pulled out his reading glasses. I looked at him and smiled and he said, “What”? I said nothing and we just kept working. It was great to see his humanity on display. He was always so complete in public; it was cool to see him a little vulnerable. It was also cool to know that our relationship was changing to something more than just a music director/star relationship. He felt very comfortable around me and I appreciated that. He knew I didn’t want anything from him other than to see him back on top. Those glasses affirmed it to me.

Valmai:  What do you think is Michael’s greatest legacy?

Michael:  That’s hard to say. His art means different things to different people. For me, his legacy is probably his simplicity. Never in my career and probably in the history of music, has an artist affected so many human beings simultaneously. I can’t tell you how many times I hear from fans telling me that their 2, 3, 4 or 5 year-old children have discovered Michael’s music. This is just extraordinary to me. What is it about his music that appeals to so many people? He used to say to me, “When you’re coming up with new arrangements for the songs, make sure they’re simple.” He would say, “They gotta be able to hum it. If they can’t hum it’s too complicated.” He wanted his music to be sung by 8 to 80 year-olds. He succeeded!

Valmai:  What do you think of the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait? Is it something you think he would have liked and approved of?

Michael:  I think it’s a great thing, this Tribute Portrait! It’s brilliant in its construct and I can only imagine MJ would have loved it. I’m honored to be part of the dedication.

Valmai:  With the list of credits to your name Michael, you must be very much in demand. Can you share what you are working on at present? Any big things on the horizon?

Michael:  I’ve been extremely blessed thus far in my career. It is not an easy thing to make a living at something you love to do and I don’t take it for granted. I’m humbled everyday at my good fortune. Presently I’m the music director for Lopez Tonight, George Lopez’s late night talk show on TBS. We are having a great time and we’re slowly trying to change late night. I have a few new artists I’m developing and recording a record with my band on the TBS show, The Ese Vatos. I also have many philanthropic things going on. I’m just trying to stay healthy and rest as much as possible so I can do everything I want to do. I’m a workaholic!  But, what a blessing it is to do this for a living.
Embrace love.
M~

By Valmai Owens© 2011. All Rights Reserved.
No reproduction without permission from author.

This interview appears in the publication Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael’s Legacy Alive,

http://mjtpmagazine.presspublisher.us/
and its content is the property of the authors and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait. Articles and exclusive interviews are copyrighted; therefore there should be no republication without permission. You may email edito@michaeljacksontributeportrait.com with any requests for republication. If permission is given, credit must be given to the author, Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael's Legacy Alive and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait.

Interview with Larry Nimmer

Larry Nimmer is noted for his documentary, Michael Jackson: The Untold Story of Neverland, which he created for the defense team during Michael Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial, but he has also earned a variety of awards, including several Emmy nominations, for 30 years of producing entertainment and informational programming.

Larry began his career as a TV News Producer for the CBS-TV affiliate in San Francisco, KPIX-TV. He has since produced music videos for broadcast on MTV, documentaries shown on PBS and a variety of other programs and promotional spots for broadcast and cable networks.

It was a great pleasure for me to speak to this seemingly shy and softly spoken man.


Transcribed by Valmai Owens

Valmai:  Larry, your career spans 30 years and you have won quite a few awards. You have also been nominated for a few Emmy’s. Can you tell me when it all began?

Larry:  When I was 10 years-old that same Christmas I was given a darkroom set by my father. So, I started photography then and later film-making. In high school and college I made films and so-forth.
I’ve had an interesting and varied career. I started off making home movies and then worked for a CBS TV station in magazine style news. From there I did music videos, documentaries, religious and how-to videos, short films and litigation videos. One of the specialties I got into was making training videos for attorneys for use at trial that tell stories for their clients. That’s how I ended up getting hired by Michael Jackson and his attorney for his trial in 2005.

Valmai:  Are you freelance?

Larry:  Yes, basically I’m freelance. I have my own company, Nimmer Pictures Inc, and my wife is my partner. She is a graphic designer. I have a nice studio in a converted garage next to my home in Carpinteria. So, it’s really just the two of us and I pull in other people as I need them. I write, shoot, edit and sometimes perform in videos I do.

Valmai:  Yes, from what I have seen you do a little bit of everything, but out of all those things, is there one that you enjoy doing more than the rest? Do you feel more comfortable behind the camera or in front of it?

Larry:  Well, I feel more comfortable behind the camera. One of my mission statements is, to help give people a platform to express themselves. So, I particularly enjoy projects where I help people or organizations to either express themselves or get their message out.

I have a karaoke TV show I sometimes do which does that, and I do something called Generation Exchange, where I help younger people interview older people or vice versa, to get their stories out. I do Man in the Street columns and videos where I ask the question of the week and people talk about different subject matter. I also do art videos and have been doing them since the seventies, and the last number of years I’ve been doing something called Dance for Peace. New Year’s Day I dance from my town to the next town and I document myself. That’s one time I do video-tape myself; I have a little video camera that I can shoot myself while dancing or walking, but normally I’m more comfortable putting other people on camera.

              

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j44Lnc2hQrM

Valmai:  I’ve actually seen those videos on You Tube, A Citizen Dances for Peace, and I was going to ask what the inspiration was behind them.

Larry:  Well, it started off with getting older and needing to do more exercise. I figured every year on New Year’s Day I should at least get a big exercise, although I go to the gym at other times.

One year I hiked the mountain behind me, another year I walked a long distance and I guess it was during one of the Iraqi wars that I thought I would turn it into a dance for peace. I wore a sign that said, Peace Starts with a Smile, and I walked from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara. I felt that peace was a good thing to exercise or to perform for.

