2001
On January 3, 2001, it was announced in the news that Michael Jackson would attend a Valentine’s Day ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York to raise financial support for his new charity, «Heal The Kids».
For Michael Jackson fans, 2001 began with a major event. But the more interesting news was announced on January 9: ”On March 6, Michael will deliver a speech at the Oxford Union together with Rabbi Shmueli Batiche, the man who has shaken the foundations of the Jewish people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. At the same ceremony, they will announce the reopening date of the «Heal The Kids» charity.“
The next surprising piece of news in late January 2001 was: ”Michael will take part in the tenth annual ”Michael Jackson Day“ celebration hosted by Adrienne Grant, one of Michael’s fans, on March 7, 2001, in London.“
This would be Michael’s first appearance at a celebration hosted by fans.
February 14, the Valentine’s Day everyone had been waiting for, arrived. The ceremony that was to be held that day at Carnegie Hall in New York was of great importance to Michael Jackson, Rabbi Shmueli Batiche, Love’s mother, Dr. Drew Pinski, Dr. Stanley Greenspan, Judith Regan[publisher], Jani Ketchran[agent], Mark L. Walberg [host of Temptation Island], as well as fans who had traveled to New York from all over the world to attend the event.
[Michael – Love’s mother]
The discussion topic for introducing «Heal The Kids», Michael Jackson and Rabbi Shmueli Batiche’s new charity, was: ”Love, work, and parenting: Can you succeed both at home and at work?“
[Michael Jackson – Rabbi Shmueli Batiche]
Rabbi Shmueli Batiche introduced the «Heal The Kids» charity like this:
”The innovative «Heal The Kids» foundation is designed to protect us from the worst hells we might get trapped in: a life in which, even though you are among people, you feel lonely. A life in which your children do not talk to you about the concepts of life, but instead see you as a piggy bank for their PlayStation games. A life in which the television constantly speaks in place of your soul. A life in which shopping for you comes before playing with your children. A life in which searching the internet for you is more important than searching the hearts of your loved ones.
Who would have believed that one day parents would get tired of their children’s dependence on imaginary television films like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz?
Have you ever heard of escaping your children’s world, while in reality you take refuge in someone else’s?
We are talking about depriving children of their basic rights: the right to be loved without having to earn it. The right to be admired without having done anything.“
Rabbi Shmueli Batiche, who had founded the «Heal The Kids» foundation the previous year together with Michael Jackson, invited Michael onstage with these words:
”Real Michael Jackson hasn’t become famous for his dancing in Monaco. He is famous for his love of children.“
Michael Jackson, in his introduction of «Heal The Kids» said:
”Tonight, we are here. In the world’s most famous concert hall, to listen to a kind of music that is completely different. A melody worth praising... This is the music I’m talking about—more tuneful than the thousands of voices that have come together to sing a hymn. The echo of this song is more powerful than the sound of all the percussion instruments played together...
This song is the beautiful song of love. A song that has been left to be forgotten.
Instead of conversations around the dinner table, the noise of video games fills the home. Instead of the talk between parents and their children about the problem of drugs and violence, the deafening sound of silence is heard.
Who would have believed that in playgrounds, instead of children’s voices, the sound of automatic rifles would be heard? Who would have believed that the frantic screams of children, as they run from bullets, would replace the sound of little girls’ voices while playing jump rope? And yet, instead of loving our children more, we use metal detector devices in schools.
I, who am myself a father of two children, know what it means to balance the needs of the family and work. Even let’s not talk about finding someone for myself. Rabbi Shmueli keeps telling me that he will find a perfect woman for me. And my answer is: as long as she isn’t a reporter.“
[Carnegie Hall]
Love’s mother, who was visibly crying during Michael’s speech, talked about her twenty-eight years of married life. And Regan also described the hardships of being a mother.
The ceremony ended with a short Q&A session. After that, Michael delivered his closing remarks. He said that at the next «Heal The Kids» event, which would be held at the University of Oxford in England, he would talk more about love and family. He promised everyone an astonishing speech. Michael also announced the launch of the «Heal The Kids» charity’s website during the event.
Although some time later Michael’s leg gave out due to a fall in Neverland, he promised his fans that he would attend the Oxford University ceremony.
Michael: ”Attending this event is so important to me that I won’t allow a broken foot to stop me from fulfilling my commitment.“
On Sunday, March 4, 2001, Michael arrived at London Airport to begin a busy week.
