“When he was 9 years old people called him an ‘old soul.’ He seemed to be very mature as a youngster, and maybe that cost him his youth. Nevertheless, he transcended all the genres of music and was hard to categorize.”
Veteran Los Angeles session man Craig McMullen returned to his native Columbus last year after 25 years on the L.A. music scene. He is currently music director of Mowtown’s R&B group The Miracles.
“I recorded a Schlitz Malt Liquor commercial in (the Jacksons’) home in Ensino,” said guitarist McMullen. “Michael was in the booth with the rest of them. He was a young teenager then and was very energetic and inquisitive. As a musician, I’m just sorry he never got to do his last concert. You never know what kind of physical condition a person is in but his death is just sad.”
Floyd Weatherspoon, lead singer of Dayton’s vocal group Touch, co-wrote the song “What Goes Around Comes Around” which Jackson performed on his album “Ben.”
“I wrote it in 1973 along with Arthur Stokes, Dana Myers and Lavenski Adams,” Weatherspoon said. “Although it’s been 36 years ago, we still receive royalty checks from it.
“I think Michael’s death is bigger than Elvis’. Elvis didn’t transcend racial and social lines like Michael did. I still can’t believe he’s dead.”
Bruce Anthony Davis, who grew up in Dayton and went on to star as a Broadway dancer for Bob Fosse and other directors, doubts whether he would have gone into show business if not for Jackson.
“When I was a little boy I used to try to emulate him. I always used Jackson Five songs in talent shows,” said Davis, 50. “I can remember holding the album covers up next to my face to see if I looked like him, or whether my smile matched his.”
Later, Davis believes, Jackson returned the favor. “I would see him in the audience for our shows and then I would see some of my moves in his videos.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2167 or kmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com. Terry Morris contributed to this story.
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