people reacted to her when she walked into a room. She was revered. She
was given deferential treatment. She had a special power. He liked that.
There was one other thing Michael got from Diana: his early
ooohs.
Michael's early vocal ad-libs were almost always punctuated with an
oooh
here or there; not a long-drawn-out
oooh,
but rather a stab, an exclamation mark. Diana used this effect on many of The Supremes' recordings. Michael delighted in
it and put it in his grab bag of influences. Indeed, for little Michael Jackson, every little
oooh
helped.
At the beginning of November 1969, Berry Gordy leased a house for the Jackson family at 1601 Queens Road in Los Angeles. Michael
moved out of Diana Ross's home and in with his father and brothers. A month later, Katherine, LaToya, Janet and Randy joined
the rest of the family. Motown paid for their flights, their first plane ride.
As they arrived at the house, the boys were waiting on the front lawn. Michael was the first to throw himself into his mother's
arms. ‘But you got so big,’ she exclaimed. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged each of her boys in turn. Jackie, ever
the tease, lifted Marlon up and tossed him in the air. ‘Me next, me next,’ three-year-old Janet squealed.
Katherine would recall that, once inside the house, she took a long look around the living room. It was so large – twice the
size of the entire house in Gary – that she was dumbstruck. ‘It ain't Gary, that's for sure,’ Joseph told her with a proud smile.
Then Joseph had Katherine close her eyes. He led his wife out to the backyard patio. ‘Okay, you can open them now,’ he told
her.
A panorama of dusk-time Los Angeles lay stretched below the hillside home, thousands of lights twinkling like earthbound stars.
A dark-blue sky above, clear and cloudless, was full of stars. ‘This must be what heaven looks like,’ Katherine said, when
she could speak. ‘I've never seen anything so beautiful.’
‘Well, it's here for you every night,’ Joseph told her. He was happy to see her, his wife and partner. Sometimes, Katherine's
sadness was so acute, it bordered on depression. Joseph knew he was responsible; he tried not to think about what he was doing
to her, focusing instead on what he was doing
for
her – such as being able to present her with such a new and exciting lifestyle. Though Joseph had his dalliances, he had always
insisted that Katherine Jackson was the only woman he had ever truly loved and the rest were… diversions. Joseph could be
cruel and unconscionable, at times. He could be selfish. Over the years, he would watch as Katherine's love for him foundered
on the rocks of his blatant infidelity and dogged ambition. However, when he was alone with her, what they shared in those
quiet moments was real and powerful, and it lasts to this day. They have been married for fifty-three years.
Katherine recalled that she asked to be left alone for a moment in the outdoors of her new home. There she stood, among the
orange trees and flower beds, all illuminated in a spectacular way. Joseph had turned on the outdoor sound-system so that
romantic music could be heard playing softly in the background. The air smelled of jasmine. It was magical.
‘Lovely, isn't it?’
Katherine whirled around at the sound of the woman's unfamiliar voice, but before either of them could say anything, Michael
was at Katherine's side. ‘Momma, this is
her.
This is Diana Ross,’ he said, excited. #8216;Isn't she beautiful? Isn't she just beautiful?’
Later, telling a friend about the incident, Katherine would remember that Diana was as slim, young and attractive as she appeared
on the television screen. Katherine, who was short and rounded, became painfully aware of how plain she herself may have looked
to the glamorous singer. She walked towards her with a limp. Diana glided, as if on air. She was warm and friendly. Her large,
dark eyes dancing, she
was given deferential treatment. She had a special power. He liked that.
There was one other thing Michael got from Diana: his early
ooohs.
Michael's early vocal ad-libs were almost always punctuated with an
oooh
here or there; not a long-drawn-out
oooh,
but rather a stab, an exclamation mark. Diana used this effect on many of The Supremes' recordings. Michael delighted in
it and put it in his grab bag of influences. Indeed, for little Michael Jackson, every little
oooh
helped.
At the beginning of November 1969, Berry Gordy leased a house for the Jackson family at 1601 Queens Road in Los Angeles. Michael
moved out of Diana Ross's home and in with his father and brothers. A month later, Katherine, LaToya, Janet and Randy joined
the rest of the family. Motown paid for their flights, their first plane ride.
As they arrived at the house, the boys were waiting on the front lawn. Michael was the first to throw himself into his mother's
arms. ‘But you got so big,’ she exclaimed. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged each of her boys in turn. Jackie, ever
the tease, lifted Marlon up and tossed him in the air. ‘Me next, me next,’ three-year-old Janet squealed.
Katherine would recall that, once inside the house, she took a long look around the living room. It was so large – twice the
size of the entire house in Gary – that she was dumbstruck. ‘It ain't Gary, that's for sure,’ Joseph told her with a proud smile.
Then Joseph had Katherine close her eyes. He led his wife out to the backyard patio. ‘Okay, you can open them now,’ he told
her.
A panorama of dusk-time Los Angeles lay stretched below the hillside home, thousands of lights twinkling like earthbound stars.
A dark-blue sky above, clear and cloudless, was full of stars. ‘This must be what heaven looks like,’ Katherine said, when
she could speak. ‘I've never seen anything so beautiful.’
‘Well, it's here for you every night,’ Joseph told her. He was happy to see her, his wife and partner. Sometimes, Katherine's
sadness was so acute, it bordered on depression. Joseph knew he was responsible; he tried not to think about what he was doing
to her, focusing instead on what he was doing
for
her – such as being able to present her with such a new and exciting lifestyle. Though Joseph had his dalliances, he had always
insisted that Katherine Jackson was the only woman he had ever truly loved and the rest were… diversions. Joseph could be
cruel and unconscionable, at times. He could be selfish. Over the years, he would watch as Katherine's love for him foundered
on the rocks of his blatant infidelity and dogged ambition. However, when he was alone with her, what they shared in those
quiet moments was real and powerful, and it lasts to this day. They have been married for fifty-three years.
Katherine recalled that she asked to be left alone for a moment in the outdoors of her new home. There she stood, among the
orange trees and flower beds, all illuminated in a spectacular way. Joseph had turned on the outdoor sound-system so that
romantic music could be heard playing softly in the background. The air smelled of jasmine. It was magical.
‘Lovely, isn't it?’
Katherine whirled around at the sound of the woman's unfamiliar voice, but before either of them could say anything, Michael
was at Katherine's side. ‘Momma, this is
her.
This is Diana Ross,’ he said, excited. #8216;Isn't she beautiful? Isn't she just beautiful?’
Later, telling a friend about the incident, Katherine would remember that Diana was as slim, young and attractive as she appeared
on the television screen. Katherine, who was short and rounded, became painfully aware of how plain she herself may have looked
to the glamorous singer. She walked towards her with a limp. Diana glided, as if on air. She was warm and friendly. Her large,
dark eyes dancing, she
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