On TRUE and FAKE Michael Jackson’s friends
DATE: December 6, 2010
DEFENDANTS: The Cascio family in an interview with Oprah.
PROSECUTION: Savvy Michael Jackson “fans”.
Testimony of the Defendants:
Part 2 of the testimony:
CROSS-EXAMINATION by the Prosecution and Defense live from the fan courtroom:
So… they show a pic of the studio WITHOUT Michael actually in it… and their ONLY evidence is, “honestly, it’s Michael, you can hear it, no one can sing like him”.. Well, we already know that, that’s why the tracks are being questioned. Just look at their behaviour, it’s nervous and scared. I don’t believe them one bit, sorry. Money talks.
FAKE MUSIC & FAKE FAMILY, NO MORE TO SAY.
this doesn’t prove anything? :s. just another family trying to extort Michael in death.
and if you look at the family from right to left, see the man on the left (with glasses) doesn’t look very comfortable at all!
who would be comfortable in front of Oprah lol. The Cascios have never talked about MJ except during the trial when they were defending him on some kind of lawyers’ tv
they keep quiet about their friendship with mj but made millions off mj’s songs.
made millions? theres only 3 songs on the album that were made at their house and people are saying they fake and the album isnt even out yet so where you got millions from
Teddy Teddy Teddy..you know the truth..we know the truth..
Hes lying, look at his face!! hes fuckin lying, when he said “yep he recorded right there in my basment” look at his lying smiling face
3:57 (he recorded right there in my basement) his eyes glaze over slowly, just look closely at his eyes, for a split second his eyes show signs of him lying like he is thinking about somthing
(same comment as for the first part of the interview) So… they show a pic of the studio WITHOUT Michael actually in it… and their ONLY evidence is, “honestly, it’s Michael, you can hear it, no one can sing like him”.. Well, we already know that, that’s why the tracks are being questioned. Just look at their behaviour, it’s nervous and scared. I don’t believe them one bit, sorry. Money talks.
@greencookiemonsters totally agree. And now the delusional hoax believers will go crazy because Riley sai Michael LIVES he IS smiling… in heaven peeps. Also about none can to that scream, correct but it can be perfectly “copied and pasted” in any song. Almost forgetting, Epic Records doing a forensic a investigation to authenticate Michael’s vocal in those songs? Jesus! OF COURSE! who is the seller?? why in the hell they would say it’s a fraud? Get a life pees!
why wouldn’t Epic Records would push for a forensic investigation on Michael’s murder like they done on to authenticate his volcals on this album?
@cleide97 I think it’s weird Riley should say that no one can do a scream like Michael – they’ve copypasted all his ad libs in those songs, so it’s like he’s telling us it’s not really Michael. Yeah, those people all benefit from the sales of this album so of course they’re going to tell us it’s completely authentic.
I wonder how much money $ony spends in so many people, Oprah, Cascios, Teddy, Branca, and who knows who else… And it’s true, their behavior is weird, they are nervous lieing on TV.
They are making money from the Casio-produced songs so they have everything to gain from saying that the songs are authentic.
“It’s better to have some Michael rather than no Michael.” This is what they said. Tells all I need to know.
OMG, the hippo-crit! NOW she promotes Michael’s album? And how much did Sony pay her to get Eddie and Teddy to “dispel the rumours”? Yackkk!
@susiacik He’s lying. He can’t look her in the eye, he keeps looking at the floor. Shame on you, Teddy Riley. Selling out your “friend”!
Teddy copy/pasted MJ’s vocals here and there that doesn’t make it a Michael Jackson album!!! They are laying, low life SCUMBAGS!!!! I am disgusted.
I really could shoot this family..Fucking Lyers!
Teddy’s face is priceless, you can see from the plane he is lying. Cascio lies better. Teddy, WE life time mj fans know the truth, we dont care if you worked with MJ, bc we are the one who have listened his voice almost every day for more than 20 years, not you! And NO we dont hear the autenticity of MJ’s voice in those songs! and about the screams you are talking about, yes some of them belong to MJ because you put them there from the others old songs. Thnx for the other 7 100% real MJ songs
No Oprah you didn’t have to ask this boring stupid question again and again !! Michael was an innocent ! how mant times do peole have to tell you??? I believe she(oprah would like to hear a different answer but Oprah you won’t get one!) These people are traitors , they shouldn’t have come out with their stories , We know what Michael was like when he was alive , they didn’t say anything new regarding Mike, What we have here is MONEY TALK AGAIN AND AGAIN!! I wonder how much they got!!!
We the fans have always known about this “secret” family. During the 1993 allegations, Frank and Eddie travelled with him much to the amazement of the toxic media. Dominic told the press that he trusted Michael with his sons 100%. Frank even spoke out in Mike’s defence during the 2005 trial. Michael never forgot their loyalty and friendship and probably trusted them more than some members of his own family. So stop trashing people who were there for him during his darkest times. God bless them.
Lies irritate me.
Lies irritate me too. I was wrong, completely wrong when I said the Michael haters’ time was up – I definitely said it too soon. The haters have changed their colors, have painted themselves “fans” and are hissing at every corner at those who are willing to listen – it’s not him, it isn’t his voice, their behavior is suspicious, they are looking at the floor, no doubt it is fake, they are lying, money talks, we don’t believe them one bit….
AND I DON’T BELIEVE YOU ONE BIT, FAKE MICHAEL’S FANS.
Michael knew better who was a friend to him or who was not. We don’t need you to tell us who they are – the Cascios were always standing by Michael’s side at the worst time of his life, never sold their souls to the media to tell what was expected of them and never abandoned him until his last day on earth.
So how DARE you speak of them in such an outrageous manner now?
This family is telling us what Michael Jackson was really like – calling at their place in the middle of the night, freely wearing pajamas in their home, celebrating Christmases together, cleaning the house (the way he could), taking out garbage for the family, feeling there comfortable enough to fall asleep even in the basement studio, dancing and training there and even leaving his most precious with them – his children.
The family is telling us that Michael NEVER gave them a single chance to think he was someone they could not leave their small children with. Remember the glare the children gave to their father when he asked him if they ever saw anything bad – “Are you serious?”
