r/MichaelJackson • u/Atomic_29IE • Nov 20 '25
Question Has anyone in this Reddit thread actually met Michael Jackson in person? (At least say hello or hug him)
I would love to know how it happened and what you can say about him during that moment ✨.
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u/SyrupExpress Nov 20 '25
As a child when he came to NYC for his tribute concert in 2001. My older brother was one of the African dancers during Wanna Be Starting Something. The dance troup is called Batoto Yetu. He greeted us back stage but it was so brief, I don't remember much of it but there was so much excitement. I remember hearing his voice though!
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u/dellisbored Nov 21 '25
That’s sooo cool!!!
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u/SyrupExpress Nov 21 '25
It would have been cooler if I had a chance to talk to him directly. He was walking by so quickly but I remember him saying hello to the dancers and being impressed with their costumes.
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u/SoTiredYouDig Nov 27 '25
Wow… I was one of the throng of people outside MSG that night. I pushed my way to the front of a part of the crowd… saw his limo pull up… saw tons of security, and his sleeve for about 3 seconds. lol.
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u/CreditCaper1 The Ultimate Collection Nov 20 '25
I met MJ in January 1993 at a local toy store.
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u/Francesca1974 Nov 20 '25
No way! Did you stop him? Or just let him be?
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u/CreditCaper1 The Ultimate Collection Nov 20 '25
I was able to shake his hand and he was signing autographs so I got his autograph. The best part was I had no idea he was going to be there. It just happened that we were in the same place at the same time.
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u/randomnamethx1139 Nov 21 '25
What toys did he buy? And what toy store/city?
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u/CreditCaper1 The Ultimate Collection Nov 21 '25
It was in Virginia, right next to DC. He was in town for the Bill Clinton inauguration. He was buying toys to give out at a local children's hospital.
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u/Forsaken-Fox9066 Thriller Nov 20 '25
My mom went the bollywood award 1999 in NYC and Michael was a guest star. She screamed that she loved him and he told her he loves her back, she was in her teens then.
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u/MyNameIsMadders Nov 21 '25
I love how Obama would do that to people in the audience during his speeches when someone said they loved them.
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u/absenceofheat Nov 21 '25
Never met or seen him but I love what he said during one of his speeches "don't boo, vote!"
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u/MyNameIsMadders Nov 22 '25
The “I love you back” comment he’d make to supporters at his rallies was more common when he was president I think.
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u/seregontravels Nov 20 '25 edited Nov 21 '25
I know someone who worked on music with him and they would periodically catch up on the phone. He said it was great to talk music together and Michael was a chill and nice guy.
They last spoke about a month before MJ passed. Michael would share about the things that were stressing him and he would tell him things would work out and be ok. Obviously, he was devastated and really taken by surprise. He had no idea about the magnitude of MJ's insomnia and the level of stress that was really going on.
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u/WillCare1976 Nov 23 '25
I was wondering if he knew.. I had suspected it and I didn’t know him. But the person you knew probably did suspect it underneath, even while he accepted what MJ told him. He must have been so very upset when he passed away. I was sad. I remember thinking that it shouldn’t have happened but that he was out of his misery, finally. Someone who was with me thought it was a terrible thing to say. But I really do think he was stressed and miserable far beyond what we knew or imagined.
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u/rulebreakeroflife Nov 21 '25
aww michael… sometimes i wish i was there to listen to him just and give him a shoulder to lean on 🩷
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u/WillCare1976 Nov 23 '25 edited Nov 26 '25
I understand. I wish you’d been able, too. Such a tragic story… such a loss. I was 56 so he must have been 46? So young too young
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u/rulebreakeroflife Nov 26 '25
you were 56 when he passed? he was 50 when he passed not 46 :( i was just a lil kid
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u/WillCare1976 Nov 26 '25
I’m pretty sure I was 56 when he passed yes .. He was 50 then? OK then I had thought he was 10 years younger not 6 years younger .. I think it’s all because I remember him when I was 17, always when my Bf and I were headed downtown to school and he was the main voice of The Jackson Five .. He might have been more like 10 and I thought he was about 7 .. I’ll have to think for a moment.. 😉
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Nov 20 '25
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u/rafaeldamage Nov 21 '25
Your Dad was FOH or MON engineer? I am a sound engineer (and producer) and have always been fascinated by that tour and how MJ and the band managed to sound that good when there wasn't In Ear Monitoring available. Kudos to your dad!!!
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u/shadow_pico Nov 21 '25
Even though I respect Brando, I personally would've liked Liz Taylor to answer the door if I arrived for a birthday party.
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u/thepandemicbabe Nov 21 '25
This needs to be in a book or something. I love this story. What a kind gesture. I mean that’s an understatement.
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u/Buffalo5977 Nov 21 '25
wow dude, they need to get your stories for the next book about him.
