Madonna talks Michael Jackson in Rolling Stone: 'I was madly in love with him, totally smitten'

Photograph by Herb Ritts for Rolling Stone Magazine

Madonna who has made no secret of her appreciation of Michael Jackson's talent, in a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine reveals that she cared about him and was amazed by his talent.

Madonna says of Michael Jackson, “I was madly in love with him, totally smitten. He was mind-bogglingly talented. " She continued, "The songs he sang were not childlike at all." When asked about her first meeting with MJ, Madonna revealed, "I met him in the early Eighties, when I first started working with my manager, Freddy DeMann, who at the time was managing Michael Jackson. I saw him play at Madison Square Garden, and I was blown away. He was flawless. There was a party at the Helmsley Palace Hotel. He was very shy, but it was a thrill for me." When asked if she was at all jealous of his success she replied, "In a good way. I'd wished I'd written "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." What song didn't I love?"

The interview then focused on the rumors that once existed of a possible collaboration between Michael Jackson and Madonna to which she revealed, "There was a period of time when we hung out. He wanted to work with me, I think he wanted to get to know me, and I wanted to do the same. When you write with somebody, it's a weird experience, you feel vulnerable and shy. When I worked with Justin Timberlake I felt that way. To write songs together is a very intimate experience, like getting tossed into a juggernaut. "On your mark, get set, create!" You have to get past these hurdles, which are, "I want to impress this person, but will they think my ideas are stupid? What if their ideas are stupid? Can I be honest with them? Will they be offended?" You end up talking and gabbing and socializing, and you have to do that in order to get to the next level, to be creative. So that's what we were doing: watching movies, having dinner, hanging out, going to the Oscars, being silly, seeing if we could work. He got relaxed. He took off his sunglasses, had a glass of wine, I got him to laugh."

When asked her thoughts on whether the scrutiny of living under a microscope in the public eye hurt him, she said, "All I have are my opinions, I wasn't very close to him. It's good to have a good childhood and a sense of yourself in the world before people start telling you who they think your are. Where you can make mistakes and have a sense of innocence. It gives you a sense of confidence. I don't think he started off that way. Did he have any sense of himself outside of the world of being adored and famous? It's hard to survive like that. I think he felt insecure about the attention he got, and had a love-hate relationship with his job. He didn't seem to have any close friends. And in the last decade, everybody abandoned him, or wrote him off as crazy. People have said so many things about me that aren't true, and I never once had a second thought that the accusations against him might be true. But he didn't seem to have a way to deal with that, publicly or privately, and it can destroy you. When he died, everyone was saying what a great genius he was, but it's important to appreciate things before you lose them. It's a great tragedy."

Read more of the interview at RollingStone.com.

[Source: RollingStone.com]

Related articles:

Ne-Yo hoping to be 'one of the first' to watch Michael Jackson's 'This Is It'

Justin Timberlake talks Michael Jackson's artistry: 'I think that's what we all try to emulate'

Lisa Marie Presely thanks husband for support with Michael Jackson's death: 'He has cried with me'

R. Kelly pays tribute to Michael Jackson with video clip at New York City concert (video)

Kenny Ortega appears on Oprah, talks Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' (video)

Dancing with the Stars' Cheryl Burke talks Michael Jackson's influence & show tribute (video)

Kobe Bryant appears on L'Uomo Vogue and talks Michael Jackson friendship: 'He wasn't just a genius'

Prince talks Michael Jackson, pays tribute to Jackson 5: 'It is always sad to lose someone you love'

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It': A sneak peek into the film, the rehearsals, and MJ's drive to create

Michael Jackson's 'This is It' to make '$250 million in its first 5 days', says AEG

Michael Jackson's children, despite reports, will NOT appear on reality show says A&E

Harry Connick, Jr. on denouncing Jackson 5 skit: 'I'm pleased with the way I handled the situation'

Jackson family reality show to include 23 cast members, including Michael's children

Michael Jackson to be honored on 'Dancing with the Stars' Oct. 20, LaToya Jackson excited

Michael Jackson is the King of international radio: 'This Is It' burning up the charts, airwaves

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It', Paul Anka gets half, says: 'It's fine if it's an honest mistake'

Michael Jackson's 1988 memoir 'Moonwalk' discusses Elvis: 'I never want to walk those grounds'

It's official: Michael Jackson's new song 'This Is It' debuts online, worldwide (listen here)

Michael Jackson news update: MJ's glove sold, 'This is It' debuts and more

'This is It' lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris talks Michael Jackson: 'He was wonderful and sweet'

Michael Jackson's 'This is It' single previewed on the internet; Artwork and setlist revealed

Michael Jackson's children: 'Help save Scooby-Roo', a 6-month-old, two-legged puppy

Harry Connick, Jr. on racially charged Michael Jackson act: 'I wouldn't have done the show' (video)

For the latest in Entertainment news, simply click the "Subscribe" button on the top of the page. Notifications of all the latest news will be delivered to your inbox.

Follow PopMediaExaminer on Twitter.