So, I kind of made it into a peace thing, but it’s also kind of a personal exercise for me and also to express myself and dance. I’ve kind of gotten more into dancing the older I get and it’s a kind of self-expression and self-growth, even though I really don’t like people seeing me when I dance to Santa Barbara, but somehow I don’t mind video-taping myself and having people see me later. I’m kind of shy about it while I’m doing it though.

Valmai:  You are? I don’t know. The videos are very entertaining and actually quite funny in places, and I thought to myself while watching them, “maybe he should consider a career in acting or comedy.”

Larry:  Well, I sometimes feel I’m too serious and I look too conservative. I kind of look like an old businessman. That was one thing Michael Jackson did for me, to help encourage me to get more in touch with my child-like nature as he often talked about. So, even though I’m sometimes embarrassed by revealing my child-like nature, and sometimes I’m worried it may make me look less professional to some people, to others I think they understand the urge to act like, and have the child-like spirit and express it. So, I have been encouraging myself more and more to do that.

Valmai:  I think that’s a good thing. I think everybody needs to do that. As you get older and get involved more with your life and the things that happen along the way, that “child” seems to get pushed deeper and deeper inside of you and you forget how to have fun.

Larry:  Right! Exactly! I encourage others to do it and I’m glad you feel that way too.

Valmai:  Oh, I do.  Larry, about music. I came across another video of you where you perform an original song that you wrote in the seventies, called “Born Under A Lucky Star.” You performed this at a Carpinteria talent show. Are you a songwriter also or is it kind of a hobby for you?

              

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyeckI6tns8

Larry:  It’s just been a hobby. In my teens, when I had a lot of emotions pent up in me, I learned to play the guitar. It was a good release to express myself. I’ve always written in journals and right behind me where I’m sitting now, I have my journals that I have written since I was 10. There’s something like 35 or 40 journals. It’s just been a good release. I wrote “Born Under A Lucky Star” when I was at Berkley College, and those were some crazy times.

So, I play a little guitar now and then and both my son’s, who are now 25 and 28, play guitar too. Recently, there was a talent show in my town so I played that song.

Valmai:  It was good; very good.

Larry:  Thank you! Is there a video of that online? I didn’t realize that.

Valmai:  Yes there is, most certainly. I did a search on your name and there it was. It also came up with your Citizen Dance’s for Peace videos. From there I went to your channel and found a few other interesting videos.

Larry:  Good, good.  On You Tube I have a few channels. One is called Larry Nimmer, another is called Nimmer Pictures and another is called American Good Humor. The American Good Humor is; whenever I go a trip I always like to have some sort of artistic project.

I was going to Europe, I think five or six years ago, and I wanted a project to do. I wanted to do something that would give Europeans a good picture of Americans.  So, I played the part of the Good Humor Man. He was somebody in the Fifties and Sixties in the United States who went around selling ice cream and he wore a white suit. The Good Humor Man was an ice cream company.

So, I dressed up as The Good Humor Man, even though Europeans wouldn’t necessarily know who he was, and did something called, Experiments in Good Humor. I experimented in different ways of giving good humor to people by performing for them or doing little acts of charity or kindness, complimenting people and giving out little slips of free wishes. So, I did some of the documentation of that on my You Tube channel American Good Humor.

Valmai:  Well, I will have to check that out. Larry, when you are making a documentary, how do you choose the subject matter for it?

Larry:  Well, different ways. Sometimes, a client comes to me and they have something they want a documentary about and I will certainly do that. I make my living this way, and it’s sometimes harder to freelance so I’m always out marketing and trying to bring in projects. Sometimes projects that I’m interested in, I’ll look for grants for or other folks to fund them and I’ve got a number of grants for projects. Some of them have been environmentally related; to do with marshes and streams, lakes and water quality.

One funny grant I got was from the State of California. I knew the State was giving out money to help people learn about not dumping their motor oil on the ground or the ocean because it affects marine life. At the time, I was interested in the low-rider culture; the Latino culture of fixing up and cruising in their cars and so forth. So, I put in for a grant from the State of California, which I got, to do a series of videos on the low-rider culture and different low-rider clubs. I documented each of these clubs and suddenly, in each short documentary, I showed them recycling their motor oil. So, I got the message out that you shouldn’t dump your motor oil on the ground, and in the meantime I gave a platform to these different low-rider clubs to show that they’re good people and have a worthwhile hobby. Actually, a lot of them are doing charitable work. So, that’s just an example of how I get projects.

Some projects I do for free for different organizations. If it doesn’t take too much of my time I’ll video them and put them on the community access channel or put it on You Tube, Vimeo or somewhere online. Some of that I have done for the Michael Jackson groups. When Michael died, I did various videos and posted online and during the Conrad Murray hearings I posted some also.

Valmai:  Before you were hired to do the film on Neverland for Michael Jackson’s defense team, did you have a personal opinion about Michael, the trial and the allegations against him or were you fairly neutral?

Larry:  That’s a good question. I was pretty neutral. I hadn’t followed Michael’s career very closely though I had followed it like most people, and I always did enjoy following it.

As I say in my documentary, often I felt where there’s smoke there’s fire, meaning, I saw in the press that after the ’93 settlement, again there was an accuser and apparently at the trial it seemed like there were other people coming out of the woodwork accusing Michael. So, I didn’t really know one way or another, but I thought maybe he’s a molester although I felt I didn’t have the expertise; I didn’t know. That’s one of the reasons I was happy to hired and be involved with the trial so I could get the inside information, and I happily learned that he is not a molester and never was. He was taken advantage of because of his kindness to people and also taken advantage of by the media. But, I never really knew one way or another and I was happy to learn that he was an innocent guy.

