R&B star Stacy Lattisaw Reflects on Michael Jackson

Three years after the King of Pop Michael Jackson died June 25th of an accidental overdose, former teen singing superstar Stacy Lattisaw – best known for several 1980’s hits including "Jump to the Beat" and "Let Me Be Your Angel," and who once toured and opened for the Jacksons mega successful Triumph Tour in 1981 - reflects back on the man she knew.

Ms. Lattisaw is now married (Mrs. Jackson now to be correct) and the mother of two teenagers and lives in Fort Washington, Maryland. She took this weekend to speak to entertainment lawyer James Walker and myself. Read more below.

“Michael Jackson was the most kind and the most humble person I ever encountered in the entertainment industry,” said Lattisaw, whose own career began in 1979 at age 12 and extended through 1992 with several Top 40 R&B hits.

 Click here:  Stacy Lattisaw performing on Soul Train with Johnny Gill


“And that’s one of the most important things I learned from him,” she says.

”At the tender age of 14 I had the opportunity to open for The Jackson's "Victory" tour in 1981. I remember that as if it were yesterday, I was outside playing kickball with my friends and my Mom came outside and said "Stacy, we just got a phone call from the Jackson's management company requesting you to open for them."

“Not realizing that this was a opportunity of a lifetime, I immediately began to think, if I accepted the offer, I would be away from home, my family, and friends for 13 weeks on a 38-city tour. My mom set my mind at ease and convinced me to partake in this once in a lifetime experience!”

The tour began July 9^th in Memphis and Stacy’s brother accompanied her on the road. She remembers being in awe of the 23-year Michael, who was already a megastar – as this was just before the release of his classic Off The Wall album – one whose electrifying aura had tens of young fans collapsing in excitement every show.

Watch a clip from the Los Angeles show here: Triumph Tour 1981

“He was a perfectionist and was very diligent.  He would practice for hours and hours. He was very dedicated to what he did, but I also remember he was very quiet and reserved. But when he hit the stage, it was like all of a sudden a magic from somewhere just came and the crowd went wild and thunderous. I saw him give all he had every show, he’d be exhausted.

"And after each show, my brother Jerry and I would go sit, talk, and take pictures with Michael for a few short minutes. Just to be in his presence was amazing. And while being around him, I learned the importance of humility. His success never changed him. I learned the importance of being a giver. A lot of people don’t know this, but Michael donated all of his earnings, his money, from the Victory tour to different charities.

“l also learned the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have your best interest at heart. Because Michael was such a giver, there were some who took advantage of his kindness.” 

“Those were some of the most precious moments that I will never forget,” she said.

After Lattisaw retired from the music business in 1992 to become a wife and doting mother to two children, she and Jackson did not stay touch. She, like millions of others worldwide, learned of his sudden death June 25, 2009 while watching television.

“I was devastated when I heard the news,” she said recalling the moment and how she began to cry. “It broke my heart.

“In some ways I wish that maybe I could have spent some time with him and maybe we could have prayed together. While I never reached the level of his success, I could totally relate to him, I’d had a taste of what he’d gone through, not having had a childhood and growing up in the harsh light of stardom at a very young age.

“Most people only see the glamour and glitz of fame, but there are so many unseen things I dealt with and sacrificed,” Lattisaw says about fame. “Michael indeed was a superstar and what people should learn is that no one will ever know what it was like to walk in his shoes because when you reach that level of stardom, your life becomes an open book.

“I think people had put so much pressure on him, that it probably became too much for him to handle. All he wanted was to rest and sleep.”

Jackson died from an accidental overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, who is now serving four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

“I am very humbled and honored to have met Michael and tour with the Jacksons and in my opinion, there will never be another Michael Jackson. He was the greatest entertainer of all-time.”

Stacy Lattisaw Jackson lives in Fort Washington, Maryland and now operates a women’s ministry called Believers Building Bridges. Learn more at stacylattisaw.net