KaisaJesta

Sam Geden · @KaisaJesta

1st Nov 2012 from Twitlonger

Repost from yesterday: So I spoke to Michael Bush today, and he answered some questions I had.

His favourite tour to costume was "probably the Bad Tour" but HIStory was the most challenging in making the chest plate look weighty. His favourite film to costume was Leave Me Alone because Michael decided to give him the Grammy he won for it because of his great work. He and Tompkins made approximately 900 costumes for Michael and his kids over the past 25 years.

"The King of Style" was a book 25 years in the making between Tompkins, Bush and MJ. But everytime a tour started, the book was put on hold because new styles and outfits would need to be included. He said that the only way the book could therefore be definitively completed was sadly due to Michael's passing.

He also said that the main charity to benefit from the auction would be to give children seeing eye dogs on the grounds that many got to see Michael dance in some form, but the blind were never able to. He wants to do something good for them.

Michael had three copies of every outfit for tours: the one he wore regularly, one in Bush's room and one hidden away in a case to prevent theft. Sometimes he would have only two costumes for film clips and on occasion only one, but never more than three.

Michael always said to Tompkins and Bush during This Is It "we'll get to London when we get to London"; He was going to live in a castle in Kent and London was always one of his favourite cities. However, one of Michael's biggest fears was that the show would not be good enough for his fans. He never spoke to Tompkins and Bush over any plans after This Is It; Bush remarked that Michael was a very spontaneous person in that regard; never thinking about the distant future but living fully in the present.

He cited his reason for completing the book now is that with Michael, Tompkins and DiLeo gone, he wanted to get the book out there before he meets the same fate, as he was the only person alive that knows the meaning and origins behind all the costumes. He didn't want someone else to tell the story for him, so he wanted to release the book to present his knowledge of Michael's costumes and to tell his story of the Michael that he and Tompkins knew.

Bush was an INCREDIBLY kind person; he saw that I was slightly nervous meeting him and was very courteous to me. He loved talking about Michael and was very happy to answer any questions I had in as much detail as he could. It was a pleasure meeting him and the book itself is a true treasure.

Reply · Report Post