I have received an invitation from the government of Oman. There was a crisis in Beirut, and my local partners did not want, me to fly to the Near East. But since I have never been there, I decided to go for this trip.

   On the way there I observed the Egyptian pyramids from above - an impressing view. All this long flight the personnel treated me very attentively, probably because they have recognised me.

   When I have left the plane, I was approached by the man in long attire and he has told in good English: "Mr. Jackson, my name is Abdul. I am here to accompany with you at the transition of the custom house ". It was lovely from his side because together with me there were a lot of people.

   He has brought me on a limousine to hotel, while we went there, I have noticed, that there's an amazing cleanliness on the streets. The hotel was fine, and I with admiration examined the rich conditions. In my room, with a wonderful view on the sea I was waited with flowers and a basket with fruit, the card has been attached to it with an inscription: "Welcome to Oman. We are glad to welcome you in our hotel. Please, address to us on any question."

   A little later they came for me, to show me the city and to take me somewhere to have a meal. Everyone was extremely polite and friendly.

   After the meal we have gone to a discotheque, people there were dancing to "Shake your body (down to the ground)". I was happy that, in Oman they dance to the music of my sons. The crowd of fans has surrounded me and asked about my family, and one DJ has invited me to his radio show. Certainly, I with pleasure have agreed, it was a suitable case for promotion of The Jacksons. He has assured me, that they will always be happy to see the group in Oman with concerts.

   In a lot of houses in Oman there are huge halls for solemn receptions, and some sheikhs made parties in my honor on which there always played the music of The Jacksons. I also have visited many concerts though sometimes music was too loud for me. Also I have been invited by one of members of the government to a dinner at his place. After that they informed about my visit in the local press.

   In general I have spent 2 weeks in Oman, then have departed to Bahrain and toward the end to Abu-Dhabi.

   Soon after my first travel to Oman, Jermaine and Rebbie gave concerts there. Shortly before the concerts Rebbie had a big hit in the USA, "Centipede", written and produced by Michael, that has been released on a single from her solo album on CBS (today Sony).

   To advance the single, it was necessary to make a video, and Rebbie has hammered into to her head, that she wants a real tiger to participate in the shootings of the video, . Well, we managed to get a tiger, but the directors were not warned beforehand, therefore everybody got very nervous when the tiger suddenly started running on the scene, during the shooting. Also in the clip there was a cobra, and it has frightened people even more. Fortunately, there were no incidents and everything has passed well.

   The single has climbed on the second place, and Rebbie has gone on tour to Europe, Japan and Botswana. Then she has gone to the Near East where she performed in Abu-Dhabi and Bahrain. Jermaine, by the way, also sang there in her show. He has a lot of friends in the Near East which invite him again and again to perform there.

   In the meantime Rebbie has released on Michael's label, MJJ, her 4th album, " Yours Faithfully ". Unfortunately, it never was really promoted, there are some good songs on it. On one of them, " You take me places ", worked a musician that co-worked with Michael for many years, Brian Loren.

   The song, unfortunately, mixed badly because the A&R department on MJJ has forced Bryan to make new arrangement on the drums. In the initial version it was much better, and honestly, I considered, that it is wrong - to tell Bryan, which already has worked with such stars as Sting, what arrangements he has to do on his music.

   There weren't such things before. A lot of years ago, producer John Hammond told, that nobody interfered with recording when he started to finance such jazz singers as Billie Holiday. There records weren't sold in such large amounts as today and consequently nobody from the recording company interfered. Thus jazz musicians with whom Hammond worked, could play freely. But today everything has to be remixed and rearranged, so it would become commercially acceptable, not considering only rap-labels like Priority records which give the artists a big creative freedom.

   Besides that, I was mad that MJJ has not released on a single, my favourite song from Rebbie's album. Rebbie sang a simple but a very beautiful duet with Michael, which also wrote it. There is a line: " Baby don't make me Fly Away". Michael has written this song after all these charges against him have been lifted. It seems to me, he wanted to tell, that awful rumors will not force him to leave show business. At the same time he speaks to his sister, tells her that she also does not need to fly away, and she has again to try herself as a singer though she already for a long time has left the game. That's exactly what she does. She continues to record and give concerts.

   So if I'm already talking about Rebbie: on Christmas of 1999 she performed in Las Vegas. She had 3 shows for each evening in the "Meridian" hall ". I watched this show and worried a little, because I considered, that this room is not enough for her. She is eventually one of the Jacksons and she can fill the halls. Besides that the outfits and the dancers were not the way I imagined.

   Rebbie had bronchitis, but she perfectly coped with the program. Her) voice sounded well, first of all in "I`ll be there ", a song which has made her brothers famous 30 years ago. There's nothing better for me than to hear one of my children singing this song.

   She continually interrupted the show to present somebody or to greet. On Latoya there was a cape and a hat, therefore I have recognised her only after she has risen to wave to the audience though she sat directly in front of me.

   When I too have risen too, because Rebbie has said, that she would like to greet her father, Latoya, literally jumped through the chairs to approach me.

   I actually already saw Latoya on Thanksgiving, but we were seen together in public for the first time since she has divorced from Jack Gordon about whom I will also tell. When my daughter has hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, the viewers have begun to clap like crazy. It probably was a touching moment for them - to see us together again and they have certainly understood, that we have forgiven her for all the lies that she spread about our family. And for Rebbie too, in fact it's with her help people saw, that our problems have remained in the past and that eventually family wins.