The Dream Continues...
I get home one evening to find a message on my answering machine. "Hello, this is James Bailey."
Hmm, ok?
"I have a blues band here in Phoenix called the Loose Cannon Blues Band. I saw your flyer for the King of Pop Fanatics. Not sure if you like the blus but I thought you might be interested in knowing that Michael Jackson's Uncle, Luther Jackson, happens to be our lead singer."
Whoa, excuse me?
Who knew what a simple flyer could do! From there everything just fell into place. Turns out that in just a months time from that phone call, James Bailey along with Mr. Tito Jackson (!) was planning a tribute for Luther to be held in Phoenix in June of 2001. Of course, I had to jump on this opportunity right away. It's not everyday that a Jackson shows up in your city! I contacted them right away to see if they were in need of any volunteers.
Finally, it was time to go. We quickly got everything together and were off to Alcatraz! Luckily we got there early, around 7:30, and were able to meet Mr. Bailey and the band before the show. It was so easy picking out Luther, spitting image of Joe (or is it the other way around? lol). Anyhow, there was no mistaking, they were brothers! Thankfully, I had a little while to relax and get myself together for the interview. Kelly had brought
a tape recorder, this being my first interview, and since I was so nervous, there was no way I could remember his answers!
Mr. Jackson arrived thirty minutes later. He introduced himself and we went off to begin the interview...
A few weeks later we were out in groups posting flyers around Phoenix promoting the event. Tito was to come into town the day before, which was Friday, June 22nd. There was a CD release party in which the band would be performing at a local bar/restaurant called, "Alcatraz", while the tribute was to be held the following day-Saturday, June 23, 2001. I was calling everyone that could come down to Phoenix for the event. Turns out one of my friends, Kelly, was visiting Lake Havesue for the summer which is about three hours West of Phoenix. Unfortunately, she didn't have a way to get here. ROAD TRIP! No problem, MJ fans to the rescue! lol! Friday morning, myself along with two other fans, Katie & Ben, left to pick her up. It was a beautiful drive, besides the air-conditioning breaking down at noon when it hit 110 degrees! Not good! lol! Anyway, we made it back to Phoenix just in time. :-)
Kelly had suggested, "Why not interview Tito for the club?" Huh? Interview? Hmm, not a bad idea(thanks Kell!)! I quickly put in a call to Mr. Bailey who in turn forwarded my request to Tito's publicist. After a few short phone cals everything was set. I was to interview Mr. Jackson that evening promptly at 8 PM. AHHHH! Okay, this would be my first ever interview and for it to be a Jackson?!? Geez, I wish I had been able to practice a little! It was now 3 PM, not only did I have to scramble to prepare some questions for the interview, I still had to work that evening until 7 PM! Boy, was I nervous! I don't know how I worked that evening, I was soo excited! I would be meeting an original member of the Jackson 5!! I grew up listening to this music. I can still remember that day when I got my first Jackson 5 record. WOW!
(Sitting in on the interview: myself, Mr. Jackson, and his publicist, Phoenix.)
Rebecca Reza:First, on behalf of the King of Pop Fanatics, I would like to thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit and talk with us this afternoon. The fans were thrilled to hear of another Jackson's record is in the works. Can we expect something similar to the blues on this album?
Tito Jackson:No, that's totally different, something that I see as a musical hobby, aside from the Jackson's.
RR:Any plans for a tour?
TJ: Nothing is scheduled, a bit premature to say anything at this time. All of our energy is directed at Michael's Tribute show right now.
RR:Will 3T be performing with the family in September?
TJ: We're working on that at the moment.
RR:A few years ago you had mentioned on the Fox Family Special: the Jackson's, 3T possibly opening for the Jackson's?
TJ: Definitely not out of mind, always a possibility but not scheduled.
RR:We understand 3T has been working hard on their new album for sometime now. Any news you could share with us on that?
TJ: Yes, 3T's new album will hopefully be out later this year, early next year.
RR:Living in the USA it's hard a lot of the time because it's seems as though the USA is left out as far as tours go. 3T started out in Europe, do they plan on touring in the USA this time around?
TJ: For 3T in the USA what we're going to do is release their record in Europe, service those markets, promote and build them up and from there we'll service the USA. We'll see how everything works out. We will be doing promotional tours here for sure though.
RR:Going back to the Jackson's album, am I correct in saying that Michael is definitely confirmed on this project?
TJ: That's the plan.
