Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009 by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Sep 14, 2007 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i read this a long time ago... before all the marriages and artificial inseminations... back when everyone called him 'wacko jacko' because of the nose jobs, girly voice and pet monkey... it was an interesting read and now that all of this other stuff is tabloid fodder, the book gives you a much clearer insight as to why this poor guy's so messed up. money certainly doesn't buy happiness.

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Jan 09, 2011 Eleanore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bio-memoir, fandom, music, nonfiction

It's worth noting right off the bat that Taraborelli is an author who, despite being demonstably eager to do justice to his subject, struggles with accuracy. The first half of the book - which focuses on Michael's youth until about age 20, just after the release of his first solo album outside Motown, "Off the Wall", in 1979 - is rather obviously the better researched (and clearly more accurate) half of this massive tome. The rest isn't something to be ignored or completely written off, however....more

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Aug 01, 2009 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am no fan of Michael Jackson. I bought this book few months before he died and it just stayed there in my bookshelves until he died and my friends (who are fans) kept talking about him in the office. Then one of them even gave me a copy of Jackson 5 Motown album for my birthday. So, I picked this 700 plus-page book and gave me 5 days to read. I thought it would be a tall order because I haven't finished a book this thick in less than a week before. However, I found the writing very fluid and e...more

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Jul 12, 2009 RNOCEAN rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So much has how been said and written about the life and career of Michael Jackson that it has become almost impossible to disentangle the man from the myth. This book is the fruit of over 30 years of research and hundreds of exclusive interviews with a remarkable level of access to the very closest circles of the Jackson family - including Michael himself. Cutting through tabloid rumours, J. Randy Taraborrelli traces the real story behind Michael Jackson, from his drilling as a child star throu...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Sayra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This guy was really weird and this book show all facettes of his weirdness. But its not a well-written book, well-researched probably, but definetly not well written. I'd recommed it for Michael Jackson-fans (which I am not), but most other people won't enjoy reading it. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that a) I was a little curious and b) I was on the train and there was nothing else to do.
So: 2 out of 5 stars, because it just didn't suck enough to take another book with me the n...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Lady Sharmaine Ong rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As what Michael Jackson says "why not tell people l'm an alien from Mars. tell them I eat live chickens and do voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is NUTS. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth."

From his chilhood to his present Michael is s...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was a pretty good read but I couldn't help but notice that J Randy has his own ideas and beliefs and is trying to sway the reader to his way of thinking as far is Michael is concerned. It was very clear what he believes to be the truth about Michael's sexuality. I would consider this fiction at best.

He claims to have had a personal friendship with Michael, yet this book was written entirely based off of magazine articles, he say/ she say, and what others none of whom was the man himself, hav...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Tara Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Summary:
A brief summary of what you thought the book was about.

This was the story of Michael Jackson’s life from beginning to finish, told by one of the journalists that interviewed him frequently over the decades of his success. Also, copious research went into this massive work, to document much of his earlier years and what actually happened behind closed doors.

(Your Name)'s Thoughts:
This was well written, and I enjoyed it immensely, reading the whole work in roughly three days. I had always...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Sabrina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book for two reasons: (1) Subject Mattter - I'm a BIG Michael Jackson fan. The biggest. and (2) I'm a fan of the author.

Not because he's a gifted writer or because his works are entirely factual but because he is very entertaining to read. He also wrote "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot", another 600+ page tome that I could not put down. Just as in the "Jackie" book it is clear that he has great affection for the celebrities about whom he writes, he also expresses it and b...more I bought this book for two reasons: (1) Subject Mattter - I'm a BIG Michael Jackson fan. The biggest. and (2) I'm a fan of the author.

Not because he's a gifted writer or because his works are entirely factual but because he is very entertaining to read. He also wrote "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot", another 600+ page tome that I could not put down. Just as in the "Jackie" book it is clear that he has great affection for the celebrities about whom he writes, he also expresses it and being a journalist, he has a gift for writing in a sensationalist manner, which keeps the reader riveted. Of course, a good journalist is unbiased, but we'll give him a pass.

If you can close your mind to the parts where the author has taken GIANT, sweeping, creative license - he would have had to be a fly on the wall for many of the converstations he seems to have first-hand accounts about, like dialogue between Lisa and Michael that there was NO WAY he was privvy to and scenes between MJ and the young men in his world and even convos between other family members - you will really enjoy this edition.

It does seem that Mr. Taraborelli and MJ were estranged for the last several years of his life (from the last molesation trial in 1995 to the end of MJ's life) and he admits as much. And the book suffers from that point on. However, the epilogue was very enjoyable for me, just an outpuring of grief, wonder and admiration for a fallen star who was just gone too soon.

