My story of Christian fellowship with the King of Pop
我與流行音樂之王的基督情結

作者：大衛.派克（格萊美獲獎錄音藝術家、製作人、音樂錄影帶導演）


From left: Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Leonard Bernstein, Jamie Bernstein, and David Pack
左起：Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Leonard Bernstein, Jamie Bernstein, and David Pack

By David Pack

In August of 1986, the famous composer Leonard Bernstein was in Los Angeles to conduct a classical concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Knowing that his birthday would fall on the same week, I asked him what he wanted. Without missing a beat, Leonard said, “I want to meet Michael Jackson.”
1986年8月，著名作曲家裏奧納德.博斯坦在加州大學洛杉磯分校勞斯萊斯大廳準備指揮一場古典音樂會。知道他的生日也在演出的同一周，我問他想要什麼禮物。沒有片刻猶豫，裏奧納的回答“我想見見邁克爾.傑克遜”。

At the time, Michael was the biggest pop star in the universe. He was just coming off the massive global success of Thriller, a sold-out world tour, and multiple Grammy wins that catapulted him into the rarified air of Beatlesque pandemonium wherever he went. He was seen inside the music industry as the greatest raw talent of a generation, and the combination of Michael and Quincy Jones in the studio set a standard that may never be equaled.
那時，邁克爾已是全世界最紅的流行巨星。他剛剛發行了全球性成功的Thriller，舉行了一場票房滿載的世界巡演，贏得數座格萊美獎，他所到之處都能帶來披頭士式的混亂場面。在音樂工業內，他被看做是最偉大一代的創始人才，並且邁克爾和昆西.鐘斯的合作樹立了無人匹敵的音樂標準。

Leonard was a global superstar and TV personality in his own right—he is listed in many publications as the most celebrated musician, conductor, and composer of the 20th century. Yet Leonard was awestruck by the talent of Michael, describing him to me once as “the most electrifying pop star I’ve seen since the Beatles.” Leonard wanted to introduce Michael to classical music and maybe inspire Michael toward a collaboration of classical and pop music.
裏奧納德.博斯坦本身也是世界巨星電視明星—他作為20世紀最著名的音樂家、指揮家、作曲家被列入許多出版物裏。然而裏奧納德也被邁克爾的天賦震撼了，一次他這樣向我描述邁克爾“他是我自披頭士以來見過的最帶勁的流行歌星”。裏奧納德想給邁克爾推薦古典樂，也許能激發邁克爾將古典和流行結合。

I was determined to grant Leonard his birthday wish by making the meeting of my two friends happen. So I called another friend, Quincy Jones, also a musical titan and legend whom I’d introduced to Leonard the previous year at yet another dinner.
我下定決心通過見兩個朋友為裏奧納德實現生日願望。於是我打電話給一個朋友，昆西.鐘斯，他也是一個音樂泰坦、傳奇，幾年前的一個晚宴上我將他介紹給了裏奧納德。

Quincy idolized Leonard Bernstein, so he said he’d call Michael and ask. An hour later, he called to say that Michael couldn’t make it. When I told Leonard that Michael wouldn’t be there, he said, “What? You tell him that I, Leonard Bernstein, command him to come to my concert!” I got back on the phone with Quincy. Two hours later, Quincy called to say that Michael would be there. “But he’s never been to a classical concert, so this should be interesting!”
昆西很崇敬裏奧納的.博斯坦，於是他說他會打電話給邁克爾問問。一個小時後，昆西打電話來說邁克爾來不了。當我把這個消息告訴裏奧納的，他說“什麼？你告訴他，我，裏奧納的.博斯坦命令他來我的音樂會”。我打電話給昆西傳達了裏奧納的的意思。兩個小時後，昆西打來說邁克爾會來，“但他從來沒有聽過古典音樂會，這應該會很有趣“。

At the concert, Michael loved watching Leonard, who at one point leapt three feet in the air during a section of the score and landed with a loud ‘thud.’ (Quincy, Michael, and I were pretty sure this was Leonard trying to show off for Michael.)
在音樂會上，邁克爾喜歡看著裏奧納德在一段演奏中一度躍起三步高，並大聲噗通降落。（昆西、邁克爾和我都很確定裏奧納的試圖炫耀給邁克爾看）

Later that night, during a dinner at my house, I came to see Michael as a man with one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever known. He thanked me over and over for “commanding” him to come to the concert. He asked me to remind him of some of my hit songs with Ambrosia, so I sang a chorus of “Biggest Part of Me.” His eyes lit up like a little kid’s, and he took over and sang the entire chorus back to me.
那晚，在我家的晚宴上，我見到的邁克爾是一個有著最美靈魂的男人。他一遍又一遍的感謝我“命令”他來看這場演出。他請求讓我提醒他我與Ambrosia的一些熱門歌曲，於是我唱了“Biggest Part of Me”的和聲部分。他就像一個小孩子一樣睜著圓溜溜的眼睛，跟著我唱完了整個和聲部分。(mike mike,你太可愛了)