[Heathrow Airport]
In the early afternoon hours that same day, he checked into the Lanesborough Hotel. Later, he went out for shopping with Macaulay Culkin. They went to the H.M.V. music store and bought several CDs.
On March 5, 2001, Michael had lunch with Yuri Geller and Rabbi Shmueli Batiche at a restaurant in central London. Later that afternoon, the two accompanied him to attend a brief ceremony held by the Royal Institute of British Architects to publicize a new joint book by Batiche and Geller.
[Book launch]
The book, titled ”Jewish Spirit and Monk: An Extraordinary Correspondence“, was a collection of letters that had been exchanged between Batiche and Geller over the years.
At 8:45 p.m. on March 6, 2001, Michael arrived at the University of Oxford.
Michael’s arrival had been scheduled for 6:00 p.m., but at the last moment, because of the pain he felt in his injured foot, he had to see a doctor, which caused his arrival at Oxford to be delayed.
As expected, Michael delivered a speech at the University of Oxford together with his friends Yuri Geller and Rabbi Shmueli Batiche.
[University of Oxford]
Michael’s deep and impactful speech shook the audience.
Michael: ”A speech in a place that previously hosted prominent figures such as Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Ronald Reagan, Robert Kennedy, and Malcolm X is a great honor for me.
Friends, I can’t claim to have the kind of education that the people who spoke in this hall have. They can’t claim to have the kind of talent for dancing in Monaco either. And you know, especially Einstein, wasn’t particularly skilled in dancing.
But I must say that I have seen more different places and cultures than many people. Human knowledge is not limited to paper and ink. Rather, what exists in people’s hearts, their spirit and inner selves, is also part of this knowledge.
So tonight, I would like to suggest that we hang a list of children’s rights on the wall of every home.
The items on this list are:
The right to be loved, without having to earn it.
The right to be protected, without having to deserve it.
The right to feel that they are valuable, even if they may not have done anything truly valuable.
The right to have their words listened to, even if they aren’t entertaining.
The right to have stories told to them in their beds, without having to compete with half-night news to get them.
The right to study at school, without having to worry about bullets.
The right for others to know them as lovable, even if they have faces that only a mother can love.
If you are born knowing that others love you, and you leave this world knowing the same, then you can cope with whatever happens to you between those two times.“
With a crowd of twenty thousand people who had requested to attend the speech, Michael Jackson proved that he had been the most popular guest at the University of Oxford throughout its one hundred and seventy-eight-year history.
And this was an extraordinary success for Michael, who had been named ”the King of Oxford“ by the attendees of the speech.
On March 7, 2001, Yuri Geller renewed his vows in a traditional Jewish ceremony with his wife, Hanne. The wedding celebration took place at the Majisin Mansion in the small town of Sonning-Berkshire, England. Michael attended the event and served as the best man.
A large tent had been set up in the garden to host the one hundred and thirty guests of this celebration.
Michael wore a white Jewish hat and, with the joyful smile on his lips, followed the ceremony with great interest and curiosity.
Michael’s duty as best man was to give Yuri the wedding ring. Immediately after the wedding ceremony ended, the music group began playing traditional Jewish songs. Michael enjoyed the music so much that he stood up and tried to dance along with it until, after a few seconds, because of his injured foot, he was suddenly in severe pain.
[Wedding ceremony]
At the end of the celebration, Yuri Geller’s close relatives and special guests went to pay their respects to Michael, thanking him for attending and hugging him.
That afternoon, Michael appeared onstage at the tenth annual ”Michael Jackson Day“ ceremony hosted by one of his fans, Adrienne Grant, and held at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.
Michael attended the end-of-night ceremony, which included performances by artists in his honor.
In front of three thousand eager fans, Michael was invited onstage by Rabbi Shmueli Batiche.
The King of Pop said: ”Thank you all for coming here. I’m extremely happy and honored by the incredible show I witnessed tonight. You are all so great and I love you... I’m still working on a new album. Two months remain until it’s finished. But I assure you it will be an amazing album. I love you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.“
The proceeds from this event were donated to the «Heal The Kids» charity. Before the start of the ceremony, in the lobby, Michael’s items—including a black hat, a birthday congratulatory phone message, and the booklet Michael had worn at the 2000 World Music Awards—were auctioned. The income from this auction was also presented to the «Heal The Kids» charity.