And are you serious, guys, by finding fault with them for this and that now? Why do you shift all the attention to something you don’t like in the music – which was recorded not in the professional studio and which is nevertheless great and is clearly Michael’s judging by the lyrics in the first place?
Why not be just thankful to the family instead for the great friendship and support they offered to Michael? Isn’t it something for which we should all be bowing our heads to them? Especially if we remember that they always stood by Michael even at the expense of possible ridicule and gossip around their own children?
Isn’t their life-long friendship and staunch support for the man we respect, love and are trying to clear of all slander reason enough to believe them?
Cascios are the people Michael himself selected as friends and on whom he relied for many years of his life. So do we have any moral right to doubt anything these people are saying? Or isn’t vilifying them almost the same as vilifying Michael – because if you don’t believe his true friends WHOM ELSE can you believe then?
These “life-long” fans cited above?
Why are some people so terribly ready to believe those who allow themselves to pass their ignorant judgment on Cascios? What do we know about these “life-long fans” that makes us so gullible to their words? What valuable help did these guys render Michael which now gives their words more weight and priority over what the Cascios are saying? Independent of where the Cascios are looking during the interview – at the wall, ceiling or floor?
I agree – you have every right not to believe me (I did no good to Michael while he was alive) but not believing THE CASCIOS? If not the Cascios WHO ELSE CAN BE TRUSTED?
I’ll tell you what. Those who don’t believe Michael’s TRUE FRIENDS, don’t (and didn’t) believe HIM either.
So do you need any other proof to know WHO these sceptics really are?
* * *
Update from our reader DIALDANCER on Dec. 8, 2010:
I call these Fake Fans Uncover Haters. Many don’t hate they are just doing a job. Helena you are right they are evolving. As they lurk and sometimes blend in with us they learn and adapt. A couple I thought were loving Fans turned out to be something else.
3 times within the past 2 weeks “Fans” have posted information on negative programs or articles without providing the originating source.
One was meant for us to attack Gale and then Oprah for a comment not made, but claimed to have been heard on Gale’s radio show. The other is a petition over an article which none have been able to find. The third was over an article on some trumped up webpage copied, paste and with seriously edited content. (Each was checked by an Advocate and each was found to be false) Only one group went to the supposed offending site before checking.
The intent is to distract and derail us by having us made unprovoked attacks on others. This will allow the Media & TV Persons and the dissidents to report we are out of control and not rational and therefore should under no circumstances be listened to. A bunch of overly emotion people making up stories to “excuse” our Idol.
Forget that each person of the MJ Community is just an extension of our own society; we will be held to a higher standard. Our evidence will always have to be more factual then the Media stories, our arguments more rational then theirs in the hope of getting listened to.
There are powerful forces at work here folks. There are many of us who are active Advocates worldwide, if we are having this problem needing to address this many attacks can you imagine what it must have been like for Michael before, during and after the trial?
As for real Fans battling among one another over who is right and who is wrong, well it is a matter of personal perception of Michael, which of his words we took most to heart. Once we had Michael and he did all the talking and now we don’t. I think the family & friends are just as torn, confused and sometime jealous of the other. None had Michael every moment and I doubt that any had his total confidence in all matters.
ROGER FRIEDMAN said the following about the Cascios in 2005:
Friday, January 14, 2005
By Roger FriedmanThere was yet another leak from Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon’s office in the Michael Jackson case yesterday. The testimony given by the boy is about Jackson serving wine to minors in his wine cellar.
I can tell you now, through my exclusive sources, that this account will be refuted if it makes it to the stand. That’s because Sneddon takes on Jackson’s most ardent supporters and surrogate family, the Cascios of Franklin Lakes, N.J.
I’ve told you about the Cascios before. Dominic Cascio was a banquet manager at the Palace Hotel in New York when he met Jackson some 17 years ago. He was the married father of three, eventually four.
Jackson immediately embraced the Cascios, and vice versa. Sources tell me he appreciated their close-knit, loving family. Over the years Jackson has spent a lot of time at their house and reciprocated by taking them on trips.
The kids, three boys and a girl, have literally grown up at Jackson’s Neverland Valley Ranch. They have had free access to all rooms in the house, including Jackson’s fabled bedroom and bed, without incident.
The eldest child, Frank, who is now 24 and uses the nom de plume Tyson, has worked for Jackson in various capacities. He is cited as one of the unnamed, unindicted co-conspirators in the current case, accused, unofficially, of holding the California boy’s family “hostage.”
My sources laughed yesterday when they heard the story of Michael serving wine to Frank’s 15-year-old sister, 12-year-old brother and the accuser and his brother.
Here’s the problem as it’s been laid out for me. The Cascios, who operate two family restaurants in northern New Jersey, are Italian-American and have always let their kids have a sip of wine here and there. If they are called to testify in the case, they will explain that it’s in their culture.
Curiously, even though Sneddon leaked this information yesterday, he has not subpoenaed any of the Cascios, including Frank Tyson. And the Cascios, I am told, are furious that he involved their minor children in a publicity scheme to promote the prosecution’s case.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,144362,00.html:
And this is what ROGER FRIEDMAN said about the songs on October 10, 2010:
The Huffington PostOctober 10, 2010Even in death, Michael Jackson can’t catch a break.Sony and his estate are trying to put together an album of his unreleased materials. Their original plan was to get it out for Christmas and holiday sales. But they’re being thwarted at every turn.
A few months ago I was the first to report that Michael, unbeknownst to anyone, had recorded a bunch of songs in the summer of 2007.
This is what happened:
He’d turned up on the doorstep, literally, of his long time friends Dominic and Connie Cascio, in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. With him were his three kids, a tutor, and some pets. They’d escaped from an estate in northern Virginia, where Michael had sought refuge after a short stint in Las Vegas. He had no place else to go.
He wound up staying with the Cascios from August until November. And during that time, with nothing else to do, he listened to the couple’s son, Eddie, record with a singer named Bobby Ewing. Eddie’s brother, Frank, had helped write and produce the Ewing tracks. They asked: Why not erase the vocals and have Michael sing over them? Michael agreed. When it was done, Eddie Cascio put away the tapes. No one ever discussed it again.
Meantime, I reported that there were fewer known unreleased Michael Jackson tracks than anyone realized. Many conversations with Michael’s long time engineer Bruce Swedien resulted in this fact: this would be no Jimi Hendrix situation. So when the Cascio tracks were revealed, everyone should have been jumping for joy.
