福音音樂界第一夫人Shirley Caesar的回憶錄裏有MJ

 中文來源：mjjcn.com   翻譯：My的翻譯



Shirley Caesar是美國歷史上最知名的黑人傳統福音歌手，也是當之無愧的“First Lady of Gospel”。Shirley1938年出生在美國北卡羅來納的都漢姆，1966年出道她一共出版過40余張專輯，所得的Grammy及基督教的聖鴿獎多如繁星。

Shirley Caesar回憶自己過去失之交臂與Michael的合作機會   （－－10多年前的事情啦） 當Michael Jackson邀請我與他合唱一首歌時，我再次見證了上帝對我的恩賜。   Caesar Singers才受邀同Take 6和Dixie Hummingbirds一起出席了週六晚間一出現場演出節目――當晚她唱了“Lord, Let Your Spirit Fall On Me”這首歌，第二周，她就接到了Michael Jackson助手打來的電話，告之Jackson先生希望與之見面，因為他想與她合唱自己的新專輯中的一首歌。   我的經紀人Carolyn Sanders不敢相信，還問我，“開玩笑的吧？”    “這是真的，確實是Jackson先生提出與Caesar小姐見面。” 我本來也會去洛杉磯參加Stellar頒獎禮，便可借此機會與Michael 會面。我們約好在下午兩點半見。一想到即將見到Michael Jackson我就興奮不已，所以提早離開酒店先到百老匯商城去逛逛，打發打發時間。   我漫無目的四處閒逛之時忍不住不時朝手上的表望去，頓時竟感到腳下一陣震動。當時我人在商城7樓，心想這大概是由於外面街上有巨型卡車經過所致。但由始至終我一想到要見Michael Jackson就不由得緊張起來，過了一會兒我又決定返回酒店。回到酒店後我打開電視，每個頻道播放的節目都一樣――1989年發生在奧克蘭和三藩市的大地震。於是我突然間明白了之前在商城感到腳下的振動是350英里以外的地震餘震。   這些有關地震的消息吸引了我的全部注意力，與Michael Jackson的會面此時也不再像之前那樣令人緊張了。看看表，已經1點45，於是我就準備好下樓打車前往我們約好見面的地址――市內某錄音棚。 我到達預約地點時仍提前了半個小時，就到街對面一個麵包店買了兩個麵包圈和一杯果汁。隨後我便一邊吃麵包圈一邊等著對方出現，不過一會兒我就看到一輛豪華轎車駛向路邊並漸漸停了下來。大概十分鐘後，一位男子進來告訴我Jackson先生已經到了。   他帶我來到一間錄音棚。我們進門的時候，他還問我，“至於這次合作，你想過要收多少錢了嗎？”   聽到這個問題，我竟愣住了――因為我之前完全沒有想過錢方面的問題。片刻之後我答道，“沒有，沒想過。我只是很想見見Michael Jackson。”   我想見他，因為我崇拜他的音樂天賦和多才多藝。他的演唱方式從來都與眾不同。一想到這樣一位頂級巨星會邀請我與之合作都讓我興奮得打顫。Michael Jackson身上有太多東西都讓我崇拜不已，我簡直迫不及待想見到他。    幾分鐘後Michael Jackson便出現了，手上拿著一根拐杖，還像一貫那樣戴著帽子和墨鏡。他走過來跟我握手，我微笑著對他說，“哦，這可不行！你得給我個擁抱！”   我話音才落，他就張開雙臂給了我一個大大的擁抱。   我對他說，“我一直把你叫成我的兒子，你可能覺得這有點兒瘋狂吧！”   他笑著對我說，“我愛你，也愛你的作品。”   我很感激他給我的這番評價。我們坐定之後，他的錄音師開始播放Michael希望與我合作的那首歌。其間，我問Michael他怎麼知道我的，又怎麼會從那麼多歌手中選我跟他合唱。    “我看了你上周日晚的演出，”他說，“之後我就讓助手給你打電話。”    說完這句話，他又對他的錄音師說，“嗨，夥計，她太厲害了，我可不想跟他同台演唱。”   我笑著對他說，“哦，不不不。你才厲害呢，你太傑出了。”   我們談了很多彼此都感興趣的話題，當然，音樂和演唱還是我們聊得最多的。我倆還在不知不覺間說到了上帝。我自然不是有意將話題朝那個方向引，但既然都說到這裏了，我也不會羞於發表自己的看法。在闡述自己觀點時，我儘量讓自己的語氣聽上去不像說教。我提到了上帝對他的愛與恩賜，正是因為這些，他才有這般天賦與才能。Michael隨後告訴我他非常高興能與我進行這番談話。    在我們談話期間，有間大公司（我猜是洛杉磯LA Gear公司）打來電話。對方很明顯是希望能繼續與Michael商討為其代言運動鞋的有關細節。帶我來錄音棚的男士在Michael耳邊低聲說那家公司打來電話。Michael答道，“記下號碼，我們待會兒打過去。”   “你怎麼處理外界向你提出的各種要求?”我問他，“這對我是件困難事兒，所以我猜那肯定讓你更頭痛。有時這些苛刻要求讓你無法抗拒，這種情況下你又怎麼處理呢？”   他思考片刻後回答說，“你就得拒絕。”   他的這句話讓我印象深刻，至今仍記憶猶新。    隨後他又問我，“如果嗓子沙啞了，你怎麼辦呢？”   我回答說，“最主要的是休息。   但有時候不是想休息就能休息的。你一般怎麼做呢？”   他笑著說，“我會拿杯開水，用鼻子去吸熱騰騰的蒸氣。這辦法有時還很奏效。”    錄音棚的技術人員播放了Michael想與我合作的歌曲，但我對那不是很感興趣。那首名為“Earth”的歌所唱的內容跟環境有關。我當時之所以缺乏興趣可能是因為聽到的只是它大致的調子，但後來當我聽到它發行的單曲版本時，覺得非常棒。   當時聽完之後我就問他，“我倆一起合唱這首歌嗎？”他說正是如此。    幾分鐘後，Andrae和Sandra Crouch也來了。他們都是Michael新專輯的製作團隊成員。Andrae和Sandra跟我是很要好的朋友，才到沒多久他們就開始開我玩笑，說“她來自北卡羅來納一個小鎮。”話到此，Michael便列出該州許多優點以免我感到尷尬。Andrae越是取笑我，Michael越是為我辯護。記得Michael說，“我還是個孩子時，有一次坐火車經過北卡羅來納。”當時我腦裏就隱約浮現出多年前的記憶――一個星期天上午，一個途經卡羅來納城市Durham年輕男子樂隊來到當地教堂。他們走進來時，教堂一位執事就問道，“你們這個組合叫什麼？”   最年長的成員答道，“你的意思是你不知道我們是誰？我們是Jackson Five。”這樣看來Michael Jackson曾經確實到過北卡羅來納的Durham，不僅如此，他還到過我們的教堂。    我沒有跟Michael在他那張專輯當中合作。他的製作公司後來本想再次跟我們聯繫的，但很不幸的是，教堂方面聽說我可能會跟Michael Jackson後，很多有關人士都持反對意見。我辦公室還接到過一通批評Michael Jackson並要求我不可以跟他合作。   甚至還有些人開些惡意的玩笑，聽到這些話讓我非常難過。也正因為如此，我退縮了，決定就算Michael以後再打電話聯繫我，我也不會跟他合唱。    其實我個人是非常希望能與Michael Jackson合作，因為在他身上我看到了自己的一些影子。我們小時候都因為工作而不能像正常孩子一樣享受無憂無慮的童年時光――Michael的情況自然比我糟得多。所以我也清楚他成長過程中經歷的孤獨。我真的願意當他的朋友，但那次之後他就再也沒有聯繫過我了。我只是想借此表達我對Michael Jackson的愛意，我不允許任何人在我面前中傷他。

