Michael Jackson 1993 Oprah Winfrey Interview: To Air September 16

by Amy Judd | September 12, 2009 at 02:18 pm

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Oprah Winfrey will be honoring Michael Jackson on September 16 during her show, when she will re-air her 1993 interview with the King of Pop, including some unseen tape that she did not show sixteen years ago.

Winfrey will show unaired footage from her 1993 interview with Jackson in an episode due to be broadcast on 16 September (09).

When Oprah Winfrey interviewed Michael Jackson in 1993, he gave her full access to Neverland, and was his first interview in 14 years. Michael stated that he felt 'very nervous' about the interview, but Elizabeth Taylor was there to back him up and give him moral support.

Part one of the transcript for Michael Jackson's Oprah interview

Oprah started her show in front of Neverland where she introduced Michael as:

the man who has broken every possible music record,denied interviews and defied definition for years.For nearly a quarter of a century,he has been an innovator of music,of dance,of videos,even fashion,and nothing he does is anything short of spectacular.

Michael Jackson gave Oprah a personal tour of his house and access to his life that was previously unknown to any one else at that time.

Oprah said that Michael had agreed to be interviewed about any subject; his childhood, the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, and his missed childhood.

-Well,on stage for me was home.I was most comfortable and still most comfortable on stage.But once I got off stage,I was like,very sad.

-Really?

-Yes.

-And sad from the beginning? Sad since it first started?

-Lonely,sad,having to face with popularity and all of that.There were times when I had great times with my brothers,pillow fights and things.But I was always,used to always cry for loneliness.

-You did?

-Yes.

-Beginning at what age?

-Oh,very little,eight,nine.

Michael talked about his father in the interview and said that his father used to tease him for having pimples.

-And my father teased me.And I just hated it.I cried every day because of it.

-Your father would tease you about your pimples?

-Yes and he would tell me I'm ugly.

-Your father would say that?

-Yes,he would.Sorry,Joseph.

-Yeah.What's your relationship like with him?

-I love my father,but I don't know him.

-Are you angry with him for doing that?I think that's pretty cruel actually.

-Am I angry with him?

-Because adolescence is just hard enough without a parent telling you that you're ugly.

-Yes,very difficult.Am I angry with him?Sometime I do get angry.I don't know him though I'd like to know.My mother is wonderful.To me she is perfection.I just wish I could understand my father.

Michael talked a lot about how sad he was, and how the world saw a different side than what he was feeling. He said his father beat him, and that he was very strict, very hard and very stern; Michael said he was frightened of him and that his father made him want to be sick when he came around. He then apologized for what he said and asked Oprah not to be mad at him. He insisted that he forgave his father for what happened however.

Part two of the transcript for Michael Jackson's Oprah interview

Michael dismissed claims that he slept in an oxygen chamber, but was willing to forgive the press for saying that he did.

-You know,I was taught to love and to forgive,which I do have in my heart.But please don't believe these crazy and horrifying things.

-OK.Let's go on this.Did you buy the Elephant Man's bones?

-No.

-Or were you trying to get them?

-No.That's another stupid story.I love the story of the Elephant Man.It reminds me of me a lot.You know,I could relate to it.It made me cry because I saw myself in the story.But no,I never asked for Elephant Man's bones.Where am I going to put some bones?

This interview was also the first time that Michael addressed the issue of his skin color.

Oprah asked him about the rumors that he wanted a little white boy to play him in the Pepsi commercial and Michael said that was crazy, "I'm a black American. I'm proud of my race. I'm proud of who I am."

Michael then discloses to Oprah that he has a skin condition that destroys the pigmentation of the skin.

-It's a problem for me.OK?.I can't control it.OK?But what about all the millions of people, let's reverse it,what about all the millions of people who sit out in the sun to become darker,to become other than what they are. Nobody says nothing about that.

-So when did this start?When did your, the colour of your skin start to change?

-Oh,sometime after Thriller,around Off The Wall or Thriller.Sometime around then.

-What did you think,I mean?

-It is in my family.My father said it is on his side.I can't control it.I don't understand it.I mean it makes me very sad.I don't want to go into my medical history because that's something that's private.But that's the situation here.

He did shrug off questions about his plastic surgery however and said that if people really wanted to know they could read his book Moonwalk.

Part three of the transcript for Michael Jackson's Oprah interview

Michael goes on to discuss his current relationship with Brooke Shields, and says he is in love with her and has been in love once before.
Oprah asks Michael if he is a virgin and Michael replies that he is a gentleman.

-So OK.I would interprete that to mean that means that you believe that a lady is a lady,and therefore...

-That's something that's private,I mean, shouldn.t be spoken about openly.You can call me old fashioned if you want.But you know to me that's very personal.

-So you're not going to answer it?

-I am embarrassed.

-So you're not going to answer it.We would like to know whether or not there is possibility that you are going to marry one day and have children?

-I would feel that my life is incomplete if I do not because I adore the family life,I adore children and I adore that whole thing.And I would love to.That's one of my dreams,but I couldn't right now because I am married,I am married but to my work.I am married to my music.

Michael confesses that he has always had a crush on Elizabeth Taylor and Oprah asks Elizabeth herself:

-Did Michael ever propose to you?

-No!And I never proposed to him.

-Never did.What do you think is most misunderstood about Michael Jackson,Liz?

-All the things you mentioned.He is the least weired man I've ever known.He is highly intelligent, shrewd, intuitive,understanding,sympathetic,generous to almost afford of himself.And he just, if he has any eccentricities, it's that he is larger than life then some people just can't accept that or face it or understand it.His talent on stage why I call him the King of Pop,Rock,Soul,Music, Entertainment. Morever, there is nobody that can compare. Nobody can dance like that, write the lyrics like that,the music,cause a kind of excitement he does.

Michael shows Oprah the amusement park in the Neverland grounds where the children can come and play and where he can play as he missed out on activities like that when he was a child.

Oprah also sees Michael's movie theatre inside the ranch where there is even beds built in to the wall where sick children can come and lie if they need to and still see the film.

Michael also premiered his new music video 'Give In To Me' during the interview and performed an acapella version of 'Who Is It'.

When the show premiered it was watched by over 90 million people in the US and was one of the most watched TV programmes ever.

Oprah will replay parts of this interview, including never before seen footage on September 16th 2009.

8 See all footage | View Slideshow

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