Ohio Photographer Remembers the Jacksons
- Christina Chaffin
DAYTON, Ohio – Firefighter Vernon Holman worked as a chief photographer for the Dayton newspaper Jet Stone News in 1979. One of his tasks was to photograph the Jacksons, (Tito, Marlon, Jackie, Randy and Michael) in concert at the University of Dayton Arena for their Destiny tour. Though he can't remember the show's date, Holman said his first encounter with the group remains fresh in his mind, making a lasting impression on him.
After arriving to the arena, Holman was approached by a man working with the Jacksons, who was interested in his photographs. "I went to the show, and right at the beginning a guy came up to me and asked if I was a photographer," Holman said. "He said his name was Steve Manning and said he was with CBS records." Manning had a history with the Jackson family. He was the Jackson 5's fan club president and remains close with the family today.
After arriving to the arena, Holman was approached by a man working with the Jacksons, who was interested in his photographs. "I went to the show, and right at the beginning a guy came up to me and asked if I was a photographer," Holman said. "He said his name was Steve Manning and said he was with CBS records." Manning had a history with the Jackson family. He was the Jackson 5's fan club president and remains close with the family today.
Holman said Manning wanted photographs of the show for Epic Records because the Jacksons were using a new stage that night. "The stage was elevating in the air and spinning around," he said. "[Steve said] Dayton was going to be [the Jacksons] first time using the stage." Holman photographed the show, but wasn't sure if Manning was serious about pictures being taken.
After the concert, Manning approached Holman before he left. "When I told him I had the pictures, [Steve] said, ‘I need some pictures of the guys in the dressing room,'" Holman said. "That's when I thought, ‘Wow, this guy's for real.' The guys were very kind and gracious." When the Jacksons returned to UD Arena a couple years later, Holman returned to photograph the group. While there, the Jacksons road manager Wanda Fields, who was in charge of the tour, approached him. At the time, Holman had a photography partner named Marsha Gebhardt. Fields asked Holman if he and Gebhardt would be the Jacksons photographer while in town and said they were staying at a hotel near the Dayton Mall. Holman agreed, but said he could only help when he wasn't working. "Being a Dayton firefighter had me |
on different work hours," he said. "We worked 24 hours on and 48 hours off."
His time with the Jacksons in Dayton created the opportunity for him to photograph the group in three other cities – Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio and Detroit. He said he appreciates his memories with the group, but one moment involving Michael motioning him on stage stands out. In the middle of the Jacksons show in Columbus, Holman said Michael was dancing and waving at him to come on stage. "I kept looking at him, but wasn't sure if he was actually calling me out there," Holman said. "[The road crew] looked at me and said, ‘Vern, he wants you out there.' The roadies were always playing jokes, so I didn't believe them." Holman said he wasn't going to walk on stage, but changed his mind after Randy's tutor Rose Fine, (who spent previous years traveling with the Jackson 5) told him to. "We always listened to Rose," he said. |
"We had this saying, ‘Whatever Rose says, goes.' I asked her, ‘Rose, is he talking to me?' She said, ‘Yes honey, he is. He wants you out there.'"
Holman ran on stage with his camera toward Michael. "He whispered in my ear and asked, ‘Can you keep up with me?'" He said speaking of Michael. "I said, ‘Yeah I can keep up with you.'" Holman began getting close-up photographs of Michael and the rest of the Jacksons. He said Michael wanted photographs of him dancing close to the edge of the stage. "When the show was over I looked at Michael and said, ‘Man, don't you ever do that to me again,'" he said. "Michael laughed and we both laughed together." By the time he and the group reached Detroit, Holman and Michael created a signal. "He would hold his hands a certain way and that would be my cue," Holman said. "That's when I knew to run out on stage." When the Jacksons had free time, Holman said the group did things individually. "Randy was always with Rose doing his school work," he said. "Tito stayed locked in his room, working on a model airplane, and Marlon and Jackie were [in relationships.] They would fly back and forth to their home a lot." |
Holman said he spent a lot of his time with Michael. "Michael would just stay in his room or on the tour bus," he said. "I would hangout on the bus with him."
Holman said he is grateful for his time spent with the Jacksons and remembers them as gracious individuals. He said he appreciates the group because working with them gave him future opportunities. "I was a stringer for Jet and Ebony magazine and got to travel to neat places like South American, New Zealand and Paris," he said. "A guy named John Baker was my new photography partner and we got to spend two weeks in South America together." After Michael died June 25, 2009, Holman reflected on his memories and said, "He was just a great, caring guy. Michael was truly a great person. I want to thank him." Holman said he'll never forget his days with the Jacksons, calling them priceless. According to him, he is grateful and said, "I owe it all to God." |
Photographs stand copyright Vernon Holman.
Original article link: Ohio Photographer Remembers the Jacksons
Behind the article: June 27, 2009, the Dayton Daily News newspaper in Dayton, Ohio published an article regarding Vernon Holman's memories of photographing the Jacksons. Shortly after the article was published, I wrote a letter to Holman expressing my interest in covering his same memories, but in more depth, and shortly after my initial letter, he emailed me back and we arranged a time to talk. Though he was a firefighter at the time, he was also an acknowledged photographer for JET Magazine.
Holman photographed the Jacksons while they toured Ohio cities such as Cleveland, Dayton and Columbus, and Detroit, Mich., and throughout our conversation, he continuously emphasized one thing: "[Michael] was always friendly." Yet, according to Holman, Michael was always prepping for his next moves when it came to performing - both on and off the stage.
Toward the end of our telephone conversation, Holman expressed his appreciation for the interview, saying, "Michael is part of my past - a past I treasure, and being able to share my memories means a great deal to me."
Original article link: Ohio Photographer Remembers the Jacksons
Behind the article: June 27, 2009, the Dayton Daily News newspaper in Dayton, Ohio published an article regarding Vernon Holman's memories of photographing the Jacksons. Shortly after the article was published, I wrote a letter to Holman expressing my interest in covering his same memories, but in more depth, and shortly after my initial letter, he emailed me back and we arranged a time to talk. Though he was a firefighter at the time, he was also an acknowledged photographer for JET Magazine.
Holman photographed the Jacksons while they toured Ohio cities such as Cleveland, Dayton and Columbus, and Detroit, Mich., and throughout our conversation, he continuously emphasized one thing: "[Michael] was always friendly." Yet, according to Holman, Michael was always prepping for his next moves when it came to performing - both on and off the stage.
Toward the end of our telephone conversation, Holman expressed his appreciation for the interview, saying, "Michael is part of my past - a past I treasure, and being able to share my memories means a great deal to me."