MJ (54 page)

‘E’ STRIKERS VOTE TO REMAIN ‘OUT’
:
Gary Post-Tribune
, September 29, 1927, p. 1.

Wirt miscalculated
: Lane,
City of the Century
, p. 142.

Fifty of three thousand African-American students relocating due to space, Emerson receiving eighteen
: “Mayor Calls School Strike Parley,”
Gary Post-Tribune,
September 27, 1927, p. 1.

Screening African-American students for intelligence, manners, light skin
: Lane,
City of the Century
, p. 142.

Wirt insisted segregation had no place in Gary
:
Gary Post-Tribune,
September 27, 1927, p. 1.

“The strikers are firm in their belief”
:
Gary Post-Tribune,
September 29, 1927, p. 15.

Wirt’s compromise and demand, including $15,000 temporary school, $600,000 permanent school, and “excused absences”
: “Strike Off; All Happy!,”
Gary
Post-Tribune,
September 30, 1927, pp. 1–2.

Early Gary history
: Lane,
City of the Century
, pp. 3–4, 11–12, 15, 28–29, 31.

Gary Land Company built 506 houses, 16.7 cents-an-hour laborers
: Raymond A. Mohl and Neil Betten,
Steel City: Urban and Ethnic Patterns in Gary, Indiana, 1906–1950
(Teaneck, NJ: Holmes & Meier, 1986), p. 18.

fourteen dollars per month
: Edward Greer,
Big Steel: Black Politics and Corporate Power in Gary, Indiana
(New York: Monthly Review Press, 1979), p. 69.

Garbage was everywhere
: Mohl and Betten,
Steel City
, p. 23.

Two Garys, including Binzenhof pub, two hundred saloons, Bucket of Blood, Patch, or the Other Gary
: Lane,
City of the Century
, p. 34.

Roosevelt High School
: “New $500,000 Negro School Is Dedicated,”
Gary Post-Tribune,
April 20, 1931, p. 1.

Savings, money from wife’s stepfather, refrigerator, stove, bed
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
(Munich: Random House Germany, 2004), pp. 53–54.

MJ-Rupert Wainwright exchange
: Author interview with Rupert Wainwright.

“With These Words”
: Michael Jackson, liner notes,
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1
(Epic/Sony, 1995).

Details of Joe Jackson’s job at Inland Steel
: Author interview with Jimmy Calinski (former coworker); Inland Steel photo collection from the same time period at Calumet Regional Archives, Indiana University Northwest.

“It was said”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother’s Eyes
(New York: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 2011), p. 23.

Crane operator wasn’t especially tough work
: Calinski interview; author interview with Guadalupe Guajardo (former coworker).

Show-business dreams
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 43–44.

six million in Great Migration
:
history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration
.

Joe Jackson birthdate
: “Joe Jackson Turns 80,”
Chicago Defender,
July 29, 2008, p. 22, refers to Jackson celebrating his eightieth birthday at a “swank” club with young women pressing against him in 2008; other sources, including Katherine Jackson with Richard Wiseman,
The Jacksons: My Family
(New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1990), p. 14, say 1929, and Joe in
Die Jacksons
refers to growing up during the Depression, “1929–1935.”

Dermott and “light-skinned and tall”
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 9, 22.

Family history, including July, Gina, Nero, and three hundred farm acres
: Ibid., pp. 9–11.

Amite County and “He could probably pass”
: Author interview with Thomas Jackson (a descendant of Nero Jackson’s girlfriend).

Nero and family leasing land to oilmen for $200 a year
: Record of Oil and Gas Lease, February 27, 1920, Amite County, Mississippi, signed by Nero and Emmaline Jackson, document provided by Thomas Jackson.

Nero and his heirs sold the land during the Depression
: Letter from Centreville, Mississippi, attorney Gene Horne to Thomas Jackson, December 8, 1997.

Nero’s death in 1924 and worth $100 million today
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 12–13.

Nero’s youngest son with Emmaline
: Ibid.

Samuel Jackson biography and six children
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 13–14, 23.

“My mom put the spanking on me”
: Author interview with Martin Luther Jackson.

Teacher beatings
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, p. 22, and Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 25.

“I was so scared” and Verna Mae
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 22–24.

Joe’s age at Verna Mae’s death and “As far as my understanding goes”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 24.

Samuel and Chrystal
split: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, p. 31, and Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 26.

“When I stopped crying” and “I constantly traveled back and forth”
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 31, 38–39.

Joe courting Katherine
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 45, 50.

Katherine birthdate and family details
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 8, 16.

Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams
: Katherine Jackson, “How Do You Raise Nine Rockers? Very Carefully,”
People,
November/December 1984, p. 12.

Grayson and Stanwyck, saxophone players, and five-man blues band
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 10–13, 16.

Prominence of Jimmy Reed and blues in Gary
: Martin Luther Jackson interview, and author interviews with Reynaud D. Jones and Wilton Crump (a veteran Gary singer and bandleader).

“Tutti Frutti,” “Not only did I think”
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 14–15, 17.

“We have the floor to ourselves” and brown Buick
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not
Alone
, pp. 21, 30.

