The MJCast - A Michael Jackson Podcast

Jeff Margolis joins Jamon Bull for a powerful, deep-dive interview about Margolis’ incredible career in television, and his work with The King of Pop.Margolis is one of the most successful live TV event directors of all time, having worked on the Oscars, the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the American Music Awards. He has created TV specials with the likes of Cher, Julie Andrews, Dolly Parton, Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rogers and Richard Pryor; made movies with Ringo Starr and Quincy Jones; directed a music video for Whitney Houston. The roster of talent across his many TV projects has also included Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Gene Kelly, Smokey Robinson, Elton John, Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie, Prince, and many, many more.Margolis’ career led him to cross paths with Michael Jackson numerous times. In 1989, he directed Sammy Davis Jr’s “60th Anniversary Special”, where Michael performed a specially written tribute song called “You Were There”. In 1993, Jeff directed the 20th annual American Music Awards, where Michael performed “Dangerous” for the first time, and won the inaugural International Artist Award, which was thereafter given annually in Michael’s name. In 1995, Margolis signed on as the director of Michael’s ill-fated “One Night Only” HBO special, which fell apart after Michael collapsed in rehearsals. Two years later, he directed “Happy Birthday Elizabeth” at the Pantages Theatre, where Michael once again performed a specially written song, “Elizabeth, I Love You”, at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.Michael and Margolis would collaborate again in 2001 for the hastily assembled United We Stand concert, organized within weeks to raise funds for the victims of the 9/11 terror attack in New York. Michael headlined the show, performing “Man in the Mirror” and assembling a glittering line-up for the only time “What More Can I Give” was performed in front of an audience. It would be the last time Michael Jackson ever performed for a stadium audience.Margolis’ autobiography “We’re Live in 5: My Extraordinary Life in Television” has recently been released, and features many brilliantly told stories, with an entire chapter dedicated to Jeff’s wor...

In 2019, a bomb exploded in the Michael Jackson world, when British TV director Dan Reed premiered a four-hour TV series about Wade Robson and James Safechuck – two men demanding millions of dollars from Michael Jackson’s posthumous estate as compensation for alleged childhood sexual abuse. A co-production between Britain’s Channel 4 and America’s HBO, the show generated months of scandalous, sensational and extraordinarily biased media coverage, much of it demanding the all-out cancellation of Michael Jackson.For a while, that looked like a possibility – but ultimately, Jackson weathered the storm. His music streams went up instead of down. A Michael Jackson musical debuted on Broadway, won a string of awards and has become one of the highest grossing shows in New York theatre history. Its London transfer has just been nominated for three prestigious Olivier awards. New versions have now opened in Germany and Sydney. Meanwhile, Lionsgate has invested $150m in the most expensive Hollywood biopic of all time, Michael.But six years later, Reed has re-emerged with a 49-minute sequel, subtitled Surviving Michael Jackson and focusing on Robson and Safechuck’s ongoing legal efforts to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Jackson’s estate. It premiered this week to substantially less fanfare than its predecessor and extremely poor viewing figures.In this roundtable episode, a panel of experts react to the latest episode of Leaving Neverland and consider what it means for Michael Jackson’s legacy.This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.Participants• Charles Thomson – An award-winning crime reporter who has spent years investigating the Michael Jackson allegations, appearing in various books and documentaries.• Taj Jackson – Michael Jackson’s nephew and the Jackson family’s loudest voice against Leaving Neverland and the allegations it documents.• Anika Kotecha – A lawyer and co-founder of campaign group MJInnocent – which challenges biased and i...

Brad Sundberg joins Elise Capron and Paul Black for an episode packed with listener-submitted questions, as well as a discussion around Brad’s exciting upcoming seminar events, including his tour through Australia and New Zealand. Brad worked with Michael Jackson as one of his engineers and his Technical Director for nearly 18 years, starting with Captain EO in 1985. He worked on the BAD, Dangerous, HIStory, and Blood On The Dance Floor albums, and was also responsible for nearly all the music and video systems installed in every corner of the Neverland Valley Ranch property. For more than a decade, Brad has been running In the Studio with MJ, immersive seminars which take place around the world, and which give fan insights into working with The King of Pop in the studio.For this conversation, The MJCast gave listeners a chance to submit questions to this key MJ collaborator. Brad addresses topics across the board, from details about MJ’s creative process and time in the studio, to Brad’s thoughts around Michael’s legacy, to how the seminars have evolved over the years, and what he has planned in the future.The MJCast wants to thank everyone who contributed questions — we wish we could have included each and every submission all in our chat!Questions1) Paul Black (Email) – It’s been 8 years since you were last in Australia with your seminars, can you tell us how the sessions have evolved, and what differences people can expect this time around?2) Samuel French (Twitter) – what keeps you motivated to keep going with the Seminars – they are a huge investment of your time for little financial return? … and will we ever see you and Brad Buxer in London? I will be there like a shot! Blessings to you3) Julia de Vreede (Facebook) – Can’t wait for ...

