More than a year after Michael Jackson passed away, Oprah Winfrey sat down with the King of Pop’s family this week to talk about the son and father who they remember with nothing but love.
Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, recently released a book entitled Never Can Say Goodbye chronicling never-before heard memories of her son. Katherine told Oprah she wrote the book “for his fans and for the people that misunderstood him.”
Behind the glove, drugs and media mayhem, Michael’s kids wanted to make one thing clear, “He was just a normal dad, except he was the best dad,” Paris told Oprah. The kids recalled some of their favorite memories of their famous father. Prince recalls, “We were in Bahrain. We used to wake up early and walk the beach-with Coca-Cola and Skittles or Snickers.” Paris remembers spending one-on-one time reflecting with Michael, “One time, we went on the roof when we were in Las Vegas [where we lived], and we just saw the Luxor lights. And sometimes, he would take me to an art museum because we both loved art.” Perhaps the most remarkable revelation the kids made was that Michael made the best French toast in the world. According to Paris, “He was a great cook!”
Oprah’s interview with the Jackson clan showed a side of Michael that the world rarely saw — a doting father, an unconditionally loving son and a gentle soul. While controversy still shrouds his name, his family and his musical legacy will remember him with love and talent. Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, told Oprah, “I just can’t picture him gone. Every time I go into some place — a restaurant or a casino or something — his music is playing.”
Check out a preview from this interview below:
Image courtesy of SpeedDemon74 at WIkimedia Commons.