Kids’ birthdates and Sears
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 15–16, 18–20, 34.

Twenty dollars per week and beans and soup
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, pp. 19, 23. His parents’ combined weekly pay was $75.

“we ate so much spaghetti”
: Ibid.

Beds and
“It wasn’t much bigger than a garage”
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, p. 29.

Joe difficult to really know
: Michael Jackson,
Moonwalk
(New York: Harmony Books, 1988), pp. 15–17; Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, pp. 25–26.

Blast-furnace details and
“It was hot as hell”
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 42–43.

Jacket with L-shaped rip, passenger van, and tacos
: Guajardo interview.

“I was strict”
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, p. 39.

“When he arrived home,”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, pp. 30–31.

Description of Joe’s face
: Paraphrased from ibid., p. 25, and photos.

“Clean the house,” and
ten “whops”
: Ibid., pp. 30–31.

MJ and mouse
: Ibid., p. 32.

MJ and candy and throwing objects at Joe
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 24, 26–27.

Joe dragging and spanking MJ
:
Living with Michael Jackson
(Granada Television, 2003).

“has always been something of a mystery”
: Michael Jackson,
Moonwalk
, pp. 17–18.

iron cords and “Stop it!”
:
MJ: Living with Michael Jackson
.

“Joseph” for respect
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 18.

“I whipped him with a switch”
: Joe Jackson interview by Louis Theroux in BBC documentary
Louis, Martin & Michael
(November 2003).

Baptist faith, church minister, and Jehovah’s Witnesses
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 37–38.

Katherine continues knocking on doors
: Katherine Jackson interview,
The Oprah Winfrey Show
(ABC, November 2010).

MJ knocked on doors into adulthood
: Author interview with Ed Eckstine.

Packs of beer
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 28.

“The Jacksons didn’t come out” and Jackie and Reynaud on baseball team
: Jones interview.

Joe playing Reed and Walker
: Ibid.

Tito broke a string and “WHO’S BEEN MESSING WITH MY GUITAR?”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not
Alone
, pp. 33–34.

“He took care of me for it”
: Steve Knopper, “Tito Talks About Jacksons Getting Back in the Groove: Indiana natives playing shows for first time since ’84,”
Chicago Tribune,
June 21, 2012, p. 11.

Standard version
: Joseph Jackson,
Die Jacksons
, pp. 65–66.

Evolution of blues into soul and how it played out in Gary and Chicago
: Crump interview; author interview with Casinski; Jones interview; Martin Luther Jackson interview.

Jones’s version and “Everywhere you went”
: Jones interview.

Epics, MJ, Marlon joining, “He wouldn’t stop,” and other early rehearsal details
: Jones interview.

New red guitar
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, p. 50.

ADULT AND TEEN TALENT WANTED
:
Gary Post-Tribune,
August 4, 1965, page unknown, provided by Evelyn LaHaie.

Two hundred performers and description of audition
: Author interview with Evelyn LaHaie.

No. 55, “terrific,” “AA++”
: From Evelyn LaHaie’s original notes, provided by LaHaie.

“The very minute I saw that little child”
: LaHaie interview.

Name change,
Tiny Tots’ Back to School Jamboree, and August 14, 1965
: LaHaie interview.

“All I remember”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 56.

Bobbie Rose Jackson suggestion
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 51–52.

Roosevelt High, Masque and Gavel, and front-row balcony seats
: Jones interview.

“My Girl” and “I Got You”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 57.

“Barefootin’ ” and MJ flinging off shoes
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, p. 54.

September 1965
: Roosevelt High School yearbook photos, shared by Crump.

“That was the performance”
: Carl Protho e-mail.

“Jermaine had a few solo parts”
: Author interview with Benny Dorsey.

“Overall, you did good”
: Jermaine Jackson,
You Are Not Alone
, p. 58.

“My dad says you can’t come in”
: Jones interview.

“These boys are going to take me” and rehearsal details
: Katherine Jackson with Richard Wiseman,
The Jacksons: My Family
(New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1990), pp. 55–56.

“Sometimes we’d want to, you know, slack off”
: Lynn Van Matre, “Michael’s maturity, at 13 going on 14,”
Chicago Tribune,
July 23, 1972, p. J5.

MJ’s leverage and “try to laud him on”
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 56–57.

“His lack of singing ability”
: Ibid.

Milford Hite moved, Leonard Gault, and “Their voices blended together”
: Author interview with Earl Gault.

“All the neighborhood kids”
: Author interview with Keith Jackson.

“They would rehearse”
: Author interview with Johnnie Gault.

Tapping into savings
: Katherine Jackson,
The Jacksons
, pp. 55–56.

“Mom had some doubts”
: Michael Jackson,
Moonwalk
(New York: Harmony Books, 1988), p. 36.

“Gary was called Chocolate City”
: Author interview with Maurice Rodgers.

Club names, Jr. Walker, and Tyrone Davis
: Author interview with Wilton Crump; Bob Kostanczuk, “Breakthrough days,”
Gary Post-Tribune,
June 28, 2009, p. A8; Michael Gonzalez, “ ‘The crowd just loved them,’ ”
Gary Post-Tribune,
June 27, 2009, p. A5.