Valmai:  And did you come to that opinion while you were filming and seeing Neverland for yourself or while sitting in on the trial?

Larry:  Well, I came to that opinion after looking at documents during the trial, after talking to his attorneys, after talking to others and seeing the evidence. That’s when I came to that opinion and I became fully immersed in all the facts to do with the trial and past allegations. That’s when I came to the conclusion that he was innocent.

Valmai:  So, what was it like filming Neverland? What was it like being there? You had access to some of the private living areas didn’t you?

Larry:  Right! Well, it was certainly like being a kid in a candy store for me. When I got the call to do the job I was just so happy.

I’ve always enjoyed being around celebrities, particularly celebrities I admire like Michael Jackson, and I’ve always been fascinated with Neverland. I’d heard about it like most people and seen it on television. I remember thinking in the past that if I could ever go there that would be great. In fact, I did go there one time before I was hired. I was just in the area of Neverland, and my wife and I drove by and then drove up to the gate. I buzzed it and said, hi, can we come in? And the guard said, well who are here to see and I said, Michael. Then he wanted to know if we had an appointment. I said no, of course, so he just said well I’m sorry. I understood that. But, I’d always wanted to go and so when I had the opportunity, it was just fabulous.

When I went, I initially met with Bob Sanger who was one of Michael’s attorneys, and then I met with Tom Mesereau. Bob and Tom gave me a tour around the area and in addition, introduced me to the ranch manager and other staff. They told the staff that it was basically up to me where I wanted to go.

When I was given the tour, the attorneys and the ranch manager told me that this is what people would normally see at Neverland, and suggested that this is what I document, but it was kind of up to me as well. And what the defense team wanted to show was what Neverland was really like to a typical visitor; to a visitor that may not know Michael, as well as a visitor that gets to go into the private residence and so forth. So, basically I had free reign to go more or less wherever I wanted to go. Over a period of a month, I went on a number of occasions. Sometimes Michael was on the property, but I never actually saw him. I saw him during the trial at the courthouse. At Neverland, he would be in one area and I would be in another and I was also encouraged not to disturb him while I was there.

One of the buildings they wanted me to videotape was the guesthouse where the Arvizo’s stayed, because the family claimed they had been held hostage at Neverland; it was an awful experience, they weren’t allowed to leave, they weren’t allowed to know the time and so forth. So, they wanted me to show that the guesthouse was like living in the lap of luxury. Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando and others had also stayed there, but I couldn’t go in because it turned out that Michael was living in it. He didn’t want to go back into his bedroom at Neverland after it was defiled by the sheriff’s going through it.

It was just a great place. Sometimes people ask me what was it like and I tell them that is it kind of a cross between a Beverly Hills mansion, antique museum and Disneyland. It was very well maintained and Michael didn’t change too much of the structures from when he bought it. It was developed by a man named William Bone, who was a golf course entrepreneur. Bone had built the main house, lakes and the guest cottage I believe. Michael redecorated it and added some other features to it like the amusement park, zoo, theater and his dance studio, but it wasn’t that different from the original property.

By the way, I am really happy to hear that Michael’s kids are interested in possibly someday returning it to Neverland as a tourist destination. If that could be done that would be great.

Valmai:  I think it would be wonderful to have it reopened!

Larry:  I understand how the neighbors don’t want it because they feel it would be too much traffic and the stress on the local infrastructure, water, sewerage and so forth. But, in its heyday a lot of people did visit it and I certainly think select groups could continue to. I think there is room for more people to visit it. I’m hoping someday that something will work out.

Valmai:  I had the opportunity last June, to go to Neverland. Not inside the gates of course; none of us were allowed inside, but one thing that struck me was just how beautiful and peaceful it was. I didn’t feel the negativity that some people were sensing. I actually felt a very spiritual connection with the land and I also felt there had been a lot of happiness there. To me that kind of outweighed the bad stuff that had occurred at Neverland.

Larry:  I think that’s a good point. There certainly were some unhappy times there, but there was a lot of happiness as well and also inspiration for Michael for his songwriting, dancing and developing his child-like nature. And I think just the message of what Neverland was about; the wonderful example to others. Neverland is about creating an oasis of wonderment and childlike beauty.

Michael said he wanted to give break to the inner city, sick and disadvantaged kids and give them a place to go to that was fun to them. So, just the nature of why Michael built it the way he did, I think is a wonderful example to others to do charitable work. And hopefully others will be able to enjoy Neverland again in the future.

Valmai:  It’s true that you met Michael very briefly during the trial. You were sitting in the waiting room waiting to testify. What was your impression of him?

Larry:  Yes, I was sitting in the waiting room and there was a little window where I could see people coming and going in the hallway. I saw, what I thought, was a boy scout. I went up to the window and sure enough it was Michael in one of his jackets with military style buttons on the side. So, I went out into the hallway and he came back in a moment. I just said hi, and he said hi, how are you. He gave me a really lovely smile, but it also seemed like kind of a sad smile for what he was going through at the time. I can’t imagine how awful it was to face his accusers every day after he had helped this family so much. 

I testified on the stand for two days because I didn’t finish first day. Each day as I sat down, Michael kind of gave me a Buddhist bow; putting his hands together in prayer and bowing with a sweet smile to me. I didn’t talk to him a lot except for hi and thank you, but I could see the type of man he was and he must have had a lot of inner strength to be able to face all that negativity.