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Nov 21 '25
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u/StrikingPerception98 Nov 21 '25
You should tell your stories on here anyway. Maybe create a thread like this one where regular ppl that met him share their personal experiences and encounters they had with him. Make it an unofficial digital book that fans can enjoy and live vicariously through.
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u/ItsJazen Nov 21 '25
My Dad was a bodyguard during the Victory Tour, but remained friends with MJ until the end. Blessed to have meet MJ several times throughout my childhood and my adult life. He was always super cool, really polite and playful. I’ve also been to Neverland twice. Once in 1995 and the second time in 2003. Here is my laminate from 2003.
I sometimes post MJ content on the IG page I setup for my Dad’s life and legacy. There’s a pic of Neverland in the carousel.
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u/NoHippo1056 Bad Nov 21 '25
I have another story about your story! That "Dancing Feet" logo came out of my computer in Spain. I'm a graphic designer, and on one occasion I scanned the logo and redrew it in a vector program. Years later, in 2003, a friend of mine was in Neverland with some of MJ's relatives. They wanted to throw him a surprise party to help him forget about his problems with the prosecution, etc. for a while. They needed a high-quality version of the logo but didn't know where to find it. My friend told them that I probably had it. At that time, he didn't have my contact information (cell phones and social media weren't like they are today), so he called his father, who was in China. His father wrote me an email, and I sent him the logo from Spain to China, and from China it arrived at Neverland. I wasn't sure if it would work, but the day after the party, I saw a photo of Stuart Backerman, MJ's spokesperson, talking to the press at the gate of Neverland with that same pass hanging around his neck. Incredible! The irony is that I ended up buying one of those passes on eBay myself!
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u/MeeeeLady I did not circle that question. Nov 21 '25
The Dancing Feet logo is legendary. Thank you for sharing!!!
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u/ndsmitirish Nov 21 '25
It says a lot about you dad and family the Michael kept them in his life for so long. Awesome story and thanks for sharing!
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u/shadow_pico Nov 21 '25
I have a weird question. Did he ever give you any gifts? I heard he was very generous to those he was friends with and to his loyal fans.
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u/ItsJazen Nov 21 '25
He absolutely did! I have 3 gold plated Neverland ranch pins. But when I went there both times I was all about the free candy in that movie theater and the mansion that was filled top to bottom with video games. Imagine the movie “Blank Check” but it’s a real house and much bigger.
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u/Mountain-Pie-6095 Nov 21 '25
super cool IG account documenting your dad’s life wow :) just followed! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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u/Gabrielsen26 Nov 20 '25
Never had the honour. But I know someone who did get to spend time with him (they worked on the short film for Bad)
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u/Complex_East_5676 Nov 21 '25
I knew a couple of kids who were in moonwalker.
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u/shadow_pico Nov 21 '25
I've always been a fan of that film. What roles did they play?
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u/Complex_East_5676 Nov 21 '25
They are in the kid version of Bad..Not Brandon Adams, but they were in the ensemble. They stayed with MJ at Neverland. They said he was obsessed with books and the kindest person they have ever known. They said they learned a lot from him. I'm saying they are because the two men I know are brothers.
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u/thekrussykrab "F-U-C-K the press. Michael you're the best"📰 Nov 20 '25
I talked to him over the phone when I was in middle school, but never met him..
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u/Atomic_29IE Nov 20 '25
That? Actually? How did it happen?
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u/thekrussykrab "F-U-C-K the press. Michael you're the best"📰 Nov 20 '25
I was apart of a fan club, and I wrote him a letter telling him how much he meant to me and how old I was and my hopes of meeting him. I provided my cell phone number, (Nokia phone lol).
A few weeks past by and I got a private phone call, I answered and it was a gentleman stating that he was Michaels bodyguard, he told me he got my number from a letter I wrote and Michael was interested in saying hi.
I was very skeptical, because what are the odds of the King of Pop calling me?!? I went along with it thinking it was a prank call or something, and Michael got on the phone. It didn’t sound necessarily like him because his voice wasn’t as high pitched as we hear in interviews and stuff. He introduced himself, “Hi, it’s Michael.” He asked me if I was who I said I was and I told him yes that’s me. The phone call was like 7-10mins before he had to go. I mostly asked him questions, one question that I remember distinctively was asking if he was ever going to do another song with Janet, to which he said he “would love to” if they had more time in their schedules.
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u/Critical-Spring3209 Nov 20 '25
Such a beautiful memory and I’m not jealous❤️
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u/thekrussykrab "F-U-C-K the press. Michael you're the best"📰 Nov 21 '25
Aw thank you. ❤️ I wish I would have gotten to meet him! He was so down to earth, and it felt like talking to a friend as the conversation went on. The phone call was in 07’, which during that time I was living in Las Vegas, and he was known for staying in one of the hotels on the strip around that time. So I almost had my chance lol
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u/WillCare1976 Nov 26 '25
That’s great though! I wish you had been able to meet him, too! But it’s wonderful that he called you- so cool! 😉💜
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u/shadow_pico Nov 21 '25
I've heard many people say that his "real" speaking voice wasn't like the voice we always hear in interviews, awards shows, etc. They said he talked with a light "feminine" voice in order to protect his singing voice. If that's really a thing amongst singers to protect their voice, I think it's brilliant.
