I met Michael Jackson once, in 1982, while working on the music video for "Billie Jean." He was quite personable, and incredibly nice to everyone on set. But the thing that impressed me most about him was this: he was a professional. Every move he made was intentional. He demanded perfection, but was never cocky or arrogant. He listened to others, but all the moves were 100 percent Michael. At the time, Michael was already a legend. From the 11 year-old boy belting out songs on The Ed Sullivan Show to the disco smash hit "Rock with You," Michael's voice and image were known world-wide. However, his image was about to change, both literally and figuratively.
Michael Jackson was one of the greats, an icon of the highest order whose talent and legacy remain indelibly etched in the memories of his fans. In a fitting tribute to his extraordinary, influential work, The Michael Jackson Treasureswill showcase 180 images and 15 to 20 items of removable memorabilia to offer fans a hands-on exploration of his day-to-day struggles and triumphs. The text will trace the evolution of his career from The Jackson 5 all the way through his early solo work, to the runaway success of Thriller, his legal troubles, and the outpouring of support and memories from fans and friends after his death. With an elegant, eye-catching foil cover treatment and vellum envelopes to house the removable items, the complete package will become a celebration of Michael Jackson's complicated, fascinating life.
MARILYN MONROE – DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES – ELVIS PRESLEY – JOHN F. KENNEDY – MICHAEL JACKSON These five deaths stopped the whole world in its tracks, and continue to fascinate and intrigue to this day. If people famously remember where they were when JFK was assassinated, many also recall where they were and what they were doing when Elvis, Princess Diana and Michael Jackson died. As for Marilyn Monroe, the candle flickered out long ago, but only now can the truth be told about how – and why – she died. After combing through thousands of recently declassified FBI files, interviewing key witnesses, crime analysts and forensic experts during years of research, investigative writer David Gardner has unearthed new information that will transform the way we look at these iconic tragedies. His book reveals that Elvis Presley died not as a self-obsessed caricature but as a genuine hero who may have signed his death warrant going undercover for the FBI; how Marilyn Monroe’s secret affairs with JFK and his brother, Robert, left her in the crosshairs of a lethal conspiracy; why Princess Diana’s death was no accident; who ordered President John F. Kennedy’s assassination; and the shocking truth about Michael Jackson’s prescription drug addiction and those who sought to gain from it. For the first time, Legends provides many of the answers that have been so elusive for so long, while explaining what it was about these enduring legends that made them so memorable.
The definitive biography of Michael Jackson, a “vivid…gripping...authoritative account of a world-changing force of nature” (Rolling Stone), celebrating the King of Pop’s legendary contributions to music, dance, and popular culture. From the moment in 1965 when he first stepped on stage—at age seven—in Gary, Indiana, Michael Jackson was destined to become the undisputed King of Pop. In a career spanning four decades, Jackson became a global icon, selling over four hundred million albums, earning thirteen Grammy awards, and spinning dance moves that captivated the world. Songs like “Billie Jean” and “Black and White” altered our national discussion of race and equality, and Jackson’s signature aesthetic, from the single white glove to the moonwalk, defined a generation. Despite publicized scandals and controversy, Jackson’s ultimate legacy will always be his music. In an account that “reminds us why Michael Jackson was, indeed, a ‘genius’ entertainer” (New York Newsday), Rolling Stone contributing editor Steve Knopper delves deeply into Jackson’s music and talent. From the artist’s early days with the Jackson 5, to his stratospheric success as a solo artist, to “Beat It” and “Thriller,” “Bad” and “The Man in the Mirror,” to his volatile final years, his attempted comeback, and untimely death, Knopper draws on his “critical and reportorial savvy in assessing Jackson’s creative peaks and valleys,” (USA TODAY) exploring the beguiling and often contradictory forces that fueled Michael Jackson’s genius. Drawing on an amazing four hundred interviews—ranging from Jackson’s relatives, friends, and key record executives to celebrities like will.i.am and Weird Al Yankovic—this critical biography puts his career into perspective and celebrates his triumph in art and music. This is “a thoughtful look at an artist who grew up in a segregated mill town and who, for the rest of his life, made music to bring down walls” (Chicago Tribune).
