I Wasn't Supposed to Talk to Michael Jackson… But I Did

There are moments in life where you have to decide whether you're going to take the chance or let it pass. In 2007, while working for Michael Jackson in Las Vegas, I found myself in a situation I wasn't expecting: Mr. Jackson was outside watching his children, I was doing my security rounds, and for once…it was just us. I had been told to keep my distance. I knew approaching him could potentially get me in trouble. But after a few laps around that house, something in me said: DO IT. So I did. In this episode of The GeneXperience, we also get into fatherhood, discipline, growing up Gen X, my own relationship with my parents, Michael as a father, some memories involving Prince and Paris, LaVelle Smith Jr., Smooth Criminal, Beat It, and more. 🎥 VIDEO REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:    • MJ at the mall with Paris on her birthday ...   These are my personal memories, observations and opinions from my experience working for Michael Jackson in Las Vegas in 2007. When I discuss things told to me by others, I try to make that distinction clear. Michael Jackson may have brought a lot of us here…but these conversations are becoming something much bigger. Let me know in the comments: What are YOUR Top 5 Michael Jackson music videos? And what did you take away from our conversation about parenting, discipline and the differences between generations? LOVE ❤️ — Virg The GeneXperience 00:00 I Actually Talked to Michael One-on-One 00:16 Welcome Back / Comment Appreciation 01:57 Adversity & Building Your Tool Belt 04:07 Why I Got Emotional Talking About Joe Jackson 06:02 Gen X Parents, Discipline & Our Kids 13:03 Every Child Meets a Different Version of Their Parent 15:54 Michael Jackson's Discipline & Food 19:07 Michael Jackson as a Father 20:28 What LaVelle Smith Jr. Told Me About Beat It 22:19 Why I Love Smooth Criminal 24:02 Watching Michael Be a Dad 25:52 The Moment I Decided to Approach Michael 29:18 What I Said — And Michael's Response 30:37 “Brother Virgil, Come Here” 33:38 Delivering Michael's Note 35:43 Parenting, Gen X & My Top 5 MJ Videos