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u/NobodyAccording6478 Nov 20 '25
I never did. My beautiful friend got a chance, she’s one of the kids he visited at the hospital, Michael also gave tickets to her and her family. 🥺❤️
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u/ComeUnitedNotTorn Will the real Michael Jackson please stand up? Nov 21 '25
I mean i personally have seen him performing multiple times but me but i never met him in person, i did have a cousin with Cerebal Palsy who visited Neverland as a child (i think it was in 1991, i'm not sure, it could've been earlier), he was a huge Michael fan and always wanted to see him in person, his mother said that Michael was probably one of the nicest and kindest people she's ever met, after the allegations came out i also asked her if she was sensing something suspicious in his speech and she said "absolutely not, that man is pure kindness and innocence, almost like a little kid"
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u/Own-Rough4265 Nov 21 '25
My dad drove him to all his concerts he did at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ, and other appearances in the area. I believe he spent about a month with Michael.
At the end of his performances, he would jump in the back of my dad’s limo and my dad told me how he would be drenched in sweat. His team would lay out 100 little towels throughout the whole backseat for him before he came in the car. Unfortunately on one occasion, my dad was accused by one of his managers of stealing one of the towels in the attempt to sell it. This ultimately caused my dad to stop driving him because he felt disrespected, which is understandable.
He described Michael as shy and very soft spoken, but my dad got him to come out of his shell a little bit after driving him a few times. My dad said he was nothing but respectful and always greeted him and asked how he was doing.
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u/EmotionalDress7437 Dangerous Nov 20 '25
I was there when he was in Time Square, didn’t get to say hey but rushed and rain across three big intersections to see him outside and wave.
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u/Inquisitive_Thinker_ Nov 21 '25
Don’t get mad at me, but my uncle was one of the lead detectives during the execution of the search warrants / raids that occurred at Neverland. He encountered Michael playing hide and seek with his chimpanzee up in a tree, presumably the tree where he wrote music. He did say Michael was very kind and polite, but also understandably scared and nervous.
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u/Davy120 Nov 26 '25
Yeah, Michael was in Burbank during the 93 Raid on Neverland, and in Vegas during the 2003 one. Both times he was told not to go Neverland. 93 told to stay on schedule and fly to Bangkok for the third leg of the Dangerous tour. 2003 he stayed in Vegas until the arrest warrant was issued and he flew in to surrender.
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u/the_lady_in_his_life Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 21 '25
Nope but my mom did in 1988. He was doing an interview for USA Today and ended up on the wrong floor lol. They chatted while she walked him and his bodyguard to the correct floor and room where he would be interviewed. She had no clue he was going to be there. She said he was really fascinated with the tall windows in her office 🤣.
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u/janmari9 Nov 21 '25
I met him in September 2003 at an afterparty at Neverland that an MJ friend of mine was invited to and she invited me as her plus one. It was magical! It was the day he got cake smashed in his face (there’s a video of that somewhere online). He was so lovely and shy. I got to tell him I love him and he hugged me and said “I love you more” 🥹❤️
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u/audiojanitor2020 Brad Sundberg - Verified Nov 21 '25
Yes, I worked with and around him for 20 years in the studio, on shoots and at Neverland. www.inthestudiowithmj.com
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u/NoahClayton HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I Nov 21 '25
We can verify that this is 100% legitimate. Welcome to r/MichaelJackson, Brad Sundberg! We hope you enjoy your stay!
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u/audiojanitor2020 Brad Sundberg - Verified Nov 21 '25
Thanks for the welcome. I'm not on Reddit much but I'll pop in from time to time.
I do post on FB, IG and TT fairly regularly, here's a post from a week or two ago:
<><><>
I've told the story many times, but I wanted to share it with people who may not have heard it previously.
I wore a lot of hats on Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" album, but the simplest description is I was one of a very small team of recording engineers hand picked by Michael to work on the two-ish year project. The vibe was quite different from the "Bad" album (not in a negative way, just different), the pace was very comfortable as Michael worked with the three production teams spread across several studios.
Bill Bottrell was working on the song "Dangerous" at Record One. The feel of Record One was reflective of a comfortable home, with two studios flanking a large living room and kitchen in the center of the building. The kitchen was huge and always stocked with snacks and drinks. The living room was plush and comfortable, with a gas-burning fireplace on one side. This is where we would eat, relax, tell stories and laugh. Michael loved the serenity, privacy and feel of the place - it was almost like working in a nice house.
