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Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days
Hounded by the tabloid media, driven from his self-made sanctuary at Neverland, Michael Jackson spent his final years moving from city to city, living with his three children in virtual seclusion-a futile attempt to escape a world that wouldn’t leave him alone. During that time, two men served as the singer’s personal security Bill Whitfield, a former cop and veteran of the security profession, and Javon Beard, a brash, untested rookie, both single fathers themselves. Stationed at his side nearly 24/7, their job was to see and hear everything that transpired, and to keep everyone else out, making them the only two men who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to What really happened to the King of Pop? Driven by a desire to show the world who Michael Jackson truly was, Whitfield and Beard have produced the only definitive, first-person account of Michael Jackson’s last the extreme measures necessary to protect Jackson and his family, the simple moments of happiness they managed to share in a time of great stress, the special relationship Jackson shared with his fans, and the tragic events that culminated in the singer’s ill-fated comeback, This Is It. The truth is far more compelling than anything you’ve yet heard. An indispensable piece of pop-culture history, Remember the Time is the story of a man struggling to live a normal life under extraordinary circumstances, the story of a father fighting to protect and provide for his children. Remember the Time is the book that dismantles the tabloid myths once and for all to give Michael Jackson back his humanity.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2014
109 people are currently reading
1515 people want to read
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May 21, 2014
BETRAYAL of MJ & his children!
Both of these bodyguards are violating their confidentiality contracts with Michael Jackson by releasing this book.
Both are violating required confidentiality regarding Prince, Paris, and Blanket - all MINORS.
MJ's young children are very vulnerable to betrayal, exploitation, and embarrassment. Paris attempted suicide in June 2013, partly because of painful media intrusion into her private life. The children's guardians have not approved these bodyguards' public disclosures about MJ's children.
William Whitfield bragged on Good Morning America on March 10/11, 2010, that he had "kept Michael Jackson's financial records." He would be divulging this private and confidential information in his book about MJ.
These bodyguards are revealing private information in spite of the undisputed fact that their paid jobs for him required that they keep this information private and confidential.
These bodyguards are revealing private information and events about Michael Jackson, his family members, and his minor children for the SOLE PURPOSE of making money on their betrayals, many of which will be detrimental, damaging, and embarrassing to the Jacksons.
Theirs is the ultimate betrayal of their employer MJ, whose primary goal for them was to keep his personal life safe & private.
Both of these bodyguards are violating their confidentiality contracts with Michael Jackson by releasing this book.
Both are violating required confidentiality regarding Prince, Paris, and Blanket - all MINORS.
MJ's young children are very vulnerable to betrayal, exploitation, and embarrassment. Paris attempted suicide in June 2013, partly because of painful media intrusion into her private life. The children's guardians have not approved these bodyguards' public disclosures about MJ's children.
William Whitfield bragged on Good Morning America on March 10/11, 2010, that he had "kept Michael Jackson's financial records." He would be divulging this private and confidential information in his book about MJ.
These bodyguards are revealing private information in spite of the undisputed fact that their paid jobs for him required that they keep this information private and confidential.
These bodyguards are revealing private information and events about Michael Jackson, his family members, and his minor children for the SOLE PURPOSE of making money on their betrayals, many of which will be detrimental, damaging, and embarrassing to the Jacksons.
Theirs is the ultimate betrayal of their employer MJ, whose primary goal for them was to keep his personal life safe & private.
June 20, 2014
Conrad Murray's Supporters Are Now Lying About Their Relationship and Time With MJ.
In the title of their book and elsewhere, Whitfield & Beard claim to have been with MJ "in his final days," whereas they had NO CONTACT with MJ during all of 2009 [he died on June 25, 2009] - in fact, no contact with him for 8 months before his death. [Documents & testimony from the Murray trial verify this time frame.]
These bodyguards have also misrepresented and lied about the amount of time that they were in service to Michael Jackson; they claim 2-1/2 years of service. They were with him only from the end of December 2006, to October 2008 (21 months - not 30 months).
The bodyguards describe their book (on Amazon) as covering their time with MJ "from Neverland to his death." Neither of these bodyguards even visited Neverland and they had no contact with MJ for fully 8 MONTHS before his death.
In the description of their book (on Amazon), they claim to be "the only two men who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to know: what really happened to the King of Pop?" In reality, they have no more information than anyone else who has followed MJ's last months. They also insist that Conrad Murray is innocent and should never go to jail [GMA program - 11/04/11], which assertions reveal their ignorance regarding the proven cause of MJ's death.
In the title of their book and elsewhere, Whitfield & Beard claim to have been with MJ "in his final days," whereas they had NO CONTACT with MJ during all of 2009 [he died on June 25, 2009] - in fact, no contact with him for 8 months before his death. [Documents & testimony from the Murray trial verify this time frame.]
These bodyguards have also misrepresented and lied about the amount of time that they were in service to Michael Jackson; they claim 2-1/2 years of service. They were with him only from the end of December 2006, to October 2008 (21 months - not 30 months).
The bodyguards describe their book (on Amazon) as covering their time with MJ "from Neverland to his death." Neither of these bodyguards even visited Neverland and they had no contact with MJ for fully 8 MONTHS before his death.
