Michael Jackson's famous friends
Michael Jackson was one of the most successful yet controversial entertainers of all time, so it's no surprise his death is shrouded in mystery.
NW takes a look at the real reasons behind his shock heart attack last week, and uncovers what really happened — his battle with drugs, anorexia and his own personal demons. In an in depth 16 page special, we also take a look at his early years, his family life, his women and closest friends and what made the man that was the greatest performer in the world.
Michael Jackson's famous friends
Liz Taylor
A long-time supporter of Michael, Liz acted like a second mother and offered support when things got tough for the fragile performer. "Elizabeth Taylor used to feed me, handfeed me, at times," Michael said of their closeness.
Sheryl Crow
Getting her foot in the musical door after finding work as a backup singer during Michael's Bad WorldTour in 1987, she even joined him to sing I Just Can't Stop Loving You as a duet. "I have a hard time keeping my eyes off him," she said at the time. "When he's on stage, he just keeps drawing you in."
Oprah Winfrey
The highest-rated episode of Oprah's show was in 1993 when 63 million people tuned into watch MJ make a rare appearance, during which he attempted to dispel many of the rumours surrounding him and admitted to Oprah he suffered from the skin-pigment disorder vitiligo.
Paul McCartney
The two former cowriters, who penned such songs as Say, Say, Say and The Girl Is Mine, fell out in the '80s when MJ beat Paul to the sale of The Beatles' song catalogue. The two didn't speak for more than 20 years, but Michael is said to have attempted to make amends by leaving ownership of the songs to Paul in his will.
Justin Timberlake
The unlikely twosome formed a friendship after JT was caught stealing a lot of his idol's signature moves and wardrobe styles."If I danced in a certain way, if I wore the fedora and the glove, I'm not going to sit here and say it wasn't thought about," says Justin.
Liza Minelli
Both familiar with the downside of fame, Michael and industry legend Liza became thick as thieves. Michael was even co-best man, along with his brother Tito, at Liza's 2002 wedding to David Gest. "He is a wonderful man," Liza once said of her pal. "A sweet, dear, talented man. I knew him his whole life."
Britney Spears
They are two of the biggest stars of modern times, so it was only natural that they'd form a close bond. "I can relate to Britney," Michael has said. "Ultimately we're both human and we need other people to understand what we go through…"
Bubbles
Chimpanzee Bubbles originally started out as a pet, but was eventually promoted to sidekick and then star in his own right, travelling the world with his famous friend. But things eventually turned sour between the two and Bubbles was banished from Neverland Ranch after being rumoured to have punched Michael in the face during a fight
Cher
One of the few stars who can match MJ's longevity is Cher. The two first crossed paths nearly 40 years ago on her variety show, when Cher worked with Michael and his brothers on a medley of their hits. "He was always adorable to me, he was always sweet," she says. "He was a genius like Ray Charles."
Lionel Ritchie
Co-writing We Are The World together in 1985 and singing the global smash hit along with a supergroup of music icons including Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen, Michael was so close to Lionel that he was made godfather of his daughter Nicole. "[He] is the most dynamic performer of our time and for him to not be on stage is a crime," Lionel has said of Michael.
For the full story, don't miss this week's NW.
Subscribe to NW here!