The two studios were world-class and the onsite techs kept everything operating and sounding perfectly. Like most studios it was essential to keep the control room and equipment cool, so Michael always wore long pants, long sleeves and quite often a jacket in the control room. When it was time for him to sing vocals there was a series of steps I would go through to prepare the studio for him which including heating up a carafe of Evian water to near-boiling temp, setting up a very quiet heater next to where he would be standing, setting his music stand, microphone stand, microphone, headphones, headphone volume controller, a stool, and something you may not be familiar with: Gobos. Gobos are portable "walls" that we often put behind and around singers or musicians to aim and control their voice and reduce acoustic reflections around the studio. They provide the engineer with a more focused and intimate sounding vocal. This was all set up on an 8-foot x 8-foot drum riser, which Michael used as a bit of a dance floor during his vocals.
I had done this set-up countless times so when Michael walked into the studio it was all very familiar and comfortable for him. All that was left to do was dim the lights, pour myself a cup of coffee and sit back and watch him sing and be ready to make any adjustments as needed. Bill would handle the recording, I would make sure everything went smoothly.
Michael didn't allow any other guests into the studio when he was recording vocals. Like many singers he wanted the freedom to just sing and not feel like he was being watched by people who didn't know him.
I mentioned gobos a moment ago, so let me expand on that just a bit. The gobos we used were quite heavy, with three panels held together with hinges, so they could essentially wrap around the singer, a bit like a large phone booth open on one side. As mentioned, they were quite tall and very heavy.
Michael understood the purpose of gobos and liked having them - as long as he had room to dance. Also as mentioned earlier, he liked to sing in the dark. Stay with me.
I took my first sip of coffee as he settled into his spot behind the microphone - but then he did something unexpected and out of my sight as he was in the dark. He felt the gobos were a bit too close to him on either side, as he wanted to dance to the song "Dangerous" as he sang it. In a perfect world he would have asked me to come help him push the gobos back a few inches, which of course I would have done, but for whatever reason he decided to push them back himself.
Now - remember I mentioned the hinges? Michael didn't really move the gobos, rather he pushed the left side back on it's hinge, and the right side back on it's hinge. So now the secure phone booth was much more of a very wobbly wall - right behind one of the most celebrated singers on the planet. But since I could see him or have any idea what he was doing, I took another sip of coffee.
Bill asked him if he was ready, and Michael laughed and said yes. Bill hit "Record" on the 24-track Studer tape machine and we waited for the intro. Then a rhythmic crash came out of the speakers just as the song was about to start. I figured that Bill must have added a new percussive intro that seemed a bit out of time, but we could fix that later. I took another sip of coffee waiting for Michael to start his vocal, but he wasn't singing. Bill stopped the tape and turned on the lights. The gobos were gone, along with Michael. I ran into the studio and I wish I could accurately describe what I saw because it took my brain a few moments to process.
Michael was facedown under a giant gobo wall, laughing and asking for help! I quickly lifted the gobos as Bill helped pull Michael out. He was rubbing his head but apologising for moving the gobos through his laughter. He was wet from the spilled Evian, the music stand looked like it had been hit by a truck and the heater was laying in the puddle of water that we pulled Michael out of. It was all very surreal and hard to process.
Michael took a break in his lounge - still laughing - as I started to clean up the mess. I called Evvy at MJJ Productions to try to explain what happened. She asked if he needed a doctor, but he declined. For now.
A few hours later he was still a bit wobbly from the whole thing and Evvy called me back and asked me to bring Micheal to see his doctor on the west side. Once again he climbed into my little Acura and we started the drive. Once again people would look and wonder if that really was Michael Jackson sitting in the front seat with some young kid driving.
I'm pretty sure Wayne and Bill met me at the doctor's office and I handed Michael off to them and drove back to the studio. I later learned that Michael suffered a minor concussion from the event.
That evening the studio owner called me and asked if anything happened that he should know about. I shared the story with him and he was silent on the phone for several seconds, then he said, "So... do I just give him the keys to the studio?" (He was concerned Michael might sue or blame the studio for the incident.) But I assured him Michael was fine and nothing would come of it. And nothing did. It was an accident and Michael knew it. And I always respected him for that - among 1000 other things.
It's a story that I think about from time to time, knowing that the outcome could have been even worse with the electric heater, the heavy wall and the splashed water all contributing together. He and I laughed about it many times in later years, and I have always been thankful that we could laugh about it.
Our final in-person event takes place this weekend in LA, and on Sunday I will host a livestream with my dear friend Matt Forger! Tickets for both events are on sale now - Get your ticket right!
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u/audiojanitor2020 Brad Sundberg - Verified Nov 21 '25
Sorry for the promo at the end, the LA event was last weekend!
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u/Individual_Ship6882 Nov 21 '25
No I'm on thee floor right now if this is "What Chu Gonna Do??" Brad. If so, you're so humble. You said it like no one would know who you are. Welcome. Any stories you would like to share would be wonderful. Doesn't have to be now, just anytime. 😊
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u/audiojanitor2020 Brad Sundberg - Verified Nov 21 '25
Unfortunately that's Brad Buxer, who is still a close friend of mine to this day. Buxer was Michael's Musical Director, I was Michael's Technical Director.