I read the last section of the book (The Man in the Mirror) alone in my room, by candlelight. Not by design, it just happened to work out that way and I was so glad that I got to take that time alone to enjoy the last few pages about MJ with do distraction and with the focus that I felt The King deserved.

Do I think MJ deserved better? Absolutely! Is this edition absolutely peppered with bad grammar, typographical errors and editing mistakes? Well, yes. But it gets full marks from me because it was a joy to read and a welcome addition to my library. Rest well, Michael and thanks again Mr. Taraborrelli. (less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Susan added it · review of another edition

I have enjoyed Tarraborrelli's biographies in the past and this one did not disapoint. He is thorough and fair in his writings,including this all-inclusive work on Michael Jackson. I am not a fan of Michael Jackson's music but his life-story is interesting (and bizarre!) ,to say the least!! The fact that the author and the singer have known each other since childhood makes it all the more gripping. I bought the newly revised edition that was released in August after MJ's death,so it includes the...more

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Jul 31, 2010 MAP rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, biographies-and-memoirs

Having started this book right after reading a biography of 7 people (Six Wives of Henry VIII) that was 450 pages long, 700+ pages of biography of a 20th century entertainer seemed a tad excessive. Granted, I realize that this is a book that has gone through several editions, and so it's easy for the pages to build up since things that may have been edited out if it had been written at one time stayed since it was written throughout 3 decades. But did I really need to read about Michael Jackson'...more Having started this book right after reading a biography of 7 people (Six Wives of Henry VIII) that was 450 pages long, 700+ pages of biography of a 20th century entertainer seemed a tad excessive. Granted, I realize that this is a book that has gone through several editions, and so it's easy for the pages to build up since things that may have been edited out if it had been written at one time stayed since it was written throughout 3 decades. But did I really need to read about Michael Jackson's mother's birthday party?

This book took me almost a month to get through, and I had to extend my loan from the library twice. I read it because I had read earlier this year a book that MJ fans find "scathing" and "unfair" and this one is usually held up as being too nice to him, so I thought it would be a good balance. Interestingly, though, the "scathing" biography pretty much absolves MJ of all molestation accusations, and this one stays much more ambivalent.

There's not terribly much that's new or interesting about this book, except maybe some insights into the Jacksons' childhoods, and while the fact that Randy T. has a personal relationship with the Jacksons in some ways adds an extra dimension, in other ways it makes it more confusing, as you sometimes spend more time analyzing Randy's role in the conversation than the actual conversation. Like -- how did Randy originally meet them? At what point did the relationship change from friends to reporter and reported? Was every conversation as an adult done in the reporter role, or was it ever off the record?

If you are massively massively interested in the tiniest details of the Jacksons' life, this book is for you. If you're just kind of interested in his weirdness, I would recommend the other book I read, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson. However, BOTH of these books suffer from being rushed out after his death, and contain major typos, missing quotation marks, missing parentheses, etc. If you're like me, this will drive you up the wall.(less)

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Jun 25, 2010 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, what to even say about this book. I read this book last summer right after Michael died because I decided I really wanted to try to understand the seemingly complicated man that was the King of Pop. I chose this book because I've read other biographies by J. Randy Taraborrelli, and he is GREAT. His writing style is always compelling, and he's always unbiased which is important for a biographer. Unlike some books would surely have done, this book didn't portray Michael as some sort of wacky...more

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Jan 08, 2010 Kathy Scantle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was 1983, I was living in Denver, when I turned on the TV and started watching the Motown 25 Special. The Jackson 5 (now adults)had just finished performing when Michael Jackson announced that he loves those old songs but now he wanted to perform a new song, Billie Jean. I was totally stunned by his performance. He looked so different than the last time I had seen him as a child performing with the Jackson 5. I had never seen such an amazing performance. Because of this one performance, I hav...more It was 1983, I was living in Denver, when I turned on the TV and started watching the Motown 25 Special. The Jackson 5 (now adults)had just finished performing when Michael Jackson announced that he loves those old songs but now he wanted to perform a new song, Billie Jean. I was totally stunned by his performance. He looked so different than the last time I had seen him as a child performing with the Jackson 5. I had never seen such an amazing performance. Because of this one performance, I have tried to follow his performances ever since.

As the author, Randy Taraborrelli, records in his book, only two other national TV appearances have ever delivered pop music stardom and the other 2 were the Beatles and Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show. However, Michael Jackson was the only one who did the singing and the dancing.