Phoenix: A lot of people assume that Michael left the Jackson's just because they stopped performing together. In actuality, the Jackson's and Michael never broke up. Michael is still part of the Jackson's, the family is always going to remain a family, so MIchael never left.
RR:Speaking of the family, what was like seeing JAnet honored on MTV's Icon back in March of this year?
TJ: It was an honor seeing Janet reach the height in her career that she's reached and being honored for them. It was great being a part of that show, and I think it will be one of those shows that will always be looked back on as one of the highlights of her career, especially because it showed her not only as an entertainer but as an Icon. It showed her work all the way from her childhood, including her acting, up until now.
Phoenix: On behalf of Tito and the Jackson's, thank you very much! They love this, always continue supporting the family. This is one of the highest points in their career. They really enjoy meeting fans like you, and sharing their history with you. Thank you very much!
TJ: Thank you so much!
I had never been to a blues concert before so I was quite anxious. WOW! What a show! The music was FANTASTIC! Although it was a small restaurant/bar everyone in the place was getting into it. It was really wonderful! You could almost envision (back in Gary, Indiana), Luther and Joseph with the Falcons playing in their living room, and the boys dancing in front of them.
They played for about 2 hours. It was getting pretty late it seemed as though the show was ending. A lot of Joseph's side of the family was there sitting with Tito enjoying the music. Luther then asked Tito to join him up on stage. AHHH! He quickly obliged and they went into a whole medley of tunes. Wow!
Now, not many people know but Tito has a blues band with some friends called the "Beer Belly Blues Band". It's just a hobby (as he said) but they were all there so they got up and joined him. Both bands were incredible! Tito even surprised us! "Since I got family here I guess I have to do this. Just want to apologize since Mike is not here to do the vocals....here you go" AHH! He broke out into a whole Jacksons/J5 medley! It was AMAZING! To think there I was in a room with oh I'd say about 30 people listening to Tito play the Heartbreak hotel/ABC/Dancing Machine, and in just 3 months time he would be playing those same songs with Michael in front of over 100,000 fans! AHHHH!!! Even Phoenix joined in on the action! I found out later Phoenix used to impersonate Michael. hee,hee Not bad! Tito and the band ended up playing about 45 minutes worth of Jacksons/J5 medleys. Really, truly and amazing experience! This first event hadn't really been promoted, it was a CD release party for Luther's band, however the big show was to be the following evening. Since that was the case, more then 90% of the audience were family members. Honestly, my friend Kelly and I were the only real fans there. The restaurant even stayed open longer to hear them play. =) It was an amazing night, one I'll never forget!
The following night was the Tribute. It was really nice seeing them honor Luther, even Katherine came down for the event! Unfortunately, I didn't get to talk to her, there were so many people around her. I made a banner for the Jackson's which read, "The Jackson's: The Dream Continues..." I had explained it to Phoenix and Tito the night before, so I was sure to bring it the following night. They both loved it! Although I didn't get to see Tito's reaction to the banner, he did sign it, "Many Thanks! Tito Jackson, Love Always!" Awwww! hmm, now I'm not sure if I should keep it on my wall or bring it to upcoming events....now that it's signed and all. hee,hee ANYWAY, the family saw it which was the idea. I had even added logos for each musical group/person in the family. Michael, Janet, Jackson 5, and 3T. The second night's show only lasted 2 hours. They had another band performing after them so they were a bit rushed. =( Overall it was another great performance! At one point I went out to dance, and ended up dancing right in front of Katherine!! AHHH! lol Tito even saw me, and winked. hee,hee :-)
After the show they quickly dispersed. Poor Katherine nearly got mobbed. They announced, "We even have Mrs. Katherine Jackson! Mother of Michael Jackson in the house!". Um...why did they announce it like that? lol! Poor lady was nearly mobbed after the show. Now this was a 21 and over only show...most of the audience were in their late 20s, early 30s! I wanted to talk to her but figured it was better to leave it until next time. Overall, the event was a truly amazing experience. Yet another unforgettable night!
On behalf of myself, and the King of Pop Fanatics Fan Groups I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Tito Jackson, and his publicist, Phoenix for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with a lone fan like myself. See you in September! ;-)Also, to Mr. Luther Jackson, who along with his brother Joseph began the dream of the Jacksons. Last but definitely not least, to Mr. James Bailey, without which none of this would have ever happened. Thank you so much! It meant the world to me!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Reza
Co-Assitant to the King of Pop Fanatics
United States Fan Groups
Email me!
|
LINKS
|