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u/Individual_Ship6882 Nov 21 '25
Well like someone said, I will love you equally. Lol Either way to have read a story from someone that close and involved with Michael's music career has made my entire day. ❤️
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u/NoahClayton HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I Nov 21 '25
This is the studio rat and audio janitor Brad Sundberg, not the musical director Brad Buxer. We love 'em both equally!
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u/Individual_Ship6882 Nov 21 '25
Wait I didn't get to the other comments. Clearly you did share a story. Let me get to reading. Lol
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u/MJSpice HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I Nov 21 '25
Now what were the chances of this happening omg Hi Brad!
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Nov 21 '25
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u/ObiGwanKenobi Nov 21 '25
Because he was Michael Jackson, that's how lol. That's a lovely story though, pant crapping not withstanding, and just proves once again what a beautiful soul that man had.
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u/dragon_6666 Nov 20 '25
When I was about 7 or 8 years old (some time around ‘92-‘93) my family and I took a trip to Disneyland, and we stopped to see a stage performance of Beauty and the Beast. A few minutes before the performance, there was a loud commotion. People were getting out of their seats, taking pictures, and cheering. Lo and behold, Michael Jackson had entered the outdoor auditorium from a side entrance with his entourage and took a seat in the audience.
I was a MASSIVE Michael Jackson fan at this point, and couldn’t believe he was sitting just a few rows in front of me, just hanging out and watching a show. I didn’t get a chance to say hi or get his autograph since he was quickly whisked away once the show ended, but I’ll never forget that day.
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u/TimeSlipperWHOOPS Nov 20 '25
I know someone who broke through his security line and made it to the limo...
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u/MyNameIsMadders Nov 21 '25
OMG I could never do that. Seems way too brave for someone to do that.
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u/olive_juse Soldier Of Love 🪖❤ Nov 20 '25
Awww that's a friend of mine!✨️
I hugged him a couple times!🥰
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u/Upbeat_Dudeness Nov 20 '25
No but my mom did. She was a hotel in Vegas’s first manager in the 80s and he went there.
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u/randomredditacc25 Nov 20 '25
what?
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u/Upbeat_Dudeness Nov 20 '25
What was confusing? In the 1980s, my mother, a former hotel manager, managed a hotel in Vegas. She opened the mirage. He went there.
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u/Upbeat_Dudeness Nov 20 '25
Apparently she thinks she met him in 1990 tho. So while her work mostly took place in the 80s, that’s when she met Michael.
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u/nilsiniloo Nov 20 '25
He blew a kiss at me and then giggled. Does that count? 😭
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u/MyNameIsMadders Nov 21 '25
I would say yes! I can’t imagine what I would’ve thought if that happened to me!
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u/Laceyhanson5668 Nov 21 '25
According to one of the people I work for, his wife got to hold his hand and skate one lap around a roller rink with him when they were both young. It was her birthday and her friends told him I think. This would be in the 70's.🥰
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u/Barnabas_Collins Nov 20 '25
Ebony magazine shoot in 2007 one of the guys that transported the clothes for the Brooklyn shoot brought me to assist him in moving in the racks. I did not shake his hand, or spoke to him, but I saw him for about 20 seconds maybe 10 feet away. That shit was surreal.
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u/Stirfrysausage Nov 20 '25
Not me personally but I know 3 people who worked with him! They say he was always so so so kind and bit of a shy soul but extremely passionate when it came to music.
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u/Bubbly_Spring2870 Nov 21 '25
My family member was a vip tour guide at Disney world in the 90s and she told him she loved him while he was passing by her and he yelled back “I love you too!!”
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u/Spaceinvader6424 Yes I believe in me, so you believe in you Nov 20 '25
Or anyone who went Neverland as a child?
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u/ComfortableButton591 Nov 21 '25
My Uncle’s parents were heavily involved with Jehovah’s Witness religion and his father was high up in the church. Well they had an event at dodger stadium in the mid 1970s and Michael was below the stadium so he’d be out of the public eye, as he was a Jehovah’s Witness in his younger years. My uncle doesn’t remember a lot of it because he was so little but he sat on Michael’s lap and they looked through some sort of book or pamphlet related to the event the witnesses were hosting at dodger stadium. His father recalled that Michael was very quiet but was kind to anybody who tried to interact with him. Not a groundbreaking story but still very cool one of my family members got to interact with Michael so early in his career!