In the description of their book (on Amazon), they claim to be "the only two men who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to know: what really happened to the King of Pop?" In reality, they have no more information than anyone else who has followed MJ's last months. They also insist that Conrad Murray is innocent and should never go to jail [GMA program - 11/04/11], which assertions reveal their ignorance regarding the proven cause of MJ's death.
May 18, 2014
Conrad Murray's staunchest supporters & more betrayal
These renegade bodyguards, William Whitfield and Javon Beard, went on Good Morning America on the first day of jury deliberations in Murray's criminal trial for having killed Michael Jackson. On national TV, they declared Murray's innocence and argued that he should not be convicted and not go to jail. That was Nov. 4, 2011, and their performance can be viewed on Hulu and the GMA website. How is that for betrayal of their deceased employer Michael Jackson? But Whitfield and Beard got their 15 minutes of fame that day.
Three days later Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson and sentenced to 4 years in jail [later reduced to less than 2 years]. Whitfield and Beard have remained Murray's advocates.
With this book they are exposing MJ and his three minor children to public scrutiny - these same men who pledged and were paid to keep MJ, Prince, Paris, and Blanket PRIVATE and away from public knowledge. The children were 10, 9, and 5 years old when Whitfield and Beard were employed to protect them. Their father even veiled them to keep them unrecognizable and relied on bodyguards to keep them private. More betrayal now, with this book, for children who pay an exorbitant price just for being the offspring of the greatest entertainer of our time. If the bodyguards of the children of President Obama or Matt Damon or Ben Affleck were exposed in this way in a tell-all book, people would be outraged. Because it is Michael Jackson, it seems, people take for granted anything that otherwise would be bizarre, off limits, and inappropriate, and this attitude extends to his innocent children.
You can buy this book or ignore it or boycott it.
If you care about Michael Jackson or his children, you will know your best option.
These renegade bodyguards, William Whitfield and Javon Beard, went on Good Morning America on the first day of jury deliberations in Murray's criminal trial for having killed Michael Jackson. On national TV, they declared Murray's innocence and argued that he should not be convicted and not go to jail. That was Nov. 4, 2011, and their performance can be viewed on Hulu and the GMA website. How is that for betrayal of their deceased employer Michael Jackson? But Whitfield and Beard got their 15 minutes of fame that day.
Three days later Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson and sentenced to 4 years in jail [later reduced to less than 2 years]. Whitfield and Beard have remained Murray's advocates.
With this book they are exposing MJ and his three minor children to public scrutiny - these same men who pledged and were paid to keep MJ, Prince, Paris, and Blanket PRIVATE and away from public knowledge. The children were 10, 9, and 5 years old when Whitfield and Beard were employed to protect them. Their father even veiled them to keep them unrecognizable and relied on bodyguards to keep them private. More betrayal now, with this book, for children who pay an exorbitant price just for being the offspring of the greatest entertainer of our time. If the bodyguards of the children of President Obama or Matt Damon or Ben Affleck were exposed in this way in a tell-all book, people would be outraged. Because it is Michael Jackson, it seems, people take for granted anything that otherwise would be bizarre, off limits, and inappropriate, and this attitude extends to his innocent children.
You can buy this book or ignore it or boycott it.
If you care about Michael Jackson or his children, you will know your best option.
June 5, 2014
Prince, Paris & Blanket Jackson are betrayed & exploited in this book!
Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson - these bodyguards' clients - are all still minors, entitled to their privacy, and at especially sensitive ages to have to deal with yet more betrayal, inappropriate exposure, exploitation, and public scrutiny. They are VICTIMS of this book.
William Whitfield promised several times, via social media, that he would obtain the approval of Katherine Jackson before releasing his book for publication. Unsurprisingly, that never happened because Katherine does not need any more heartache or public disclosures by paid employees to embarrass, exploit, and shame her family members - her children and her grandchildren.
William Whitfield promised, via social media, to give a significant portion of the proceeds from his book to a large number of charities. There has been no mention of any contributions to charities since the announcement was made that the book would be available in June 2014.
None of MJ's security personnel were ever allowed inside his home without special permission for a special reason, ensuring that these two bodyguards' exposure to MJ and his children was very limited. This reality begs the question of how much "information" that is "revealed" in the book is lies, misrepresentations, and/or exaggerations for the sole purpose of selling books. The bodyguards claim to expose MJ's "home life," whereas they were not allowed in his home!
Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson - these bodyguards' clients - are all still minors, entitled to their privacy, and at especially sensitive ages to have to deal with yet more betrayal, inappropriate exposure, exploitation, and public scrutiny. They are VICTIMS of this book.
William Whitfield promised several times, via social media, that he would obtain the approval of Katherine Jackson before releasing his book for publication. Unsurprisingly, that never happened because Katherine does not need any more heartache or public disclosures by paid employees to embarrass, exploit, and shame her family members - her children and her grandchildren.
William Whitfield promised, via social media, to give a significant portion of the proceeds from his book to a large number of charities. There has been no mention of any contributions to charities since the announcement was made that the book would be available in June 2014.
None of MJ's security personnel were ever allowed inside his home without special permission for a special reason, ensuring that these two bodyguards' exposure to MJ and his children was very limited. This reality begs the question of how much "information" that is "revealed" in the book is lies, misrepresentations, and/or exaggerations for the sole purpose of selling books. The bodyguards claim to expose MJ's "home life," whereas they were not allowed in his home!
