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action on this setin a convertedwarehouse 2000 down. Purchasedby newlyweds who, she says, miles from the place he calls "Neverland "never thought we were going to haveall those Valley." Lending a fraglle, though absolutely kids." . An interior set onlg there are no ceil- necessary:,air of authenticity to theseproceed- ingsand the pll.woodwalls move,but the "home" ings are manifestations of him, tend,rilsof the has been designedso specificallyto her recollec- beast,ifyouwill,intheform preaious tions that it breathesthe life page, c/ocfrui.se"ft.otn fop of the woman who begat /eJ't;ca.st meml)er.r Angel Vrtrgn.s, of the family - from the him and the brother (of all Juten Wi/*erson, 7''errence reproductionsof Joseph's Das/ton Hoaarrl' Jrt'rrtnweuae r the brothers!) with whom landscapepaintings (a hob- aurl Je,ttaine 'lar:fr'ro,'lr': he has had the srtormiest by he abandonedwhen the Katlterine .rrc*.son,nd,\'il2(tilttc . relationship. On this, the dep,sst:; ,Margaret Ma/rlrnarlo, boys won their first talent thirteenth day of shooting .lermuiue Jr. anrl.lennaine show) and the braided rug the ABC miniseries, The .luchson; actressAnge/a IJus.sett she threw down to protect get'ea /rug; haclg,ounrl tnusirianst Jacksons: An American h., floor from kids who Ange/a IJas.setr .s urroan rlerl lty fier Dream, Mrs. I(atherine loved dancing to TV dtilrlrzr: [,,uurenr.-e-LIi/ton the triple Jackson, matriarch of the .Iatgbs g nrl Ange/a f)assetr; bunk bed in the boys' bed- clan, progenitor of the Jerrnaine.Iatksonund ltis son. room that harboredfive

Dream, emergesfrom son Jermaine'strailer "to brothers and a thousand dreams. . Moving watch the children dance." . Entering the ware- slowlS with the limp retainedfrom a childhood house,the stout woman with long red nails and bout with polio, I(atherine bypassesa director's a purple Lakers cap circumvents a relic so far chair with her name on it and, finding no room removed from her life it might never have exist- on the crowded set,joins a claqueof stagemoth- ed: Rising on the soundstage, entangled in ers peeringthrough afake picturewindow into moviemaking equipment,is the re-createdhouse her past. . Beyondthe hunchedshoulders of the from 2300 Jackson Street, Gary,Indiana. Two cameracrew are the children, dancing in the liv-

z bedrooms, one bath. Five hundred dollars ing room.The yearrs 1957,and Joseph Jackson

