MTV: Michael Jackson Wanted to Be Called the King of Pop
aceshowbiz writes:
"The moment Michael Jackson was referred to as the ‘King of Pop,’ people immediately thought that he was so talented and great that he deserved that title. However, MTV has recently revealed that this nickname was created by Michael Jackson himself, and that he was determined to be called that.
This is mentioned in a new book written by Rob Tannenbaum and Craig Marks titled ‘I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution,’ which deals with uncensored stories from music and MTV. The two authors wrote that in 1991, Michael Jackson sent a letter to MTV asking that he be referred to as the King of Pop. In fact, he wanted all the networks that were broadcasting his new video, Black or White, to use the title King of Pop in introducing him.
The book also states that MTV executives, who had previously been stingy in praising and admiring Michael, had asked the show hosts to use the title King of Pop at least twice a week when introducing Michael Jackson.
It is also said that Larry Stessel, one of the executives at Epic, stated that Michael wanted to have his own special title, like Elvis and Bruce Springsteen, who were respectively called the King and the Boss. Even his advertising manager, Bob Jones, referred to Michael with this title in one of his statements. The company complied with Michael because no one could challenge his qualifications to be King of Pop—he was rightfully the greatest pop artist in the history of the world."
eMJey: Perhaps some people believe that Michael’s very humble character is in contrast with this writing, and that they may see it as an attempt to create controversy and boost book sales. Others may say that, given his ambitious and self-confident nature, it’s not far-fetched that Michael wanted to be called by a nickname that matched his abilities and even greater talent.
But whatever opinion you may have about the accuracy of these two authors’ claim, please don’t forget that it was newspapers that first called Michael the King of Pop in the early 1980s, after the release of the album Thriller (the photo above). Also, Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor called him the King of Pop, Rock, and Soul in the late 1980s. On the other hand, in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael said that Elizabeth Taylor was the first person to call him the King of Pop, and after that, the title appeared on posters, T-shirts, and so on.
It had been rumored that Michael would only agree to an interview with Oprah if he were called the King of Pop. Oprah, while rejecting the rumor, asked Michael where those claims were coming from.
Michael: "I haven’t chosen any nickname for myself. The King of Pop was first said by Elizabeth at one of the award ceremonies. Don’t read and believe the newspaper rumors—it’s stupid."
Source: eMJey.com / AceShowbiz.com
eMJey: Perhaps some people believe that Michael’s very humble character is in contrast with this writing, and that they may see it as an attempt to create controversy and boost book sales. Others may say that, given his ambitious and self-confident nature, it’s not far-fetched that Michael wanted to be called by a nickname that matched his abilities and even greater talent.
But whatever opinion you may have about the accuracy of these two authors’ claim, please don’t forget that it was newspapers that first called Michael the King of Pop in the early 1980s, after the release of the album Thriller (the photo above). Also, Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor called him the King of Pop, Rock, and Soul in the late 1980s. On the other hand, in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael said that Elizabeth Taylor was the first person to call him the King of Pop, and after that, the title appeared on posters, T-shirts, and so on.
It had been rumored that Michael would only agree to an interview with Oprah if he were called the King of Pop. Oprah, while rejecting the rumor, asked Michael where those claims were coming from.
Michael: "I haven’t chosen any nickname for myself. The King of Pop was first said by Elizabeth at one of the award ceremonies. Don’t read and believe the newspaper rumors—it’s stupid."
Source: eMJey.com / AceShowbiz.com