Fred Astaire, whose dance videos Jackson frequently watched, phoned Jackson the day after that performance and told him that he was one hell of a dancer. "A great mover." He said, "you really put them on their asses last night. You're an angry dancer. I'm the same way." He was surprised that a person who dances with such anger would have such a soft voice. Gene Kelly frequently visited Jackson after the performance to talk shop. I think of Jackson as a very passionate performer.

Who better to write a biography of Michael Jackson than Randy Tarborrelli who was enamored of all things Motown since he was a young boy. (The author is white.) He first interviewed Jackson when Jackson was 10 years old. He was able to write as a fan, a reporter, and a critic. He has written various other biographies and he is a news consultant for CBS news, so his book seemed more credible than other books I've written on the same topic. This was not the sensational, speculative type biography but one that spanned all of Jackson's life and appeared to be honest reporting.

The chapters were short and although the book was over 700 pages long, it was a page turner. While reading the book I found myself having many different opinions of Jackson: a narcissist, irresponsible, strange, bizarre, unreasonable, sweet, shy, kind, product of a dysfunctional family, maddening and on and on. I thought it was irresponsible that he had so many resources available and although he worked so hard to perfect his artistry, he did not, until later in his life, use those resources to try to help himself personally.

Jackson's Thriller album has outsold any other album in history. He wanted every album he recorded after Thriller to be more successful and he was disappointed in himself they weren't. Like myself, a fan of his performances, who wanted each performance to better his Motown Special performance.

Most people probably see his cosmetic surgery as crippling as though he couldn't be honest about his looks. So too he was never honest about himself as perhaps he was crippled by a dysfunctional family and early celebrity.

Dance on, Michael Jackson, may you rest finally in peace.

(less)

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Nov 18, 2009 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

The first cd I ever owned was Michael Jackson's Dangerous. It was at that point that MJ would be the most fascinating artist to me. He was an enigma.

Like most people, I was astounded by all the things that he supposedly did (which I'm still not sure of - too much deception involved on both sides), but also by the controversial things that can't be denied. Since his death in June, I have wanted to learn more about him. I read a couple magazines about him and they mostly talked about who he was m...more The first cd I ever owned was Michael Jackson's Dangerous. It was at that point that MJ would be the most fascinating artist to me. He was an enigma.

Like most people, I was astounded by all the things that he supposedly did (which I'm still not sure of - too much deception involved on both sides), but also by the controversial things that can't be denied. Since his death in June, I have wanted to learn more about him. I read a couple magazines about him and they mostly talked about who he was musically and left out everything that was controversial.

Then I saw this book in the bookstore about a month ago (as of 11.18.09) and immediately wanted to read it. I picked up this book and from the beginning, I was hooked by Mr. Taraborrelli's writing. It is a thick book but it was a quick read.

The ending (or quite possibly, the last 3rd of the book) seemed rushed, as some other reviewers have noted, but the parts that were the best were the years leading up (the story of the Jackson 5's rise to fame and the story of Mike leaving his brothers behind along with the rest of the music industry to start his own astonishing career) to the 1st molestation charge (in the early 90s). As someone else noted, I am not sure how accurate the conversations were from that point, because Mr. Taraborrelli had not met with Mike since that time. But all in all, this book was quite good. I would put it up there with my top 5 favorite biographies.

I wish that Taraborrelli covered a little bit more of the Dangerous album because he gave extensive detail to the making of Thriller and Bad as well as the previous Jackson 5 material. But this was a bias because I truly loved the Dangerous album. However, Taraborrelli did make me feel bad for MJ because he had a rough life. Yes, he had millions and millions of dollars but what price did he pay to get all that. His family, according to the author, were always after his money as well as many other people in his circle. He always had a ton of lawsuits pending against him at all times, partially because of his lack of following through but also because people constantly took advantage of him.

Either way, his life was an enigma and the only person would knows what he was thinking was himself and God. The legacy he lives behind is great as far as the music and dancing is concerned. But the character that he had was not something to be admired or desired. It is quite a breath of fresh air to have read this book because it gives me a renewed perspective about my life and about all that I have constantly taken for granted. (less)

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May 30, 2012 Summer Lane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Jackson. He was an enigma. A legend. A never-ending reality show. Perhaps the greatest modern entertainer of our time. From 'I Want You Back' to 'Billie Jean' to 'Heal the World,' his songs are known around the world. And who can forget his jaw-dropping moonwalk or the easy grace with which he moves his body when he dances? Nobody can. In this book, J. Randy Taraborrelli chronicles in great detail the story of Michael Jackson's life and how he came to be the King of Pop.

