Michael Jackson Obituary

Michael James Jackson

1945 -2022

In 2003, my best friend of many years, Michael James Jackson, asked for two things. He asked if I would be the Executor/Trustee of his estate and if I would write his obituary. Naturally, I said yes to both. Please understand that Michael, himself an excellent writer, had very specific ideas as to how his obit should be written. What he did not want was standard fare prose exalting his upbringing & career and what he really didn't want were statistics. He asked me to just talk about his life and what I thought about him. Yes, we were that close. He also said that if anyone wanted to know about his music producing career, they should just google him.

Having said that, I will mention that Michael's career as a music producer was at its height in the 1980s largely due to his association with Paul Stanley and KISS. Truth be told, Michael probably had more than one best friend. I believe everyone that knew him well thought he was their best friend. He made people feel special and important and loved. Paul Stanley was very influential in Michael's life as Michael was in Paul's. He spoke of Paul often and it was clear that their relationship was like two adoring brothers that both loved music.

Michael James Jackson was my best friend for 37 years. We met in 1985 and when we first shook hands, I knew immediately this guy was a keeper. In all this time, we never once had even so much as a disagreement. He was the nicest most compassionate person I have ever met. Michael was talented, had a wonderful (and sometimes bizarre) sense of humor and made friends everywhere he went. He was honest, empathetic, highly intelligent, loyal, generous and always there to listen to a friend in need. He told me shortly before he passed that his only regret in his entire life was never having children or grandchildren. He was my best man at my wedding as I was his.

Michael is survived by his only living blood relative, Liz Draeger. He talked about cousin Lizzie frequently and it was clear that he absolutely adored her beyond words. He is also survived by his ex-wife Kelly Michelle Jackson. Michael told me often that Kelly gave him the best 5 years of his life. He had not been married since he and Kelly got divorced in 2002. Michael is also survived by his extended family of friends including Corrinne Mann, Lou Kempinsky, Graham, Rupert and Perignon Perry, Uncle Harry Richards, Paul Stanley, Joe Patterson, Mireya Gutierrez, Anahit Markosyan, Miriam Goldblum, Joel Segal, Adam Mitchell, Bill Siddons, Mehran Mahalati, Ken Draeger and many more.

Michael frequently called his friends on what seemed like his daily trip to the local Starbucks. Many of us have laughed at how we all knew exactly what he ordered every time. A double decaf latte in a double cup with a chocolate croissant. It happened so often that the server would ask him at the pick-up window if he was talking to Joel on the phone. He made sure we were introduced and that server and I were on a first name basis for a long time. That was just Michael.

Michael was modest to the point of distraction. He was always more interested in talking about anyone but himself. Granted, this did change toward the end of his life due to some very unfortunate circumstances and we found ourselves discussing his personal life more and more. I was always there to listen to him and he never held back his feelings. Honesty between us was one of the many benchmarks of our relationship. I kept telling him to come to Kentucky where Peg and I would take care of him. He promised to do just that for 15 years. He never did and we never found out why.

Michael was also a bit of a Casanova. I lived through him vicariously since he had many ladies in his life and I had but one. Granted, my one and only was also a dear friend of Michael's and he would say to me over and over, if only he could meet somebody like Peg. I told him every time they are out there but they are also few and far between. I wanted nothing more than for Michael to find the perfect significant other, but alas, it was simply not meant to be.

The other thing Michael loved to talk about was politics. We both shared our love of country and friends and family and the hell with all the nonsense out there. We would laugh for hours over headlines and crazy politicians and all the people who thought injecting bleach would stop covid, which ironically, is what killed him. Michael died very suddenly and when I first got the news, it was both traumatic and somehow not unexpected. I would have given anything to have seen him one last time and to have been there for him as his life slipped away.

Michael was at the hospital the day my son Parker was born. Ironic that is was also Cedar Sinai. He got to hold Parker when he was 2 hours old and refused a number of times to give him back. It took Nurse Ratchet to pry my newborn baby from his tender grip. He was also Parker's godfather although the two of them did not get to spend a lot of time together.

I don't know why I'm even saying this but somehow, I truly believe Michael knew his time on Earth was growing short. The last time we spoke, he sounded weak and scared. I did what I always did when he was feeling a bit off and told him a joke, which both made him laugh and cry at the same time. If only he had listened to the advice he was given by a number of his closest friends, he might very well still be with us. Tragically, he did not and well.....there you go.

Rather than donating your hard-earned money to some charity you know nothing about, Michael told me he wanted anyone who felt the need to donate to take their children or significant other out for a night on the town. Spare no expense and make sure to raise you glass of liquor or beer or apple juice to his memory. Michael wanted to be remembered for the gentleman he was. He did not want praise or tears or long speeches that put people to sleep. He is with Fran now (his mom) and is looking down on all of us knowing full well, he has the best view in town.

So, it is with the utmost love and devotion that I say to my best friend for the last time ......DUDE!!!