In the early hours of March 8, 2001, Michael expressed his deep gratitude for the astonishing support his fans in London had shown him. At eight o’clock at night, Michael had planned to go to the theatre Madame Tussaud starring Macaulay Culkin, but because of the pain he suddenly felt in his foot, he had to cancel his schedule.
At nine o’clock in the morning on March 9, 2001, Michael left London.
And that story came to an end.
Ten days after this very successful trip to London, Michael was given a great honor.
On March 19, Michael Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
Having just broken his foot at home in Neverland; after the praise the band Incink gave him, he limped onto the stage.
Michael said: ”As you can see, tonight we won’t have Monaco.“
[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]
During a short speech, Michael thanked Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, and Diana Ross, whom he called ”his second mother”. He also expressed gratitude to his parents for giving him such talent.
Michael: ”Since I was a child, the gift of music has been a tremendous blessing for me.“
[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]
On April 16, 2001, it was announced in the news that Michael would perform live in New York. The King of Pop celebrated the thirtieth year of his career as a solo artist with a royal concert.
Michael’s spokesperson, Cherie Finn, said: ”Among the celebrities who are said to be attending this event are Jill Scott, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Incink, Mark Anthony, and Shaggy.“
Also at this concert, the Jackson brothers would reunite for the first time after their last group performance in the late 1980s.
The 42-year-old Jackson said in a statement: ”I’m very excited to celebrate the thirtieth year of my career as a solo artist, along with a group of talented and outstanding artists, my friends and fans. I’m looking forward to performing at this concert and joining my brothers on this special night.“
It was expected that on this night, Michael would sing with Whitney Houston and Britney Spears and would also perform, in preview form, songs from his long-promised album that was to be released that same year. It was also expected that the Jackson Five would perform a medley of the group’s best songs.
Michael’s spokesperson: ”The Jackson brothers will perform at least one song together with Incink.“
According to Michael’s spokesperson statements published in the media, this expensive concert would use a choir group of three hundred church members, a choir group of two hundred children, a forty-eight-member orchestra, forty dancers, and twelve backing vocalists.
The news said: ”The concert continues with the presence of forty rock and blues singers and traditional American songs, sung collectively in tribute to Michael.“
Michael’s spokesperson said: ”This concert will be filmed for television broadcast.“
On June 6, 2001, news spread worldwide that Michael had finished work on his new album.
On June 13, Michael’s friend and co-producer David Gest confirmed that: ”Michael’s thirtieth-year celebration as a solo artist will be held soon. In the two concerts scheduled for September 7 and 10, 2001, at Madison Square Garden in New York, more than two hundred music stars will be present.“
The CBS television network reported that these incredible concerts, along with a two-hour special program, would be broadcast on the network in the fall season.
The next day, on June 14, the New York radio station W.K.T.U. unexpectedly revealed the name of Michael’s new album: «Invincible».
On June 15, Michael and Sony’s company mentioned the final release date for the «Invincible» album as September 25, 2001. Later, it was postponed until October 29 of that same year.
On June 19, it was reported that Michael had chosen the song «You Rock My World» as the first single from his new album.
On June 28, Jay-Z surprised the people who had gathered to watch his performance at the Nassau Coliseum by calling Michael onto the stage. Although Michael did not perform, his mere presence was enough to send the loudest crowd screams of that night into the sky.
[Michael – Jay-Z]
Michael’s only words to the crowd were: ”I love you all“
Rock ‘n’ Roll recording company FLA reported that Michael would make a special appearance on Jay-Z’s next album. Although Jay tried to repay Michael’s kindness, appearing on his new album was not part of his schedule.
On July 11, it was reported that «You Rock My World», the first single from Michael’s new album, would not be released in the United States.
On July 31, in less than five hours, all tickets for both concerts of ”Michael Jackson’s Thirtieth Anniversary as a Solo Artist“ were sold out. Ticket prices ranged from forty-five to two thousand five hundred US dollars.
On August 1, Michael launched his first official website.
On August 17, «You Rock My World» was played on a US radio station, as the first single from the long-promised «Invincible» album. An anonymous source had provided the song to the radio station Jemin 105.1 without having a license from Sony or from Michael himself.
On August 30, Michael rang the opening bell of the Nasdaq stock market by pressing a button. Shortly after that, on the occasion of his forty-third birthday, he received a huge birthday cake and an old poster of Shirley Temple. Michael said: ”Right now, I’m deeply thrilled at this special moment. Thank you, David, Wyk, and Nasdaq. Thank you all. I love you and all my fans. Thank you.“
A prize was also presented to Michael by Hardwick Simmons, the executive director of Nasdaq.