September 15, 2014
Lies--
In the title of their book and elsewhere, Whitfield & Beard claim to have been with MJ "in his final days," whereas they had NO CONTACT with MJ during all of 2009 [he died on June 25, 2009] - in fact, no contact with him for 8 months before his death.
These bodyguards have also misrepresented and lied about the amount of time that they were in service to Michael Jackson; they claim 2-1/2 years of service to give the impression that they were with him during his last days. Not so!
In the description of their book (on Amazon), they claim to be "the only two men who know what 60 million fans around the world still want to know: what really happened to the King of Pop?" In reality, they have no more information than anyone else who has followed MJ's last months. They also insist that Conrad Murray is innocent and should never go to jail [GMA program - 11/04/11], which assertions reveal their ignorance regarding the proven cause of MJ's death.
This book is more about the ego of the two bodyguards than anything else. They are trying to be heroes in the eyes of MJ fans, whereas they are maybe one notch above blatant con men.
October 29, 2014
A very sad book for many reasons -- unauthorized by Michael Jackson, his Estate, and family -- it has no support from anyone who knew MJ. Fantasy material by derelict employees taking advantage of their deceased employer and his children for their financial gain and ego.
One star.
One star.
June 15, 2014
12 Reasons why Michael Jackson would not approve!
Michael Jackson's life was filled with betrayal by countless individuals that now include William Whitfield and Javon Beard.
There are many reasons why MJ would not approve of this tell-all book about him, his children, his family, and a number of his employees:
1) Whitfield and Beard betrayed the sacred trust of MJ, who hired, paid, and pledged them to keep his business totally private, when they published this "wolf in sheep's clothing" book.
2) Whitfield and Beard revealed information and stories about MJ's minor children -- Prince, Paris and Blanket -- which he always forbade and prevented as much as he possibly could.
3) Whitfield and Beard revealed alleged information about MJ's family, including an ugly episode about MJ's brother Randy, which they admit was exceptionally painful for MJ, and which would otherwise have remained private except for these two disloyal bodyguards.
4) Mike Garcia, the third bodyguard, who broke away from Whitfield and Beard in their plan to betray MJ by writing this book, accused these two of disrespecting MJ and siding with those who did him wrong and stole from him.
5) These men have disclosed voluminous material about MJ's finances, which he wanted kept private, including using MJ's records which Whitfield boasted on TV that he had kept in his possession.
6) The book is filled with gratuitous profanity and vulgar language, which MJ -- as a gentleman with strong principles -- never used and did not allow to be used in his presence; MJ would never permit his children to read this book, as it is the type of material that he tried to keep from their awareness.
7) There are numerous lies and distortions used that include the length and span of their employment with MJ; their claim to have been his "best friends"; their claim to have been offered employment with MJ in London [AEG did all of the hiring for MJ and did not even know these guys, which is admitted in the book].
8) Whitfield and Beard publicly advocated for Conrad Murray, including during jury deliberations in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case against Murray; Murray did indeed kill their "boss" and was convicted of manslaughter.
9) Whitfield had promised on social media that he would obtain Katherine Jackson's approval before publishing his book about her son; for obvious reasons, this never happened, as Katherine would never approve employees' disclosures of private matters; confidentiality agreements are required on a routine basis to prevent this kind of book.
10) This book is a dangerous precedent for others who serve celebrities as bodyguards, maids, butlers, housekeepers, chefs, nannies, drivers, etc., to betray their employers by exposing their private, behind-the-scenes lives in published form for monetary gain; MJ would surely disapprove, as he required privacy and was vulnerable to this type of betrayal from literally hundreds of his employees.
11) Whitfield and Beard have provided fodder for the tabloids for many months and years to come; their material will be cited and distorted by media around the globe to continue the "wacko Jacko" type of coverage that plagued MJ for decades.
12) These bodyguards spin stories about MJ's private relationships with two females, Flower and Friend, that are not corroborated anywhere else in spite of unprecedented and relentless paparazzi efforts to obtain and share this kind of material; MJ would be upset about these bodyguards' betrayal for a number of reasons, including the extraordinary efforts he always took to keep his personal and sexual life private.
This book should be titled Exposing & Exploiting Michael Jackson by Employees He Trusted.
June 11, 2014
Where are the legal representatives of MJ and of his three beautiful, vulnerable, and exploited children?
There should be a cease-and-desist order against this unauthorized, maverick book! Where is it?
Both of these bodyguards are violating their confidentiality contracts with Michael Jackson by releasing this "tell-all" book. If the argument is made that because MJ is now dead he has forfeited this protection, the spirit of confidentiality requirements and paid-for, promised loyalty maintain. And MJ's three young children are still alive -- all of them MINORS and protected by age-specific laws. Whitfield and Beard were their bodyguards too. They are betraying their tragically deceased employer Michael Jackson and his three minor children for their own financial gain with the release of this book. The children's guardians have not approved any of these bodyguards' voluminous disclosures about the three grieving children. Whitfield published on social media that he would obtain the approval of Katherine Jackson before the publication of this book, but of course that never happened. There are so many reasons why Katherine would not approve this book that space limitations here could not accommodate the listing of them. One reason, of course, is that this book encourages and sets a precedent for all employees -- bodyguards, chefs, cooks, housekeepers, maids, butlers, drivers, nannies, gardeners, etc. -- to betray their celebrity employers by revealing their privacies in the public domain for money.
