Harpo Studios/Oprah visits Michael at Neverland Ranch
On February 10, 1993, Oprah Winfrey achieved a major media triumph when she sat down for an exclusive, 90-minute interview with Michael Jackson. Now, sixteen years later, the world mourns the death of this electrifying entertainer and sensitive soul.
There hasn’t been an official statement from Oprah or her people about the death of the great Michael Jackson. She is currently on a fourteen day, Mediterranean cruise with her entire staff. So until word comes from Oprah’s camp, let’s take a look back at her historic visit to Michael Jackson’s home in 1993.
Not only was it Michael’s first interview in fourteen years, he agreed to an unprecedented live, unedited interview from his Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez, California. It was watched by over 100 million viewers around the world and by 90 million Americans, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in US history.
MJ fans at the time became accustomed to Michael confining his remarks to only a few words, but Oprah’s conversational style and ability to create a safe space for her guests allowed Michael to open up and discuss some difficult topics. He denied sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and buying the bones of Joseph (John) Merrick, the Elephant Man as reported in the tabloids.
Michael: It's crazy. Why would I want to sleep in a chamber? (laughs)
Oprah: The rumor was that you were sleeping in the chamber because you didn't want to grow old.
Michael: That's stupid. It's completely made up. I'm embarrassed. I'm willing to forgive the press, or forgive anybody, I was taught to love and forgive, which I do have in my heart, but please don't believe these crazy, horrifying things.
Oprah: Did you buy the Elephant man's bones? Were you trying to get them for...
Michael: No. That's another stupid story. I love the story of the Elephant man, he reminds me of me a lot, and I could relate to it, it made me cry because I saw myself in the story, but no I never asked for the...where am I going to put some bones?...
Michael: ....and why would I want some bones?
Oprah: I don't know. So where did that story come from?
Michael: Someone makes it up, and everybody believes it. If you hear a lie often enough, you start to believe it.
Michael also candidly discussed the color of his skin changing over the years. He admitted to having a skin condition called vitiligo where your skin loses melanin, the pigment that determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes.
Michael: It's in my family, my father said it's on his side. I can't control it, I don't understand. I mean it makes me very sad. I don't want to go into my medical history because that is private, but that's the situation here.
Oprah: So OK, I just want to get this straight, you are not taking anything to change the color of your skin?
Michael: Oh God no, we tried to control it and using make-up evens it out because it makes blotches on my skin. I have to even out my skin.
Michael grimaced when speaking of his painful childhood and the abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness.
At the end of the interview, Oprah asked Michael, “what do you want the world to know about you most?”
Michael: Like to be remembered for?
Oprah: Not to be remembered for - what about now? Forget remembered!
Michael: Oh known for now! As to be an artist, a great artist. I, I love what I do and I would love people to love what I do and to be loved. I just simply want to be loved wherever I go. All over the world, because I love people of all races from my heart with true affection.
Well dear, Michael, from the outpouring all over the world the past few days, rest assured the world loves your work and truly loves you…rest in peace.
You can find the entire transcript of Oprah’s Michael Jackson interview here and for an array of Michael Jackson’s videos, check out this great fan site.
Click here to see Oprah's ground-breaking interview with Michael Jackson.
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Comments
the media trylu did kill you, michael. all that success was sucking the life out of you. rest in peace, michael. we love you.
rip micheal jackson i love your music i liked beat it and dirty diana best though and billie jean.R.I.P mj great dance moves
I agree the media ate michael alive. But he will always be the greatest thing god put in this earth. Thank you michael for being a great individual.
One on the Earths true shining stars. He seemed like a very sensitive extroverted guy with a great talent to entertain. This planet will miss him but he will remain a here in our hearts for a long long time RIP Michael.
we love mj's songs, dance n everything. u're the greatest ever. no one can beat u. we love u. r.i.p
michael jackson was a great person. rest in peace, michael.
MICHAEL JACKSON WAS AND STILL IS A GREAT PERSON RIP. MY FAVORITE SONGS ARE 'YOU ARE NOT ALONE ,BLACK OR WHITE,BAD AND ROCK WITH YOU'. AND FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE HIM A HARD TIME ON HIS SKIN DIEASE LAY OFF BECAUSE PROBABLY NO DID LOOK BETTER THAN YOU AND YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS. LET HIM REST IN PEACE. I LOVE YOU MICHAEL!!!!!!!!
Let them say what they want ....the love we have for you cannot ever go away ....Be with God ...in peace forever Michael
"After Monterey" a Michael Jackson Tribute album by Robert K Walcott of Blue Ribbon Press.