But not so happy are Michael’s nephews, the three sons of Tito Jackson. The Jacksons have always been wary of the Cascios: after all, Michael liked the relatively normal Italian-American family from New Jersey more than his own blood relatives. Tito’s kids — known as 3T — had recorded with Uncle Michael early in their career, but not in recent years. When the news broke, the 3Ts weren’t happy. Why hadn’t Uncle Michael left them a legacy like this?
In the last few weeks Sony has had to call in forensic audiologists to prove that the voice on the Cascio tracks is that of Michael Jackson. (The conclusion: it is.)
The 3Ts, I am told, along with co-executor John McClain, have claimed it’s a Jacko impersonator. It’s not about money. It’s about ego, and pride. Sony wants to include five of the Cascio songs right away on the new album. They made an agreement this year with the Michael Jackson estate that could be worth $200 million. In the end, Sony will get what it wants. The estate will make millions. And Michael’s nephews, and the rest of his biological family, will have to accept reality.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-friedman/michael-jacksons-new-albu_b_776333.html
Updated by Lynette Dec.8, 2010:
I think this is a perfect example of how personal the grieving process is to each person that feels a sense of loss. There are so many people involved in this grieving process and they will all grieve differently. Michael’s nephews are dealing with different aspects of the grieving process than his Mother, his children, his brothers and the Cascios; they all feel his loss differently. Grief is such a funny thing I think that the fans have to realize that even though Michael loved us he did not know us as individuals or we him, and we should respect the family and his closest friends to try to find their own way through their grief. We all feel his loss but it cannot compare to those that actually knew him. (for the full text see the comments)
Updated by VindicateMJ Dec. 8, 2010:
I absolutely agree. What was said by Roger Friedman about 3T may be reflecting only part of the problem – it is easy to judge somebody from the outside when it doesn’t affect you personally and when your emotions are not involved. The pain of the family is much deeper than any of us can imagine and this is why they take everything that’s going on with Michael’s legacy much closer to heart.
I think Taryll has every right to express his own opinion about the Cascio songs – Michael’s voice does sound slightly different in the Monster, for example. The reason for that we will probably never know – it may be the studio, or the song could only be half-finished so that some ‘effects’ had to be added to it – everything is probable here.
This is one of those situations when everyone can be right – both Cascios who had the draft of the song only and Taryll who says the end result is not genuine enough. However the lyrics of Monster prove to me that it was Michael who wrote the song and it is only the way it was ‘finished’ which may be disputed.
We will be extremely lucky if we hear Michael’s new songs polished by him to the point of perfection – we are no longer in a position to expect that now, alas. So Michael’s music legacy will undergo the same natural process as with all geniuses – first some finished pieces will be released, then half-finished will follow and then will come a time for fragments only each of which will be regarded as a precious gem. Look at how elated they are with new tiny fragments of Mozart and you’ll see what I mean.
It seems to me that fighting Michael’s songs – even half-finished ones – is like fighting the wind. It is not only useless but harmful too as it is a waste of time and energy which could be spent on Michael’s vindication instead. As to the Cascio songs I have no doubt that Michael did have a hand in them even in case they were drafts only and had to be ‘finished up’.
But the most essential thing is that all this music talk does NOT allow Michael’s fans to abuse and insult the people who proved themselves to be Michael’s true friends and who staunchly stood by him when he was going through the many years of lies, humiliation and trials.
TEDDY RILEY said on December 13, 2010:
Michael Jackson Producer: Controversial New Songs Underwent ‘More Processing’
By Zach Dionne Posted Dec 13th 2010 08:10AM
Just days before the first posthumous Michael Jackson album hits, controversy is still raging. A new UK Reuters interview with Teddy Riley, one of the “main producers” on ‘Michael,’ reveals that the vocal material culled for the album was far from finished.
“I had to do more processing to the voice, which is why people were asking about the authenticity,” Riley says. “We had to do what we had to do to make … his voice work with the actual music.”
The album is set for release Dec. 14. Of the batch of recordings used for ‘Michael,’ Riley, who worked with Jackson before his death, says MJ would “never consider it being a final vocal.”
“But because he’s not with us he cannot give us new vocals. What we did was utilize the Melodyne (technology) to get him in key,” Riley says. “With the Melodyne we actually move the stuff up, which is the reason why some of the vibrato sounds a little off or processed, over-processed. We truly apologize for that happening, but you are still hearing the true Michael Jackson.”
Riley worked on three of the ten songs on ‘Michael,’ including ‘Breaking News’ and the 50 Cent-featuring ‘Monster.’
Of the controversy and negative publicity, Riley targets the unhappy Jackson clan. “Some family members … didn’t totally get the last say so they kind of hate the project. So there you have it, a chain reaction, a domino effect that makes the credibility of ‘Michael’ go down.”
Indeed, Jackson’s brother Randy came out swinging on Twitter in mid-November, writing: “I became suspicious about the album, when I heard armed guards were involved since my brother’s passing, may he rest in peace. John McClain [executor of MJ's estate along with John Branca] insisted that no family members were allowed at his studio where the project was being completed. My first thought was, what are they trying to hide?”
Riley insists no matter how the songs sound, they are Michael, and he will stand by the first album since the King of Pop’s death. “I am here to protect that, because I know it’s him, I know it’s great material, I know that it needs to be out,” Riley says. “I know that the legacy needs to continue because he’s such a great person, and there’s more to come.”
The producer says he would “definitely” be a part of future Jackson albums if offered the opportunity. A reported $250 million deal between Sony and the executors of MJ’s estate looks to put out 10 albums by 2017.
Teddy Riley had more to say on December 14, 2010:
Teddy Riley Takes Shots At Quincy Jones: “Look At His Age, He Can Barely Hear You Talk. How The H*ll Could He Hear Michael?”
» by Jason Weintraub December 14, 2010, 14:30pm (click on the link to read the full story):
As the new Michael Jackson album hits shelves today more than a year after his death, drama continues to erupt as Teddy Riley is the latest to speak on the controversy.
While Will.I.Am, Katherine Jackson and Quincy Jones have all said that the album should of never been released, Teddy Riley said he fought hard to release it.