MJ's young children are especially vulnerable to betrayal, exploitation, and embarrassment -- on a global scale. Paris attempted suicide in June 2013, partly because of painful media intrusion into her private life. No one knows what parts of this book would be painful, disturbing, or embarrassing to these children. William Whitfield bragged on national TV on March 10/11, 2010, that he had "kept Michael Jackson's financial records." Further, he would be divulging this private and confidential information in his book about MJ. How can such boastful, advertised, and outrageous betrayal go unpunished? It is undisputed that Whitfield's and Beard's paid jobs for MJ required that they keep his and his children's lives private and confidential. Theirs is the ultimate betrayal of Michael, Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson. What could they do to MJ and his kids that is a worse offense than publishing this "tell-all" book -- filled with unapproved, unauthorized, and unverified material about them?
There should be a cease-and-desist order against this unauthorized, maverick book! Where is it?
Both of these bodyguards are violating their confidentiality contracts with Michael Jackson by releasing this "tell-all" book. If the argument is made that because MJ is now dead he has forfeited this protection, the spirit of confidentiality requirements and paid-for, promised loyalty maintain. And MJ's three young children are still alive -- all of them MINORS and protected by age-specific laws. Whitfield and Beard were their bodyguards too. They are betraying their tragically deceased employer Michael Jackson and his three minor children for their own financial gain with the release of this book. The children's guardians have not approved any of these bodyguards' voluminous disclosures about the three grieving children. Whitfield published on social media that he would obtain the approval of Katherine Jackson before the publication of this book, but of course that never happened. There are so many reasons why Katherine would not approve this book that space limitations here could not accommodate the listing of them. One reason, of course, is that this book encourages and sets a precedent for all employees -- bodyguards, chefs, cooks, housekeepers, maids, butlers, drivers, nannies, gardeners, etc. -- to betray their celebrity employers by revealing their privacies in the public domain for money.
MJ's young children are especially vulnerable to betrayal, exploitation, and embarrassment -- on a global scale. Paris attempted suicide in June 2013, partly because of painful media intrusion into her private life. No one knows what parts of this book would be painful, disturbing, or embarrassing to these children. William Whitfield bragged on national TV on March 10/11, 2010, that he had "kept Michael Jackson's financial records." Further, he would be divulging this private and confidential information in his book about MJ. How can such boastful, advertised, and outrageous betrayal go unpunished? It is undisputed that Whitfield's and Beard's paid jobs for MJ required that they keep his and his children's lives private and confidential. Theirs is the ultimate betrayal of Michael, Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson. What could they do to MJ and his kids that is a worse offense than publishing this "tell-all" book -- filled with unapproved, unauthorized, and unverified material about them?
July 23, 2014
Exaggeration & misrepresentation by these Conrad Murray supporters
In their advertising and book descriptions, these two bodyguards are misrepresenting their time with Michael Jackson in a blatant, dishonest attempt to get book sales. Everyone wants to know what really happened to the King of Pop. These guys claim to know what "60 million fans want to know" and that they are the "only" ones to know it! Ridiculous. They had NO CONTACT with Michael Jackson for any part of 2009. They were in Vegas; he and his children were in L.A. They lead the potential reader to believe that they have the answers, the truth about MJ's fate, but then the book itself reveals their ignorance.
They are presenting themselves as friends to MJ, but they are betraying intimate details about his private life. They were also vocal advocates of Conrad Murray, who was convicted of manslaughter -- the death of MJ, their boss. They both went on Good Morning America to pronounce Murray "innocent" on TV and to urge that he shouldn't go to jail.
They also claim to have been with MJ around the clock, whereas the reality is that all of MJ's security personnel were not allowed in his home at all except for rare special occasions, such as delivering a package. They were stationed in the trailer on MJ's property, not "at his side."
The assertion that they were going to accompany MJ to London for his concert series cannot be true because AEG was hiring everyone for MJ; AEG was hiring its own people. These bodyguards steered clear of AEG by their own admission. This untruth makes them seem more important to MJ and his story, but there is no one to corroborate their tale.
If this important and fundamental information is untrue, what can you believe from them?
This book should be classified as "fiction," not non-fiction!
In their advertising and book descriptions, these two bodyguards are misrepresenting their time with Michael Jackson in a blatant, dishonest attempt to get book sales. Everyone wants to know what really happened to the King of Pop. These guys claim to know what "60 million fans want to know" and that they are the "only" ones to know it! Ridiculous. They had NO CONTACT with Michael Jackson for any part of 2009. They were in Vegas; he and his children were in L.A. They lead the potential reader to believe that they have the answers, the truth about MJ's fate, but then the book itself reveals their ignorance.
They are presenting themselves as friends to MJ, but they are betraying intimate details about his private life. They were also vocal advocates of Conrad Murray, who was convicted of manslaughter -- the death of MJ, their boss. They both went on Good Morning America to pronounce Murray "innocent" on TV and to urge that he shouldn't go to jail.