[Nasdaq]
On September 6, in a surprising onstage appearance at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, where the MTV music video awards ceremony was held, Michael performed the song «POP» together with Incink. Michael surprised the crowd with a short but dazzling piece of his dancing. His brief appearance at the event was the top headline across the world, and was considered by viewers and critics as the best part of the show.
[MTV Awards Ceremony]
On September 7 and 10, 2001, Michael performed two incredible concerts at Madison Square Garden.
On September 8, the New York Daily newspaper wrote about the previous day’s concert in an article titled ”His return to the stage made the Garden overflow with crowds“:
Michael Jackson went onstage at Madison Square Garden last night to show everyone that he still knows how to be the King of Pop.
With the magic that placed «Thriller» and «Bad» among the best-selling albums in history, along with many music stars, he performed in America for the first time in eleven years.
Onstage, Michael joined his brothers to perform a medley of the Jackson Five’s best songs with them. He, along with Britney Spears, who wore a short skirt, presented an exciting version of the song «The Way You Make Me Feel» and, by delighting his audience, shook their world again.
When the Jacksons put on their famous white sequined gloves and put their black hats on, and performed their electric dance to the song «Billie Jean», the crowd went wild. With his Moonwalk, Michael whipped up a storm among the audience.
When Michael’s brothers, Jermaine, Jackie, Marlon, and Tito—members of the Jackson Five in the late 1970s—arrived at the celebration venue, about a thousand fans were standing on the steps of the post office building inside the grounds to watch their arrival.
This big celebration began with an hour delay at 8:40 p.m. Amid shouts of joy and deafening cheers, Whitney Houston, Usher, and Maya sang «Wanna Be Starting Something». And twenty-four dancers danced along with it in costumes like cave dwellers.
The 43-year-old Jackson, along with his father, Elizabeth Taylor, and Macaulay Culkin, watched the opening ceremony from a ceremonial location.
Incink, Lisa Minelli, and Mark Anthony each performed their own programs onstage. Jill Scott, Destiny’s Child, Shakil O’Neal, Chris Tucker, Goldies Knight were among those who attended the celebration or performed in it.
Marlon Brando also appeared onstage while sitting on a half-moon-shaped chair to talk about the death of children around the world. The crowd, clearly not interested in listening to his remarks, began to murmur. Until Brando said that Michael had donated money to build a hospital in Florida—and then they became quiet to listen to him.
The audience was impatient for Michael to come onstage, and they shouted his name in unison. And when other stars performed Michael’s songs onstage, they had the chance to stand up from their seats, buy snacks, and leave.
The main part of the concert began when Elizabeth Taylor called Michael and his brothers onto the stage.
When they came onstage, the crowd in the venue happily stood up from their seats.
The brothers performed a medley of songs «I Want You Back», «The Love You Save», «I'll Be There», «ABC», «Rockin Robin», and «Can You Feel It» along with the Jackson Five’s dance moves. Hearing the Jackson brothers’ voices became a bit difficult. But Michael subdued the crowd’s noise with constant shouts of ”I love you“.
Incink joined the brothers onstage and sang the song «Dancing Machine» with them. And after a long break, Britney Spears joined Michael onstage to perform «The Way You Make Me Feel». After this performance ended, when Chris Tucker called Michael back onstage, he appeared holding a box.
He pulled his black jacket, hat, and white sequined gloves out of the box and performed «Billie Jean» brilliantly, with all the classic and plentiful Moonwalk moves.
After that, Michael called for the slashes to perform «Black Or white» and «Beat It». During the performance of «Beat It», Michael displayed the dance moves from the song’s music video onstage with a dance group. And he finished this segment with a performance of his new song «You Rock My World». Then, amid the smoke and dust from the fireworks, he left the stage.
At 12:25 a.m. at night, a line of stars from that event gathered onstage to end the celebration by performing the song «We Are The World», led by Quincy Jones.
Michael thanked everyone for coming and said the final ”I love you“, asking his fans to leave the venue. But they had to know that as long as he was there, they weren’t going anywhere. In the end, the night ceremony officially ended when Michael left.
The unrelenting applause for Michael showed that the media should change their favorite nickname for addressing him—from ”one glove“ to ”dear glove“.