In an interview with the UK Guardian, Riley said,
“I’m confident Michael would have wanted his message out there, and that’s what counts. I fought against his family big time. The only reason I fought against them all and fought against the fans was to make them believe that this is Michael Jackson’s vocals.”
Riley also made sure to speak on the comments of Quincy Jones’ comments about the questionable voice that may or may not be Michael on the album.
“Look at his age. He can barely hear you talk. How the hell could he hear Michael? Anybody who says [it is not Jackson on the album], I do have a comeback, because you’re not right. That’s just the bottom line.”
You can join the debate and see for yourself whether or not it is Michael on the album by picking it up in stores today.
Collaborators Say New Michael Jackson Album Honors Legacy
December 10, 2010 Associated Press
Michael Jackson spent the last two years of his life plotting his musical comeback. Besides a spectacular, record-breaking concert series planned for London, he was also tapping the hottest producers and biggest names for an album he hoped would help restore the luster to his spectacular yet troubled career.
“He wanted to give the world a gift. He didn’t want the world to depend on ‘Thriller,’ or ‘Bad’ or ‘Off the Wall,’” said Theron “Neff-U” Feemster, one of the last producers to work with Jackson. “He wanted to give them something new and fresh, and something they could hold and remember forever.”
Jackson didn’t live to see his dream come to fruition, but with help from Feemster, the singer’s estate and several other collaborators, another Jackson album has been crafted for his fans.
“Michael,” to be released Tuesday, contains 10 songs, most of which Jackson was working on when he died in June 2009 at age 50. The tracks were at different stages of completion, but producers like longtime Jackson collaborator Teddy Riley, Grammy-winner Tricky Stewart and rocker Lenny Kravitz worked over the last year to put the finishing touches on an album they believe Jackson would have been proud to call his own.
“I know he stood behind it, so I’m cool with what I did,” said Kravitz. “I was proud to put it out and knew that he’d be all over it, that he’d be really with it.”
Yet some are questioning whether “Michael” should be considered a true Jackson album since the King of Pop — a notoriously meticulous creator who labored over his creations until he thought they were as perfect as they could be — never put his stamp of approval on it.
Earlier this year, the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, who had done some work with Jackson before he died, harshly rebuked the planned posthumous release in an interview with The Associated Press, saying: “Now that he is not part of the process, what are they doing? Why would you put a record out like that? Because he was a friend of mine, I just think that’s disrespectful.”
That’s not the only criticism of the project. When the single “Breaking News” was previewed for fans on michaeljackson.com, his three nephews publicly assailed the song, a condemnation of the media, and said the voice featured on the track wasn’t Jackson’s. This led Riley, former manager Frank Dileo and others to come out and vouch for the track’s authenticity.
“I don’t think that it’s fair for anyone to say it without any proof. You have no proof,” said Riley in a recent interview, adding that the producers “took it to the next level” and hired three forensic musicologists in defense of the album.
Sony Records, which is releasing “Michael,” also got the backing of other Jackson collaborators to prove that it is Jackson.
John Branca, who was Jackson’s lawyer for years and is co-executor of his estate, would not specifically address the veracity of Jackson’s vocals, saying the facts speak for themselves.
But as far as whether Jackson would have approved of the release of the songs, Branca, while calling Jackson a “perfectionist,” compared the upcoming album to that of last year’s “This Is It.” That film was based on rehearsals for Jackson’s sold-out comeback shows at London’s O2 arena that were never to be. With careful editing, a dazzling — if unfinished — portrait of Jackson emerged.
“If you remember, there was criticism about the movie ‘This Is It’ because it contained rehearsal footage,” said Branca. “Some said Michael would not have wanted to release it. But people loved it and it expanded people’s love for him.”
“Michael,” a mixture of soulful pop ballads and up-tempo, mechanical-sounding grooves that recall his “Dangerous” era, is a much more polished artistic project than “This Is It,” party due to the top names brought in by the estate to finish Jackson’s creative vision.
Stewart, who has worked with such top talent as Beyonce and Rihanna, never collaborated with Jackson but was asked to work on the ballad “Keep Your Head Up,” which Jackson co-wrote. Stewart said the process was a bit intimidating at first.
“It was a tremendous amount of pressure because Michael was one of the great record-makers in the history of music,” said Stewart. “Not only are you trying to make sure that you’re keeping the integrity of the record, but you’re also trying to love up the body of work.”
To that end, Stewart said he tread more lightly on Jackson’s song than he would have on his own material: “I moved a bit more delicately because I knew there was going to be an approval process … I felt like it was just a situation that I wanted to bring them back the product that they were anticipating.”
For Kravitz, finishing the song “I Can’t Make It Another Day,” which the two recorded in part while their children were milling about, was bittersweet without Jackson’s participation. But he’s confident in its quality: “I think it was him at a very strong point … he is singing his behind off.”
Feemster said he and Jackson would spend time listening to all the top hits on the radio before crafting their songs in the hope of making something contemporary but innovative. He said Jackson’s motto was “give them something familiar but also give them something that they never had before.”
Riley considers “Michael” a work that will stand favorably against classics like “Thriller” or “Off the Wall.”
“I would say that this is a masterpiece,” declared Riley. “It goes along with the piece of the puzzle.”
Yet Akon, who co-wrote the album’s first single, “Hold My Hand,” thinks the album should be considered more of an attempt to honor the memory of a legend than an example of his finest material.
“I wouldn’t compare this album to any of his albums. The albums that he made up ‘til now were legendary … Mike at his peak, at the height of his creativity,” said Akon.
“This is not like a finished product that you can compare anything to,” he added. “It’s more of an album that you can hold onto to commemorate and appreciate his legacy.”
Copyright 2010 by Associated Press.
http://preview3.accesshollywood.com/news/collaborators-say-new-michael-jackson-album-honors-legacy_article_40920?__source=rss|news
Vindicatemj
Deborah
thetis7
lisathelawyer
sara101mj
lacienegasmiles
Mona
@Vindicate,
I read Frank’s book and loved it to pieces. I think the Cascios meant more to Michael than we will ever know, and after reading Frank’s book I can say that was a very unique friendship and bond.
You are right about Frank on the stand. After seeing several of his interviews he is not very smooth. Mez made the right call.
