A Michael Jackson superfan who met the star has argued that his music should not be banned, adding that racism is to blame for the backlash he is facing, and compared him to Elvis Presley.
Danny Oliver, who is close with the Jackson clan, sparked a furious debate with DJ Oliver Keens, who no longer plays his tracks.
The pair were invited onto This Morning in London today after a split opinion about MJ the Musical coming to the West End after speculation into Jackson’s allegations of child sex abuse.
Michael Jackson was found not guilty on all 10 counts of the alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy by a jury in 2005.
A Channel 4 documentary called Leaving Neverland was then released in 2019, ten years after his death, which dove into the case and explores allegations that there were other victims.
Danny, who grew up watching and listening to Michael Jackson, argued that he is facing this level of backlash due to ‘institutionalised racism’, comparing his situation to that of Elvis Presley, who met his 14-year-old wife when he was 24.
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Danny Oliver argued that Michael Jackson is facing this level of backlash due to ‘institutionalised racism’
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Michael Jackson was found not guilty on all 10 counts of the alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy by a jury in 2005
He said: ‘I’ll start by saying that I think the very fact that people are having this debate is evidence that there is a deeply entrenched institutionalised racism within the British and western media generally.
‘If you think in 2022, there was an Elvis Presley biopic released internationally and it enjoyed internal success.
‘Elvis Presley was well-known for having underage girlfriends in fact he dumped a 13-year-old girl to get with a 14-year-old girl who then became his wife, Priscilla Presley.’
But before the MJ superfan could finish his point, Oliver interrupted and said: ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right, do they Danny?’
Dermot then asked the DJ about whether he would stop playing all singers that had faced controversy.
He responded and said: ‘If I know some of the music I am playing will make some people feel bad, I won’t play it.
‘We’re not listening to Gary Glitter anymore and we’re not watching Jimmy Savile.’
International tribute artist Danny called the Channel 4 documentary about Jackson a ‘television hit-piece’ and claimed he is still ‘constantly hired’ and is booked up by MJ fans until next year.
‘I see overwhelming love, admiration and enthusiasm for Michael Jackson both his artistry, his legacy and his genius. I got to know him personally,’ he said.
Oliver revealed he recently had a chat about inappropriate touching with his nine-year-old daughter.
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DJ Oliver Keens says he has stopped playing Michael Jackson’s music
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Danny made the point that singers such as Elvis Presley dated underage girls and met his wife when she was 14 and he was 24
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The public is split about MJ the Musical coming to the West End after speculation into Jackon’s allegations of child sex abuse
‘There are different metrics by which we judge child and sexual abuse. They are complicated. There is no binary right or wrong. They are evil.
‘I’m here today, I don’t care about music, I don’t about all this, I just care about people who suffer child abuse.
‘I think having this and having MJ the musical in Soho, it demeans us all by saying we tolerate these people.’
Dermot then asked Danny whether he thought he was too close to the singer and his family to hold an objective opinion.
He responded: ‘No, absolutely not, I sit here defending Michael Jackson to amplify the truth not as a Michael Jackson fan but as someone who stands up for anyone who is a victim of injustice.’
This Morning asked their viewers what they thought about the musical and playing MJ’s music.
Amanda said: ‘We went to see the Michael Jackson musical on Tuesday and it was so good and we have booked again for August.
‘We love his music and we are forever MJ fans.’
Reese said: ‘We went to see the show on Saturday, it was fantastic, we will never stop playing his songs.
Emma said: ‘He is an amazing singer and performer but he’s had so much controversy in his life that will never go away. I know suffered all his life with mental health issues but with everything that’s happened we should avoid his music.’