He was taller than I thought and he walked like a dancer, like kind of light on his feet. I’ve mentioned a few times in interviews that I noticed his nose. It looked like he had had plastic surgery and I don’t know if it’s rude to mention that or not, but I felt kind of sorry for Michael. I think he had more plastic surgery than perhaps he meant to have or maybe it was done more extreme than he meant it to be. And I know his father always made fun of his nose as he was growing up and maybe his siblings to. He was self-conscious about that and one of the video outtakes I had of him he says he thinks he looks ‘stinky.’ I felt sorry for him having plastic surgery that people make fun of. If anything, I think people should feel sorry for him and be understanding of it. But anyway, it was a pleasure to be in the same space with Michael, and I was really happy that I was able to help him in the way I did. I think the video of Neverland that I did, did help him.

              

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUAwwnwI85Y

I had a few interesting assignments for the tour. One was to show his book collection in the house because the prosecution tried to make out that Michael had an art book with some nudes in it of boys. Then, they also showed some statues on the property where there’s some nudity and that in Michael’s briefcase there was a girlie magazine. To me that was all very innocuous; it wasn’t a big deal at all. For one thing, the girlie magazine showed he was a regular heterosexual man; it wasn’t child porn or anything. In terms of the books, Michael had something like 20,000 with 10,000 books on the property. To go through all those books and only find one art book that had some nudity in it, shows that Michael wasn’t focused on that.

What I was able to show in his book collection was the range of books he had. Michael said himself that he was a voracious reader and loved studying different subject matter. So, the types of books Michael had were books on show business, magic, religion, Christianity; books on child-raising to teach himself on how to raise children and he also had a lot of the classics. He appreciated the authors from the past. So, it was nice to see that aspect of Michael.

Valmai:  Yes, it is well-known that he was extremely well read, but obviously the prosecution was going to pick on just that one book. That was their focus because of the allegations and that single book was enough. That’s what they were looking for; they weren’t interested in the 19,999 other books that didn’t contain anything that could be construed as suspect.

Larry:  Exactly! They were really unfair to Michael.

Valmai:  They were! Very, very unfair and so were the media. But, accusing Michael because he had one art book that showed some nudity would be like accusing anyone who has an appreciation for the work of masters such as Michaelangelo and Bernini.

Larry:  Exactly, exactly! That was a low blow, but luckily the jurors saw through it and found him innocent.
I was a little nervous after my documentary came out that the sheriffs might come after me, because in a way my documentary didn’t paint them and in particular the District Attorney, Thomas Sneddon, in a good light. But, they have acted professionally since then and haven’t bothered me.

Valmai:  That’s good to know. Now, you filmed outside the courthouse during Murray’s preliminary hearing and I’ve seen a couple of the videos you have done. What was the inspiration behind them?

Larry:  Well, partly fun. I love media circuses being in the media myself. It’s always a fun spirit and also fascinating to watch how other media work and who shows up. I wanted to be around the fans, hang out and hear stories. I also wanted to assist some of the others that I know. I just basically wanted to help anybody I could there.

When the trial starts, I would like to put together a series of reports and I’m looking for a media outlet or a Michael Jackson organization that might help fund me. I’m actually putting together a short video now which I’m going to send to some folk to see if anyone would like me to do a daily or weekly report on the trial.
So, going there was a little bit of fun and to support Michael and his legacy; to support his family, the fans, other people in the field and possibly to make some money too. I need to make a living.

Valmai:  Well, you do have to keep that in mind.

Larry:  Yes, and I’m really glad how tolerant the fans have been of that. I know when some of the Michael Jackson organizations try to do something and make money out of it, other fans will come down on them. I can kind of understand that, but on the other hand, you have to pay for your expenses and if you are not working you have to try and come up with some way to live. So, I’m glad people didn’t put me down for making some money and actually I haven’t made that much. But, I understand Michael believed in charitable work and I support that and others trying to do that as well.

Valmai:  What is your impression of Michael’s fans? Do you think they deserve the labels they have been given by the media and non-fans?

Larry:  Well, I’d like you to tell me what the labels are, but before you do, I’d like to say that I’m fascinated by the fans. I think it’s wonderful how they use Michael as an example of how to live and what messages to spread. In a way, he is like a religious figure that people revere and I understand that. There have been others also, President’s of the US, other entertainers that people really care for and use as an example.

One thing I find interesting and sad in a way, is how some fan groups are kind of fighting with other fan groups. I’ve been around some of that and I was kind of surprised by it. I guess it goes along with the territory when people feel so very strongly about what they are doing and what they’re representing. They disagree with other groups and get into disputes and fights, and I’ve seen some nasty stuff go on. But, what do you say on how the fans have been represented?

Valmai:  Well, I have read reports by certain media and also in discussion threads online, where they have labeled fans as crazy, mean, blinded by their devotion to Michael, and unable to recognize the facts etc.

Larry:  Well, that’s interesting and I see a little bit of that, but I think it’s true of any fan of any subject matter; for the Democrats, for the Republicans, for the Tea Party, for Obama. People who feel very strongly about something become somewhat blinded about the facts and just look at their side. So, I think that goes on with the Michael Jackson fans, but I think it’s true in any segment of society and in any culture.

Valmai:  With having these labels and with the fighting within the fan community, it’s often difficult to present a better picture of the fans toward the media and public. As representatives of Michael, it’s important to have a positive, intelligent and mature public image.

