August 29 is sacred in time and space as Karen Faye puts it! MJ would turn 53 today ... and our love goes out especially to his children, his beloved mother and the entire Jackson-family ... and to millions members of the worlwide MJ-Family. Michael always knew that he has a worlwide family.
To celebrate Michael on this special day, the "It´s all for L.O.V.E" - webteam wants to spread around the content of video documents that show what kind of loving and caring person Michael was. Three of us, living in 3 different countries on 2 different continents, teamed up to offer the transcripts from an interview. Special thanks go to Lady @sohappi.
In this interview JC Agajanian JR -family friend of Michael Jackson- shares his special memories. Shortly after Michael's death JC Agajanian JR from the famous racing Agajanian family calls in July 2009 into the "Live" Haunted Saloon video webcast and shares heart warming memories with Terry "Ike" Clanton of the times he and his family spent with Michael Jackson at Neverland ranch.
Part 1
Transcript from Part 1
Terry C.: Alright. Is this J.?
JC: Yes it is.
Terry C.: OK Let me set this up for you … As you folks know we had a … tragic thing happen this week and we lost one of the biggest entertainers this world has ever known .. Mr. Michael Jackson. And ..the gentlemen on the phone is Mr. JC Agajanian Jr. and JC is a dear friend of Michael’s and you spent many times with him and I thought boy we gotta have … have you on the Haunted Saloon tonight to talk about Michael Jackson. Welcome to the Haunted Saloon J
JC: Well, thanks Ike. Hey Bruce ! How are you doing back there ? .. and a special word to Holly the hooker [laughter]
Bruce: I’m good I’m recovering
Terry C.: Yeah … so…. anyway … we lost another good one didn’t we?
JC: Yeah … and just to be serious for a moment. I got .. I got to tell you … we did loose … in fact we not only lost but I really believe the world lost a very, very special talent. And I think that’s something that we need to keep in mind when all the.. all the lies and baloney, and all the speculation and all the gossipping and all that is comment on the bottom line is that we lost somebody that will really never be replaced.
Terry C.:Yes. And you know J tells us .. tell us about some of your experiences like that you’ve told me. Told people here in the Haunted Saloon. Tells us about the time when you spent 2 weeks up at the Neverland Ranch with Michael.
JC: Well you know what Ike it was a pretty special deal and I’ll have to give you a little bit of background. A friend was at, that I know Bartender Bruce and yourself both met when back in the old Ascot days … Sandy Saemann who went on to start up a company called LA Gear-tennis shoe company that hired Michael to work for them … and that’s how I got to know Michael. So … really that was my entrée and… and I have 3 kids JC III, and David, JC is his middle name of course, and Amy and they were doing a commercial for LA GEAR and they were on set when Michael was there to do a commercial. And frankly the kids and Michael got along though there were a lot of other kid there who were going to be in the commercial .. of course LA Gear makes adult and children’s shoes so was a natural set up. Michael was there .. In fact I’ll tell you what my wife Francie was the one that went to this commercial shoot and I was with you guys at Ascot that night and we were working and they were .. well they were working too you might say so … Michael said that sometime we have to come out to Neverland Valley … Neverland .. yeah … Neverland Ranch is really what it is … yeah .. and oh ! and that’s another thing that Francine reminded me in the background: it was a ranch, it was beautiful and it was Disneyland but he had horses and he had wranglers and he really liked horses and naturally, something I think everybody at the Haunted Saloon that’s listening maybe didn’t know about Michael ,he appreciated wild life, he appreciated, of course, all the exotics there were elephants walking around and they had giraffes , when we were there a little baby giraffe was born, but we were invited up to .. and I won’t stretch this tea off, we were invited up to Neverland Ranch which we .. and we spent quite a bit of time up there and he wanted us up there as parents , he really enjoyed … really … having the kids up there as well. Now, .. as soon as I say that I know there going to be eyebrows going up but it wasn’t like that … and I have to tell you, his honesty, I think, in these interviews is what got him in trouble. And him just saying stuff from his heart, stuff that was just how he felt honestly, adults will look at it, raise an eyebrow, twist what he says and make it not his intentions. So .. the place is just gorgeous. It was Disneyland, it was .. it was 2500 acres and most of it was manicured. It was really a fun place to be. It was …he was a very generous, generous person. The kids would run around … they had their jackets on, or they would throw them on the ground or they have … whenever they were wearing tennis shoes they’d go get on the big giant trampoline that was on the same level as the ground behind the beautiful swimming pool and … at evening whatever they were taking off was washed and magically folded and put back in their rooms … the staff there it was just unbelievable … yeah … water-balloon fights … and .. and he had Indian… he had an Indian village that we were welcomed to stay over night in. We had dinner brought up to the Indian village .. we ate in the teepees, there were heaters in there … it was just everything you could think of. Of course the zip lines and all . Let me entertain any questions you might have Ike.