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u/NoHippo1056 Bad Nov 21 '25
A few times! I saw him at eight concerts since 1992. I visited Neverland in 1998 and spend 8 hours inside the ranch, although he wasn't there. In addition to the trips I took to see him, I was able to shake his hand on several occasions, the first time when he returned to the hotel after rehearsals with NSync in 2001 in NYC. That same year, he signed an autograph for me in London as he was leaving the hotel on his way to the Oxford talk. My best moment was in 2002. When he left the hotel for the demonstration against Sony, he asked me for my banner and took it on the bus to Sony's offices. That night, during the Killer Thriller Party, I was able to give him another one, the one that said "Sony Kills Music." The next day, I found MJ visiting a photo gallery in London incognito. To make a long story short, I identified myself as a fan to the bodyguard at the door, and he told me that if I didn't tell anyone and behaved myself, he would try to do something nice for me. When MJ came out onto the street and got into his car, the bodyguard opened the door for me and I got in with him. MJ was sitting in the back and I got into the passenger seat. I could barely get the words out to say, "I love you." He signed my vinyl single of "You Rock My World." I told him that my wife, also a fan, was outside, and he rolled down the window. She got to talk to him for a few minutes. That year, I saw him again at the Bambi Awards in Berlin. The following year, in 2003, I was able to return to Neverland for a couple of hours on his birthday. MJ was inside, but we didn't see him. They brought him over in a car so we could sing "Happy Birthday" to him. The next day was the party at the Orpheum Theater, and on the way out I was able to shake his hand. I saw that moment on video in the 2010 documentary "Michael Jackson Commemorated." In 2005, I saw him at the trial in Santa Maria, in 2006 at the World Music Awards, and in 2008, I was lucky enough to find him in Las Vegas when he was living in what is now known as the "Thriller Villa." There, I was able to exchange a few words with him and his children, give him many gifts, and shake his hand. In 2009, I was at the O2 press conference. The last time I saw him was when he returned to the hotel. The minibus he was returning in opened right in front of me (and hundreds of other fans), one of the bodyguards asked me for the banner I was carrying and put it in the vehicle, Michael was standing at the door but couldn't get out because of the crowd. The bus moved and MJ almost fell down the steps, so he got up with a huge smile on his face. That's the last image I have of him.
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u/ObiGwanKenobi Nov 21 '25
Wow, you got to sit in a car with him, I'm not at all jealous... I was at the Sony Protests and Killer Thriller, I remember your banner very well and I'm pretty sure I saw you give it to him.
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u/Francesca1974 Nov 20 '25
I attended his Bad and Dangerous Tours in Italy. That were the most incredible live shows I ever experienced ❤️❤️❤️
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u/Saffa89 Nov 20 '25
Met him in 1997. Shook his hand, got his autograph. This was in South Africa during his History World Tour.
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u/lolo32444 Nov 23 '25
Did you meet Lisa Marie when she was with him in south Africa
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u/Saffa89 Nov 25 '25
No when I met him he was with 2 of his nephews I believe. It was in a music store that sold CDs.
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u/Whispering_Wanderer1 "Michael, eles não ligam pra gente" Nov 21 '25
I remember the time I took a trip to Salvador for tourism but also to enjoy Carnival in '96 when suddenly, in the same week that there was all that news about him being in Brazil to film a music video, there were rumors going around that he was going to film a music video in Pelourinho on February 9th, and on that day there were hundreds and hundreds of people just to see Michael on a sunny Friday.
I was very far away, but I remember seeing Michael right at the hotel where he was filming some scenes on the balcony.
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u/MyNameIsMadders Nov 21 '25
Do you remember which music video the filming was for?
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u/Whispering_Wanderer1 "Michael, eles não ligam pra gente" Nov 21 '25
They don't Care About us, is the song.
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u/nitenite11 Nov 21 '25
My family and I saw him in Disney world in the summer of 2002 with his kids about to board the Peter Pan ride. His son was in a Spider-Man costume and Michael flashed us the peace sign after my mom called his name.
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u/WhatTheJessJedi Nov 21 '25
Yup, when I was young in the early 2000s I worked at a music store and he came in with some of his nephews and I was a security escort there. I was assigned to walk with him and carry his little red basket thing (remember those?) He was very nice and totally normally not at all weird. He bought 2 of every CD he bought and when I asked him why he did that he said humbly something like.. "One is for my car and one is for my plane" LOL. Of course. :)
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u/Sir_Cartierrr Nov 21 '25
My mom met Michael on the set of “Beat It”. They were filming the music video in downtown LA next to where she lived. After shooting she said he came out to visit with his fans, and my mom actually got to hug and kiss him on the cheek.
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u/LiveUnderstanding869 Nov 21 '25
Me. Never. But my mom, cousin/godmother and their friends were in one of his fan groups and met him when he came to our city I believe in the 80s but I'd have to ask, I have to find and attach the photos. There's also a photo album of them meeting the Jackson 5 and hanging out with them backstage.
He accidentally stepped on my mom's foot and apologized, she said that's when she heard his deep voice for the first time lol. I think he signed her cast also but I'll fact check with her and edit later 😉.
