Michael told me years ago he never wanted to tour again. He had no problem making records, but hated to tour. He loved his fans but he hated waking up in a different city every day. After he had the kids, he wanted to give them as normal of a life as he could. He often said his touring would be over when he was 40.
I don’t believe he had a choice with this 02 Arena show. Question is why not? Like everything else in his life there are multiple answers. He did want his kids to see him perform. He needed the money, but why now? He had opportunities in the past and turned them down.
It seems now there are more questions than answers. Like why did he choose now to bring Frank back?
Frank DiLeo, a very nice, funny man. A bear when it came to protecting Mike. Even after he was fired, when Mike was on trial, Frank came to California at his own expense to remain at Michael’s side, for several months.
Frank has a dark side too. He was in bed with the mob. I don’t care what anyone says.... He was there. He was friends, good friends with Jo Isgro and Jack Gordon. Jo Isgro was music business mob all the way. He was part of the “network” and had ties to the Gambino Family.
Jo Isgro also was involved with LaToya, He produced her album Imagination.
After the success of Thriller Mike ask Frank to be his manager. Frank was the executive producer of Moonwalker, and the executive producer of all three Pepsi commercials. He managed Michael’s Victory and Bad tours, and was the executive producer in 8 of Michael’s videos. In other words he produced the Pepsi commercial where Mike was burned.
Also remember LaToya’s rant in 93. When she was married to Jack Gordon? Jack Gordon was mob too…LaToya was by her own account forced into the marriage, and constantly beaten. She was beaten once with a chair so badly that Jack thought he had killed her. She would later be forced in an interview that Michael Jackson was guilty of unspeakable crimes against children.
Another fact, most people don’t know…but Mike told me this himself, In 1989 Frank gave Jordie Chandlers mom 4 tickets to see Mike in concert, with back stage passes. Mike left early that night, not meeting with fans. He and Jordie would not meet until later. This occurred long before any allegations and before Mike even meet Jordie. Was Frank involved with setting Mike up?
What are the chances of Michael Jackson’s car breaking down on the freeway? And then Jordie’s step father being right there to give Michael a ride back to his car rental business? I don’t know but it seems to much of a coincidence for my liking…
Did Mike have a choice in the matter, or was this too forced on him. I don’t know. On one hand maybe Mike was trying to put together a team from happier more successful times, on the other hand Mike had good reasons for firing them both. Mike was a very forgiving person…. But usually didn’t make the same mistake twice.
I did find this: It was an interview with Diane Sawyer? Not sure but Frank was ask why Michael Fired him, This was his response.
"Why did he fire me? That’s a good question, but I think it was ah, ah, he fired me because it was politically asked of him. There was an outside record executive with a big time lawyer and one executive at Sony who would like to see Michael’s power cut in half. And by getting rid of me was half the power."
http://www.jacksonaction.com/index.php?page=view.php&id=180§ion=transcripts
So was he protecting Michael or persecuting him?
And remember these messages left on a “friends” answering machine?
“It is Michael calling. It is very important, I want that 150 in that account for me, because… I am very concerned about my life. I am hearing a lot of stories that (name withheld) is still trying to sabotage… me… I want to be away for a while where they can’t find me.”
A second message adds, “It is Michael. It is 4.30 in the morning here that’s why I sound very sleepy and I’m really worn out… but please check the message I left a day or so ago. I am very concerned. I don’t trust that man. We think he’s bad, we think he is Italian mafia. Please… we must be smarter than him. So please, help me with this… I wanna be away… I don’t want to be in Neverland right now.”
We know that after the trials, Michael left the country. I think for reasons I don’t want to mention here, that this was actually recorded before the trial.
What I think…. I think Frank was a mobster, I think he always was. I think Mike knew this but I also think he was protected from other forces by Frank. Frank appears to have both good and bad qualities when it comes to Michael. Did Michael seem more together and safer with Frank in the picture or was this an illution?