Jamon Bull, Charles Thomson, and Paul Black join forces to launch Season 11 of The MJCast. The fellas discuss Kingvention 2025, Brad Sundberg’s upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour, newly upscaled Michael Jackson short films, the recent troubles facing the biopic, and the impending sequel to 2019’s Leaving Neverland, “Surviving Michael Jackson”. Welcome to Season 11!This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.Discussion Topics• Kingvention has been announced for May 24th in London.• Brad Sundberg is coming to Australia.• Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall era short films, including Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, and She’s Out of My Life, have been upscaled and re-released on YouTube.• Following the Financial Times story on the latest extortion attempt against Michael Jackson, the biopic is experiencing production issues.• The sequel to Leaving Neverland, “Surviving Michael Jackson”, is due in March.Additional Links• Judy Garland’s “Get Happy” video.Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs of creating the show. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.• We also have an official merchandise shop.

Taj Jackson joins Elise Capron, Jamon Bull, Charles Thomson, and Charlie Carter to celebrate the holidays and reflect on this past year… Welcome to The MJCast’s tenth annual Christmas special!The gang discusses the year that was, from the very sad news of Tito Jackson’s passing in September, as well as the loss of such legends as Quincy Jones and Colin Chilvers, to Paris Jackson’s recent engagement. They also dig into the intriguing story around the uncovered tapes of unheard MJ tracks, and chat about newly released prints and artwork available from Michael Jackson collaborators, fantastic documentary footage of the Jackson 5, and updates on MJ: The Musical, Michael Jackson ONE, and the MJ biopic. Plus, Charles explains important legal updates around the Robson and Safechuck trial timeline, a verdict in the Jordan Neely case, and the report on the Estate taking five people to court over what was suggested as an extortion plot, with thread of abuse allegations. Lastly, Taj provides further updates on his docuseries project, and the team looks ahead to 2025.Special thanks to Taj Jackson for being a part of our annual Christmas Special for many years. It’s an honor to have this tradition with you.And, huge thanks to all of our listeners and MJFam around the world. We could not do this without you. Wishing you a happy 2025 to come!This episode was edited by Charlie Carter and Jamon Bull.Discussion Topics• The year that was…• Legendary guitarist of the Jackson 5, Tito Jackson, has passed away at age 70.• Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, is now engaged to Justin Long.• Unheard Michael Jackson tracks <a href="https://www.mjvibe.com/unheard-michael-jackson-tracks-found-but-estate-declines-...

Gregg Wright joins Jamon Bull and Shawn Shackelford for a fascinating interview about Gregg&#8217;s time working with the King of Pop, as guitarist on the Victory Tour.Gregg has been called &#8220;one of the most innovative guitarists of our time&#8221;. He began his professional career on the U.S. Southern circuit in the mid-1970s, and honed his craft with years of playing one-nighters across the Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, often opening shows for the big national touring acts of the day. An &#8217;80s move from Louisiana to Los Angeles saw Wright become a session man and &#8220;hired gun&#8221; touring guitarist. His reputation grew over the next decade doing albums and tours with Mick Fleetwood, Michael Jackson, and the Gap Band.In this interview, the guys chat with Gregg about his incredible career, how he came to be hired for the iconic Victory tour, and what it was like being a live music collaborator with Michael Jackson.This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.Additional Links• Gregg Wright&#8217;s Instagram and website.• Brice Najar&#8217;s interview with Gregg.• The Jacksons&#8217; Victory Tour live in Toronto (1984).Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.Connect with Us• TheMJCast.com• Facebook• <a href="http://www.instagram.