“I sat with Maculay Culkin and his entertainment lawyer and his entertainment lawyer was scared to death. Where as Maculay was cool as can be said “when Michael needs me I am there” - Thomas Mesereau.
Macaulay is an exceptionally honest and brave guy. After his ‘Home alone’ movies his testimony at the trial was the next best thing he did in his life. Macaulay didn’t like the idea of testifying either as he told Larry King, but when he realized Michael needed him he didn’t hesitate. And his nature, character and eloquence were an added advantage – he didn’t allow to be intimidated in court and gave so clear and definite answers that they brought home to everyone what craziness they were talking about. Great guy, I respect him a lot.
“Frank’s lawyer told me he was willing to testify…He also had to be willing to testify against Michael and he refused it. Even though that would have been a very safe way to go to make sure that you aren’t charged. You gotta give him credit for that. I decided that I didn’t need to call him”
I never doubted Frank Cascio. He was no less harassed than Michael and it required a lot of courage to still be willing to testify in those circumstances. If he had testified he would have done his best of course, but since he is shy his testimony wouldn’t have produced a big impression. Thomas Mesereau was right when he decided against calling him – it would have been a huge strain and even personal risk for Frank, while Sneddon would have bullied him to death there.
Frank is very honest and sincere, was a true and reliable friend to Michael and his support for him is indisputable. However I remember how severely the so-called Michael’s fans attacked Frank for his songs, calling them fake – while a person like that is simply incapable of lying. Now I hear that he is no less harassed for his words about Michael’s Demerol addiction which did take place at some point in his life and about which Michael was quite outspoken himself.
Let me say one thing in this connection. What made me realize it are the circumstances of Murray’s trial and the media dancing around Michael’s killer as if he were a hero.
What we are dealing with is an exceptionally unscrupulous, unceremonious and ruthless hydra in the face of the worldwide media and those who are orchestrating the whole thing.
The media will go on telling lies about those who are defending Michael’s interests and praise those who actually destroyed him.
This hydra is unbeatable while at least some Michael’s supporters believe its nasty lies.
The only way to deal with it is to turn a deaf ear to the hydra and shield Michael’s friends from its hate.
Instead of incessant fault-finding with them we should bring all of them together and stand as a wall behind their backs.
The media will tell us even more lies about these people. If Michael’s fans fall for everything the media says about Michael’s friends and acquire the same petty scandalous and tabloid style – attacking them for every little thing they say or do – it would be better if we didn’t “support” Michael at all, packed our things and went home instead.
Here is the transcript of Mesereau’s comments on Frank Cascio: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ehs71k
There is a special post about the Cascio family, so I am repeating Suzy’s information here. This is from MJJC:
“T-Mez was just on Positively Michael live podcast and he was asked about Frank Cascio and 2005 trial. In short he confirmed everything Frank Cascio said about the 2005 trial.
T-Mez said that Sneddon brought that conspiracy charge to stop Frank and other people that were there when Arvizo’s was there from testifying.
T-Mez said that as a co-conspirator they were facing prison sentences so they had to get lawyers and be careful and try to protect themselves.
T-Mez said that he told Michael and Frank to cease communications totally.
T-Mez said that he talked with Frank’s lawyer regularly and Frank’s lawyer was cautious to protect his client.
T-Mez said that this somehow created the perception that Frank wasn’t cooperating but T-Mez says Frank told him that he would testify for Michael and T-Mez says it was his decision to not call Frank to the stand.
T-Mez also confirmed that Frank rejected immunity offered to him by Sneddon and he should be credited for that.”
I heard that interview Roger Friedman did with Matthew Drudge a few weeks ago and that is what made me re-think Roger Friedman. And Matthew Drudge for that matter. I may not always agree with Friedman – but I think he was brave to go against the mainstream in 2005. And his knowledge of Michael’s associates and life is far more comprehensive than I have seen amongst the mainstream journos. I rate him as far more knowledgeable that JRT. For example – Michael’s dispute with Tommy Mottola. If you follow JRT’s narrative SONY found MJ to be so valueless that they completely supported TM and treated MJ as a “low priority”. RF reports that TM was fired two months after Michael’s protest and the head of SONY “loved” Michael. Who to believe? It is always difficult to sift fact from fiction when Michael is concerned. But I feel that there are three “charges” that the media laid against MJ that did most damage to his image: 1) he was a p-do, 2) he wanted to be white and 3) that his career was in decline/ he only ever made three great albums, all with QJ. Anyone in the mainstream media that goes against this orthodoxy IMO is someone we can do business with and gain as a total supporter. And RF at least looks further than his nose.
@justme
I may not be Roger Friedman fan myself but he was fair to Michael during the trial unlike alot of other journalists at the time, at a time when it was not popular for journalists to say Michael was innocent. Here are a few interviews he did with Matt Drudge during the trial just to give an example of what I’m talking about.
(Roger’s interview with Matt Drudge starts at 7:23)
(The rest of the full interview Roger had with Matt Druge continues at this link)
Hmmm, so now Friedman is to be believed, swallowed hook, line and sinker after all the lies he’s told about MJ in the past? Not buyin’ it.
@ Debbie,
Thank you for your words I am glad you came. I read Reflections on the Dance. Your site like MJ777, allforlove and others is where I go to be reminded of the beauty of Michael’s creations; to clear my mind and soul of the muck that comes from vindicating him. I could not stay the course without out them. As far as the controversy over the album I think it comes with the territory of being a Fan and person. No two see things the same way other than we agree upon Michael’s innocence and to me that is the most important.
@VindicateMJ, I completely agree with you. I’m the creator of the Reflections on the Dance website http://www.reflectionsonthedance.com and I’m right there with you in wanting to show the truth amidst all of the ugly lies. We are very much on the same page
I also understand how frustrating all that is going on in regards to the new album is. I agree it’s a personal choice and that nobody should be telling anyone they can’t buy it, etc. Personally, I think the album has some great tunes on it and they are Michael’s messages. I won’t get too into that whole debate, but I do understand what you mean (((hugs)))
Debbie, it is okay. Mistakes are made by all of us and it is good when misunderstandings are clarified.
We here take special care to check up our sources and give our assessment of them. Since you are only starting reading the blog it will probably shock you that we often use haters’ sources where we find truly invaluable information which is commonly not found in fans’ sites. Yes, I am afraid it isn’t a usual fan site with love hearts all over the page – it is a research site where Michael’s advocates do a lot of dirty work usually avoided by Michael’s fans.
