MJ’s dad to attend Manila tribute

MICHAEL Jackson, a long way from his troubled childhood, with his father Joseph at a social function AP

Being Michael Jackson’s “imaginary widow,” I am looking forward to watching  the “MJ World Tribute Birthday Celebration” at Resorts World Manila on Aug. 28, 29 and 30. The King of Pop would have turned 55 on Aug. 29. MJ’s father, Joseph Jackson, will be a special guest in the tribute show.

I have ambivalent feelings about JJ. I’m not too sure if I want to meet him because of his troubled relationship with MJ.

A mystery

To quote Michael in his book, “Moonwalk” (Doubleday, 1988):

“My father has always been something of a mystery to me and he knows it. One of the few things I regret most is never being able to have a real closeness with him.  He built a shell around himself over the years. He looked out for  both our interests (Jackson 5) and his. My father did always protect us. But I still don’t know him, and that’s sad for a son who hungers to understand his own father.

“He would sit at home with us every day after school and rehearse us. We’d perform for him and he’d critique us. If you messed up, you got hit, sometimes with a belt, sometimes with a switch. My father was real strict with us. I’d get beaten for things that happened mostly outside rehearsals. Dad would make me so mad … that I’d try to get back at him and get beaten all the more. That’s why I got it more than all my brothers combined. I would fight back and my father would kill me. Just tear me up. I do remember running under tables to get away from him, and making him angrier. I clearly remember running into the house with my brothers when our father came home because we’d be in big trouble if we weren’t ready to start rehearsals on time.  We had a turbulent relationship.”

Emotional scars

Although Joseph Jackson’s stern discipline taught MJ the value of hard work at a young age, the emotional scars never left Michael. Five years after MJ’s death, will the presence of his dad in his birthday tribute show undo these bad memories?

Any avid MJ fan like me would be more excited if his kids—Paris, Prince and Blanket—visited Manila  instead.

Hopefully, the show is not a money-making scheme.  May JJ’s presence not dampen the celebratory mood of the tribute for the one and only King of Pop.

His father is a living reminder of a chapter in Michael’s  life that MJ diehards would rather forget.

Michael Jackson lived in fear of his father. The least his dad could do is to respect MJ’s memory and just “Beat It”!

A year zanier

Cesar Montano turns a year zanier on Aug. 1. As a belated birth anniversary celebration, Buboy will mount the first CM Golf Cup on Aug. 14 , at Valley Golf in Antipolo.

CESAR Montano will mark his birth anniversary with Golf Cup and fun run.

Celebs who will tee off include Tonton Gutierrez, Glydel Mercado, Noel Cabangon,  Ariel Rivera, Smokey Manaloto, Hyubs, Heber Bartolome and Paolo Santos.

Cesar will also hold a fun run, Candy Rush 2, on Sept. 28, (3K, 5k, 10K and 21K). Both events are for the benefit of Habitat for Humanity.

Prior to the Golf  Cup,  there will be a “gulp”  session on Aug. 1  so BFF Buboy and I, along with our other friends, can toast him for all the cool things that he is.

Typhoon baby

BIANCA Lapus gives birth during “Glenda.”

While Typhoon “Glenda” was wreaking havoc on the country, Bianca Lapus  gave birth to a baby boy, Elijah Lawrence,  at 7:58 a.m. on  July 16.

Amid the destruction of “Glenda,” Bianca experienced the miracle of life once again.

Not even the wrath of Mother Nature could stop motherhood for Bianca.

Congrats to the hot mama! Maybe she should add “Glendo” to her baby’s name for posterity’s sake?