Tavis Smiley On Michael Jackson: "Michael Died Over Greed" + Michael Jackson and Prince Rivalry 

My dad was in the military and we lived in several foreign countries. News of Michael and his brothers concerts was on every channel in every country!! He was a international superstar!

Missing Michael and Prince, love them both. Such great artist gone too soon!

Watching everything about Michael for 2 days made cry the way he treated humiliated and abused by the authority.... he's the most loving and gentle heart I've known😔 I missed him a lot I've watched him since I was a kid coz my uncle used to sing his songs to every competition. I was devastated when read the news the time I was working abroad in Singapore, got me broken hearted.

1 thing that’s very important to remember. In the summer of 1968 Michael was pushed into the studio. If you listen to the first few albums it’s mostly Michael singing several parts. I can’t imagine being the breadwinner for your entire family at 10 years of age. Let that sink in. It’s really tragic.

the king of pop is innocent and all ways will be i all ways blast mj music and all ways will

Quincy Jones said Michael emptied his cup several types and filled it up again and again. That man was so talented and he made no claim to that talent and that it was a gift from God. Such an amazing and beautiful soul ❤

For the people in the comments he didn’t say that Micheal was greedy he said that the people around him were greedy.

Michael Jackson was the GOAT 🐐 The industry hated him because he owned his master's, and chose to work with who he wanted to. Michael Jackson was a musical GENIUS, and a lot of people hated on him. The industry wanted to take him down and out, and fellow artist wanted him gone. Michael Jackson was one of the GREATEST humanitarians in the world. Michael was shy, sensitive, and didn't trust a lot of people, except children. Michael Jackson knew children were innocent and full of honesty,most adults are greedy, and tried to use him. Michael trusted children, and adored them, but the industry used that to kill and destroy him. Michael Jackson was hurt mostly by those that didn't defend him and betrayed him. Michael Jackson was a gift from GOD, and the evilness of humanity didn't appreciate it. The industry spread KNOWN FACTUAL lies, and the haters went along with it. The world will miss, and most will never understand what they destroyed. GUARANTEED plain and simple. TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH GOD bless you for what you gave us,and May you rest in peace.

I never judged Michael Jackson, from the day I saw him. A genuine genius that many do not talk how much he loved black people. Gone to soon.

L.G. at time 24:42 you said "I don't call money the root of all evil.." Well, money is Not the root of all evil but "The LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil". Peace Brotha.

Thank you both for this interview, and thank you Tavis for the book. MJ was a genius.

I think Michael was doing his best to make his fans happy.It was a big decision for him to end his stage shows.They were energy sapping. There was too much pressure on him from his promoters.They just wanted to sap everything from him.They saw him as a money making machine.

I truly don't believe MJ died over "greed" as much it having to do with him going after and obtaining full ownership, and exposing just how wicked and corrupt the music game is.

Put it like this AEG seened the way he looked they should have stopped the concert and took care of the situation. Heart Breaking 💔 R.I.P. M.J

We need the Tavis show back.

Rip Michael Joseph Jackson

So much respect for tavis smiley its sad the sexual allegations from women destroyed his career.Great book he wrote about MJ.

Great man , great book . Thanks for showing love to MJ They killed him !! MJ is the greatest of all time love him forever

People that have greed do not pay children hospital bills and he did it more than one as a matter a fact several he was not greedy.i wish people would leave him alone he's gone leave it alone!!!!!!!

Micheal was a Genius. "He had much love for all people"

Mama Jackson didn't sell off the catalog- the executors of the estate (lawyers) did.

I won't read your book Sr because I don't swallow lies from people talking bad about Michael Jackson because he was a good human being very innocent and I love him

I think that both Michael and Prince had an inability to turn off their creative minds and just rest. Thus they both suffered trying to produce and get out all of their music and artistry. Driven perfectionists. I miss them both. I just wish someone in their lives were able to make them see their need to take a break and be silent for awhile.

Tavis Smiley. They do not come any better. Thank you for all the years of your intelligence, your insight and your compassion.

Fact there have been many interviews with Quincy and Travis where they made disparaging comments and insinuations that were misleading and insulting. They would not dare say the same things if they were alive. Michael was hitting notes and melodic melodies since he was a little boy. His geniuse has not been duplicated, befor and after Quincy all michael needed was a beet box to duplicate his voice and he still made number one hits. He could beetbox with his voice then throw down vocals over it and create and entire album with a bouquette of melodies and do no wrong, on a Bad day. I will speak for them spirit is thicker than blood.