Larry:  Yes, it is kind of ironic that much of the fan community is trying to get out his message of peace and understanding and tolerance, when some people aren’t tolerant of others in the fan community. But, I think it’s for the reasons I just said. I think if something could be done to unite the fan community more that would be wonderful. I try to do that some and in fact when I went to the preliminary hearing there were some fan groups from opposing camps. I tried to be friends with both of them; to be a bridge. So, I try in my own small way, but I don’t know what else can be done.

It strikes me that maybe one reason for it is; some of the in-fighting is from people who are non-professional communicators. They don’t do it for a living; it’s their hobby and something they feel strongly about. They don’t run big businesses and if they had they would be savvier about it; if you do something there’s going to be fallout from it and will lead to more consequences. So, it’s another reason how I understand why that happens. By the way, I think the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait is very cool. I’ve seen a lot of positive stuff come out of that and it’s important what you guys are doing.

Valmai:  Well, thank you. I was going to ask you what you thought about it, but you beat me to it.

Larry:  I met Jerry Biederman at the Beverly Hilton, at the Jackson family party, and of course the artist David Ilan and some of the other staff. Jerry and David seem very professional and there are some very positive things coming out of the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait projects.

Valmai:  That’s wonderful to hear. We are very proud of the Tribute. Larry, have you considered making a documentary on the phenomenal connection between Michael and his fans and vice versa, that even now two years after his death, is still strong and active?

Larry:  Well, yes, I’ve thought of it some and I would like to.

The Untold Story of Neverland was relatively easy to make because all the footage was just sitting here in my office. I shot additional footage; an interview with Tom Meserau and some dramatic re-creations, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, in a way, to put together. I spent the time doing that without being paid and made some of money back by selling it on Amazon, but if I was to tackle a new documentary it would be very time consuming and I wouldn’t be assured of being recouped for my costs. I’d also possibly be at some legal risk.
As it is, the Jackson Estate gave me a hard time when my documentary first came out. They have since backed off, but I don’t think they realized that my documentary was positive to Michael and would help his legacy. They did send me a cease and desist letter and I had to have my brother’s attorney talk with them and so forth.

I am a little nervous that if I did something again in the future whether I would get on somebody’s bad side and be at legal and financial risk. But, if I was to do one, and I have been gathering footage by going to events and doing interviews, I would like to do it either on the fan community and how the fans benefit from Michael’s legacy and what aspects of Michael’s life is shown through the fans, or another subject that would be worthwhile and people have contacted me about, is Michael’s philanthropy. Another subject that interests me is Michael’s interest in the child-like nature and how he channeled that.

So, I may one day do another documentary and we’ll see what happens.

Valmai:  This is my last question Larry. Can you share what you are working on at present?

Larry:  Well, what am I working on…I’m working on doing a series of Man in the Street videos that would be seen nationally asking the question of the week, and I’m looking for an outlet. I actually have one fast food company I am talking with that possibly wants to use my Man in the Street video questions on their Facebook page and on their in store monitors. So, that will be a fun project.

I have a Man in the Street print column in my local paper and its questions about what makes you happy, what makes you sad, what books and movies do you like, what’s hard about being a parent, what’s easy.  Some of these questions are kind of an example to others to learn about people psychology and to know you are not alone with your problems.

So, that is one project, but another that that I’ve been doing for hobby purposes is my Dance for Peace, and I recently did a couple of other dance videos. I’m doing other projects for attorneys; settlement videos that basically talk about their clients stories that can be used at settlement conferences. I did some generation exchange projects where I have young people interview older people and vice versa, and we post them on the internet. That becomes a value to those families and it gives an opportunity for seniors to mentor kids and kids, in a way, to mentor seniors.

I have a couple of environmental projects that I will be doing. I’m going to do a recycling video and for some non-profit organizations I’m going to document some projects going on in Santa Barbara County. So, that’s a little bit of what I’m doing right now.

Valmai:  Larry, thank you very much for doing this interview with me. I've really enjoyed talking to you.

Larry: Thanks for calling. It was a good interview; you did a great job! 

By Valmai Owens© 2011. All Rights Reserved.
No reproduction without permission from author.

This interview appears in the publication Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael’s Legacy Alive,

http://mjtpmagazine.presspublisher.us/
and its content is the property of the authors and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait. Articles and exclusive interviews are copyrighted; therefore there should be no republication without permission. You may email edito@michaeljacksontributeportrait.com with any requests for republication. If permission is given, credit must be given to the author, Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael's Legacy Alive and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait.

Interview with Tom Mesereau

Tom Meserau was not sure he wanted to be a lawyer; in fact, his first career choice was journalism. But after taking his father’s advice, Tom graduated from Harvard University (cum laude) with a major in International Relations; he received a Master of Science from The London School of Economics and graduated from The University of California’s Hastings College of Law.

He first gained national attention in the Robert Blake murder case preliminary hearing which was widely televised, and became internationally known for acquitting Michael Jackson in a case seen by many as unwinnable. In one year alone, Tom Meserau obtained 7 acquittals and 2 hung juries. Now he is deemed as one of the best trial lawyers in the country and the recipient of many public service awards and honors. But there is another side to Tom that he sees as perhaps his greatest accomplishment in a career both long and distinguished, and that is his humanitarian and charitable work.

Apart from his pro-bono work, Tom operates a free legal clinic in south central Los Angeles, called “The Mesereau Free Legal Clinic” and donates his time to such inner city organizations as the N-Action Family Network, Save Our Sons, Women of Watts, and Families to Amend California Three Strikes.

