Jackson 5 founder recalls Michael Jackson
Published on: Saturday, July 25, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Not many can claim they had been a father figure in the art scene to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. And not many can share meaningful moments they had with him, too. Motown legend Bobby Taylor, 81, who is in town for the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival, is among the few who was entitled to that privilege."We were together from the time he was eight till he was 15. Thriller is my favourite," said Taylor, who discovered Jackson 5, a band which Michael was part of with his siblings when they performed at the Regal Theatre in Chicago.
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"We did Want You Back, ABC, I'll Be There, Maybe Tomorrow, Ben and he and I just clicked. In fact, the fondest memory I had with him would be him falling asleep on my lap when we worked at the Regal Theatre."He stayed with me all the time and wouldn't leave, and we were at the theatre from 9am till 12 midnight for ten straight days. Those memories are the ones I cherish the most," he added.Taylor was set to perform alongside local talents such as Liyana Fizi, May Mow, and Akademi Fantasia 2013 winner from Tawau Faizul Sany & The Hybrid apart from outside acts such as Gugun Blues Shelter and The Rio Sidik Quartet from Indonesia and Shun Ng from the US, on Friday. The music fest will end on Saturday. Around 4,000 music fans are expected.
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Sabahan Daphne Iking will be hosting the event, which is taking place for the ninth time this year. Taylor also praised the event, saying it was the first event that actually nurtured talents within their community, equating it with the Woodstock Festival in the US.
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"The only time it was done for the actual people who live in the community in the city, to do it like you are doing, is in Woodstock. This is the only job that I have done where you actually help the children in your city, and I think that is fantastic."You should do it more," he added. The music fest is a platform for budding local Sabahan bands to perform in an international standard festival, said co-founder of the festival Datuk Adeline Leong of Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS)."Our Jazz fest in this region is very special because we emphasise a lot on local talents. That was the reason every year we have this Jazz talent search (KKJF Talent search) where the winner performs at the fest," she said, This year winner Supertonic which hails from Labuan will be performing at the event, as well as local music graduates from Kota Kinabalu Quadro Forte.According to current president of Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) Jack Ong, the music fest is the biggest and highly anticipated one which brings together a musical melting pot of talents from around the world, promising the audience an unforgettable experience.The two-day event, which began on Friday, is the only non-profit jazz festival as all the profits are being channelled to community projects and is organised by the RCKK and the SPArKS.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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