The goal is to find precious grains of truth behind the lot of dirt splashed over Michael and refute haters’ lies which is impossible to do unless you know their arguments and study their sources. Hence is our difference – you dig up the mud feeling dirty all over, then sift through the web with a fine-tooth comb for the documents to disprove their filthy lies, then you put everything together and show the result.
P.S. And then somebody says it is okay for you to do the job – only don’t you ever dare tell them to buy Michael’s album because they have an opinion. Sorry for this angry remark, I am making it only because I am also entitled to an opinion as you can guess.
““As far as Michael laying down vocal tracks in the Cascio’s home studio, this is a fact”.
I know that too from my sources and his bodyguards had confirmed it long time ago.
@VindicateMJ…no, I’m sorry if my post was taken the wrong way. What I meant was that I was agreeing with what Dialdancer said as I have seen so much of that going around. We all make mistakes. No worries. I was just agreeing that I have seen so many posts without sources or facts checked. It happens to all of us, so I did not mean to be condemning in any way <3 I was just reiterating what she said about that and how we all have to be careful. I've not followed the entire thread of comments as I was just reading this post today, so I apologize if my comment caused any misunderstanding. I really appreciate the work you guys do here.
“We have to be diligent in what we post, providing sources and additional information and checking sources thoroughly before posting as so much of the opposite is being done and is inciting further anger and agitation within the fan base. We have to make sure we are being responsible and diligent and not just jumping on the next bandwagon of attacking individuals or groups. This is exactly what those who want to silence Michael’s message and his legacy, want.”
Debbie, if you are talking about Dialdancer apologizing for her comments about Oprah I must say that it is solely my fault. I received the information from another of our co-admins who in her turn had received it from the author of the information letter – and she is a highly respectable and honorable person in every way. This is why it never occurred to me or any of us to recheck whether the Discovery channel is really Oprah’s or not. Next time I will as I’ve learned my lesson.
I am just re-reading the blog post here and I think I may have mis-understood the original intent. I apologize. It seems the comments that included hateful language were used to show the hypocrisy that has run so rampant now in the fan base. I’m sorry if I misunderstood previously.
@Dialdancer, I have seen what you are referring to popping up all over the place and it is worrying. We have to be diligent in what we post, providing sources and additional information and checking sources thoroughly before posting as so much of the opposite is being done and is inciting further anger and agitation within the fan base. We have to make sure we are being responsible and diligent and not just jumping on the next bandwagon of attacking individuals or groups. This is exactly what those who want to silence Michael’s message and his legacy, want.
“As far as Michael laying down vocal tracks in the Cascio’s home studio, this is a fact. So, no, they were not lying about that. It’s been verified. I’ve spoken to people who spoke to Michael while he was staying at the Cascio’s and he was there and did lay down tracks. So that fact, to the best of my knowledge, is truth.”
Debbie, oh, at least this is good news. The Cascios are not liars and every attempt to call them this word is a disgraceful deed on the part of Michael’s supporters.
The finish of the songs may be disputed, but again – it doesn’t have anything to do with Michael’s legacy! His legacy is what it is – phenomenal and monumental, but the new songs should be taken for what they are – unfinished songs which are nevertheless greater than the finished pieces of many other artists!
If new pieces by great composers of the past were suddenly discovered now the musical world would be buzzing with excitement over them – they would be fighting for the right to perform them! Why Michael’s music should be regarded differently I don’t understand… It seems that someone is doubting that even the ‘waste’ of Michael’s music can be so good that very few can rival it.
And I don’t doubt it even for a second. Michael was a genius, so even his “worst” is still the “best” as compared with everyone else. Has it ever occurred to you that some might be just jealous?
I’m going to be honest here and say that I’m not sure why so many hateful comments were included in this post. I love the research you guys do here and I support so much of what you delve into and your diligence, but including comments from fans who use foul language and with some going so far as saying they wish they could shoot the Cascio family, is highly disturbing. This is not at all what Michael was about. Michael was all about being humble, kind, loving. His message was all about love and coming together, not about violence and hatred. If we call ourselves fans and supporters, and if we truly want to honor Michael and his legacy, then we are going to have to take a look at the man in our own mirrors and make some changes.
Mohatma Ghandi said, ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attitude of the strong.’…Michael included this in his 2001 Oxford University Speech. Michael spoke about forgiveness, not hatred.
Whatever your opinion of the Cascio’s or anyone else, hate, anger and violence should NEVER figure in. That’s not what Michael stood for. The truth will all come out eventually, whatever that truth is, and we must remain patient and be kind and learn from Michael’s messages. Otherwise, the messages Michael died trying to share with us, are all for naught.
David, you are an excellent guy and you always speak out of the best intentions. I have tried to finish off that post about Larry Feldman but simply cannot refocus on it as my mind is somewhere else. I realize I need to do other things before I ever go back to any of those topics.
P.S. Okay, I’ll have another try with Larry Feldman to make at least that one complete.
As far as Michael laying down vocal tracks in the Cascio’s home studio, this is a fact. So, no, they were not lying about that. It’s been verified. I’ve spoken to people who spoke to Michael while he was staying at the Cascio’s and he was there and did lay down tracks. So that fact, to the best of my knowledge, is truth.
As far as anything else that did or didn’t happen to the finished version of the vocals, I can’t say. We will have to see what comes out in the wash. Just praying that at the end of the day, what we remember is Michael and all that he left us with, and that we all unite for truth, but do so in a kind, loving, respectful manner just as Michael would have. Let’s make him proud. <3
@ Helena
If you need to take a break from the allegations, that’s fine! But are you at least going to finish the series on Larry Feldman? You were making so much progress with him! I think you had one more part to do on him. And don’t forget parts 2 and 3 of the “Was it a Deposition?” Other than that, you should be done with the allegations for a while.
Didn’t you also say you were going to write on MJ’s lupus? And another post on MJ’s friends? You already did one on Dave Dave and Ryan White, and I think you said there were others. Since those don’t involve the allegations, they shouldn’t be as mentally taxing on you.