In this exclusive, heart-to-heart interview, Tom gives us his insight not only into the upcoming trial of Conrad Murray, his “lawyer” persona and Michael Jackson, but also into the man he is inside; a man dedicated to justice, the community and educating the young against gang violence, and to giving people a sense of worth and value in lives that might seem to them hopeless and pointless.

Transcribed by Valmai Owens

Valmai:  Tom, you were educated at Harvard University (cum laude), The London School of Economics and The University of California’s Hastings College of Law. Was it always in your heart to become a lawyer?

Tom:  No, actually. My father was a graduate of The United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, and he took a law course while he was in college. He always said to me, "Consider law school, particularly if you’re not sure what you want to do; it’s a great background for many things." I always had it in the back of my mind, but I never was sure that I wanted to be a lawyer; in fact, I thought seriously of being a journalist.

My major in college was government; I concentrated in International Relations. After college I tended bar in Denmark for the summer, and then I was a speech writer for a United States Congressman from New York. Then I went to The London School of Economics and received a Master of Science in International Relations. So I applied to law school; I still thought about being a journalist, but ultimately I decided to be a lawyer.

Valmai:  Well, we’re awfully glad you did.

Tom:  Well, thank you.

Valmai:  Now you specialize in both criminal and civil trials and are widely recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in the country. You have also received many public service awards and honors. What do you consider as being the greatest achievement of your career to date?

Tom:  Well first of all, you have to understand that every life is valuable; I don’t value one life as more important than another life. So whether the case is high-profile or low-profile, a life is a life. When I save a life, it’s just as important to me whether the person is rich or poor or known or unknown, valued or not.
But I would say, to answer your question, my greatest accomplishment has been my ability to blend the practice of law with charitable work. I do a lot of pro-bono work. I founded my own free legal clinic in South Central Los Angeles, called The Mesereau Free Legal Clinic, where judges, lawyers, law students, college students and activists donate their time at least two Saturdays a month, to assist the poor who have legal problems. I’m talking about every kind of legal problem, both civil and criminal. It could be landlord/tenant, it could be healthcare, it could be Social Security, it could be probate or criminal, you name it.

I think because I’ve gotten to be a high-profile defense lawyer, it’s made it easier for me to spread the word that lawyers must get back to the community, that we can make a tremendous difference and that a lot of the idealism we had in law school that we lost through the hard knocks of living can be recaptured. So I think my greatest accomplishment has been to serve as an example of lawyers who get back to the community.

Valmai:  So that would be your motivation behind your civil rights and pro-bono work,  to get lawyers back to the humanity of law?

Tom:  Yes!  First of all, there’s a selfish motivation as well as a charitable motivation. The selfish motivation is that I feel better as a person and I feel better as a lawyer. It’s good for the soul; it’s good for the spirit. So, when I talk to law students and lawyers about the need for pro-bono work, the need to find a certain percentage of your practice that is devoted to giving rather than receiving, I always tell them there is a selfish component: You will feel better as a human being.

Valmai:  You also assist local organizations and churches in drug recovery and youth counseling?

Tom:  Yes, I speak at schools whenever I can, including middle schools and high schools, about the need for education. I try to encourage students to consider being lawyers, and I also speak out against violence, particularly gang violence. I try to educate kids on the justice system because Los Angeles is the gang capital of America. The gang problem is worse here than any other city in the country. Some of these gang families are now multi-generational. The grandparents, the parents and children have been associated with violent street gangs, and because it is so deep in a cultural way, I think people have to direct these young people as to what is really going on in the justice system when it comes to gang arrests and gang prosecution. A lot of these kids don’t realize that the tattoos they put on themselves or the nicknames they have, the way they conduct themselves, could get them convicted even of crimes they didn’t commit. There is such an anti-gang fervor in Los Angeles, it’s considered to be a form of urban terrorism.

I also just try to give positive direction to young people to let them know they have value, that they’re brilliant, that they’re smart, that they’re creative and that they should have high goals for themselves. I look at a lot of these young people and they can’t believe that someone is telling them they can be a lawyer, because no-one ever has. So I do like to go to the schools whenever I can.

I also counsel people at my clinic. Very often parents will bring young people in who are troubled, and I will do what I can to talk to them. I also have associated with various organizations that deal with youth. I march through the Projects once or twice a year with the Women of Watts and their children, against gang violence. These are some of the most violent Projects in Los Angeles. We usually march in June through the city with the police department, and we sometimes have shorter marches through individual projects, where we will light a candle on a spot where a young person was shot to death in gang violence and say a prayer. We try to focus attention on just what is wrong with all of this.

I’m also on the advisory board of a group that deals with women and drug recovery or who are in jail, and also homeless children, particularly children whose parents are in jail. So we try to do what we can to help people transition into a better form of life. I get called from time to time to participate in various functions that deal with issues like this in the inner city.

Valmai:  Tom, what is your advice to young people with drug problems or going through recovery?

Tom:  Well, I don’t pretend to be an addiction expert. I can only give people the advice that I think is helpful. I try to let people know they’re not the only ones who are troubled, that all of us as human beings go through ups and downs. We all have our problems. Their problem might be drugs; for other people it may be emotional or it may be depression, maybe self-esteem. They may have turned to drugs for a reason; other people turn to other forms of anti-social behavior. So I try to let them know, don’t be down on yourself because you have this problem. All of us have similar types of problems in one form or another.

