My Friend Michael Jackson by Joanelle Romero
Source
October 21, 2010
On June 25th 2009, I was packing and moving out of a house we
had lived in for 6 years and an acquaintance phoned me and said
Michael Jackson is dead, turn on the TV.I dropped the phone,
turned on the television and there it all was, I fainted, no
one was home with me. I woke and cried and cried and I am still
crying. My heart is so broken; you see Michael was a friend
and he believed in me. I’ve known Michael since I was 10
years old, we went to school together at Gardner Street school
off of Sunset Blvd, we were in the 6th grade together. I was
always invited to go to his house to play, he would swing me
in this big tree swing and we would speak of our dreams. Michael
asked me to go steady on the steps of Gardener Street school.
Two weeks before school ended my mother sent me to live with
my dad in NM. I never got to say goodbye to Michael.
One week before Michael left this earth, my son and I were shopping
at Nordstrom’s, and we run into Jermaine. I asked him to
please tell Michael I needed to see him, that I needed to visit,
that it was important and I gave him my new numbers. God works
in mysterious ways. In 1991, I launched my production company,
it was 2 weeks old when I received a call from Michaels casting
office, asking if I had any American Indian dancers because
everyone he had been interviewing wasn’t right. I told
them “I have the best dancers in town” I really had
no one, however I went to many Pow wows and gathered 30 dancers,
one of them being my precious daughter Sage. She was 5 then.
Michaels casting office had no idea that Michael and I knew
each other. To make a long story short. Director John Landis,
cast 5 dancers, my daughter – who was the jingle dress
dancer, and four other dancers from the native community here
in Los Angeles that I brought in that day.
Michael shot 7 hours of photos of Sage while shooting his video
and used her image for his painted angels in his Neverland ranch.
We had so much fun while filming. Michael, Sage and I watched
“Willie Wonka” 3 times while everybody had to wait
on set. Michael took Sage and Nancy Reagan to lunch, he had
asked if I wanted to go however I declined for obvious reasons.
Many stories to remember .....
We had shot the segment of the native dancers in the studio,
then Michael read one of my music video scripts and one week
later we were on location re-shooting the native segment out-side.
Due to Michael’s insight, he added my production company
and shared the press in Entertainment Weekly.
Michael became the leading force in making my company known
to the world. It is now an award-winning production company
in producing American Indian documentaries and independent films.
The 1991 “Black or White” music video and song made
history. I was able to negotiate for the American Indian dancers
to be paid over and above any dancers on any music video ever,
due to the fact they were traditionally dressed (the wardrobe
did not come from western costume). To date, they are the highest
paid dancers in the music video industry. Also, this segment
was the first clip of American Indian dancers in a music video
without being a Native American music group/artist.
On our opening night of our 2009 Red Nation Film Festival –
A Night of Tribute Awards, we honored Michael Jackson for his
“Black or White” Music Video – In Loving Memory
of Michael Jackson. I have many personal stories about Michael
and that I will keep in my heart forever. I am not going to
spend my life being a color, I am a Human Being
– God Bless You MJ
Together we can Heal the world make it a better place.
…..We Love You Michael ……..
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