You could also do a post on all of those photo comparisons that I emailed you a few weeks ago! Like the one with MJ’s photo from the 2002 civil trial, where he has tape on his nose? Or the ones comparing him from the 80′s to the 2000′s? I’m just trying to give you some ideas of non-vindication topics to write about.
“Tell me that you are not going to stop from searching and providing us the facts about the allegations?”
Ares, your support is invaluable to me. If the research I’ve done is important at least for one person here (and others who also told me that) it will surely go on - only I need some time to get over this Sony thing and need to investigate the boycott.
Yes, we’ve missed the golden opportunity and the haters have won but I will do my best to explain exactly these two things to those who are still there to listen.
Just give me some time please. Research is a serious thing – it is not done in a day. It involves much reading, much thinking and getting up at night with new ideas coming to your head. But if all you have in your head is a boycott of MICHAEL’S album – which is totally unthinkable to me! – the research of past allegations is the last thing you can do.
If you understand what I mean I can’t even raise myself to do any research for those who refuse to listen to me in matters of the album and don’t buy it. I take their boycott as a personal affront to Michael and – frankly – don’t want to do anything for them any more.
BUT FOR YOU – YES, I DO!
“What he said is correct: I didn’t leave the blog, I will still comment as a regular poster, I just signed off as a co-admin that’s all.”
Suzy, I will be really, really happy if you are help David and Lynette with the vindication process. I will also be commenting and will occasionally do vindication posts (when/if I can) but now my interests have mostly turned to today’s reality where Michael’s vindication is required no less than in the past.
I remember you’ve asked me a question which I’ll try to answer now. The question was:
“I don’t know guys if you realized this but Sony or the Estate left out a line from the song “Hollywood Tonight”. In the booklet it’s there but in the song it’s cut out! Why is it interesting from our perspective? Because this is the verse and line I am talking about:
“West bound Greyhound
To tinsel town
Just to pursue her movie star dreams
She’s giving hot tricks to men
just to get in
When she was taught that’s not clean
Because she’s only fifteen”
The “because she’s only fifteen” line is cut out and replaced by “she’s headed for the big time, that means” which is inserted here from another part of the song. It seems like Sony are uncomfortable with Michael talking about (and against!) child abuse – that’s probably also why they wouldn’t release “Do you know where your children are”, which I find really, really sad….”
To me it is a sign that Sony is afraid – yes, afraid – to bring into the general discussion more controversy than is already there. If they didn’t want us to know the lyrics they wouldn’t have published them AT ALL – and we would never have known they ever existed. But this mess speaks to a difference of opinion they have between themselves – first they mixed the song and then decided to restore the real lyrics in print. This was clearly a decision taken later as printing the booklet is much less time-consuming than making the music and copies of the CD.
Yes, it seems that Sony is uncomfortable about Michael talking about child abuse, but only because they feel that when fans don’t support them they have to appeal to the general public whom they don’t want to tease with more controversy. They most probably decided to make the album quiet, smooth, neutral and free from any radical thoughts which could remind people of those ”molestation” issues.
In my opinion it is a wrong decision as Michael could speak for himself better if his full lyrics were heard – but when people are emotionally pressed they tend to make mistakes. However the fact that Sony did print the real lyrics shows they are not hopeless – they are making themselves more vulnerable to criticism by disclosing their own difference of opinion, but they are nevertheless taking this risk!
@Helena
, tell me that i understood wrong? Tell me that you are not going to stop from searching and providing us the facts about the allegations? Please tell me that. Unfortunatelly, we can not do much about the album now. What is done is done. The controversy, the fans reactions, the lack of promotion by Sony -wich i find very strange and more irriteting than the fans reaction – all of this have lead to poor sales. The album is not doing well at all and some people have given their hopes. A fried of mine said that we had been given a golden opportunity and we burned it./ Some say that MJ’s legacy is written on a stone, if i am saying it right, and low salles will not affect it but they are forgetting that MJ’s legacy is followed by child molestation allegations wich no one is bothered to report the true facts and disolve the myths. And those allegations are able to unwritte whatever it is written. If they don’t understand that, then they are living in their own Neverland. And that is it why i agree with what Teva said about the importance of this album.The fans that are loyal to MJ are very few and if we want his legacy to live, we want new fans, we want the new generation to learn about him.Trust me when i say that.I live in a country where MJ is basically insignificant. There are a few fans but in the general pubblic he is not relevant at all.Before he died i never, ever heard his music, his name was never mentioned in music shows. He was completely forgotten. That changed a little bit when he died. But now things are the same.So, if we are boycotting every single opportunity how is this exactly going to change? / Helena, what you are doing is very very important.I have learned so many things wich i report to whoever is judging MJ. / To me even if you manage to change the mind of one person, you will have succed your goal. This is why you shouldn’t stop what you are doing now.
@Suzy
I am happy that you are still with us.I don’t think that three song should divide us.Now we have to be more united that ever. Because we are the only one that can change the injustice that is done to MJ. His family doest care , or better they care more about profits , his company doesn’t care but we do. We have to make a change.
“I see that this topic of fake songs & fake friends is upsetting you. I have to tell you honestly that you are beating a dead horse. Peoples’ minds are made up on this one and you will never be able to convince them otherwise.”
Teva, you are probably right about a dead horse. This is why I felt (and still feel) so frustrated with my inability to change anything that wanted to stop vindication on my part and pass it over to David and other co-admins. Every human being has a certain limit.
I am afraid that in the near future David and Lynette will be our only hope in the vindication process – I physically and morally cannot go back into 1993 and 2005. My mind, heart and soul are wholly in the present and the pain of what they are doing to Michael’s fans is so big that despite my complete unwillingness to look into the boycott against Sony I think I will have to.
I know my efforts will most probably be a failure as I’ll be going against the tide but feel that this is the only way I can now follow. The prospect of being completely alone in expressing something unpopular is of course a very unpleasant one – but my only driving force has always been search for the truth and this search is taking me elsewhere now.
Can i make a personal request? Can we return back to the vindication posts? Those who want to buy the damn album will buy it, those who don’t, will not in a million years. Their mind is set.
Ares, please – if you can – please believe me that vindicating Michael ‘as such’ is useless if nobody is interested in the man. The way the situation with the album is evolving it is getting clearer and clearer to me every day.