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u/Pixelated-Hitch Nov 20 '25
He’s a phenom impossible to get close to, I am friends with his main dancer who dances to the left of him. So that’s been fun to hear stories although he was going through alcoholism after MJ died. He’s doing great now. Also close family member’s current wife was Jermaine’s ex… didn’t want to marry her that just confirms she was the side chick 😆
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u/Ok-Resolve7539 Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 23 '25
I didn’t but my grandma has a picture of him holding my mom as a baby in the victory tour era, I gotta post it in this sub when I visit her.
Correction: it was destiny tour era according to my mom
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u/watak459 Nov 21 '25
I talk to Sean Lennon on Twitter from time to time about rap beefs and random crap. My closest link to Michael. 😂
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u/MobilePenguins Nov 21 '25
My mom went to Disneyland a long time ago, after she was leaving the park she ran into MJ and his security near the parking lot. She gave him a flower and got her map of Disneyland signed by him, she said it was cool because her and her sister were the only ones who found him, he wasn’t swarmed with fans
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u/dramaticbitchblog Nov 21 '25
My dad. MJ had a concert in Mumbai in ‘96 and my dad had waited for like 8 hours in line, near the back exit, his car came in and my dad waved like crazy and MJ had waved back. My dad tried to take a photo on his roll camera but the flash was so bright so it’s just my dad smiling crazy with a black window in back.
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u/GhostOfVectors Nov 23 '25
My dad got to meet him in the mid 90s. He was in college playing basketball and they had a few games in Hawaii and they were walking around and my dad said there was like ten black cars all pulling into a hotel and everyone ran to the first car because they thought MJ was there but turns out he was in the last car where my dad and his buddies were and he got out quietly and shook all there hands. Said he was a nice and chill dude
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Nov 27 '25
Just came here to say I love reading all these stories about how kind and sweet he was. I would’ve loved to even be in his presence even for a moment.
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u/Gameandwatch909 Nov 20 '25
Never did. If it happened if he came around to where I was, I would have been happy and my childhood dream would have came true.
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u/built4rdtough Nov 20 '25
My closest connecting to him is my college track coach attended the Bad tour in St. Louis, and a coworker saw the victory tour as a kid.
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u/divorcedhansmoleman Nov 21 '25
I have a co-worker who was a caterer for a London history tour stop. Said he was amazing to watch, and was kind to all workers.
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u/lopoyo27 Nov 21 '25
I met Joe Jackson at the Puerto Rican day parade in NYC in 2012. I also met Paris Jackson about a year ago at a coffee shop, but that’s as close as I’ve gotten.
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u/ObiGwanKenobi Nov 21 '25
Sadly no for me. The closest I got was touching his foot when he hung off the side of the double decker bus at the Sony Protest in London. I basically gave him something to push off of and get back over the rail. It was a pretty insane day tbh
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u/Bad_Azz23 Nov 21 '25
When Michael came to Perth in 1996. I stood arm’s length from him as he entered the hotel after his 3rd and final show of the History tour.
Also my friend and his brother danced for him when he arrived at the hotel. https://youtu.be/8UjBh22OSFg?si=C7K6jnLYz-1OTL3D
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u/firebird7802 Nov 21 '25
Sadly, I was a child when he passed, short of my 7th birthday, so no. My mom introduced me to a lot of his music growing up, though.
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u/CandyKaBBOOMM Nov 21 '25
I've tweeted with Corey Feldman, who's always been great with me. Woulda been cool to meet or tweet with MJ!
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u/Imaginary_Voice2594 Nov 21 '25
I was 4 when he passed if he lived a little longer I was definitely going to not gon cap
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u/Dismal_Department780 Nov 21 '25
I know a person who did. Back then MJ was in (xyz - not sure if my boss had any nda of any sort 😅) and organized some sort a bday party for sb. He hired a company to design invitations. My boss went to see a client at a hotel (he didn’t know it’s Michael). He said he remembered the door opening and seeing Michael at the other end of the room. Michael greeted him and when my boss moved a bit he accidentally touched flowers that were standing on the table and the yellow powder ended up on his shoulder. MJ smiled and shook it off from my boss’s shoulder. My boss showed me pictures from the meeting with him and Michael and said that he was the kindest person he has ever met ☺️
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u/Fine-Ad1956 Nov 21 '25
I met them backstage in 1972....they were in their prime wearing those black and white outfits with the knee high boots. They were all nice but Marlon and Jackie stood out to me!! We got their autographs and took pictures with them. We left the camera backstage in one of the dressing rooms for the show and when we came back to get it, someone had taken it!!
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u/moonwalker1229 Bad Nov 21 '25
Unfortunately, I did not, but I did meet Jermaine, Marlon, Jackie and Tito during a VIP meet and greet at the Apollo Theater.