They also claim to have been with MJ around the clock, whereas the reality is that all of MJ's security personnel were not allowed in his home at all except for rare special occasions, such as delivering a package. They were stationed in the trailer on MJ's property, not "at his side."
The assertion that they were going to accompany MJ to London for his concert series cannot be true because AEG was hiring everyone for MJ; AEG was hiring its own people. These bodyguards steered clear of AEG by their own admission. This untruth makes them seem more important to MJ and his story, but there is no one to corroborate their tale.
If this important and fundamental information is untrue, what can you believe from them?
This book should be classified as "fiction," not non-fiction!
June 13, 2014
Very unsettling!
This book should be called "Betraying MIchael Jackson Now That He Is Gone." These disloyal bodyguards start their book with the assurance that their book would not have been written if MJ were still alive. That's sure not hard to believe. He would be able to bring a lawsuit against them for a good number of reasons.
It's ironic that they "protected" him for about 20 months -- not the 2-1/2 years that they claim -- and now "all bets are off." MJ is fair game for their exploitation and they can join the long line of people who betrayed and exploited him. Whitfield and Beard call those villainous people "vultures" and yet they are now feeding on MJ along with those other vultures!
The profane language that is used throughout the book is off-putting and not appropriate for a publication about the noble, principled Michael Jackson, who did not use this kind of language and deserves more respectful and dignified treatment. Vulgarities are usually employed when the writing is weak, which is the case here.
It's difficult for me to handle the awareness of MJ's adamant and tireless pursuit of privacy for himself and his three young children and to know now that two of his trusted bodyguards have turned on him in this way. It is very ironic that men who were employed and compensated to keep him away from public scrutiny and to keep his little family private are the very ones to open this door to MJ's zealously guarded private life for the haters, the tabloids, and any others everywhere to exploit MJ even further. I'm just glad that he was spared the pain of yet another betrayal. It is only in death that he can escape the anguish of this unending pattern of betrayal for financial gain and fifteen or more minutes of fame for the betrayers.
This book should be called "Betraying MIchael Jackson Now That He Is Gone." These disloyal bodyguards start their book with the assurance that their book would not have been written if MJ were still alive. That's sure not hard to believe. He would be able to bring a lawsuit against them for a good number of reasons.
It's ironic that they "protected" him for about 20 months -- not the 2-1/2 years that they claim -- and now "all bets are off." MJ is fair game for their exploitation and they can join the long line of people who betrayed and exploited him. Whitfield and Beard call those villainous people "vultures" and yet they are now feeding on MJ along with those other vultures!
The profane language that is used throughout the book is off-putting and not appropriate for a publication about the noble, principled Michael Jackson, who did not use this kind of language and deserves more respectful and dignified treatment. Vulgarities are usually employed when the writing is weak, which is the case here.
It's difficult for me to handle the awareness of MJ's adamant and tireless pursuit of privacy for himself and his three young children and to know now that two of his trusted bodyguards have turned on him in this way. It is very ironic that men who were employed and compensated to keep him away from public scrutiny and to keep his little family private are the very ones to open this door to MJ's zealously guarded private life for the haters, the tabloids, and any others everywhere to exploit MJ even further. I'm just glad that he was spared the pain of yet another betrayal. It is only in death that he can escape the anguish of this unending pattern of betrayal for financial gain and fifteen or more minutes of fame for the betrayers.
August 14, 2014
Bill Whitfield and Javon Beard promised on television in 2010 that they would take "the high road" in their prospective book about Michael Jackson.
Whitfield promised on FB that he would obtain Katherine Jackson's approval before ever publishing a book about her son. Whitfield also promised to donate a significant portion of the proceeds of the book to a number of charities.
None of these promises was kept. MJ fans must have short memories to overlook all of the problems with this book, including the broken promises and the prevarications. They have also seemingly overlooked or forgotten that these two men were vocal advocates for Conrad Murray and that they proclaimed his innocence in the death of MJ on national television while the jury was deliberating the manslaughter case against Murray.
Pretending to have protected MJ "in his final days" is just another "low road" example.
Whitfield promised on FB that he would obtain Katherine Jackson's approval before ever publishing a book about her son. Whitfield also promised to donate a significant portion of the proceeds of the book to a number of charities.
None of these promises was kept. MJ fans must have short memories to overlook all of the problems with this book, including the broken promises and the prevarications. They have also seemingly overlooked or forgotten that these two men were vocal advocates for Conrad Murray and that they proclaimed his innocence in the death of MJ on national television while the jury was deliberating the manslaughter case against Murray.
Pretending to have protected MJ "in his final days" is just another "low road" example.
January 16, 2015
This book has serious credibility problems.
December 10, 2014
don't bother with this one.
December 11, 2014
Too much wrong information!!!
July 20, 2014
It s easy to understand why this misleading, third-rate book about Michael Jackson hasn't been endorsed by ANY of his friends, family members, creative collaborators or professional associates. If those that knew Michael personally learned of the many distortions in "Remember the Time," It's likely that they would strongly object to its publication.
