Adrian Grant talks about Michael
A very strong fan base in the UK helped Adrian Grant put together a successful musical show in praise of the King of Pop.
Adrian Grant’s life as a theater producer has been full of excitement and events since he became a Michael Jackson fan in 1988. He is now putting on shows that have been written/endorsed by our great mega-star, Michael Jackson.
Grant is staging the musical Thriller Live on stage at the West End Theatre from this Wednesday, January 21, for the next two months.
But let’s see what Adrian Grant’s first meeting with our mega-star in 1990 was like.
"When I first went to Neverland (Michael’s home), I saw monkeys jumping up and down in cages above. There was a tiger there, a giraffe, a few lamas, and animals like that. I thought to myself that it wasn’t realistic. His security officer told me, 'This is realistic for Michael Jackson. This is how he was raised. This is his reality.'"
"When you spend time with him, you’ll realize he’s a very realistic person. He tells jokes and is very clever and intelligent when it comes to music and his art. But beyond all those things, he’s a completely normal person who has achieved enormous success. Unfortunately, he has lived under a microscope. He’s been unpretentious and simple, and people have disappointed him and made mistakes that kept him waiting."
In the 1980s, Grant founded the magazine "Off The Wall," which is considered one of Michael’s fan magazines. It was initially printed in 200 copies, but its circulation reached 25,000. Eventually, starting in 1991, he began an annual show in tribute to Michael, and in its tenth year, the King of Pop was also among its audience.
Grant says:
"It’s actually staging the interpretation I have of his concept of music. The interesting thing is that when one of Michael’s songs is played during the show, people stand up to dance and have a great time, and nobody talks about Michael’s past accusations. In this show, we don’t get into controversies. Our audience is between 5 and 70 years old, and all of them stand up and dance."
Grant has toured Thriller Live twice across the UK and has also visited parts of Europe. This year, he is taking the show to Czechoslovakia and Poland.
A recorded version of this musical will be sent to Michael Jackson, who is busy in Los Angeles working on an album and new ideas. The King of Pop has promised his fans a world tour and to appear on television programs.
"He comes back better and more successful than before. I’m looking forward to hearing his new songs. In the future, he will leave behind his past and its negative things. Michael Jackson’s music will always be accepted."
"When we started the tour, he sent me a congratulatory message. But besides that, there is no direct connection with Michael."
Grant believes that his many meetings with Michael show that the King of Pop is not a reclusive person, and that Michael’s isolation is a myth created and embellished by the media.
"In the end, he is one of the most honest and straightforward stars I’ve ever seen in my life. Prince (the Black singer) is reclusive, but Michael opens doors for people and his fans. I once performed a few dance moves for him, and it made him laugh. His advice to me was that to last in this industry, I need the skin of a rhinoceros."
In the West End Theatre, Ben Foster is the voice of Michael in his rock songs. Foster sings songs like Beat It and Dirty Diana.
"We could never compete with one person like Michael. And that’s because of the huge career he built over the past 40 years. For the show of Michael Jackson’s teenage and young adult years, we use five singers.
Source: eMJey / The Nothern Echo
But let’s see what Adrian Grant’s first meeting with our mega-star in 1990 was like.
"When I first went to Neverland (Michael’s home), I saw monkeys jumping up and down in cages above. There was a tiger there, a giraffe, a few lamas, and animals like that. I thought to myself that it wasn’t realistic. His security officer told me, 'This is realistic for Michael Jackson. This is how he was raised. This is his reality.'"
"When you spend time with him, you’ll realize he’s a very realistic person. He tells jokes and is very clever and intelligent when it comes to music and his art. But beyond all those things, he’s a completely normal person who has achieved enormous success. Unfortunately, he has lived under a microscope. He’s been unpretentious and simple, and people have disappointed him and made mistakes that kept him waiting."
In the 1980s, Grant founded the magazine "Off The Wall," which is considered one of Michael’s fan magazines. It was initially printed in 200 copies, but its circulation reached 25,000. Eventually, starting in 1991, he began an annual show in tribute to Michael, and in its tenth year, the King of Pop was also among its audience.
Grant says:
"It’s actually staging the interpretation I have of his concept of music. The interesting thing is that when one of Michael’s songs is played during the show, people stand up to dance and have a great time, and nobody talks about Michael’s past accusations. In this show, we don’t get into controversies. Our audience is between 5 and 70 years old, and all of them stand up and dance."
Grant has toured Thriller Live twice across the UK and has also visited parts of Europe. This year, he is taking the show to Czechoslovakia and Poland.
A recorded version of this musical will be sent to Michael Jackson, who is busy in Los Angeles working on an album and new ideas. The King of Pop has promised his fans a world tour and to appear on television programs.
"He comes back better and more successful than before. I’m looking forward to hearing his new songs. In the future, he will leave behind his past and its negative things. Michael Jackson’s music will always be accepted."
"When we started the tour, he sent me a congratulatory message. But besides that, there is no direct connection with Michael."
Grant believes that his many meetings with Michael show that the King of Pop is not a reclusive person, and that Michael’s isolation is a myth created and embellished by the media.
"In the end, he is one of the most honest and straightforward stars I’ve ever seen in my life. Prince (the Black singer) is reclusive, but Michael opens doors for people and his fans. I once performed a few dance moves for him, and it made him laugh. His advice to me was that to last in this industry, I need the skin of a rhinoceros."
In the West End Theatre, Ben Foster is the voice of Michael in his rock songs. Foster sings songs like Beat It and Dirty Diana.
"We could never compete with one person like Michael. And that’s because of the huge career he built over the past 40 years. For the show of Michael Jackson’s teenage and young adult years, we use five singers.
Source: eMJey / The Nothern Echo