A compellingly candid memoir that details Jackson's life in seclusion, by the bodyguards who were with him in his final days - with a new introduction to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Michael Jackson's death . Hounded by the tabloid media, driven from his self-made sanctuary, Neverland, Michael Jackson spent his final years moving from city to city, living with his three children in virtual seclusion -- a futile attempt to escape a world that wouldn't leave him alone. During that time, two men served as the singer's personal security team: Bill Whitfield, a former cop and veteran of the security profession, and Javon Beard, a brash, untested rookie, both single fathers themselves. Stationed at his side nearly 24/7, their job was to see and hear everything that transpired, and to keep everyone else out, making them the only two men who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to know: What really happened to the King of Pop? Driven by a desire to show the world who Michael Jackson truly was, Whitfield and Beard have produced the only definitive, first-person account of Michael Jackson's last years: the extreme measures necessary to protect Jackson and his family, the financial struggles that led their pay to be suspended for weeks at a time, the simple moments of happiness they managed to share in a time of great stress, the special relationship Jackson shared with his fans, and the tragic events that culminated in the singer's ill-fated comeback, This Is It. The truth is far more captivating than anything you've yet heard. An indispensable piece of pop-culture history, Remember the Time is the story of a man struggling to live a normal life under extraordinary circumstances, of a father fighting to protect and provide for his children. Remember the Time is the book that dismantles the tabloid myths once and for all to give Michael Jackson back his humanity.
Written by a true fan, this internationally bestselling book chronicles Michael Jackson's interviews with such major talk show hosts and leading magazines as Oprah Winfrey, Dianne Sawyer Barbara Walters, "USA Today," and "Vibe Magazine." Includes lists of his songs, lyrics, and films. 16-page color insert.
The first and only guide to diagnosing and dealing with the hidden or covert factors that can ruin even the most meticulously planned change processes. Organizational change initiatives often fail because they focus exclusively on the rational, overt aspects of change, overlooking the powerful role played by concealed or irrational factors. It’s well known that these covert processes—such as hidden agendas, blind spots, office politics, tacit assumptions, secret hopes, wishes and fears—frequently sabotage change efforts, but up until now nobody has offered a rigorous, consistent way of identifying and dealing with them. Drawing on over thirty years of experience as an organizational change consultant to global corporations and government agencies, Robert J. Marshak shows precisely how to bring these hidden processes to light and deal with their negative impact. Marshak identifies five different dimensions of covert processes, presents an integrated model to explain the ultimate source of all of them, and shows how to diagnose whether any covert processes might be at work in your organization. He then offers specific tools and techniques for engaging and managing these “under-the-table” processes and for creating the kind of organizational environment in which such hidden dynamics are unable to flourish. Covert Processes at Work is a comprehensive and practical guide that managers, leaders, and consultants can use to deal with the hidden dynamics that are often at the root of many organizational problems. “Adding these tools…will take both your practice and your clients to a whole new level of capability and impact.” —Karen Boylston, PhD, Managing Director, Duke Corporate Education
Taraborrelli is known for capturing and penning the untold stories of icons such as the Hiltons, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross and the Kennedys and has written a page-turning biography of an extremely talented, sometimes troubled, always fascinating man: the one and only Frank Sinatra. In 1997, Taraborrelli's bestselling Sinatra: Behind the Legend captivated audiences with a never-before seen look at the life of an icon through six years of research and over 425 interviews with associates, friends and lovers. Now, Taraborrelli is back with a completely new and updated lens. Fans of Sinatra--old and new--will be able to delve into the private life and controversy of a musician whose career spans decades. From show business, struggles with depression, his many romances and attaining the American dream, Sinatra's story delivers a captivating and humanizing portrait of the legend for a new age.