Pastor Shirley Caesar

from her autobipgraphy 

The Lady, The Melody and The Word
by Shirley Caesar
pgs. 164-168

When Michael Jackson asked me to sing with him on an album, a door was again opened for me to share my testimony of the Lord.

 

The Caesar Singers were invited to sing on the Sunday Night Live television program, along with Take 6 and the Dixie Hummingbirds. That night I remember singing the song “Lord, Let Your Spirit Fall On Me.” The following week a representative from Michael Jackson’s office called my office. She said that Mr. Jackson wanted to meet with me about recording a song with him on an upcoming project.

 

My manager, Carolyn Sanders, said “Is this a joke?”

 

“No. This is very, very real. Mr. Jackson would like to meet with Miss Caesar.”

 

I was scheduled to go to Los Angeles anyway for the Stellar Awards, so I decided to meet with Michael during that time. The meeting was scheduled for 2: 30 in the afternoon. I was so excited about meeting Michael Jackson that I left my hotel early and went across the street to the Broadway Mall to kill some time. While browsing there, and carefully monitoring my watch, I suddenly felt a rumbling under my feet. Since I was on the seventh floor of the mall I thought perhaps it was the vibration of the huge trucks passing by. Still very nervous about meeting Michael, I went back to my hotel room and turned on the television. Every channel I tuned in was broadcasting the news of the terrible earthquake of 1989, which had just hit the Oakland-San Francisco Bay area. Immediately, I knew that the rumbling I felt under my feet was the aftershock of the earthquake taking place in Northern California over three hundred and fifty miles away.

 

I became so engrossed in the newscast that my meeting with Michael Jackson became secondary. I looked at my watch. It was nearing 1:45, so I went downstairs caught a taxi, and went to the studio address his representative had given me.

 

Arriving thirty minutes early, I went across the street to a doughnut shop and bought two jelly doughnuts and a container of orange juice. I walked back to the studio and was sitting there eating my snack when I noticed on the overhead monitor a long limousine pull up in the back driveway. Approximately ten minutes later, a man came in and told me Mr. Jackson had arrived.