I try to tell them that they are very special people. They have value. They have uniqueness. This is just one obstacle to overcome. I do the best I can to let people know they have value because very often, young people come out of family situations, you know, where the recurring message is, "You have no value. You’re not special. You have nothing to contribute." When you hear messages like this directly and indirectly for a long period of time, it can do damage. I learned a long time ago that I had an ability to let people know how special they are and let them know what they can accomplish.

I remember a number of years ago when I spoke at a small middle school. It was for very troubled youth in Los Angeles, and these were young people who had been kicked out of every school. There was no other school left for them to go to; this was the last school that would take them. It was in a low-income neighborhood, a lot of poverty, a lot of violence and gang activity, and I was telling these students they should consider being lawyers. They first looked at me like I was crazy; they couldn’t believe I was telling them this.

So at the end of this talk, a young African American girl came up to me who had had a terrible upbringing, and she had bullet scars on her forearm and shins where she had survived drive-by shootings on the street. She said to me, “I want to be a lawyer. I didn’t know I could be.”  So I told her, “Yes you can. I think you would be a very good lawyer.” I saw the look on her face, and I realized that no one had ever told her anything like this.

A lot of these young people in the inner city need to be told they’re special, need to be told they’re brilliant. They have to be told they have value and that they can accomplish things. Nobody has ever told them this. Every message they’ve ever gotten has been quite the opposite.

So this is something I strongly believe in, in the way I conduct my personal and professional life. I very much believe that you have to find a way to let people know they have value.

Valmai:  I guess if you’re told something often enough, if you’re told you’re stupid or ugly or worthless for example, you start to become the label you are given; you start to live it.

Tom:  Yes! And also remember, as I said before, that Los Angeles is the gang capital of America. This is where the Crips and the Bloods were founded and it’s now into its third generation. A lot of these young people don’t have families. They’ve been turned out on the street early. They’re being raised by one parent who may be a crack addict or have all sorts of other problems, and the gang becomes their family. People want to have a family and they do their best to find it somehow.

So the gang becomes their family; their identity for protection, their direction, their religion, and it’s not all their fault. Someone has to do what they can to break that cycle, to let them know that there is an alternative which values them as people because too many of societies messages are, "You don’t count."

Valmai:  Yes, it’s very sad. We actually have the Crips and the Bloods where I live. Tom, are you following the Murray trial in this lead-up phase?

Tom:  Well, I’ve been following it in the media, but I’m not involved.

Valmai:  Are you able to give a professional opinion at all on the defense tactics?

Tom:  I’m hoping he’s convicted; I admit I’m not objective. My opinion is that he acted very improperly; he should never have been administering propofol and certainly not allowing it to be in the home. That’s ridiculous! 

I didn’t know until the preliminary hearing that there was evidence that he had allegedly tried to clean up the crime scene. I didn’t know that there was evidence that he allegedly did not tell paramedics and police about the propofol, at least initially. I was very surprised to hear that.

But you know, I’ve followed too many celebrity cases... Elvis Presley, Anna Nicole Smith, and you find these physicians become enablers. They’re afraid to deny the celebrity what they want for fear that they’ll be out of the fold, and I think it’s something law enforcement has to take very seriously.

Valmai:  Well how do feel about the defense strategy in saying that Michael killed himself?

Tom:  I think it’s ridiculous! I’ve already been on television saying it’s absurd. The Michael Jackson I knew was not suicidal. The Michael Jackson I knew had problems; you know I met him during a very difficult period, his anxiety, his sleeplessness, his depression was very acute, you know, as he was on trial for his life for things he never did. Anyone in that position would probably have needed some sleep medication or some anti-depressants, and I don’t know what he was using because I never saw him use anything. Nevertheless, I met him during a very difficult period, a very stressful period, but the Michael Jackson I knew was not suicidal and would never have wanted to leave his children. So I think it’s absurd!

Valmai:  Yes, I think we all agree with that, but I think it’s safe to say that what we can expect from the defense is the portrayal of Michael as suicidal.

Tom:  Well yes, defense lawyers have an ethical and professional obligation to vigorously defend their client. From a strictly professional standpoint, the lawyers appear to be acting in a professional way consistent with their obligations. However, I disagree with what they’re doing and I think their client is guilty.

Valmai:  Another point we agree upon. Tom, have you had any experience with Judge Pastor? Do have an opinion on him?

Tom:  Yes I have. He’s a very, very smart judge, very experienced, very intelligent, very wise and I think he’s going to be a very good trial judge.

Valmai:  Well I’m a layman; I’m not that familiar with the judicial system or the law. Many of the fans aren’t. Can you tell me how much leeway does a judge actually have in his decisions regarding subpoenas, who testifies, and how expansive or restricting questioning can be?

Tom:  Well judges have considerable leeway to direct the course of the trial. They have tremendous power to do what they think is necessary to keep the trial orderly, to keep it dignified, and depending on who the trial judge is can have a tremendous effect on what happens.

Valmai:  The defense requested that Michael’s financial records be made available. Do you think they were aware the judge might deny this motion and this is why they have called Dr. Tohme as a witness?

Tom:  I don’t know if they were aware the judge might deny it. I think they are on a fishing expedition; I think they are desperate to try and find some kind of defense theory that might seem plausible. I’m very happy the judge denied the request to pursue a fishing expedition into Michael’s finances. I think Michael’s finances have absolutely nothing to do with what Conrad Murray allegedly did.

Valmai:  No they don’t. I agree with that, but I think what they are trying to prove is that Michael’s finances were in such disarray, that he was in so much debt and so stressed out, this is why he allegedly killed himself.

Tom:  That’s absurd! It just shows how desperate they are to come up some kind of defense.