76.US OCTOBER 1992 PHOTOGRAPHS BY TON RAGEL o T H s

(played by Lawrence-Hilton has roused them from their world of riches and superstardom beyond even their own Jacobs) 'lfhile sleepto perform for his friends. Sfatching in a nightgown, cradling wildest dreams. not entirely ignoring the turmoil that infant Marlon, is Angeia Bassett,the actressportraying I(atherine. accompanied their success,the miniseries would culminate "He always did that," sighsthe sixty-two-year-old grandmoth- with the launching of 1,984'sVictory Tour - the last time they er in the soft, trademark voice of the family. "Pull the kids out o{ performed together as a family and before, as Maldonado bed at all times of night to dance." The mothers of the mostly admits wryly, "things get really crazy." unknown children crane to hear this oracle of stage-mothering. But, despite having published an autobiography, Katherine Michael Peters,choreographer of 's "Beat It" was reluctant, insisting "nobody's interestedin my story." and "Thriller" videos - and of all the dance sequencesin the "'!7e should do something as a family," implored Maldonado miniseries- brings her a chair. (by now her daughter-in-law),"to setthe record straight." Sheand "No," she says,nodding at the others,"they can't see." Jermaine went ahead and formed a production company (Kath- " We can see," they respond in unison. erineJacksonFilms) to keep "it in the family's control." Then they put together a crack team of miniseriesspecialists, beginning with executive producer Stan Margulies dancersat that age." (Roo/s, The Tborn Birdsl, director "Yesterday,"says Peters quietly, I(aren Arthur (Fall From Grace\ and "we were filming BosieThompson coexecutive producer Suzanne [thedance double for the nine-year- dePasse(Lonesome Doue). ln fact, it old who playsMichaell and Mrs. was dePassewho, as a twenty-one- Jacksonwas just sobbing.I said, year-old assistantto Motown's Berry 'Really takesyou back.'And she Gordy in 1.968, arranged the 'Not Jackson said, only that, but you cantell 5's audition and went on to manage how muchhe lovesit. Michaelloved their career,before becoming presi- it and that'swhat it takes."' dent of Motown Productrons. Although they finally received ITHATIT TOOKTO GETTHIRTY-NINE Katherine's blessing,the couple still years in the life of the world's most neededsomeone eise's approval - and successfulperforming family into a it wasn't Michael's. "My husband four-hour package for ABC (airing wasn't too ready to agree," admits on November 15 and 18) was, Mrs. Jackson, "becausehe had been according to coproducer and second thinking about doing it, too." wife of , Margaret That, coupled with the sticky prob- - Maldonado, a lot of pleadingwithin lem of how to depictJoseph Jackson the family's fractious ranks. The seed LaToya wasn't the only one to make was planted, she says, "when all accusationsagainst a man who had LaToya's nonsensecame out." fathered a child out of wedlock and As a way of coping with her daugh- almost been divorced by his wife on ter's tell-all book (which included 'l'rte * alle- exetutiae ro r/u(er, S az(t tttt ( more than one occasion made it gations of physical and emotional 7s seemlike a nearly impossible task. So abuse at the hands of her parents), rlePasse.lner //teJat|rous in I968. how did they persuadehim? "Well," Katherine Tacksonwould sit for hours sighsI(atherine, "we just told him that in front of the television set with Maldonado and talk about the we think it's time to do it. \ile finally talked him into sayingyes." early days of the family's life together. "Pretty soon, watching TV "People like to hear negativethings," says the woman who was of no interest," recalls Katherine Jackson, "and I started knows whereof shespeaks. "I hope this comesoff positive enough telling her things that I've never even told my own children." to let them know that all the lies they're hearing, especially Maldonado, who moved into the family's Encino estate with from my daughter [LaToya] and this qazy guy she's running Jermaine and the child she bore him (while he was still married around with [husband-managerJack Gordon], are not true." and having a third child with his wife) was "fascinated by the Iove story" of Joseph and Katherine Jackson and of their BEFORETHE CLEFT,THE CHIMP,THE HYPERBARIC CHAMBER AND A Horatio Alger-like pursuit of the American Dream. She kept wedding for Liz, there was a five-year-old boy standing alone in Katherine talking while reporting the details back to Jermaine. front of a PTA meeting in Gary, Indiana, singing for the first time "Finally, one day," recalls I(atherine, "she and Jermaine in public. The scenewas restagedhere just last week. 'Climb came in and said they were going to make a miniseriesabout "I was there," saysJermaine softly, "Michael sang my Iife and I thought, Oh, my God." Ev'ry Mountain.'That was our first time seeinghim really, real- From the outset, the budding producers were determined to ly sing.That was when I knew that he had it." keep Joseph and Katherine at the center of their story. They Until that day in L963, nine-year-old Jermaine Jackson was wanted to show how his fierce discipiine, coupled with her the lead singer of his father's still-unnamed band. From then on, unyielding love (and a littlehelp from the kids'talent), enabled he stepped back into his brother's shadow, emerging later in the family to rise from its lower-middle-class background to a futile attempts at a solo career (usually orchestrated by his then

