178: Jeff Margolis Special

Jeff Margolis joins Jamon Bull for a powerful, deep-dive interview about Margolis’ incredible career in television, and his work with The King of Pop.

Margolis is one of the most successful live TV event directors of all time, having worked on the Oscars, the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the American Music Awards. He has created TV specials with the likes of Cher, Julie Andrews, Dolly Parton, Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rogers and Richard Pryor; made movies with Ringo Starr and Quincy Jones; directed a music video for Whitney Houston. The roster of talent across his many TV projects has also included Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Gene Kelly, Smokey Robinson, Elton John, Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie, Prince, and many, many more.

Margolis’ career led him to cross paths with Michael Jackson numerous times. In 1989, he directed Sammy Davis Jr’s “60th Anniversary Special”, where Michael performed a specially written tribute song called “You Were There”. In 1993, Jeff directed the 20th annual American Music Awards, where Michael performed “Dangerous” for the first time, and won the inaugural International Artist Award, which was thereafter given annually in Michael’s name. In 1995, Margolis signed on as the director of Michael’s ill-fated “One Night Only” HBO special, which fell apart after Michael collapsed in rehearsals. Two years later, he directed “Happy Birthday Elizabeth” at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, where Michael once again performed a specially written song, “Elizabeth, I Love You”.

Michael and Margolis would collaborate again in 2001 for the hastily assembled United We Stand concert, organized within weeks to raise funds for the victims of the 9/11 terror attack in New York. Michael headlined the show, performing “Man in the Mirror” and assembling a glittering line-up for the only time “What More Can I Give” was performed in front of an audience. It would be the last time Michael Jackson ever performed for a stadium audience.

Margolis’ autobiography “We’re Live in 5: My Extraordinary Life in Television” has recently been released, and features many brilliantly told stories, with an entire chapter dedicated to Jeff’s work with Michael Jackson.

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Additional Links
• Jeff Margolis’ website.
• Jeff’s autobiography, We’re Live in 5.
• Damien Shields’ article on “Michael Jackson: One Night Only”.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

Episode 024 – They’ve Got Chalk to Sell

Episode 024 - They've Got Chalk to Sell YouTube ArtOn this premiere episode of The MJCast’s second season, we kick off 2016 with plenty of news and discussion on Michael Jackson and the Jackson family. Jamon and Q are joined by The MJCast’s regular guest and legal expert Charles Thomson and newcomer to the show Andy Healy, author of the incredible MJ101 series. Andy is a long time MJ fan, having written a number of eBooks on Michael’s audio and visual art. These are must haves for any fan, budding or of vintage…and did we mention that they’re free?! In this episode, Andy tells us about his latest Off The Wall eBook, which then leads us in into a discussion on the latest Michael Jackson release, an Off The Wall reissue which is bundled with the new Spike Lee documentary film, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off The Wall. In other news, artist Miguel is set to perform on this years Grammy Awards as a tribute to Michael, and to promote the upcoming Off The Wall reissue. In Jacksons news, the brothers wow crowds across Switzerland in the spectacular Art On Ice touring show. The MJCast also delves into the controversy around English actor Joseph Fiennes being cast to play Michael in a fictitious comedy film set around Michael, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando fleeing New York City after the 9/11 tragedy. Next, the boys offer their opinions on the Super Bowl 50 half-time show and Beyonce’s subtle Michael Jackson tribute.

The second half of Episode 024 begins with Charles Thomson giving an expert breakdown on the Serova V Cascio/Porte/Estate/Sony case. Make sure to access this link to read the latest documents in the case exclusively at The MJCast. And will someone call a plumber?! The leaks just won’t stop! The MJCast breaks down the recent Dangerous Tour concert and rehearsal video leaks courtesy of MJ Beats. A new book from the creators of The Dream Lives On podcast and The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies, takes a sophisticated, academic approach to understanding Jackson’s art and life, providing insights into his entire body of work from a perspective never before available outside of music/culture journals. Lastly, we delve into our main discussion topic, our thoughts on the new Spike Lee Off the Wall documentary. We look forward to hearing your thoughts also! And in Season Two, our popular Finds of the Week segment returns! Thanks so much for listening to the internet’s premiere podcast on all things Michael Jackson and the Jackson family. We hope you enjoy our first episode of Season Two!

News

Discussion Topic

Finds of the Week

Additional Links

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!