Two gorgeous and intelligent Black men who are talking about my favorite topic, Michael Jackson.I love this!

Quincy was so good to Michael?.... By what I heard on Quincy last interview it doesn't seem so. He talks bad about Beatles, Elvis, Michael. What a deception.

Tavis Smiley : An interviewer supreme. WBLS, I have lot of memories with you, guys. One of the best radios in town.

What a great interview. How we miss MJ. I’m ordering the book right now. Thank you both for being such good souls.

Mj and prince are missed Everyday

Tavis Smiley is a class act... I loved listening to his morning show in Dallas. So awesome.

You can tell Prince cared about Michael because I bet he was a fan of the Jackson 5 like so many people in their childhood during the late 60s and during the 2005 trial he deleted bad comments from people on his Twitter page who were talking about Michael. I think that Pepsi commercial burn to his skull is was what started him on taking pain medication because if people saw the photos, they’d understand how painful it was. And I’m sure he had a hard time sleeping after THAT too. But I think his insomnia started way back during his childhood in the Jackson 5 days because they were working so hard like adults, staying up late practicing and performing and when you’re the star of the group at THAT age, of course you get more of the burden. But I wish Tavis Smiley would've talked to some Michael Jackson fans before making THIS book because the ONLY thing missing in THAT book were the corrupt corporate people that Michael was dealing with who were helping to destroy him and his career. Of course the clueless and haters DON'T know THIS because the media played a part of it too since they work along with SONY and were helping to spread lies about Michael to stop him from gaining more fans. People wanted him dead (which is something Tavis Smiley doesn’t know) and wanted those music catalogues and THAT tour was a set up and the ONLY way to get it back to SONY. Why do YOU THINK Sony is so serious about getting it anyway NOW that he’s gone? Corrupt people were forging signatures (like sneaky Tohme Tohme) to get Michael to do 50 shows when it was supposed to be ONLY 10 shows. And Michael wasn't taking drugs just to get high, he had serious health issues that could be life threatening and Lupus can sometimes cause cancer and dos cause people to go bald. This is why he was at a Lupus fund raiser in 2003 for a reason. When you have so many health issues at once, of course there’s gonna be a lot of medication to take along with it. So don't call him a drug addict as if you’re trying to say he was JUST trying to get high. Now Elvis on the other hand was the one getting high on cocaine, but you won't hear the racially BIAS media bringing that S**T up, them and their secretive ass selves. Michael's medication wasn't strong enough for all the health problems he had, he just had to take it to live on and THAT tour wasn't helping either because it made it hard for him to go to sleep. People need sleep, period, and without it, your mind isn't right because I KNOW what that feels like and experienced THAT before. You forget a lot of things and feel like a zombie, but I don't take medication for anything unless it's for cramps or serious physical pain from whatever. So clueless people need to get THAT straight. And "dumb dumb" Conrad Murray let the Propofol drip in Michael's body and forgot to STAY IN TH DAMN ROOM which is why Michal stopped breathing since Murray didn't come back in time. A wake up call to anybody who doesn’t know what the F**K was going on.

Michael was just too popular, it was insane how big he was. rip

Two great gentlemen. Great interview thank you.

If i had a voice like Lenny, I’d be a very happy man. He could talk about socks and make it sound so cool and chill. Kinda ironic Tavis has drama of his own. He lost his TV gig and now he disappeared I was always a big fan of his.

Now in the present moment of here and now I AM FINIALLY FREE AT LAST, IN A PLACE WITHOUT A NAME ...

I love those lyrics Smiley quoted. I made a note of them and added it to my favourite spiritual quotes I keep in my Bible.

Correction Lenny, Katherine didn't have anything to do with the selling of MJ's catalog. MJ's executors over his estate sold the catalog which were John McClain and John Branca.

A truly awesome interview!

As events unfolded in the wake of his death, this one dude told me that his personal physician killed him. But another dude told me, "yes, in part. But it was also the musical industry that killed him". They wouldn't allow MJ to have full control over MJ. This is why I have so much respect for musical artists, who built up their careers and who have full control over when THEY decide to put out another project and not the record label. One of the reasons Prince fought with Warner, wasn't because he wasn't producing enough material, but because he wanted to put out as much material, and as fast as he wanted too. Years later he made sure he had full control over what and how he would do it. Sade she puts out material when it feels right, on her own time frame.

What a voice this man had!

the part where tavis talked about us needing to at least be anchored to something in life, wow that was pretty deep. other wise we would become adrift.