Terry C.: Well you know … I mean … isn’t not true that your kids .. your own kids … when he was .. had the accusations against him and everything your own kids wanted to go to court and testify that ... cause they’ve been there many many times and never had a problem? Isn’t that true that they wanted to go to court?
JC: Well, you are absolutely right Ike. And in fact Michael’s lawyers had called and asked if my kids would be interested in testifying on behalf of Michael and they were ready to fly JC III and David up from San Diego and Amy here from Hermosa Beach and flied them up, but at the last minute they didn’t need any more character witnesses. But let me tell you something that came out about his bedroom and a secret room and all this stuff that went on.
Terry C.: OK ..
JC: Francine and I were in his bedroom, my kids were in his bedroom … his bedroom was a playland .. aaa … there were Disneyland things there … it was like a living room and when he said I invited kids into my bed it’s … first of all any kid that wanted to have a slumber party there … the secret room that they referred to that was locked up and so on that’s where he went to sleep – when he said I’d be happy to give my bed to kids what he meant by that was – when he grew up Ike, he didn’t have a bed. All the Jackson kids slept in one room – to be able to sleep in the bed was a big deal and the … the people just didn’t understand that when he was saying was when you give someone where you sleep and you leave and you go in another room to sleep you’re giving them the best, you’re sharing the most you have. It’s like sitting at the table and going “yeah you can have this steak to eat, I’ll eat the beans over here”.They just didn’t understand and his honesty in saying that got him in trouble.
Terry C.: Yeah. Now I know that inside .. I just .. you know … you fascinated me before when we talked about this and you told me a lot of different stories. You told me one that when you first got there he walked you around the garden and there was like (?I don’t understand that either- inaudiable) and things around the garden and something?
JC: Yeah… You know what Ike? When you called last night and asked if I’d share some of my memories and thoughts about Michael after he passed … of course because you called me and because you and Bruce both called me and asked me to come on the show I said ok, but I’ve been asked to do other interviews that I turned down. One night when we were sitting at Michael’s dinner table, and it was a beautiful dinner table and … it was a beautiful Tudor house that he had and it was four-storied and he had a full staff, and he had a wonderful cook that cooked whatever … in fact before we ever got up to Neverland they were asking what the kids liked to eat, they wanted to have whatever they liked on hand. But we were sitting there at his dinner table and, of course, we ... I made it a point of saying a prayer before dinner; Michael was a spiritual guy. Nobody ever said anything like that … and they don’t let you know but we ... we had a prayer at the dinner table before we started dinner and as we were eating and we were talking about various things, and believe me Michael … insisted that we ask any question that we have: if you saw something in the news , if you heard about the elephant man’s bones, or if you heard about sleeping in a hyperbolic chamber, any of that … “ask me, ask me whatever you what” and believe me my wife Francine, that you both guys know, did ask plenty of questions. But Michael looked at the kids that night at dinner, we were about 2/3 of the way through and he said “listen kids, I don’t really want you to necessarily tell anyone about our friendship when you get back to your school”. And they looked at each other puzzled and they looked at Michael and said “but Michael, why not?”. And Michael looked at them and said “There’s a lot of mean people out there, and there’s a lot of people that will say mean things about me, and I don’t want you to have to be put in a position to defend me”. So I think so much your kids, that I don’t want them to have to defend me and get in fights and say: No, Michael is really a good guy and don’t say that about him.” He was so thoughtful, that he was asking the kids to keep our happy time and our friendship private and not share and … he was always selfless like that Ike.
Terry C. : Yeah. Now that’s … that’s really something you know. And it’s really actually very sad that he had to go through those extremes.