Even if our vindication makes tremendous progress the success will be shared by a small group of supporters who will have no chance to make it available to the general public because no one will be interested in the man. To ardently need justice for Michael you need to remember him in the first place and if there is no interest no justification works.
Now I see that the success of the album is essential to Michael’s vindication. It will keep up interest in him, it will make people listen to his lyrics, new fans will wonder why Michael is expressing so much anger in his songs, will be compelled to look and research. If there is no interest there will be no new fans, while the old ones are busy sorting out various problems between themselves.
Ares, same as you I also underestimated the attack against the album and thought that raking in the past was much more important than today’s struggle over it and now see it was a grave mistake.
Thank you, David! What he said is correct: I didn’t leave the blog, I will still comment as a regular poster, I just signed off as a co-admin that’s all.
@ Teva and Ares
Just to correct a misconception, Suzy did not leave the blog. While she is no longer a co-admin, she will still comment and contribute research and information. Even before the falling out with Helena, she didn’t have much time to write articles anyway, so she may have still relinquished co-admin rights. But she will still visit the blog and comment. I just wanted to clear that up. Thanks!
@Helena
I see that this topic of fake songs & fake friends is upsetting you. I have to tell you honestly that you are beating a dead horse. Peoples’ minds are made up on this one and you will never be able to convince them otherwise. God or Michael will have to say that is was him singing.
The album is now history. I stand behind my original comment – I believe the album will probably do well as a whole, but I am skeptical it’s singles will chart against the likes of Rhianna, Katy Perry, Drake and Bruno Mars for reasons previously stated.
I am sorry to hear that Suzy has left the blog, I think she was an asset.
@Helena
Can i make a personal request? Can we return back to the vindication posts? Those who want to buy the damn album will buy it, those who don’t ,will not in a million years.Their mind is set.And it is their right after all. I really think that the vindication of MJ is the most important thing because it is that that tarnishes his legacy and not some allegedly fake songs. I really thought that this album would help people focus their attention again in MJ’s music but from what i have learned the album is not doing so well so, i guess, this whole situation ends somewhere here.We, who support the album, did what we thought it was right and bought the album. Those who don’t support it did what they thought it was right.They won, we lost. Now we can unite again and find a way in crearing MJ’s name from those awful allegations./ I am making this comment because i was really surprised that Suzy left the blog. I really could never think that this album would divide so much the fans. It’s really very sad.
“I agree with your assessment of the Cascio family. If we don’t believe them when it comes to the authenticity of the songs, then we won’t believe them in their staunch defense of MJ against the allegations.”
David, thank you so much! In the circumstances your support is doubly precious to me. Please let me say here again what I think about the Cascio songs.
It seems that all this talk about the album being genuine or fake (or partially fake) is not mere music discussion. Why I so whole-heartedly support the album as genuine is because the songs come from this particular family. If we don’t believe Cascios I don’t know who else we can believe and if they are considered liars in music their testimony about Michael’s innocence will be devalued too.
Somebody was shrewd enough to start a devaluation campaign against Cascios because they are an easy target with their unfinished songs – but if the Cascios are lying it also automatically casts doubt on all other Michael’s friends too. Why should we believe the word of Macauley, Robson, Brett Barnes and many other witnesses then? Why are they better than the Cascios? What if they are lying too? You only start with it and you see where it takes us…
What I mean is that when we allow to doubt the word of Michael’s best friends the absolute scale of judgment disappears and everything turns into the statement “everybody lies” – which is followed by the next step “and this is why we will never know whether Michael was guilty or not”.
It is my huge belief that people like Cascios have earned our respect and trust by the many years of their genuine support for Michael and they should be believed no matter what - even if some vibrato in their songs is found a little strange.
And since what Cascios say is an absolute piece of truth to me the thought arising from it is – if somebody wants to destroy these people as liars it is their detractors who should be looked into. It would the same if somebody told you bad things about your mother – you wouldn’t doubt her, would you? Instead you will look into those who tell stories about her and wonder why they do it, right?
So all this talk about the album is not about whether we like some songs or not – it is about haters AGAIN. And if people don’t see the point it is terribly disappointing.
““I didn’t know them,” Jackie tells USA TODAY’s Andrea Mandell, his soft voice stiffening.
He’d never heard of them? “Nope.”
David, I think there are two possibilities here. He either really didn’t know them and then it tells us how “close” he was with Michael after the Jackson Five era and the second one is that he intentionally ignores the Cascios as he is siding with the other members of the family who are unhappy about their songs.
Frankly the first option seems to be more probable than the second (or it may be a bit of both) – it seems that Michael’s siblings don’t know much about the later years of their brother so that the Cascios may be complete strangers to them. They prefer to talk only of the time they were together when they were young stressing the “family bond”.
I recently saw a video of Jackie Jackson speaking with Kadir Nelson, the painter who made a cover for the latest album and decided not to quote it in the blog because Jackie did not even mention Michael’s name there – all the talk was about the guitar, Tito, Mowtown, the wagon bus, Marlon, him and the family things – and not a single word about Michael!
Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T2GVJA2fmc
Helena, I agree with your assessment of the Cascio family. If we don’t believe them when it comes to the authenticity of the songs, then we won’t believe them in their staunch defense of MJ against the allegations.
Speaking of the Cascios, I was utterly shocked when I read this interview with Jackie Jackson, who said he had “never heard” of the Casco family! I thought to myself “How can that be? They’ve travelled with MJ all over the world, spent an enormous time with him at Neverland, helped supervise the Arvizos during their so-called imprisonment, and Frank Cascio was named as an unindicted co-conspirator! How could you NOT know about them, Jackie?”
For Jackie to not know about the Cascios is the equivalent to Latoya not knowing about Victor Gutierrez when she hugged him earlier this year! Maybe this family is truly as clueless and dysfunctional as we all thought they were!
Here is a quote:
“I didn’t know them,” Jackie tells USA TODAY’s Andrea Mandell, his soft voice stiffening.
He’d never heard of them? “Nope.”
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/12/jackie-jackson-never-heard-of-michaels-secret-family-/1
First, I like to say that I really am sorry Suzy you felt you needed to leave as being co-admin. Hopefully, with time you might come back.
I had read Raven’s topic the other day, which I found very interesting. Like I had posted to gtf, I thought their post was very well said.
It really is unfortunate to see things happening like this.