If he wasn't friends with Michael, I'm not sure how he would have answers to some of these questions.

Tavis is a great human being. He helped Prince alot in networking. Thanks for sharing

Great interview!

Let these Great Men RIP!

Michael has always been beautiful inside and out. Pure loving heart and people used that. Its sad really. And that monster Conrad was recording Michael when he was out of it and leaving it on his phone. Thank God the DA got those bc he would have sold those recordings to the highest bidder no doubt. He excepts NO responsibility for anything he blamed it on everyone but himself. Michael is singing for God and the Angels are his back-up singers he is in the best of hands and without a doubt has earned his wings.

WBLS! Yes! So many years.Tavis Smiley, stay Great.

WOW! Michael was a powerful man. I miss him. He really left us too early. This world 🗺 is not the same without Michael Jackson in it. King 👑 Michael lives on Eternally.🌹🌹❤️🌹🌹😍

It's really good to see T. Smiley!!!

great interview.

Wonderful insight as always mr.smiley

Michael Jackson the king of pop forever

I love our strong men .. Well done guys!! Much love to the both or you!!

MJ !!!❤️ I Love You !!!❤️❤️❤️ He always said that to us with sincerity!!

Michael has positively influenced the world for generations to come. Just gone too soon.

i am also writing a book about me called " leave me alone..dam" i never met Michael personally, but its about how mj wanna be left alone. book is coming soon

Love this man! ( Tavis Smiley) Im the same sign as Prince (Gemini) so i can see why Prince liked him so much👍🏿(Celebrity child)🖤

Excellent book! I could not put this book down. I started reading up on Michael lately and this book gave me such an insight. Thank you Mr Smiley. I love you Michael always and forever, remember that.

THIS WHAT MAKE ME SO MAD ALL THESE PEOPLE WAS LAUGHING IN MICHAEL FACE NOW HE GONE THEY TRYING TO BRING HIM DOWN YHEY NOT TALKING HOW MUCH GOOD HE DID BUT ALL THE LIES PEOPLE TOLD ON HIM IT NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM HIS LIFE JUST DIFFERENT FROM EVER ONE ELSE HE WAS IN HIS OWN WORLD HE BELIEVES IN LOVE NOT HATE BUT THAT MAKE U DIFFERENT CAUSE HE HAD LOVE FOR KIDS

Aw so sad. Michael Jackson was a Gift from God. His Music inspires and uplifts people. I wished I would have met him through this hard and difficult time. He Definitely needed some help. Too Much Going on he just needed to Shut everything down and get some rest and get Weaned off that Drug.

Great interview

Anytime you people don't agree with what someone says about Michael you say its coz they just want money, yet when they say something you do agree with, you say its out of love. Well actually its all equally vice versa whether you like it or not. And yeah Tavis is a writer, thats his job, to make money just like everyone else in this world.

Very Good interview.

Tavis is very talented and focus. Successful and motivated.

Michael was gifted musically, the only tragic that killed him was his trust in the quack that kept him on drugs

I just bought the last hardcover copy on Amazon. I cannot wait to read it!!!

God bless them both

I enjoyed this interview and I hope to pick up this book soon.

It was middle school Morris Leeds in Philadelphia that I heard, I want you back on the radio. Been a fan from there. I miss Michael.

its so funny listening to people sell a book and promote themselves leaching of MJ

Why is it that when a person is talent and famous people cannot see any wrong in them. People fail to see that everyone is human so you may have faults and there maybe a dark side to a person that is talented. When you are talented that does not mean you are perfect. Michael was very talented but we don’t know what he did behind close doors. People can see someone on tv and think you know them. Or even a person you work with you think you know them. But you don’t know what happens when the door is closed in their home.

So do i..its his humanity i look into...i agree with u....and this song hits home

Watching this in December 2020.

A difference between the 2 is that Prince had accepted the fact that music was his joy. The man lived in a studio & was prolly writing songs on the way to the bathroom at night, with no real expectations of a reboot of his chart-topping days. He loved to perform, he loved being Prince... Unfortunately, like many musicians, he also like the buzz of a buzz. He was just tragically reckless in his last attempt to get that buzz. Literally. MJ, could not accept the fact that he would never be a chart-topper again. His buzz was being MJ. No one put a gun to Mike's head & gave him the delusion that he could do 50 shows.....or 10 shows. Mike's desire was being the MJ that dominated attention during his heyday, and the adulation that came with it. That was never going to happen again, but he allowed himself to believe the hype, when he could barely sleep like a normal person would. His attempt to solve that with pharmaceuticals is what led to his death. Greed? Not necessarily, but those around him were certainly guilty of that.