Mijac was THE BEST. I thank God for sharing him with the world for 50 years. He now has all the unconditional love he always needed.
michael words cannot explain my mood and my days and my minutes without you.i miss you.u have healed the world and made it better place.we love you for ever.my tears fall for you.rest in peace dearrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Always & forever in our hearts Michael. May your soul rest in Heavenland!
xxx love u lots!
Love u Michael.U'r God's gift for the world..R.I.P..
OMG honestly, i just cant explain how much i felt when the king of pop died it was like a bullet to the heart. His amazing character, songs and dance moves were outstanding that nobody in the world can compare to him. He is one of a kind,one out of a million and like he said choosen by god. I seriously believe that he was choosen by god.NO MATTTER IF YOURE BLACK OR WHITE... I WILL STILL LOVE YOU MICHEAL JACKSON!!!!REST IN PEACE..
i think he was the greatest on this earth and one of a kind and his music and his souil was so puro in everyway.those bad people need to be broght to justices. the old chef,the boyand parents,the investergateron him that lied,media,rest in peace michael they will pay
michael was a brillent man and a loving person who belived in everyone.his music was beautiful and he was gortous.there a book out called michael jackson conspiracy tells the whole truth.plus the man called martin bashir is a lier and should be punchedand fired.maury povich is on martin site and watch the true video about micheal interviews that really happen.maybe enough people call in abc nightline they will show the whole truth. rest in peace michael we all miss you and love you to soon.you didnt have to go if the policeman didnt puchand lie so much .
michael was the best in everything he done.there will not be another in any life line.we will always remeber him.i wish they would put on oprah show all the things he did for the children and how many kids life he saved one boy he find a liver for and that child lived.what have all the bad people do for these kids? they killed the king,and they should pay.everyone needs to look them up and get justice for michael.his children shoulnt have to live with these lies.its bad enough they took there father away from them being so young.azjo pryor put a letter on jorden channler site read it channler as.... god bless and rest in peace.
I missed alot of it.. how can find it?? waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I saw some of the end..made me cry.. again//
I'll love you forever Michael... You were Gone Too Soon
i love micheal jackson froever dont leave me
please
michael jakson is the best his the king op pop. ur music will live on forever ... peace mj
Michael Jackson:
I remember the day he died like it was yesterday. I was cleaning my room listening to the radio when all of a sudden 95.1 said BREAKING NEWS!! BREAKING NEWS!!! the singer Michael Jackson has still not recovered from his alleged coma. Right then and there my heart dropped. I ran to the TV and turned it to CNN news because I know something this big and if it's true should be on CNN and sure enough it was. I see airplanes and medical equipment everywhere then it happened...across the screen in black and white it said: IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT THE SINGER MICHAEL JACKSON HAS DIED!!! I felt warm tears run down my cheeks and then my heart sorrt just dropped. People ask me all the time why are you crying he was before your time. Everysine I was about 5 I have googled everything on him and I watched the long drawn out trial on TV even when my own family began to have doubts about the molestation I kept strong I believeed in him. May God have Mercy. with Love, Amber
man micheal was awsome, my favorite singer, i aint weird cause of this micheals cool yall
michael jackson had a gr8 quality of changing anything in to a song..we hear his songs and looks like we are looking to michaels real life..so may his soul rest in peace ..long live the king of pop...
I absolutely am and always will be in love with Michael Jackson, and whe he died i couldn't barely live my life. But i know that he wil forever live in my,and everybody else's hearts. I love you Michael! Rest in peace & remeber......we all love you!!!
I LOVE U MICHAEL!!!!!!! I still cannot belive u passed on so early in ur life.....but on the other hand u r and always will be the KING OF POP!! even though ur......u know. My fave songs r smooth criminal, the way u make me feel, who is it, i'll be there, and man in the mirror! I LOVE U MICHAEL! and may ur soul rest in peace......and those of u who critizize Michael for "skin bleachin" "being gay" and "molesting children"....NONE
OF THAT IS TRUE!! SO LAY OFF!!! I LOVE U MICHAEL!!!!!!
Gone to soon, really!!! I always was and will be a fan of you Michael, although you are not in our midst anymore, but you'll always be on my mind forever. The love i have for you will never dies as a pop star. MAY YOUR SOULD REST IN PEACE. S.A
I LOVE YOU MICHEAL,and I always will, sumtimes,I wish I could have died instead of u
I LOVE all of ur songs espescially u r not alone
I love MJ! This is a great interview.
michael jackson i can not belive that he death
it was abad end for michael jackson and last party for him in londan i feel hart on him
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