The Michael Jackson Reel
TC Thompkins
Christina Chaffin
August 11, 2018
August 11, 2018
What are some of your initial interactions with Michael that stand out to you today?
The first time I met him, he was very introverted. Very shy, as far as interactions with any new people. Once I got to know him, it changed a great deal. It took a little time for us to warm up to each other ‘cause I was a cut-throat promotion man. I put everything into my artists and always tried to give them the advantage, so I was much more aggressive in those days than I am now.
I can see the reasoning for his reaction to me back then at first, but we really got to be real close, once he figured out what kind of person I was. I was always just excited about working with him. He was just a monster talent and a real good human being, man. He needed protection because he was very giving once he warmed up to somebody. He was a very giving person. Very shy and very deep in a lot of ways. We talked a lot after I got to know him.
[Not my first interaction], but I remember Kansas City, 1984. That was the first date on the Victory tour. I flew on the corporate jet with all of the other Vice Presidents to Kansas City to meet with The Jacksons for the kickoff of that tour. [Epic Records] had brought in a lot of radio people and had buses of people that the label had flown to Kansas City.
What is something unique that stands out in your mind about Michael?
Michael used to call me every holiday. He called me every Christmas to wish me and my family a Merry Christmas. He called one year when we were at my wife’s sister’s house, so he called her house, tracking me down. He called and said, 'Hi, this is Michael Jackson. I’d like to speak to TC Thompkins.' She thought someone was pulling her leg! She said, 'Who the hell is this?' She then hung up on him, and my wife and I were away from the house. When we came back, she said, 'TC, somebody called here acting like he was Michael Jackson, talking ‘bout wishing you a Merry Christmas.' I said to her, 'That was probably Michael.' Died! She almost died! *Laughs*... I said, 'He calls up every holiday.'
The first time I met him, he was very introverted. Very shy, as far as interactions with any new people. Once I got to know him, it changed a great deal. It took a little time for us to warm up to each other ‘cause I was a cut-throat promotion man. I put everything into my artists and always tried to give them the advantage, so I was much more aggressive in those days than I am now.
I can see the reasoning for his reaction to me back then at first, but we really got to be real close, once he figured out what kind of person I was. I was always just excited about working with him. He was just a monster talent and a real good human being, man. He needed protection because he was very giving once he warmed up to somebody. He was a very giving person. Very shy and very deep in a lot of ways. We talked a lot after I got to know him.
[Not my first interaction], but I remember Kansas City, 1984. That was the first date on the Victory tour. I flew on the corporate jet with all of the other Vice Presidents to Kansas City to meet with The Jacksons for the kickoff of that tour. [Epic Records] had brought in a lot of radio people and had buses of people that the label had flown to Kansas City.
What is something unique that stands out in your mind about Michael?
Michael used to call me every holiday. He called me every Christmas to wish me and my family a Merry Christmas. He called one year when we were at my wife’s sister’s house, so he called her house, tracking me down. He called and said, 'Hi, this is Michael Jackson. I’d like to speak to TC Thompkins.' She thought someone was pulling her leg! She said, 'Who the hell is this?' She then hung up on him, and my wife and I were away from the house. When we came back, she said, 'TC, somebody called here acting like he was Michael Jackson, talking ‘bout wishing you a Merry Christmas.' I said to her, 'That was probably Michael.' Died! She almost died! *Laughs*... I said, 'He calls up every holiday.'
After you and Michael got to know one-another, what are some conversations that come to mind?
We talked a lot about the label. Both him and Quincy were very mature in understanding how the label operated, and as a whole, how the industry operated.
At that time, Michael demanded a certain amount of respect because he had to when it came to his career [because of the color of his skin]. Back during Thriller, he had to fight to get airplay on TV and he knew he had to because he was black. He knew that and was extremely knowledgeable about what was going on around him, and the barriers set in front of him because of his skin color. Michael then became the first black artist they really played on different channels. The label had to really work hard with MTV to get that done.
Racism was alive and well, and Michael knew that, and he understood the true division of what he was up against. Michael would be invited to all different black events and if he was invited, he would be there! He didn’t turn those events down at all. If an invite came through, he would be there.
There's a photo you took of Michael at the 1984 Grammy's after-party. What's the story behind that photo?
We were there for the Grammy's and I just really spoke to him briefly that night. He was at dinner and I hollered at him. His plate is why I took the picture because he wouldn’t eat but grapes and strawberries, and shit. I don’t know how he had so much energy with such a diet! *Laughs*... I used to ask him, 'How do you have that energy man with that diet you have!?'
The culture of entertainment remembers the legacy Thriller. However, unlike you, fans and music listeners were not behind the scenes to see it unfold the way you were. How would you describe that time in history?
Well Thriller was so big, concert radio stations were playing it. That album sold something like 1 million copies a month for 15 straight months. I was seeing what everyone else was seeing and the magnitude of it was real.
What's one of your last memories with him?
The last time I saw Michael was in the 1990’s at a conference out in Los Angeles, and he was just leaving and called me to come sit in his limo and talk with him. He asked about me and my family. My girls met him a few different times and they were big fans when they were kids around 14 or 15. (They met him one time at a concert in Philadelphia and a couple other times when he was on the road, because they went to all of his shows).
What do you want readers to remember about the kind of person Michael Jackson was?
I want people to know that he was never negative. In fact, I can’t even remember one negative conversation I ever had with Michael. I don’t recall anything being negative from him. People need to really know that.
We talked a lot about the label. Both him and Quincy were very mature in understanding how the label operated, and as a whole, how the industry operated.
At that time, Michael demanded a certain amount of respect because he had to when it came to his career [because of the color of his skin]. Back during Thriller, he had to fight to get airplay on TV and he knew he had to because he was black. He knew that and was extremely knowledgeable about what was going on around him, and the barriers set in front of him because of his skin color. Michael then became the first black artist they really played on different channels. The label had to really work hard with MTV to get that done.
Racism was alive and well, and Michael knew that, and he understood the true division of what he was up against. Michael would be invited to all different black events and if he was invited, he would be there! He didn’t turn those events down at all. If an invite came through, he would be there.
There's a photo you took of Michael at the 1984 Grammy's after-party. What's the story behind that photo?
We were there for the Grammy's and I just really spoke to him briefly that night. He was at dinner and I hollered at him. His plate is why I took the picture because he wouldn’t eat but grapes and strawberries, and shit. I don’t know how he had so much energy with such a diet! *Laughs*... I used to ask him, 'How do you have that energy man with that diet you have!?'
The culture of entertainment remembers the legacy Thriller. However, unlike you, fans and music listeners were not behind the scenes to see it unfold the way you were. How would you describe that time in history?
Well Thriller was so big, concert radio stations were playing it. That album sold something like 1 million copies a month for 15 straight months. I was seeing what everyone else was seeing and the magnitude of it was real.
What's one of your last memories with him?
The last time I saw Michael was in the 1990’s at a conference out in Los Angeles, and he was just leaving and called me to come sit in his limo and talk with him. He asked about me and my family. My girls met him a few different times and they were big fans when they were kids around 14 or 15. (They met him one time at a concert in Philadelphia and a couple other times when he was on the road, because they went to all of his shows).
What do you want readers to remember about the kind of person Michael Jackson was?
I want people to know that he was never negative. In fact, I can’t even remember one negative conversation I ever had with Michael. I don’t recall anything being negative from him. People need to really know that.
Click the Pictures
Photos and memorabilia from TC Thompkins' vault during his time as Vice President of Epic Records
Some images are copyright TC Thompkins. Some are copyright, unknown.
Some images are copyright TC Thompkins. Some are copyright, unknown.