I Wanna Be Where You Are, Off The Wall,Lady In My Life are my top favorite songs by Michael!

"83 Minutes" is another good book on the subject of the corporate greed surrounding Michael's death.

This is how black men should conduct themselves - namely, with dignity.

One reason Michael and Prince get compared is that both followed similar musical formulas. Both were soul and funk rooted artist, but they both always made a certain number of pop sounding songs and rock leaning songs. This contributed to the level of crossover that both experienced.

Travis talking about every fucking body but not himself like he perfect

I love the title

As I understand it, Michael's break from the JW church really hit its breaking point during the BAD era, when they cracked down on him playing a gangster for the "Smooth Criminal" video. The church even had a couple of monitors that traveled with Michael, reporting back on anything that might compromise their sense of "integrity".

as an artist myself i can totally understand the competitive idea thing! 😂😂

Very good book.

Don't ever allow them to be ashamed of themselves in the smallest way.. setting them into a course of outlets sometimes yielding eccentricity.. Have careful courageous calm passionate discussions with our children.. but of course within boundaries of discussion.

This interview was excellent to watch and listen. Both are very well spoken

Love michael Rip angel

Micheal Jackson is the greatest entertainer of all times period.

I’ve never seen Lenny Green. Wow!! Now a face to the voice.

And now in his own scandal..i really liked Tavis.. life is strange

I had alot of exposure to the entertainment industry, because of a father and many other musicians in that industry. One thing that is very prevalent in that industry is addiction. Regardless of how people arrive there, many, many are addicted to some substance, especially those with tortured histories, and I don't mean that in the literal sense, but just that many are severely damaged from their childhood, and both Michael and Prince fall in that category. RIP

Tavis really didn't know Michael he only met MJ a few times so how can he have so much to say about mj .tavis don't know.know more then the rest of us.

the only mistake MJ made in his career was letting whole world speaking about him than he speaking about himself . all the rumors came of from his silence refusing interviews etc. and being such a public personality wanted to keep his privacy made it a drama for himself . everyone feels free to talk about him ...about his heath, music, love life etc. wish to hear more directly from him much more than he did being out in public his whole life . i know he didn`t want to be a victim he was strong and wanted to remian strong till the end .. but if you play strong people will try all the ways to break you .. so you got to show them ... that you are breakable ... so they stop.. you got to show them your wounds .. your illness .. your pain ... because they won`t stop till its ...

Man I never believed M.J had anything to do with kid but being kind. I think he was missed my someone to get him away from his family, and you can see what became of him. M.J was the one person that stopped MTV . They didn't want blacks on their channel, but M.J was the best in the world at what he did, but I hear all the evil nuts that's talking about him. When not one of them could even come closer to the Real King Of Pop! So they can stop trying to put these fake people on RU-vid or internet saying that anyone has or will get where Mr Jackson is at or will ever get where he's been with hits after hits video after video! Rest in peace King M.J.

Those were the gatekeepers of the music industry who wanted his catalog but because Michael refused to sell it I think that's what caused all the tabloid junk and those fake , rediculos rumors about him which made turned the public against him, the child molestation accusations. Another reason why these demons used the media to ruin his public image was because they hated Michael because of his talent, him being a black artist , breaking records and they were jealous and envious of him, Michael even once said in a press conference in London , the moment he broke Elvis' record, the Beatles record all white artist that's when they start making rediculos allegations against him and it's very sad those people are racist they hated black artist and that's why they never played their music on MTV and when Michael became the first black artist to have his music on MTV they get triggered and that's also a cause of the hell they put Michael through.

Love Tavis Smiley, I would watch the Tavis Smiley Show stay up late just to see him still love to watch his show AWESOME.

Joe Tex enlighted me on the ugly backroom realities of the music industry when I was younger. He once told me that working at MacDonald flipping burgers would have given him more real money than the music industry!!! You, Travis, have always kept it real. Thank you!!!!

I stopped reading bout his death.as I want to remember how he lived,a great artist of all time and a greater humanitarian.his only crime was too loving,too trusting and naive bout how the world sees things because the world is so cruel and supercynical

Lucky No.16 I will play it this week Lotto.

THIS IS IT became the name of the tour for Michael Jackson after a fan started chanting " This Is It" while MJ was making a speech.