At one point, Leonard draped his long white scarf around his neck and Michael’s for a series of photos, then stood up and gave Michael a conducting lesson on the spot. Later, these two musical giants bonded over . . . acne! They both had problems with it, and somehow that very embarrassing personal topic was their major connecting point. Leonard would talk about this for years to come. Michael called me the next day and asked for photos from that night, and he was thrilled when he got them.
高興之餘，裏奧納德圍上了他的白色長圍巾，與邁克爾照了些合影，然後現場給邁克爾上了堂指揮課。後來，這兩位元音樂巨擘就找到共同語言了……粉刺。他倆都經歷過粉刺的折磨，這個令人尷尬的個人問題成了聯繫他們的重點。裏奧納的接下來的幾年一直在回憶那天晚上的事。第二天邁克爾打電話問我要那天晚上的照片，當他拿到照片他非常興奮。


David Pack stands and toasts with Michael Jackson, Leonard Bernstein, Quincy Jones, and others

During that special evening, I felt the need to share my faith with him, to let him know that another Christian artist was sitting next to him. So when he whispered, “How can I ever thank you for this wonderful night?” I said, “Michael, I didn’t put this together, God did!” He said, “Oh yes, I believe that with all of my heart.”
在那個特別的晚上，我感覺有必要與邁克爾分享我的信仰，讓他知道還有另外一個基督徒藝術家在他身邊。所以當他悄悄對我說“我要怎麼樣感謝你給我了這樣美妙的夜晚”。我說”邁克爾，這不是我的功勞，是上帝的”他說“哦，是的，我全心全意的相信上帝”。

I told him I was a Christian, and he said he was, too. We talked about the first Christian song we’d both heard as children: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.” With the dinner party loudly going on around us, we both quietly leaned in and sang the song, smiling like choirboys. “Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.” Then we gave each other a short embrace.
我告訴他我是一個基督徒，他說他也是。我們談論了小時候聽過的第一首基督歌曲“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong”（我知道主愛我，聖經也這樣告訴我，小孩子常伴主左右，他們嬌弱但主剛強）。我們周圍是喧鬧的派對，我倆卻靜靜的學著唱著就像唱詩班的孩子。“是的，上帝愛我，是的，上帝愛我”然後我們給了對方一個小小的擁抱。

I knew at that moment that this sweet-spirited young genius was going to find his eternal peace in heaven. I did not find Michael weird, messed up, or anything you’ve ever heard about him. I want to say that I feel all of the allegations ever charged against Michael were false, and that in my discernment, he did not have the capacity to ever do anything except love children and let them know he would do anything to stand up for them, and help them. Just look at the magnificent work he did on their behalf in writing and co-producing “We Are The World,” and the 39 charities for children he gave to generously. That was Michael. I believe that during his trials he related to the suffering of Christ, and prayed for intervention, because he was being accused over what he loved most—children. This caused him perhaps more pain than anything in his life.
我知道那是這個有著美好靈魂的年輕天才在天堂尋找自己內心平靜的一刻。我並沒發現邁克爾的怪異，生活的混亂，或者其他任何你所聽到的關於他的言論。我想說的是我認為所有對邁克爾的指控都是錯誤的，據我瞭解，除了愛護孩子，讓孩子們知道他會做任何事情支援他們，幫助他們，他沒有做過任何那些骯髒的事。看看他創作兼製作的偉大歌曲“天下一家”，看看他慷慨支持的39個慈善機構。這就是邁克爾。我相信在審判之時，他正經歷著耶穌的受難，祈求能有轉機，因為他正被他最愛的孩子起訴。也許這是他生命中最大的打擊。

I know Michael loved Jesus with all his heart. Quincy had told me about his work sharing his faith with others, often door-to-door, because he’d been raised a devout Jehovah’s Witness. Later in life he told people he was a non-denominational Christian. Still more recently, reports circulated that he’d converted to Islam. But the Michael I knew had seriously contemplated giving up music to spend full-time in Christian ministry.
我知道邁克爾從心底裏愛著上帝。昆西告訴過我，邁克爾與他人分享信念的事情，通常他會面對面的傳教，因為他從小就被教導為耶和華見證人。後來他告訴人們他是一個非宗派基督徒，最近，有報導稱他皈依伊斯蘭教。但我認識的邁克爾是曾嚴肅考慮放棄音樂畢生投入基督教的人。(天呀,幸好你沒有這樣做)

If there’s anything that gives me peace during this moment of loss, it’s knowing that one of the greatest artists of our time is now moon-walking along the gold paved roads of heaven, where streets have no name, with a broad smile on his face, and a band of angels welcoming him home.
如果現在面對失去邁克爾的痛苦能有什麼能讓我內心平靜，就是知道我們時代最偉大的藝術家之一現在正在通往天堂的金色大道上走著太空步，那裏的街道沒有名字，他的臉上充滿笑容，一群天使正迎接他回家。(我又想哭了)

Michael, my friend, rest in heavenly peace.
邁克爾，我的朋友，願在天堂安息。

David Pack is a Grammy winning recording artist, producer, and music director. A member of Saddleback Church, he works with Rick Warren on special projects, including the PEACE Plan and AIDS & Worship Conferences. Visit his site:http://www.davidpack.com

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