 

I followed the gentleman into a room off from the studio. As we entered he asked, “Have you thought about how much you want to charge?”

 

I paused for a second. I hadn’t even thought about money. I told him, “No, I haven’t, I really just want to meet Michael Jackson.”

 

I wanted to meet him because I admired his talent and versatility. He never sings a song the same way. I was thriller that such a multitalented megastar would even consider asking me to share a song with him. There were just so many positive things about Michael Jackson that I admired, and I wanted to meet him.

 

A few minutes later Michael Jackson appeared, a long back cane in his hand, a hat on his head, and dark glasses over his eyes. He walked over to me to shake my hand. I smiled at him and shook his head. “Oh no,” I said. “You’ve got to hug me!”

 

He laughed and opened his arms, and we embraced. I said to him, “You’re going to think this sounds crazy, but I’ve always called you my son.”

 

He smiled and said, “I love you, and I love your work.”

 

Of course I appreciated his comments. As we sat down together, his sound engineer began to set up the song that Michael wanted me to consider. I asked Michael how he had heard of me and why he wanted me of all people to sing with him.

 

“I saw you on Sunday Night Live,” he said, “so I had one of my staff members call you.”

 

He turned to his soundman. “Man, she’s bad,” he said, “I wouldn’t want to follow her on stage.”

 

I laughed with him. “No, you’re the bad one,” I said. “You’re just extraordinary.”

 

We talked about various topics but of course music and singing were at the top of the list. Before either of us realized it, our conversation changed and we began talking about the Lord. I certainly didn’t try to influence the conversation in that direction, but I didn’t hesitate to say something for the Lord while I had the opportunity. Not wanting to sound as thought I was preaching to him, I was very subtle in reminding him of how much the Lord loved him, how the Lord had blessed him, and how he had given him great talents. Michael later told me he appreciated the conversation.

A major manufacturing company (I think it was LA Gear) called the studio during the time of our meeting. Apparently they wanted to continue their discussion of the possibility of Michael endorsing their athletic shoes. The gentleman who greeted me when I arrived walked over to Michael and whispered in his ear that the company was on the telephone. Michael replied, “Take a number. We’ll call them back.”

 

“How do you handle all the demands on your life?” I asked. “It’s hard for me, so I know it must be even harder for you. There are times when the demands are so over-whelming. How do you handle it?”

 

He thought for a second, then said “You just say no.”

 

I never forgot that.

 

Then he asked me, “What do you do for your hoarseness?”

 

I said “The main thing is try to get some rest. But that’s not always easy to do. What about you?”

 

He laughed. “I have a steam cup. I place my head over the cup and inhale the vapors. That sometimes seems to help.”

 

The studio technicians played the tape of the song Michael wanted me to consider, but it didn’t sound like something I’d sing. The name of it was “Earth,” and it dealt with environment issues. I guess I felt that way because he had only rough taping of the song, but the finished product was awesome.

 

After listening to the song I said “Am I to sing this along with you?”

 

He said yes. He wanted me to co-lead it with him.

 

A few minutes later, Andrae and Sandra Crouch came in and joined the meeting. They were also collaborating with Michael on the project. Andrae and Sandra and I are very good friends, and instantly he began playfully teasing me about my home state and city, saying that “she’s from a little country town in North Carolina .” But Michael rescued me from Andrea’s teasing by saying exemplary things about North Carolina . The more Andrae teased me, the more Michael defended me. The moment Michael said “I remember traveling on the train through North Carlina when I was a little boy”, a vague memory from years ago instantly came to mind. One Sunday morning a group of young male singers traveling through Durham , North Carolina , came to our church. A deacon in our church asked them, “What’s the name of your group?”

 

The oldest one said, “you mean to tell me you don’t know who we are? We’re the Jackson Five.” So Michael Jackson had actually been to Durham , North Carolina , and worshipped in our church!

 

I didn’t sing with Michael on that album. His production company was supposed to contact us again, but sadly enough, when the church world heard that I might sing with Michael Jackson, many became very critical and condemning. MY office received an untold number of calls from people denouncing Michael Jackson and saying I shouldn’t participate on any recording with him. A few people even started making jokes about it. My song “Hold My Mule” was very popular at the time, and people started saying “Hold my mule while I sing with Michael Jackson.”

 

When I heard those ugly and cruel remarks, I withdrew, deciding that even if Michael called again, I wouldn’t be able to participate on the project.

 

I would have loved to work with Michael Jackson, because I saw in him a part of myself. As children neither of us had really been able to enjoy a normal childhood because we were always traveling and working, Michael even more so than myself. Consequently, I knew firsthand the loneliness and alienation he must have endured growing up. I would have really loved to be a friend to him, but he never called me back. Let the record show, however, that I love Michael Jackson, and I don’t allow anyone to discuss him negatively in my presence.