Remembering Michael - By Kevin Bobolsky

http://www.santafe.com/articles/remembering-michael-by-kevin-bobolsky

I first met Michael Jackson in Los Angeles in 1991. I was introduced by photographer Herb Ritts, Santa Fe resident, client, and friend, who was brought in to the Michael Jackson camp to try and re-invent Michael's image the way Ritts had re-invented his sister Janet Jackson's image. Herb took Janet Jackson from her Rhythm Nation uniform into a svelte, beautiful woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt in MTV's first ever B&W video. My part of this transformation of Michael was to help him feel comfortable in more casual attire and normal settings.

We paired Michael up with Naomi Campbell to help create a new image for Michael. The video was directed by Herb Ritts, and Michael and Naomi looked fabulous together.
My interaction with Michael was very fortunate as very few people were allowed to get near him. My impressions of Michael were that he was like a third grade boy, full of life and life's questions. He would ask me things about my personal life in a shy way, like a child. I remember him asking me "who is that lady" when he first saw the 21 year old Naomi Campbell. Michael at the time was 33, but Naomi seemed much more world-wise. He was always very kind and loved eating ice cream with me. I believe Michael enjoyed the experience working with Herb and Naomi, and it was a miracle that Herb got Michael and Naomi to interact as intimately as they did.
Herb and I spent about a week at Michael's home at Neverland. We were given a personal tour of the whole property by Michael, who was about to host Dame Elizabeth Taylors' wedding to Larry Fortinsky. Michael made us feel right at home and encouraged us to ride the rides, feed the animals at the zoo, and play with any of his toys, dolls, trains, trucks; each category of toy had its own room in the house. He was amazingly giving and kind. Herb photographed the wedding and this was a wedding never to be forgotten. I remember Michael Wilding, Elizabeth Taylor's son and a realtor associate of mine at French & French Fine Properties telling me that he had been all over the world with his mother, and had never seen anything close to the fantasy that was Neverland.

To me Michael was everything that he's been described as by so many others; a musical genius, great performer, and possessed of a kind and generous heart. But Michael was also a man who liked Hot