These bodyguards' account of their interactions with Michael and his children comes across as both grandiose and egotistical. They spend way too much time boasting about how important they are, having worked for the world's most famous person. Bill Whitfield arrogantly refers to himself as the "gatekeeper for the King of Pop," and both he and Javon Beard clearly want to make the story all about them. You can tell that they're loving the attention.
A number of glaring inaccuracies with respect to dates and locations point to shoddy research and questionable -- if not fabricated -- sources. To correct the authors: Michael did NOT leave Neverland for Bahrain on June 19th of 2005. Also, Michael did NOT live on a horse farm in Virginia for five months in 2007. Finally, these bodyguards did NOT protect Michael in his "final days." In fact, they had virtually no contact with him for all of 2009.
I felt that several passages in the book were very disrespectful to Michael's memory. One such passage, discussing the bodyguards' impressions of Michael's favorite foods, included Whitfield's off-putting remark that, "This man is black, ghetto, and hood." Also, when discussing the circumstances surrounding Michael's death, Whitfield goes off on a tangent and seems to suggest that there is a possibility that he may have committed suicide. On page 302, he is quoted as saying, "Part of me honestly believes that he didn't die. He left. I'm leaving this place. I'm leaving this sh*t, this life. I'm out." This is absurd. Who is he to speculate like this? And finally, I found the excessive profanity throughout this book to be disconcerting and completely unnecessary (more than 115 curse words were noted). Michael's fans deserve better...
You can add these two dimwit bodyguards to the long list of characters that wandered into Michael Jackson's life, stayed long enough to earn his trust, betrayed it, and then sold their embellished story to the highest bidder.
These bodyguards' account of their interactions with Michael and his children comes across as both grandiose and egotistical. They spend way too much time boasting about how important they are, having worked for the world's most famous person. Bill Whitfield arrogantly refers to himself as the "gatekeeper for the King of Pop," and both he and Javon Beard clearly want to make the story all about them. You can tell that they're loving the attention.
A number of glaring inaccuracies with respect to dates and locations point to shoddy research and questionable -- if not fabricated -- sources. To correct the authors: Michael did NOT leave Neverland for Bahrain on June 19th of 2005. Also, Michael did NOT live on a horse farm in Virginia for five months in 2007. Finally, these bodyguards did NOT protect Michael in his "final days." In fact, they had virtually no contact with him for all of 2009.
I felt that several passages in the book were very disrespectful to Michael's memory. One such passage, discussing the bodyguards' impressions of Michael's favorite foods, included Whitfield's off-putting remark that, "This man is black, ghetto, and hood." Also, when discussing the circumstances surrounding Michael's death, Whitfield goes off on a tangent and seems to suggest that there is a possibility that he may have committed suicide. On page 302, he is quoted as saying, "Part of me honestly believes that he didn't die. He left. I'm leaving this place. I'm leaving this sh*t, this life. I'm out." This is absurd. Who is he to speculate like this? And finally, I found the excessive profanity throughout this book to be disconcerting and completely unnecessary (more than 115 curse words were noted). Michael's fans deserve better...
You can add these two dimwit bodyguards to the long list of characters that wandered into Michael Jackson's life, stayed long enough to earn his trust, betrayed it, and then sold their embellished story to the highest bidder.
September 22, 2014
This book is the model for false advertising. These bodyguards advertise themselves as serving Michael Jackson "in his final days," where as they had no contact with him for 8 months before his death! How can the publisher and Amazon allow this totally misleading title? It is a lie. In their advertising, they boldly proclaim that they are "the only ones" of 60 million MJ fans who "really know what happened to him," whereas they know nothing more than you and I, since they were in a different state and knew just what they got from the media. There strong public support of Conrad Murray also indicates that they knew little about the cause of MJ's death. They proclaimed Murray "innocent" on national TV and insisted that he should not go to jail [of course the judge and jury disagreed and convicted Murray]. They claim to be MJ's best friends. Please....Elizabeth Taylor, Miko Brando, a number of individuals in the music industry, at the very least, would have been MJ's best friends rather than these guys who were with MJ for maybe 20 months. Another untruth: they refer to their time with MJ as a span of 2-1/2 years- not so. The best friends assertion is both arrogance and lying. These bodyguards have been billed as MJ's last bodyguards- untrue of course. MJ had many bodyguards after he left Vegas for LA in the fall of 2008- again 8 months before his death. They also claim they were going to London to work for MJ. That simply can't be true because many witnesses at the AEG trial testified under oath that AEG was in control of hiring for MJ. AEG did not know these guys, as Whitfield and Beard acknowledge in the book. AEG wanted to control MJ and ensure that he appeared at rehearsals and would appear at his London show; they hired their own people to carry out their goals. These guys would not have been hired for one day! The third bodyguard on the Vegas security team has disavowed this book and referred to it as "fiction" on his Facebook page. There is more but I will stop here so that more people are apt to read this review. "Remember the Time" appears to be more fiction than non-fiction and should possibly be reclassified. One star.
July 30, 2014
I am a Michael Jackson fan. Since his death, I have gone to Los Angeles on the anniversary of his death to mourn with other MJ fans and to honor his life. Being around other MJ fans I can see the fervor fans like me have for information about MJ. We want to know every little detail of his life: where he dined, shopped (yes, he did shop), worked, lived, what he ate, what he wore, who he associated with, what he said, who said what to him, etc., etc., etc.