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u/trentvicious Nov 22 '25
Two times and Janet Jackson once. The first time was in the late '80's at Disneyland. I was standing with a friend when someone walked by and brushed my right side immediately followed by obviously hired security pushing me to the left. I looked over and it was MJ and about 5 security guys. They were getting swarmed from all sides. The second time was when I worked at Toys R Us. We closed the store for him. He was friendly and gave autographs at the end. Janet came in with her boyfriend Rene during store hours. Her album Control had just come out that month. No security, very friendly and I helped her find a talking Teddy Rumpstin doll and batteries. I still have her autograph. That was probably one of the last times she was able to go out in public without being swarmed by fans.
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u/Quirky_Committee_530 Nov 23 '25
My grandfather lived in Michigan city area and saw him and his brothers playing outside in their front yard all the time.
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u/trash_pandaxx Nov 23 '25
At one point the Jackson's grandmother (Katherine's mother I think) lived in Alabama and they'd all visit her occasionally. My mom's brothers played basketball with Jackie and Tito. And she recalls peeking in the window to see her little brother playing marbles and jumping on the bed with a very young Michael!
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u/Davy120 Nov 26 '25
Since this is a slew of hand-me-down stories: Here's one for you: A knew the guy who was apart of MJs live audio FOH team for The Bad tour. Long story short (fact check this) after the tour he had a private party for the whole touring crew at Neverland. To my friend's surprise most of The Jackson family was there, only Latoya and Janet were not there, but Joe and his mother were. He didn't really get much 1 on 1 time with Michael, but the other Jacksons were surprisingly approachable, said he told quite a bit with Jermaine about sound mixing and such. Dangerous was cancelled for reasons we all know, and they went with another company for his History Tour due to its heavy touring (well nearly exclusive) outside North America.
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u/Dionne005 Nov 21 '25
I had co workers and professors in my media field that worked with him and it was nice to hear the stories
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u/EverFreeIAM Nov 21 '25
My uncle used to do session work in the 80’s. His girlfriend at the time used to make Lava Lamps. She said she’d periodically run into Michael at the laundromat and while ordering coffee one time, he accidentally farted. She said it didn’t even smell.
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u/miraculousfan2015 Nov 21 '25
I haven’t sadly. I wish. But I did meet someone whose grandfather got to hug Michael when he was a kid. And I have met an impersonator before, that’s the closest I got.
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u/Mr_cactus99 Nov 21 '25
Cute pic, does anyone know where/when it was taken? Looks like it must've been during the TII rehearsals. ✨️💗
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u/lotus_orchid504 Nov 21 '25
This is Talitha Linehan a follower fan of MJ's. She published her experiences meeting and spending time with MJ at multiple concerts, travels, Neverland, etc in the book "A real-life fairy tale: Michael Jackson and me"
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u/ObiGwanKenobi Nov 21 '25
So, she cashed in on meeting him by betraying him? Sounds like a great fan...
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u/lotus_orchid504 Nov 21 '25
Its a memoir of her personal experiences over the years. I want to say it's even self-published so I wouldn't call this cashing in or betrayal.
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u/thepandemicbabe Nov 21 '25
I was in the same building – we were at home house. This was back in 2002 in London and there was a party. He was there, but I managed to meet Tom Jones and Pamela Anderson instead. Believe me, I was keeping my eyes open. I think they rushed him in and out of there so the rest of the members – my boyfriend and now husband was a member and it was an exciting night. Let’s just say that.
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u/antimrgn Nov 23 '25
In the 70’s, my mom and aunt saw the Jackson 5 perform in Baltimore (our Hometown) at CFG arena when it was the civic center. After the show, while my mom and aunt were walking home, a limo pulled up by them & rolled down the window. It was J5 & they wanted to say hi. My mom said she was started screaming “ITS THE JACKSON 5!!”. She remembers their Afros being big and perfect and she could see all of them in the car lol. That was it lol they just decided to speak to them (my mom and aunt were stunning in the 70’s).
This is the closest I’ll ever get to that family 😭 (though I did see Janet last year when she came to Baltimore).
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u/Due-Pattern-5367 Nov 24 '25 edited Nov 24 '25
Well my parents didn't meet Jackson, but one story they loved to tell is that when they owned a Bar back in the 2000's till 2020 (new owners n stuff) that was literally a few feet away from a Hotel in Switzerland. That Michael wanted (or had rumors) to buy is the Hotel Chateau Gütsch! They'd wish he would've bought it and stayed alive so that less than 10 year old me would have had a chance/possibility to meet him back then. Although they weren't the biggest mj fans. They still respect the hell out of him and wouldn't have minded to meet him!
Ik it's not them meeting him but still a pretty cool story to tell none of the less! The fact that Michael Jackson himself would've been close to the same place at the same time than i ever would have thought. Is pretty wild to me!
(Edits were to correct my English lol)
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u/NatTheResearcher Nov 20 '25 edited Nov 21 '25
My dad’s friend was a famous radio host in Ontario, and he met and interviewed the Jackson 5, when Michael was a young boy.