The book starts...more Michael Jackson. He was an enigma. A legend. A never-ending reality show. Perhaps the greatest modern entertainer of our time. From 'I Want You Back' to 'Billie Jean' to 'Heal the World,' his songs are known around the world. And who can forget his jaw-dropping moonwalk or the easy grace with which he moves his body when he dances? Nobody can. In this book, J. Randy Taraborrelli chronicles in great detail the story of Michael Jackson's life and how he came to be the King of Pop.

The book starts out with Michael's humble beginnings winning local talent shows in Gary, Indiana, and he and his brother's subsequent contract with Motown as the Jackson 5. From there Michael leaned to become an outstanding entertainer. However, there was so much inner turmoil in his family that there was no familial support or love for him to fall back on from the stress of show business. His father had a tendency to be abusive and Michael would later come to hate him. His brothers were miserable examples of morality and conscience, which left irreparable damage on the youngest group member's mind. By the time he decided to break away - and there was much drama over this - he was ready to say goodbye to his crazy family and become a successful artist. Who could have predicted the success he would have had with Thriller? It's never been done before, and it certainly hasn't been done since. But, as the book progresses, Michael's star power becomes tarnished by massive personal issues: horrible self-image, countless plastic surgeries, egotistical behavior, bizarre goings-ons, and more. It would seem that when Michael rested on the top of the world, he believed that he could do anything he wanted. There was no boundary line drawn between what was right and what was wrong. With Michael it just WAS, and what was included anything he wanted. As his physical appearance transformed, so did his life. He became obsessed with surrounding himself with children, lamenting the loss of his own childhood, perhaps being unable to see that he was living a life that no one had ever lived before. His mistake lay in clinging to hurts and struggles of the past rather than enjoying his incredible success in the present. When child molestation charges were leveled against him in the early 90s, he began turning to drugs for the first time in his life. It took him a decade to recover from the horror and stress that ordeal brought to him. In fact, it was reported that after he left the hotel room he had been lodging in, staff members found vomit all over the carpet, hundreds of wads of chewed gum stuck to the ground, places where the plaster had been punched out and bizarre phrases such as 'I love you,' written on the walls during the molestation charges. He would eventually resolve the matter without going to court. But was he innocent? Nobody will truly ever know, especially since he DID go to trial over more charges during the 2000s. It is definitely reasonable to assume that his fascination with children was more than a little strange. In fact, it was downright inappropriate at times. But Michael had the mentality of a child in that he assumed that what he wanted was always fine. But where do you draw the line between what is self-want and what is criminal? Michael also acted like a spoiled, wealthy child: avoiding problems, often firing wonderful people without reason by way of a letter or non-personal phone call, becoming incensed when he could not have "his" way.

I have no right to make any judgement on Michael Jackson. He is still my favorite pop artist. I adore 'Thriller' and I love 'Bad.' In fact, when I was younger I had a huge crush on the Michael Jackson of the 1980s (Those aviators! Those sparkly jackets!) Really! He was adorable and brilliant and who doesn't love a guy who can sing? He was a genius, really. It's so sad to see that he was so intensely unhappy at the end of his life...who knows how his story might have ended had he not made so many of the consequential choices that he did. Would he still be with us? Only God knows, but we can still enjoy his legacy and his gift of music today. (less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Daniel Armando Huesca Garcia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In his book 'The Magic, The Madness, The whole story'' by Randy Taraborrelli about Michael Jackson, there is a part of the book where he talks about the first time Michael Jackson met Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears at a hotel. In his book he mentioned another man in the room but not his name.

I'm reading a different book right now called 'The Michael Jackson Tapes'. It's not a biography but transcripts of conversations Michael had with Rabbi Smuley Boteach about life, god, and how being a...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Dieu Linh Nguyen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone, Michael Jackson fans, music lovers

As a huge fan of the King of Pop, I think this book is amazing! By reading this, I knew so much more about Michael, at the same time, understand that he only is a human too. Taraborrelli's done a wonderful job on researching, interviewing and writing the book without being biased or opinionated. I love the book and I think it'd be a great book for everyone to spend some times on.

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Mar 03, 2013 Anna Domańska rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, owned, hall-o-shame, ridiculous-title

I read this book's 1991 and 2004 edition, as well as this one, the 2009 edition. This is a doorstopper of a book and quite jarring in its' halcyon first act, then it's scathing second section, which is followed by a very sympathetic third section which just about contradicts the harshness of previous statements.

Is he gay or isn't he? The author strongly implies homosexuality a third into the book, then no further mention is made, only fanciful descriptions of his never ending love for Lisa Marie...more

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Apr 15, 2012 JoJo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: j-randy-taraborrelli, favorites

Never written a review; but, this is my thoughts upon finishing:

Being a Jackson fan for as long as I can remember, it took me a long time to even want to read about his life/death.

