Music and film producer Suzanne de Passe recently opened up about the night in the late 1960s when she first discovered The Jackson 5. At the premiere of the new biopic Michael, the 79-year-old reflected on her friendship with Michael Jackson, which spanned more than thirty years.
The industry veteran, who was then working with Berry Gordy, told reporters that she was invited by producer Bobby Taylor to watch a group of young boys perform. Suzanne de Passe recalled the moment, saying, “They got up there and sang four numbers a cappella, and I was so taken.”
Despite Gordy’s initial skepticism, he famously remarked, “Kids? I don’t want any kid acts”—DePasse remained persistent. The co-chairwoman of De Passe Jones Entertainment Group noted, “I was like a dog after a bone.” She further explained, “And when he finally saw them, it was the beginning of history.”
As the group gained global popularity, Suzanne de Passe remembered Michael as just “a kid.” She shared a fond memory of his playful nature: “He liked to hide in my room. He’d be behind the shower curtain and you’d see his little feet sticking out… He would go, ‘Boo!'” Because of this, she nicknamed him “Casper,” a name he answered to for thirty years.
When questioned about Jaafar Jackson’s performance in the lead role, she replied, “They have a movie because of Jaafar. I think the big difference is Jaafar.”