My Memories of Michael

Michael Jackson King Of Pop A Summerdale man talks to News Five about going on tour with the super star over 20 years ago.

by Diana Lucio

Published: Fri, June 26, 2009 - 9:12 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, June 26, 2009 - 9:33 pm CST

On his way to international stardom, a 24 year old pop singer named Michael Jackson was about to go on tour in 1984.

David Rowland was working for a private charter company in California when he got a call from the singer's chief of security.
"[He] wanted a very private quiet way to move Michael around at the concerts before and after,"Said the retired pilot.

For the next 6 months, Rowland and his crew flew Jackson and his entourage all over North America for his "Victory" Tour. While he was still a few years from becoming the 'King of Pop', the royal treatment was already being felt.
"We went on tours with them to Niagara falls, we ate dinner with them, they were just nice people and nice to be around,"Said Rowland who now resides in Summerdale.

He says Michael was like a big kid, but there was no mistaking his super star status.
"Two kids from Vancouver wanted to see what Michael Jackson's plane looked like, climbed the fence with barbed wire and everything got up on the wing, got the emergency exit open and got in the airplane and took pictures of it,"said Rowland while showing pictures of his crew with Jackson.

Rowland says he will always remember Michael Jackson--the person. But when it comes to Michael's music the former pilot says,"oh I would go with Thriller, you can't go wrong with Thriller."

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