78.US OCTOBER 1992 o N T H E s E T

father-in-law, Berry Gordy) and finally departing the band alto- Betty Shabazz,widow of Malcolm X, in Spike Lee's movie on gether, leaving the family, it's been said, with a broken heart. the siain leader. Jacksons director Karen Arthur, aware of her The unspoken irony (around here anylvay) that Jermaine, of all star's discomfort, gently coaxed her through a difficult scenein the brothers, is the force behind just this production; is another rwisr which Katherine arrives home lugging bags full of Salvation in the relentlessly strange saga of the Jacksons. Only last year he Army clothes only to meer Joseph in the driveway with a van releaseda song denouncing .,Word Michael, enritled to the Badd.,, full of musical equipment - and a depletedsavings accounr. rVhen questioned about the degreeof Michael,s involvement, \fhen they finished,Bassert allowed herselfa peek acrossthe like everyoneelse, is ..He,s Jermaine, evasive. been very cooper- streetand saw Mrs. Jacksonin tears."I caught hir eye," recalls ative and when we're 'It finished, we,re gonna throw a big party at Bassett."She said, was good.' That calmed me down.,, his place. The champagne," ..is he adds rather unconvinclngly, "It's kind of funny, but we didn't talk anything about ir,', says going to be flowing." Jacobs of his time with Joseph on the set. The thirty-nine-year- Eliason, the seasoned Joyce docudramatist, has traversed this oid, who skyrocketed to sitcom stardom in the Seventresas one emotional minefield before. 'Welcome Among the many based-on-fact ol the Bacl<,Kotter Sweathogs, has maintained a miniseries she's authored was the "respectful" though distant relation- high-rated Eluis and Me; in other ship with the elder Jackson over rhe words, she's adept at writing a script years. "I asked him if he was lnterest- pleasing to a public who knows. ed in seeingthe dailies,"says rhe Beginning with Mrs. Jackson, Elia- actor. "He just looked at me real son interviewed most of the family 'Hey, straight, asJoe can do, and said, members."Joseph didn't really want to man, I already lived this stuff. \Vhat talk to me," admits Eliason, so he an- do I need to seeit for?"' swered questions submitted in writing. In the miniseries,Joseph is seen LaToya wasn't approached, nor was beating his children with a belt and because,claims Janet Eliason,she's too showing them virtually no affection. young to remember the time covered. Pretty rough stuff, though nowhere Michael, however, granted a four-hour near as terrible as the kinds of abuse interview. "I was obviously nervous,,' alleged by LaToya and some of the recallsEliason, "but he pur me right at unauthorized books about the family. ease.He was charming and sweet." "I hope this doesn't come across Eliason's script steersclear of sensi- misunderstood," says Maldonado. tive areas like Michael's well-docu- "Ve're portraying Joseph as very mented peculiarities and the issues strict becausehe was very strict. But raisedin LaToya's book. Instead,it's it wasn'r an abusivestrict. lt's jusr an almost benign rags-to-riches story that he had a vision and he knew of a family held together by a strong how to make rt happen.Living mother and a driven father, a father where he was living, he had to act who, at worst, physically reprimand- and treat his kids a cerrain way." ed the kids and got caught cheating Casting the miniseries became a on his wife - more than once. Jermaine .lr. gets a fea tips Jron Holiywood nightmare for Jaki Brown, "Thereare things th.at.I maybe /tis.famoUs futher belwer:n s(enes. who, despitehaving cast Boyz'N The would've liked pur to in," admits Hood andJuice,couldn't possiblyhave Eliason,when questioned about constraintsthe family might have been prepared for the logistics of finding three differenr age groups put on her. "But people have their privacy. I don't want to hurt of Jacksonkids who could sing, dance,ac andlook like siblings. anybody, that isn't what this is about. It,s not mean-soirited.It's "I started in January and I'm just finishing now,', confessesa about peoplestlives, and you have to treat them with resDect.'. weary-looking Brown in May. The real Michael had to approve the actors who would play him by viewing their audition tapes. AND KATHERINE JOE JACKSONARRIVED IN PITTSBURGHONE WEEK For the youngest two, Alex Burrall (Michael, age six to eight) into production, striking, well, at the very least,nervousness into and Jason \Teaver (Michael, age thirteen to fourteen), word the hearts just of not a few people on the set. didn't come from the Neverland Ranch until a day-and-a-half "Jermaine kept telling me everyday," recalls a still worked-up before production started - relayed via a phone call from Jacobs, "'THEv'RE coMIN'! THEv'REcoMrN'! THEv'REcoMIN'!", Jackson's attorneys. Suzanne Burrall, Alex's mom, cut short a But the actor, who's known the family for years and even camping trip to get her son to Pittsburgh on time. But she,snot worked as a session musician for Joseph once, was determined complaining: "It was like living in a dream to have someone of not to let it interfere with his work, that magnitude looking at my little boy on a home video.,, Angela Bassett, ..I on the other hand, was petrified. couldn't An on-the-set visit by the self-proclaimed "King of pop,' has look at her," shudders ..I the actresswho had never met her ana- been ruled out. Admits a disappointed Margulies, thought Iogue. "But from my peripheral I could seeher in her purple out- knowing how much Michael loves children that he would be fit acrossthe street." Bassetthas been through this situation invoived in the casting or training of the children, but his sched- before, having recently played the very much alive-and-watching uie doesnot permit it. " Rumors about visitsto the sethad the local

