In 1989, I was working at Paramount Studios as a page. Our job was to work the shows with live audiences. That particular day, I was assigned to the "Arsenio Hall Show" and the guest that night was a young 30 year old singing phenom named Michael Jackson. He had been famous so long, there wasn't anyone who didn't know him or one of his songs. The street just outside the soundstage was lined with screaming adoring adolescents (and a whole army of security too!). As luck would have it, I was standing right there as his limo pulled up along side the stage (late, but still in time for the show) and as his driver opened his door a smiling, energetic, happy to be there, Michael stepped out. I gotta tell ya, he was just like you see on all the clips--he looked me right in the eye, nodded his head, and said with a smile, "Hello." It was the softest and sweetest voice, almost childlike. He was 6 years older than me, yet I felt like I could have been the elder. The fans screamed on the street, and he turned to wave. He turned back and with a nod, signaled he was ready to go...
His performance that night was pure entertainment. He loved his talent as much as we did.
What I saw, in person, was his persona backstage--just a nice regular guy that could turn it on
for the audience with the snap of his fingers. His talent was undeniable even by his harshest critics. I won't comment on the controversial stuff because I wasn't there and don't know one way or the other, but for one night in 1989, I was there, and Michael Jackson indeed lived up to--no, surpassed-- the title, "King of Pop!"
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