So now we have another book, Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days, recounting stories about Michael, to devour. I was hoping for a fresh perspective from his bodyguards in Las Vegas, given the hype about the book before publication. Regrettably, I was disappointed. They offer little in the way of new insights into Michael. I appreciate the personal observations they describe in the book, but I feel I don’t need another story about how isolated he was, how he was focused on his children, and about all the vultures around him. Instead of adding to his legacy and straightening “a record,” they detract. The description of the book is misleading and some of the facts they provide are erroneous. They provide information that is unverified and probably that cannot be verified. Hence, this leads me to question the veracity of their tales. I did not like the profanity used throughout the book. Perhaps that’s how the bodyguards talked to each other, but Michael did not use profanity and he would not approve of a book about him using it.
Unless they provide proof of what they state in the book, I don’t believe it. Had Kathryn Jackson or someone close to Michael endorsed this book, I would’ve given it more credibility. Don’t waste your money.
So now we have another book, Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days, recounting stories about Michael, to devour. I was hoping for a fresh perspective from his bodyguards in Las Vegas, given the hype about the book before publication. Regrettably, I was disappointed. They offer little in the way of new insights into Michael. I appreciate the personal observations they describe in the book, but I feel I don’t need another story about how isolated he was, how he was focused on his children, and about all the vultures around him. Instead of adding to his legacy and straightening “a record,” they detract. The description of the book is misleading and some of the facts they provide are erroneous. They provide information that is unverified and probably that cannot be verified. Hence, this leads me to question the veracity of their tales. I did not like the profanity used throughout the book. Perhaps that’s how the bodyguards talked to each other, but Michael did not use profanity and he would not approve of a book about him using it.
Unless they provide proof of what they state in the book, I don’t believe it. Had Kathryn Jackson or someone close to Michael endorsed this book, I would’ve given it more credibility. Don’t waste your money.
July 12, 2014
MJ Fans! Take comfort....
This book emphasizes the half-empty side of Michael Jackson's life in 2007-08, and it cannot be trusted as a truthful or accurate account. There is no corroboration readily available for most of the stories that they present now that MJ is no longer with us.
MJ fans should take heart by realizing that these bodyguards' goal is to sell books. They were generally not exposed to the half-full side of MJ's daily life because they were not even allowed in MJ's home except with special permission for a special reason. They were assigned to MJ's security trailer. They were with the trailer -- not with MJ -- "on a 24/7 basis."
The descriptions and advertising of their book are misleading and inaccurate. They were not with MJ during his "This Is It" preparations. They were not with him in California at all.
“We were the sworn keepers of his [MJ's] secrets in life,” they state, but now they have violated that trust. Don't believe everything you read, especially from the two men who were shamefully opportunistic by publicly advocating for Conrad Murray, the doctor who was convicted of killing Michael Jackson their employer. There is no doubt a reason why they barely cover Murray in their book even though he is the #1 major player in MJ's "final days" and he started working for MJ at the beginning of their watch.
This book emphasizes the half-empty side of Michael Jackson's life in 2007-08, and it cannot be trusted as a truthful or accurate account. There is no corroboration readily available for most of the stories that they present now that MJ is no longer with us.
MJ fans should take heart by realizing that these bodyguards' goal is to sell books. They were generally not exposed to the half-full side of MJ's daily life because they were not even allowed in MJ's home except with special permission for a special reason. They were assigned to MJ's security trailer. They were with the trailer -- not with MJ -- "on a 24/7 basis."
The descriptions and advertising of their book are misleading and inaccurate. They were not with MJ during his "This Is It" preparations. They were not with him in California at all.
“We were the sworn keepers of his [MJ's] secrets in life,” they state, but now they have violated that trust. Don't believe everything you read, especially from the two men who were shamefully opportunistic by publicly advocating for Conrad Murray, the doctor who was convicted of killing Michael Jackson their employer. There is no doubt a reason why they barely cover Murray in their book even though he is the #1 major player in MJ's "final days" and he started working for MJ at the beginning of their watch.
July 23, 2014
In Remember the Time, the two bodyguards have lost their credibility:
They used a very misleading, incorrect title – they were NOT with MJ “in his final days.”
They misrepresented themselves in their advertising and their book's description on Amazon & elsewhere. For example, they are NOT the “only men among 60 million fans who know what really happened to MJ." They don't know at all!
They lied about their public disclosures about MJ in the book to make themselves look like they betrayed him only a couple of times: they claim to have disclosed “only twice before” – on television in March 2010. In fact, however, they both also went public on TV in 2011 when they gave strong support to Conrad Murray -- declaring him "innocent" -- during his criminal trial for causing MJ 's death. They are trying to hide this fact, by lying, for obvious reasons. The vast majority of MJ fans would vehemently disagree with their advocacy of Murray.
What can be believed in this book when (1) the title, (2) the advertising, (3) the book's description, and (4) the self
September 5, 2014
It's surprising that Weinstein Books would endorse and publish a 300-some page tabloid. MJ employed these men to ensure that he and his children and their daily lives would be kept private. These bodyguards transitioned into becoming the very paparazzi Michael hired them to protect him and his family from with the release of this book! Not a single person who was close or connected to MJ -- family, friend, colleague, employee, business associate, estate -- has endorsed or supported this book in any way. Why is that? The answer is obvious -- it's both a betrayal of MJ and his children and a conglomerate of unsubstantiated events, stories, anecdotes, and peccadilloes about the media-avoiding man who understandably wanted to be the King of Privacy.