Mick Garris, renowned producer, director, screenwriter and novelist joins Paul Black for an in-depth interview about his amazing career, including his work with Michael Jackson.Garris began his journey with Michael Jackson when both he and his wife appeared as zombies in the “Thriller” short film. Years later, because of his work with Stephen King, Garris was pulled in to work on what became the “Ghosts” short film. He co-wrote the story with Jackson and King, and was the original director on the project, then under the title “Is This Scary”. He worked closely on set with Jackson for two weeks, though, later, Stan Winston would take over as director when the project was shelved due to the 1993 allegations levelled against Michael Jackson.Garris has long been an icon in the film industry, and particularly in the world of horror, having worked with Steven Spielberg on multiple projects, and achieving major success via his many collaborations with Stephen King, including directing the hugely popular series, “The Stand”, the TV adaptation of “The Shining”, and much more. He also directed “Critters 2”, “Psycho IV: The Beginning”, and co-wrote the screenplays for major feature films such as “Batteries Not Included”, “The Fly 2”, and “Hocus Pocus”. In 2005, he created the Showtime anthology series, “Masters of Horror”. Until last year, he also hosted the popular podcast, “Post Mortem”, which features interviews with major filmmakers and other creators.In this chat, Garris talks about his experiences on the sets of these two iconic short films, and gives insights into working with The King of Pop, as well as his memories of the friendship they developed.Wishing all our MJ Fam around the world a happy Thriller Night!Special thanks to Friend of the Show Adam Green for connecting us with Mick.This episode was edited by Paul Black and Jamon Bull.Additional Links• Mick Garris’s website, Instagram, and Twitter pages.• Mick’s “Post Mortem” podcast.

Jamon Bull welcomes renowned singer-songwriter Darryl Phinnessee to The MJCast for a discussion about his amazing career, including his many years working with The King of Pop.Darryl is a Grammy-winning singer, and one of the industry’s most in-demand session and touring vocalists. He has worked in the studio with Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston, and toured with Don Henley, Rod Stewart, Lionel Richie, and more. He also spent seven seasons on one of America’s most popular TV shows &#8211; Dancing With The Stars. And, he wrote the iconic theme song for one of the most successful sitcoms of all time: Frasier, which saw him nominated for an Emmy.In this interview, Jamon and Darryl dive deep into Darryl’s work with Michael Jackson, which spanned many years. He accompanied Michael on all three of his solo tours &#8211; Bad, Dangerous and HIStory &#8211; providing backing vocals but also joining Michael on center stage, with featured spots during “I’ll Be There” and “Black or White”.Being a fixture in Michael’s touring band meant he helped make history. He was on stage for Michael’s record-breaking HBO Pay-Per-View concert “Live In Bucharest 1992”, and for his game-changing 1993 Super Bowl performance.Darryl remained a go-to collaborator for Michael right up to the end of Jackson’s life. In 2009, Darryl was one of the few fixtures from previous tours to have been kept on for the planned This Is It residency in London.This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.Additional links• Darryl Phinnessee’s Facebook page.Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs of creating the show. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.• Learn all about the various ways you can support and engage with The MJCast through visiting our website.

Charles Thomson and Gratian Dimech team up for a discussion on major updates in the world of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family. This episode serves as a follow-up to #TheMJCast169. They talk about the heartbreaking news of Tito Jackson’s sudden passing, a revelation around the Estate’s legal action regarding the possible threat of new allegations, and the long-awaited release of &#8220;Faking Michael&#8221; by Damien Shields, an investigative true crime podcast which uncovers the full story of the fraudulent songs released after the death of Michael Jackson. Charles and Gratian then finish out the episode by talking about Janet Jackson’s problematic Guardian interview, and Charles&#8217; experience seeing Janet live in Paris last week with Jamon.This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.Discussion Topics• Tito Jackson has passed away at age 70. Our deepest condolences go out to Taj, Taryll and TJ, as well as the entire Jackson family.•  The Michael Jackson Estate engages law enforcement and files an arbitration claim in response to threats of new allegations.• Damien Shields&#8217; long-awaited investigative true crime podcast series, &#8220;Faking Michael&#8221;, has been released.• Janet Jackson has given a problematic Guardian interview and launched the European leg of her Together Again tour (which Charles and Jamon went to see together).Like this episode?• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs of creating the show. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

Jamon Bull welcomes back MJCast co-founder Q, along with frequent show guest Shawn Shackelford, MJ Radio’s Jason Garcia, and YouTuber Hannah Savage for a big fan chat around news and updates in the world of Michael Jackson. They discuss the announcement of a new docuseries and album for The Jacksons, MJ birthday celebrations in Vegas, recent “wins” by the Estate, including acquiring Steve Porcaro’s music rights, defeating Katherine Jackson in court, and a California judge ruling against Robson and Safechuck in allowing access to past court files, updates on Taj Jackson’s journey to defend his uncle’s legacy, recent and upcoming fan events, and much more. Lots of major news items happened in the days immediately following the recording of this episode. The MJCast will be releasing a follow-up episode soon to address new developments.This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.Discussion Topics• Linda Deutsch has passed away at age 80.• A new Jacksons docu-series and album are in the works.• Don’t stop till Kamala Harris is president.• Michael Jackson’s estate hosts a 66th birthday celebration, including an uninspiring Vegas event (with zero news on the biopic).• It’s over for Katherine Jackson vs The Estate.• IPSO <a href="https://www.mjvibe.