80.us ocToBER1992 papers checking in almost daily but to no avail. "The kids reaily "If I had to live my life over again," Mrs. Jacksonmuses, "I deserveit, they've worked so hard," sighsMrs. Burrall. "Aiex tells don't think I'd change it very much. I really appreciate the days JermaineJr. everydayhow lucky he is to be Michael's nephew." that I had back then. It makesme appreciatewhat I have now." "I don't talk to my uncle," says fifteen-year-old Jermaine "My favorite part in the story is beforewe becomepopular," - JacksonJr. when askedif he receivedany advicefrom Michael. saysJermaine. "\fhen we were practicing when we were just He then adds, in the soft voice of the family, "That much." a local group trying to make it." tX/hen asked if he'd do it all over again, he thinks a moment "tt's Not ASBIc ASA T\flo-cARGARAGE!" before answering. "Yeah, but there are certain things I'd proba- "Yesit is.it's about thar large." bly hold on to, like being able to go to the high school prom. I've "No, mother, I was just there." never been to the high school prom or to high school parties." "It is, Jermaine." "You can't park two cars in there,I'rn telling you." MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT, IN THE \(/AREHOUSF, THE [-AST SCENE OF "Yes you can." the day is being shot. In it, Katherine receivesa phone call from "No, no, no, mother. Imagine this! Shedon't remember!" Joseph,who is on the road with the boys. He tells her that every- In the posh trailer provided by ABC, with its queen-sizebed thing they've been struggling for is abolrt to be realized - they and kitchenette,Jermaine teases his mother about the sizeof a have an audition in the morning at Motown. house that for the first time in years doesr-r'tseern so far away. The Jacksons- Jermaine, Margaret, Jermaine Jr. and Listening quietly are and Margaret. \Tithin arm's Katherine - departed the set hours ago. Only a skeleton cr:ew JermaineJr. 'Sfitness reachof Mrs. Jackson,as always,is herJehovah's Bible. remains for what is supposedto be a simple shot of Bassetton the On a counter is an ar-rtobiogr:aphyof Sammy Davis Jr. phone in the kitchen, your-rgJar.ret in her arms and Rebbie and As the conversationmeanders from whether or not the house LaToya watching in their pajamas.It is a summernight in 1969. should be relocatedto the parents'estatein Encino (l(atherine: \)fith the director's call of "Actior-r!" Kather:inehears Joseph's "That wor-rldcost a lot of money." Jermaine:"Just put it on a news and sits down clutching the telephone.The stagedirections big, wide truck.") to whether the boys fought in school instruct her to closeher eyesand say, "The boys are gonna aucli- (I(atl-rerine:"Tl-ris is the first I've heard of it." Jer:rnaine:"The tion for Motown." Shedoes. and secondslater. to the crew'ssur- brothers want it in the rnovie becauseit shows that they're prise,tears stream down her face. r tough." I(atherine:"\Well, I don't."), the wall of privacy so care- 'Saturday fully constructedby the family finally beginsto crack. Tom O'Ncill's lastarticlc for'US' wds otr Night I.it'c. Preuentthe7rryaftef, preserT)ethemood,

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