I researched the author and felt like this would be the most forthcoming, true accounting of facts, and was not disappointed.

The younger years with his brothers, his abusive father, multiple family tours, LaToya's destructive behavior, his devotion to his mother, leaving his faith, his relationship with Lisa Marie, his...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Cammie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Michael. :( Taraborelli's final update to his book is a pretty fair read. You can tell tho, that as Michael gets older and Taraborelli has less and less contact with Michael than he did in the early years, the book slowly moves away from facts and moves into speculation about what Taraborelli "thinks" went on towards the last years of Michael's life. Still he paints a reasonably fair portrait of Michael Jackson. Although die hard fans may be upset at some stories or anecdotes that don't portr...more

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Aug 17, 2012 kisha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction-biography, books-i-never-finished

When i first began this extremely long book about the musical genius, I couldnt put it down. I was so intrigued. It gave me so much insight about who he was as a person, father, son, performer. But somewhere around midway through the book or so. I became more confused and left with more questions. I dont even understand how the author left me so confused right when I thought I was beginning to understand this great man! And right when I was beginning to become more team MJ, he started creeping m...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Franz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was the first I ever read about Michael Jackson, way back in 1991, When the first edition came out. The earliest parts are meticulously researched, and fair, pointing out the singers eccentricities while being sure to highlight Jacksons goodness and accomplishments. However, in later editions, the newer material realizes increasingly on untrustworthy sources, and, sadly, the music is covered less and less. One chapter is used to review 3 albums. The newer editions also become less and...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, entertainers, african-americans

It's not the whole story, it essentially ends 2005/6, but for those years it may be as close to the story as might ever be possible. The author creates a good chronology of the family, Michael's individual rise to fame and Micheal's personal life. The author sustains your interest over 700 pages.

It appears to be a thrice published book. A 1991 bio seems to have been updated to capitalize on the Chandler litigation and then again on Jackson's death when about 50 pages were added. Despite the obv...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Considering it was written after Michael passed, I believe the author knew Michael would not have approved. Is it a true reference of Michael"s life? Probably in pieces, but I think most of it sounds like a tabloid. It talks about the relationship of Michael and Dianna Ross, Lisa Marie and Debbie Rowe, his failed marriages, nose surgery the split of Jackson 5, Michael leaving Motown Records, The haunting Pepsi commercial, his relationship with his dad and brothers, and about his accusers and tri...more

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Jan 24, 2010 OOSA rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Greatest Entertainer Ever

A fan of the late great Michael Jackson, I opened this book wide-eyed with interest. A massive read, it was also hard to put down. However, I'm somewhat torn. While informative, I question the credibility and its accuracy of some of what was written. As an author Taraborrelli's narrative is well written, flows easily, and it's apparent that he had an "inside" look. Some of the book appears to be based in truth, while other parts are questionable and opinionated. That sai...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

A brilliant read. Taraborrelli is one of the few authors who can write about Michael Jackson without being overly biased or opinionated.

I read this book a couple of years ago when Micheal was falling from fame. I have always been a fan so I loved this insight into the smaller details of his life. I think passive fans may find it a little tedious though.

I usually dont read MJ Bio's as authors either seem to hate him or be overly obsessed with him. Randy is neither. He was a friend who simply tel...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first and only MJ biography that I've read and it was insightful, thorough (covering his childhood and adulthood) and respectful. Taraborrelli is a great writer, I couldn't put this book down. Definitely recommend.

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Apr 17, 2012 Carl Bromwich rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This bio of Michael Jackson is one hell of a read, it realy does get inside Michaels head, and it's not a very happy place. Author Tarabborelli has known Jackson since he was 10, and is the ideal scribe to map out the Jackson Roller coaster story with the huge cast of celebraties, hangers on and of course his disfunctional family. It's fascinating how his parents and brothers connive to cajole him to tour with them. Being the golden goose, they all want a piece of the egg......
The ending includ...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Andrew Cecil rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the guy claims to have been a friend of MJ, but we all know what MJ thought of reporters. the book is rather thick with bible type paper, and smells strongly of ink which is not pleasant. there were a few things in the book that was news to me, but not much else. tends to run on and on or repeats alot of the same stuff. was really just reading it to get to the *updated* end... but still nothing here to make me want to recommend the book. the author is very sympathetic to joseph jackson, which i...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Daisy*•.♥.•* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-biography

I love taraborelli as an author. he did an awesome job in this book from beginning to end. Very detailed.. it was very hard to put the book down

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