Email
Print
Tribune editor recalls meeting with Jackson
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: June 27, 2009
It was the biggest musical event of summer 1984 - or of most any summer, for that matter.
Michael Jackson was finally reuniting with The Jacksons, playing music with his brothers again for the first time in years. The Victory Tour was a hard ticket to come by - and security around the concerts was very tight.
I was a 21-year-old intern at the News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn., one of the early stops on the tour. Another reporter had been writing stories about a local teenage girl named Trina, who had been visited by Jackson in the hospital years before, when she was critically ill. She credited that visit with giving her the will to recover.
Jackson's media people picked up the story, and contacted Trina. Would she like to go backstage and meet Michael again when the tour came to town?
Only one condition - no reporters.
My crafty city editor decided that perhaps he could sneak a reporter back, as part of Trina's family. He figured the young-looking intern with the Tennessee accent just might be able to bluff her way through.
And so I did.
Tour officials took Trina, her family and I through layers of security leading into the dressing room. When the last door opened, there was the Jackson 5.
Jermaine shook hands with the rest of us while Trina was ushered forward into Michael's presence.
He had on mirrored sunglasses - even though it was night and we were indoors - and the sequin bedecked military-style costume he wore then. The famous sequined glove covered one hand.
Trina stepped forward nervously, saying she was sure he didn't remember her.
"I remember you, Trina," he said right away in his trademark soft voice. "I'm glad to see you are better."
He leaned over and kissed her cheek as tears ran down her face and she squealed with joy.
I remember thinking, even as a naive young reporter, that he probably didn't remember her. He'd met so many sick kids in his career, and the advance men had briefed him on this one.
But at that moment, he made a shy little east Tennessee girl feel like the most special child on earth.
Through the years, even after all the accusations and controversy swirled around Jackson, I always remembered that moment - and how it had been repeated every night that summer, for a sick child in every city Michael Jackson played.
Executive editor Janet Coats can be reached at (813) 259-7325.
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2009 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. | Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
