Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days Read Online Free PDF

said, “Do you have a black suit?” I did, but it was at the cleaners, and they were closed. The suits I had at the house were all bright colors—people who know me know I’m kind of a colorful guy—and with security it’s strictly black or navy blue. Can’t wear nothing else. So Jeff said, “Okay, we need to go and get you a new suit.”
    It was already after two o’clock on New Year’s Eve, and since I’m six foot five, we had to hurry up and find a 48 Long that didn’t need to be tailored—there’s no tailors working on New Year’s. We went to the Boulevard Mall, then the Meadows Mall. Finally we hit the Burlington Coat Factory and found a suit that fit me perfectly. We bought it, rushed back to my place, I put an iron on it, and headed to Mr. Jackson’s house.
    We pulled up to the house a little before five. I was getting nervous. Bill came out and opened the gate for us. That was my first time meeting Bill. He looked at me and said, “You ready to be a part of this?”
    I said, “I hope so.” But I was still really nervous about the whole thing. I didn’t really know if it was something I could handle.
    Bill said, “Well, you are tall. Might be good for something.”
    We drove up to the door. Jeff got out and went inside, left me in the car for about thirty minutes. I kept checking my watch, checking my suit, making sure my tie was fixed. Finally, Jeff came out and said, “Okay, let’s go in. I spoke highly of you and he respects my opinion, so I think it’s going to be a done deal.”
    Then he took me inside. Mr. Jackson came down the stairs. He had a surgical mask on, was wearing one of those white, Hanes V-neck T-shirts and pajama pants with his little white socks sticking out. First thing I noticed was just how frail and thin he was. When I went to shake his hand, I was careful just to lightly touch him. I was scared I was going to break him, because he seemed so fragile.
    He started to say something, but I couldn’t understand him because his voice was all muffled with that surgical mask on. I was trying to be all humble and respectful, but he was talking and I kept going, “Huh? Excuse me?” Then he lifted the mask up a bit and said, “Hello, Javon. I’ve heard a lot about you. Are you ready to be a part of my security team?”
    I said, “Absolutely, sir. I’m very excited to be a part of the team. I hope it’ll become something permanent.”
    He said, “I don’t see why not. Can I trust you?”
    “Yes, sir. You definitely can.”
    “Okay, welcome then.”
    He called the kids down. Prince and Paris walked right up and shook my hand. Mr. Jackson had to push Blanket to say hi. Then they ran right back to doing whatever they were doing before. Mr. Jackson said, “Don’t pay them no mind. This is routine for them. They’re used to meeting so many new people. But they mean well.”
    We talked a bit more and then he went back upstairs. Me, Bill, and Jeff spent the next few hours planning the detail. They took me on a walk through the property, showed me what was what. About ten o’clock that night, Mr. Jackson and the kids came down all dressed up and we drove over to the MGM Grand. The hotel management arranged for us to come in through the stage door.
    The show had already started when we got there. We slipped in; Mr. Jackson and the kids took their seats in the front row. I sat right behind them. Bill posted up by the exit door, stage left. We watched the show, then slipped out before the lights came back up. Mr. Jackson took his kids to meet David Copperfield backstage. They chatted for a few minutes. Then we got in the vehicles and took them home to bed.
    The next morning I called my office, gave them my notice, and I went to work for Michael Jackson.

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    In 1990, Michael Jackson opened the gates of his Neverland Valley Ranch to the public for the first time. Named after the fantastical island in J. M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan —the place where children never grow up—the