Part2
Transcript from Part 2
JC: It really was. He never had a chance … of any kind … once … you know he grew up, as everybody knows, without a childhood and … and, you and Bruce both know that, that he worked since he was a little kid and ... and don’t forget there were many facets of Michael. One was the people see on television and it is the celebrity side and it was also the loving father and that is not a joke. He was a very loving father and there was also the kind, generous friend. He was without question that. And he was very shy … when he first … when we first got up to Neverland he had sunglasses on, he had on his hat, and .. and he was shy … just seeing us again … and eventually he warms up to you. But you are right when we first got up there he put us in a golf cart, a special golf cart that was a long one, and took us all around the ranch and just … and when we went up there we thought that we were coming to a ranch that was kinda like the cowboy ranch, like the Haunted Saloon what would be just outside your doors there … dirt and corrals and horses and so on, but it actually was what we see on television now – rides and movie theaters – and he took us all around and he took us to all of .. to see all of his records and storage but I just though of something Ike and if I can just continue here … and you know me I’m really short on words but he had … [laughter] Thank you Bruce !. He had … he had a movie theater that was set up for children that were sick, that were terminally ill – it was a movie theater with very lovely seats, rocking type of Falster chairs and you would … but there were about 35-40 sits, full size movie theater screen, behind us a regular projection just like you see in a regular large movie theater, but next to … the projection room was above … but at the back of the movie theater, behind the seats, were two bedrooms. Those bedrooms had full floor to ceiling glass. Those rooms were supplied with oxygen and a hospital bed, a large hospital bed, in fact it looked like a double bed that could tilt up and any kids that were …. came out to the ranch whether it was the Make-A-Wish foundation or any of them … they were welcomed to come in and see these first run movies, see things that maybe they couldn’t go see in a theater, cause they don’t have oxygen in a movie theater and Michael went through a lot of expense and, and a lot of trouble to have these two rooms for kids that were terminally ill to come and be at the ranch and see movies and so on and Gosh !!! there are just so many stories like … that never make the newspapers, never were told about Michael …his generosity and how much he truly loved children, and like we were talking about earlier – his inability to have a childhood … so part of him was childlike because he never had a childhood. He envied the children that were outside playing in the park while he was rehearsing. While he was singing while he was practicing his dance moves, while Joe, his dad, was ‘cracking the whip’ – and I don’t mean that in a bad way – but Joe had worked in a steel mill in Indiana and he took these kids from nothing and right up to the top of the line. They were talented but he bought instruments, he bought everything they needed and he gave of himself and yes, he “swatted” (disciplined) the kids and I have to admit that JC and David have been “swatted” a couple of times too. May not be politically correct but it is “Armenian correct” and that is what we had to do.
Part 3
Transsript from Part 3
Terry C.: So, we as you –as the whole world- we were so shocked; this is so shocking.
JC Agajanian: It was shocking, and I tell you what. I knew Michael some years ago. I know that he had a problem with painkillers from when he had gotten burned doing the Pepsi ad, that was some years ago. He really a lot of pain that followed that, and I believe that he was in a lot of emotional pain as well! He carried a lot of things, he internalized a lot of things, he didn’t have many people that he could confide in...and he really [I don´t want to say ‘admired’ because that might be the wrong word, but] really enjoyed being around a family like the Agajanian family, where were just a mom, a dad and kids that liked to mess around. And then we’d have to say,”sit down, don´t make so much noise,” and just correct him and he’d laugh! He just really enjoyed being around real people because he was surrounded with people who were either “yes men” or interested in what they could get from him and we wouldn’t neither! (answer to “yes men”)
Terry C.: Yeah, exactly! You were just a regular folk and he liked that.
JC Agajanian: Yeah, you know, the kids loved to ride horses, the kids would go to a cowboy-camp down near ocean side, inland I guess (talking to wife in background: where was that, Francine?) Boonville, California, that’s where this cowboy-camp was! They go every year, they loved it!Everything was period, There were gunfights in the streets when we brought the kids. It was perfect. It was like "Tombstone", just a smaller version; but the kids learned how to ride properly, they learned roping, they learned everything in that area.
When we got up to Neverland – Michael [who had horses and wranglers that were full-time (employees)] asked the kids if they wanted to go riding. Of course they said yes – [we were sitting] at the dinner table- and he said. "Well, just call the person in charge, call the head wrangler, tell them at what time you want to go out with the horses and they´ll have them ready for you." My kids answered: "Let´s go tomorrow morning!" So they did that. Of course I didn´t get up, Francine was the one to get up with the kids and got them situated with the wranglers and went to breakfast in the main house. Our living quarters were just outside that main house that Michael lived in. We lived on a little lake when we were there, a very beautiful setting. I went back to sleep and about an hour or two later I got a knock on the door.
Michael had a full security set up there. He had officers there, he had security cameras everywhere; he could watch, if the children he had invited there were in trouble or they near a pool and some problems like that. Full security, security guards that were mobile, security guards that were in full uniform, the entire property was secured and safe! He had his own fire department, he had his own helicopter, paramedic, everything was on sight! It couldn’t have been a safer place to go – no matter what! {And a lot of this stuff, the gossip that goes on: it couldn’t have happen because I went into the security room...which is a secret area, private area. There were cameras and there were screens that you could see everywhere on Neverland! They were never not watched - no matter where.}
So, the kids got on the horses with the wranglers, a wrangler in the front, a wrangler at the back, my three kids in between and they went up into the hills. Francie went with them, ( sorry- I forgot you were with the kids at this time...) As they’re going up in the hills, there are bears, deers and so on in the hills around that area. They were going up a trail and evidently the horses smelled bear – they can smell bears, it frightens them- and there was some movement in the bushes and three horses,no, all the horses ‘spooked’ [were scared] and spun around and started running full speed down the hill back towards the barn, and safety. They were out of control, literally! As they get back at the bottom J.C. was able to “whoa” (calm down) his horse because his was a bigger kid at that time. All the kids knew riding but the horses were running out of control. David who is our middle son (and a gymnast,) jumped off and rolled and got banged up a little bit- but was ok. But our youngest, Amy, was thrown off the horse,hit the ground and her head hit the ground terribly and she was knocked out. Francine – also thrown from the horse- and was unconscious on the ground.
Within minutes, paramedics were there, ambulance was there and I –as I told you- had to come security to my door, because I had gone back to my bed. I got dressed right away [I was told] "We have a situation. We have to take you with [us] immediately." I scrambled, jumped in the car , rode straight to where they were...it was, ...they were fire engines, and (ambulance) lights going and everything. I mean, it was immediately taken care of. I rode into town with Amy and in the ambulance she was beginning to convulse! I was so frightened! I was worried we´re going to lose her! Francie was in another, no, Francie was in the same ambulance and she was out of it, she don´t know where she was. (Francie “protests” from the the back, “I thought I did!”.) She thought, she did, but she certainly didn´t. We came into the emergency room and they said: “ You can have to go into town.” They took us in another ambulance immediately to Cottage Hospital, which is down near Santa Barbara, I think. All of this to say: Michael´s people were at the hospital from the time we were in there. I was praying in the hospital, I was fearing that we were going to loose Amy and... She had the brain-scan. There was some swelling, but she was ok and Michael´s people were there the whole time. (Francie mentions Amy had a fractured skull.)
But we were guest there [at Neverland], and Michael´s people were worried that we were going to sue Neverland and sue Michael and so on. One of his attorneys called and asked how we were doing and asked if there was going to be an litigation. And of course we said: “Friends don´t sue friends over accidents!” Amy, who is ok after that... but Michael, had a limo at the hospital for us, he would have come to the hospital himself, but it would have created too much craziness. So he would take us back and forth to dinner, and back house and run Francine and I back and fourth to the hospital. Francie stayed with Amy.
He had his people. In fact, Michael ...at this morning had a recording session in town. When he heard that Amy was hurt, he set all the musicians home. He got in a helicopter, which he didn´t like to do, he didn´t really like flying at all, he´d rather take his limo or transportation. But he flew up there and even though he couldn´t go to the hospital he stayed at Neverland and “stood on duty” until he found out Amy was ok.
It can just show what kind of a guy ..... he stopped his work...and just ...sent a crowd of 100 people and musicians home because of he had heard that my daughter had hurt herself at Neverland!!I know it´s a long-winded story and I apologize the guests but this just comes out of me guys, when I hear (voice getting emotional) all the things said about a guy, that was really an innocent and honest, loving and caring guy. I just –I just need to tell my sight of the the story.
Terry C.: Yeah.Well said,....well said! And we thank you for sharing your stories.
Part 4
Transsript from Part 4
Terry C: Thank you for sharing those stories tonight with us.
JC: Yeah, my pleasure.
Terry C : Bruce has a question:
Bruce: Your impression of the of the way the news media has treated him in the last 48-72 hours-
JC: Tragedy! Tragedy, Bruce! The way they treated him is the way they treated him his whole life, like a freak show! I’ll tell you what, just...I’m asking everyone, I’m begging you to just reserve your comments, I’m begging you to not listen to the gossip, to not listen to the sensationalism. Yes, Michael had many facets to him, many sides and yes, he was having a problem with drugs as many people do in our society....but he wasn’t a monster, he was not a child molester. I have a ton of stories, guys next time I see you guys I’ll tell you stories about “why” and “how” those
lawsuits just went away; and why that first kid refused to go on the stand as his father wanted him to, to tell lies about Michael. He just told his father, ‘I can’t go on the stand. I don’t care how much money your gonna get, and I don’t care about my future of doing a recording company (like his dad wanted to.) I can’t go up there and lie about Michael.’...and that’s when their case fell apart...and the 25 million dollars to their family never happened- it went into a trust and not that much money, much smaller amount. It was all blown up out of proportion. And just wait until you try to get a handle on the truth, everyone.
I just watched “EXTRA” before I called your show...they were showing things, like I just told you about: “There’s some mysterious room, and it’s lined with children's toys....” it’s just a bunch of baloney! There was a room with toys for the kids that were sick that came over and there were tables with toys to play with, there was an arts and crafts room all of this was there and it’s room you can just walk into on the second floor of the Tutor house. There’s only this room, that I just told you about, where it was his private bedroom where he would go when the kids would want to have a slumber party and fall asleep in his room, he left and slept in this other room by himself. So he gave his bed, he invited the kids to sleep in his bed...he wasn’t in it! He made a point of that...but it’s just been twisted. I’m just asking everybody to please, don’t listen to the lies, don’t listen to the gossip, don’t listen to the stuff that’s just made up although I know you don’t know how to figure out what’s sensationalism and what has little chunks of truth, but like I said...Francie and I were just watching, not only “Access Hollywood” but all the rest of them, and they take these things I just told you about and they twist them and they make them sound weird and strange and it’s just not so. Everything had a reason for it.
Terry C : Yeah, I mean there was a lot of speculation out there, I think. The one thing I did notice though, observing the fact he was so frail! I mean, he looked like he was just over one hundred pounds or so.
JC: Yeah, that’s true. He was never a big guy...he was a little guy to start with. He was always thin... I really think a couple of things...first of all he was a vegetarian he was very conscious of his health and he would meditate, he would exercise. He did a lot of work and he tried keep his weight down so that he could dance. He did a lot of things to try and be as fit as possible. I think near the end here, as he wasn’t well (and he wasn’t, and I think there were some illnesses that were not detected) but he was always very slight, but it got out of hand.
Terry C : Yeah. So, you say he was a vegetarian...what kind of things did you eat when you were there?
JC: Say that again, I’m sorry.
Terry C : You said he was a vegetarian?
JC: Yes. He would have anything the kids wanted, from hot dogs, to hamburgers, to steaks and so on...but he didn’t have any booze at Neverland when I was there. I know someone said there was no alcohol...I know someone said that there was...underneath the game room and by the tennis court there was a wine cellar with some very very wonderful wine and stuff, he may have had that for special guest but there was not booze available to anybody while you were at Neverland...and it didn’t matter if it was us or the kids or anybody. No booze, no alcohol available.
Don’t forget...he had had two chefs in this wonderful kitchen there and they would make Michael’s food for him, that they knew that he liked. So he ate Indain food, he ate a lot of vegetarian meals...(Francie in the backgroud: ‘He would have tofu hot dogs’) that’s right, Francie just reminded me: when we had hot dogs, he would had tofu hot dog or something that appeared to be a hot dog, and tasted like a hot dog but something in his diet -he was very conscious.
And thats why, you know it’s hard to phantom a guy that was so self conscious about his shape. Now don’t forget, he was 50 years old, he was very young looking but he was 50 years old and he still danced like a 20 year old and that’s coming out when you’re hearing about the rehearsals for the the London tour that was right here at Staples Center in Los Angels
Terry C : Yeah. J I hate to cut you off, but we gotta move on now. But man, I want to thank you so much for sharing those stories with us!
JC: You’re sure welcome and I’ll tell you what, this is the only show that is going to hear any of this from me. I’ve already turned down other interviews. I wanted you, Bruce and your listeners worldwide to hear this information and know from someone that was first hand there and that will call baloney on the people that are saying stuff! Yeah, he had a hard time near the latter part of his life but he was a kind generous, gentle man and that’s how he should be remembered.
Terry C : Well said! Thank you so much, J! Vicky, did you have something to say?
Vicky: Well, you know...I know that people have said a lot of things about Mr. Jackson over the years..but the thing I really think is most important right now, is ,three children have lost their father...and that’s the most important thing. All of us who are parents understand that more than anything and I think that’s the thing to focus on, three children have lost their father
JC: God bless you and that’s the truth. Let that not be lost with the craziness.
Terry C : Thank you so much, J!
JC: Thanks everybody at “The Haunted Saloon”, we love you guys. We wish you guys the best.
Haunted Saloon Crew: Bye! Love you! Bye-Bye now!
JC: Bye
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