Valmai:  Do you think Murray will be called to take the stand?

Tom:  I don’t know the answer to that. I think that’s just going to depend on how the trial progresses and how well the defense believes they are doing. Trials always have surprises. No matter how prepared you are, you always know that certain witnesses are going to come up with things that no one expected them to say or do. I don’t think they’ll make that decision until the end.

Valmai:  Tom, what are your feelings about the lawyer hired by the defense who was peripherally involved in Michael’s 2005 trial? Do you see this as a conflict of interest?

Tom:  Well, I don’t know what he had access to, I really don’t. The judge apparently did a thorough investigation into the issue, and concluded there was no actual or potential conflict interest. So I have to assume in his confidential discussions with the attorney, that he concluded the attorney had no information that would create a conflict. But I really don’t know what this lawyer had access to, I really don’t.

Valmai:  What do you think about the decision to televise the trial? Do you see it becoming the same media circus as it was in 2005?

Tom:  Well, they didn’t televise the 2005 trial. I think there will be tremendous media interest in the case, particularly because it’s televised. It will give the public the opportunity to really look at these witnesses and see how they behave, and to really look at the evidence that the prosecution thinks should result in a conviction. So I think there will be tremendous interest around the world. Michael was the best-known celebrity on the planet, and much loved all over the world, on every continent.

Valmai:  I think what a lot of people are concerned about is the way the media portrayed Michael, especially in 2005, and whether they are going to do the same this time round. I know in 2005 the trial wasn’t televised, but the media weren’t exactly impartial in the way they reported on it. If fact, some were quite cruel.

Tom:  Well the media are not interested in justice or fairness, they are interested in business, and business to them is revenue and ratings. They love shock value, they love controversy and you have to look at the media with that in mind. To them this is entertainment. It’s not a quest for justice; it’s not a quest for fairness. In their mind it’s strictly entertainment, so they will focus on whatever they think entertains, and that makes themselves profitable.

You have to be very wary of the reports you hear about trials when those reports come through the media. At least in this case people will be able to watch it, as opposed to listening at the end of the day to very shallow, short summaries from the media.

Much of the reporting in the Michael Jackson trial in 2005 was dreadful. They simply weren’t being accurate. They were just trying to report what was sensational and shocking. They would sometimes report what a witness said under direct examination, without even waiting to hear the cross-examination from the defense. So I think they presented a very illegitimate, a very awkward and poor portrayal of what was happening in the courtroom.

Valmai:  Will you be making yourself available to news outlets if they request your input on the proceedings? 

Tom:  It depends on who they are, who the outlet is and if I think it’s going to be a professional type of situation. I’m available for that.

Valmai:  Tom, how do you see this trial ending?

Tom:  Well, I have no way of knowing; I’m not involved in the case and I haven’t seen the evidence. I’m hoping that it ends with a conviction. I’m hoping that he is held accountable for what I think in my opinion, was a very unprofessional, very selfish and very foolish way in treating his patient.

Valmai:  You spent many, many hours with Michael during what was one of the most traumatic periods in his life. What do you remember about his personal strength and composure?

Tom:  Michael was one of the nicest, kindest people I’ve ever met, and my law firm partner Susan Yu, feels exactly as I do. He was nice. He was kind. He was well-meaning. He liked to see people do well, and he liked to use his reputation and resources to help disabled people, children from the inner city who grew up in poverty and violence. He liked to see people happy. He could have taken his wealth and prestige and just not dealt with children, not dealt with worthy causes. He could have been purely selfish if he wanted to, but that wasn’t what he chose to do. He truly wanted to make a difference. He wanted to bring people of all races, all religions and all nationalities together. You can see this in his music; you can see this in the way he lived. He had a great empathy for animals because he was such a kind person and he wanted to make a difference.

He was somewhat naive when it came to the forces of evil circling around him and trying to destroy him. He didn’t quite believe that was going to happen and unfortunately, they put him through a nightmare.

Valmai:  Did you stay in touch with Michael after the trial?

Tom:  Off and on for about 9 months after he moved to Bahrain. Susan Yu and I were helping him out, but he was talking to Susan much more than me. We did help out for about 9 months with the transition and then we moved on to other things.

Valmai:  How do you think your life has been affected by Michael? What do you remember most about him?

Tom:  Well as I said before, what I remember most is a very, very kind, decent, sensitive person. One of his great gifts was to make a positive difference in the world. He could have been more selfish. He could have simply rented a home on the Riviera and party if he’d wanted. He could have been purely self-centered, but that wasn’t the way he wanted to live. He felt that God had given him wonderful gifts and wonderful success, and hoped to change the world in a positive way. I believe he did.

Valmai:  Well, I agree most certainly with that. Tom, the MJTP and all the fans just want to thank you for believing in Michael, and for all the wonderful humanitarian work that you do. We love and respect you very much, and I thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me.

Tom:  Well thank you very much. I’m honored and privileged to speak to you about all this and I wish everyone the best. He was a very special person, and I’ve always said repeatedly that he was one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met. I will always say that because it’s true.

http://www.mesereauyu.com/thomas_bio.html

by Valmai Owens
© 2011. All Rights Reserved.
No reproduction without permission from author.

This interview appears in the publication Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael’s Legacy Alive,

http://mjtpmagazine.presspublisher.us/
and its content is the property of the authors and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait. Articles and exclusive interviews are copyrighted; therefore there should be no republication without permission. You may email edito@michaeljacksontributeportrait.com with any requests for republication. If permission is given, credit must be given to the author, Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael's Legacy Alive and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait.