M.J. In The Shadows Of Love

I first met Michael Jackson in the late 70s. And Andy Warhol asked me to photoggraph a group of kids called the JACKSON FIVE for INTERVIEW magazine. They were staying with their tutor while on tour at a hotel in mid-town New York City. Their tutor was an elegant lady - almost like a character out of a George Cukor's film, The Women. When i started taking the photographs, Michael and his brothers were having a pillow fight, and she was trying to make them behave like gentlemen. Michael wasn't posing; he was only interested in reading the newpaper and looking for his reviews.
That was almost 30 years ago, and since then I've had the chance to know his charming sister Janet and shared good friends like Muhammad Ali's manager Bernie Yuman, the film director Brett Ratner and a lady who is beyond description, Elizabeth Taylor.
For years Michael and I have talked about taking photographs, but it never happened again until now, because our busy lives kept us at different ends of the globe. Luckly this time, we both found ourselves in New York City at the same time. i wanted to photograph Michael now instead of sending him a thank you note explaining all the joys I've had listening to him sing and watching him dance. each of these times were marked as celebration in my crazy life: falling in love, driving my dream car, getting a new dog, photographing my family, or hanging out with a friend over a few beers.
If I had to count how many times Michael's music has given a life to my photographs, that number would be in the thousands. Because of the music's rhythm and soul, I would end up taking so many photographs that I would run out of film and all my cameras would break down.
So Michael, accept my gratitude for you have a big place in a lot of people's hearts. As they say on the street "Michael's in the house and lets just do it.!"- "lets just get down and take some pictures and see if we land once again on the moon".

Bruce Weber
New York City
2007