January 6, 2015
A poorly-written book with serious credibility problems. The third bodyguard of the Las Vegas security team, Michael Garcia, has condemned this book and distanced himself from it. No individual who really knew MJ during his lifetime has endorsed this book or supported it. These are powerful and very significant facts!
November 29, 2014
It has been one year since Amazon’s launching of this book. There has not been a single endorsement or gesture of support for it by anyone who knew Michael Jackson – family, friend, or colleague. Why not? Food for thought!
August 17, 2014
False Title -- Misleading advertising -- profanity -- egotism -- one star
November 24, 2014
Avoid this one. It's just not true. Wrong information; uncorroborated stories. No one among MJ's family or friends has approved of this book. It's easy to figure out why.
July 31, 2014
1.5 stars
Did I enjoy this book: I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. I’m a fan of his music. Even for a casual fan, I don’t see very much new information or insight in this book.
The copy I have is a hardback with a price tag of $26.00. That’s a hard charge to justify. The writing style is choppy – it flips back and forth between the first person perspectives of body guards and third person historical accounts of Michael Jackson’s life.
The story focuses on the part of Jackson’s life where he is financially, physically, and mentally bankrupt. It’s a sad story, and one we’ve heard before.
The only bright spot for me came on page 249. Bodyguard Bill Whitfield writes, “Whenever I hear that whole thing about how Michael Jackson missed out on his childhood . . . He wants to play with toys . . . ride roller coasters . . . Okay, that’s some of what he missed out on. That’s part of what childhood is, but it’s also a lot more than that. ‘Clean your room.’ That’s childhood. ‘Take out the garbage.’ Apologize to your sister.’”
While it’s a wordy, poorly written insight, I think Whitfield hits on an important aspect of what’s lacking in the adult superstar who made the choice to not to grow up.
Would I recommend it: I really can’t recommend this book. It’s overpriced and fails to deliver. If you just have to read everything ever written about Michael Jackson, try to check it out of the library. Save your money to download his music. Celebrate his life and his amazing talent rather than reading every detail of a life he didn’t want anyone to see.
As reviewed by Belinda at Every Free Chance Books.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/07/re...
Did I enjoy this book: I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. I’m a fan of his music. Even for a casual fan, I don’t see very much new information or insight in this book.
The copy I have is a hardback with a price tag of $26.00. That’s a hard charge to justify. The writing style is choppy – it flips back and forth between the first person perspectives of body guards and third person historical accounts of Michael Jackson’s life.
The story focuses on the part of Jackson’s life where he is financially, physically, and mentally bankrupt. It’s a sad story, and one we’ve heard before.
The only bright spot for me came on page 249. Bodyguard Bill Whitfield writes, “Whenever I hear that whole thing about how Michael Jackson missed out on his childhood . . . He wants to play with toys . . . ride roller coasters . . . Okay, that’s some of what he missed out on. That’s part of what childhood is, but it’s also a lot more than that. ‘Clean your room.’ That’s childhood. ‘Take out the garbage.’ Apologize to your sister.’”
While it’s a wordy, poorly written insight, I think Whitfield hits on an important aspect of what’s lacking in the adult superstar who made the choice to not to grow up.
Would I recommend it: I really can’t recommend this book. It’s overpriced and fails to deliver. If you just have to read everything ever written about Michael Jackson, try to check it out of the library. Save your money to download his music. Celebrate his life and his amazing talent rather than reading every detail of a life he didn’t want anyone to see.
As reviewed by Belinda at Every Free Chance Books.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/07/re...
October 25, 2014
NO ONE who knew Michael Jackson has approved of this book! Why is that? The only person who could corroborate these bodyguards' stories is the third bodyguard of their security team, Michael Garcia. Mr. Garcia has publicly disavowed this book, asserting that these "authors" have "disrespected" Michael Jackson and are solely motivated by money, at MJ's expense. Not a single Jackson family member [of dozens] or a single MJ friend [of hundreds] has verified the content of this unauthorized biography. It simply can't be believed!
January 20, 2015
This book is very difficult to believe. No one who knew Michael Jackson has endorsed or supported this book. There is a good reason for this glaring omission. These authors are opportunists without credibility.
January 10, 2015
A book of Michael Jackson fairy tales ... written by authors who like themselves too much!
February 10, 2015
Really???? The title of this book is highly misleading, and the authors should not be allowed to lead readers into believing they had inside information on MJ's last days when, in reality, they had no contact with him for the 8 months leading up to his death. These bodyguards claim to know more than 60 million fans what happened to him. How? They were miles away and not involved in his life at the time. If they truly knew what had happened, they would surely not claim innocence on the part of Dr. Conrad Murray. This book is a waste of time and money...false advertising at the very least.
February 24, 2015
Without credibility, what's left? No one who knew Michael Jackson has endorsed or supported this book since it was announced. These opportunistic former employees of Michael Jackson have disclosed and sold private information about him and his children in violation of their employment requirements. No integrity!
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