Ebony Interview Extracts

November 7th, 2007

In his latest interview, Michael told Ebony magazine that he’s “just about wanting to do wonderful music.” He said:

“I’m writing a lot of stuff right now. I’m in the studio, like, every day.”

Michael didn’t say though if and when he’d have a new album coming out.

He did talk at length about the making of the album ‘Thriller,’ his unveiling of the moonwalk during the 25th Motown Anniversary Special, and breaking barriers at MTV.

“I’m very proud that we opened doors, that it helped tear down a lot. Going around the world, doing tours, in stadiums, you see the influence of the music. When you just look out over the stage, as far as the naked eye could see, you see people. And it’s a wonderful feeling, but it came with a lot of pain, a lot of pain.”

Michael also explained that being a pioneer and “on top of your game” makes artists targets to people that want to “get at them.” Nevertheless he’s grateful:

“All those record-breaking things, to the biggest albums, to those No. 1’s, I still feel grateful.”

Looking ahead to the future, Michael doesn’t see himself performing in 30 years:

“The truth is, umm, no. Not the way James Brown did, or Jackie Wilson did, where they just ran it out, they killed themselves. In my opinion, I wish [Brown] would have slowed down and been more relaxed and enjoyed his hard work.”

And what does he think about all the rumours about him?

“I don’t pay attention to that. In my opinion, it’s ignorance. It’s usually not based on fact. It’s based on, you know, myth. The guy who you don’t get to see. Every neighborhood has the guy who you don’t see, so you gossip about him. You see those stories about him, there’s the myth that he did this or he did that. People are crazy!”

The complete interview is featured in the December issue of Ebony magazine which is hitting newsstands on November 12, 2007.

Source: MJFC-USA

Category: General News, Interviews & Quotes, Michael Alert!