The music teacher who ‘discovered’ Michael Jackson can still remember when she first heard his voice – as he sang a hit from the Sound of Music.
Anita Hill, 91, of Gary, Indiana, who honed Jacko’s talent before he became the face of the Jackson 5, has spoken out ahead of a new biopic coming out later this year.
Hill ‘discovered’ the King of Pop by putting him in a choir as a little boy after hearing the unmistakable melody in his voice in the tune Climb Every Mountain.
Before that even Jacko’s parents didn’t know he could sing.
“Michael, which is slated to hit theaters on October 3 will star MJ’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson — the son of Jermaine.
Hill shared her thoughts on the upcoming film, memories of his early days, and reflects on the tragedy that ultimately took over Jackson’s life.
“He looks like him automatically,” she said of Jaafar. “No surgery or nothing. He looks just like him.”
Although Hill doesn’t know if her character will be in the film, she expressed hope that the story will capture the essence of Jackson’s impact.
“I hope it covers all of that. Things that he did to make people happy, and all of the things that he tried to do and the way he kept going, he kept singing,” she said.
“Whatever happened, he was right there and he enjoyed it. He loved it,” she added. “And he has family, and now they’re trying to imitate him. So he was a leader.”
As his music teacher at Garnett Elementary School in Gary, Hill recalled the early years of the King of Pop before he became the face of the Jackson 5.
She was sent to the school by the Gary Community Center as a second music teacher when she first encountered young Michael.
“There were two music teachers, another lady and myself,” Hill recalled.
“When I was there, the principal asked me to prepare a program for the teachers association that was having a meeting.
“I had to try to walk around and find something to do.
“So I listened to all my different classes and I heard a couple of boys singing pretty good, and I told them to come to the office, let me listen to them.
“And I started listening. Michael, who was probably six years old at the time, his voice was so melodious and stayed on pitch and he was very good.”
Hill taught him “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound of Music,” despite him being so young that he couldn’t read yet.
She says his parents — Joe and Katherine — were unaware of his vocal talent until they saw him perform at the school event.
“His parents didn’t know he could sing either,” she said. “They heard him for the first time.
“So after that, they started using him and I started using him myself because I was in charge of the choir, had a hundred kids in the choir and he was the only little one.
“I didn’t use little children. I had fifth and sixth graders, and he was so good I just added him with the group.”
Hill noted that Jackson was much younger than the other choir members, but his talent made him stand out.
“He was a baby and he was not really old enough to be in the group that I put him in, but he could sing and had a beautiful voice,” she said. “His memorization was fantastic.”
She also recalled how his natural showmanship became apparent early on.
“I just realized when I was thinking about him yesterday, when he was in the choir that I had, they marched in to a rhythm,” she explained.
“And by him being the smallest, he led the group in the march to the stage and we did our performance.
And also some of the songs we had dancing with it, and he would dance just as well as the big ones. So I just realized that started his dancing career also.”
Hill described Jackson as “very nice” and “very kind,” saying he had an effect on his classmates.
“The main thing about him volunteering to sing, other little kids started singing too,” she said.
“In fact, they were angry with me because I didn’t put them in the choir. I did it with him, but I couldn’t explain to them that it was because his voice texture was different.”
She also remembered how dedicated Michael was to his talent.
“Every time I would ask a volunteer, his hand would automatically go up,” she said. “Anytime you ask him to sing anything, he would sing it. And if he didn’t know, he would try.”
Even at a young age, Jackson’s abilities were beyond those of his peers.
“There was no comparison in voice. None. None whatsoever. He could sing low like a bass, he could sing high like a tenor. His voice could fluctuate up and down.”
Although she recognized his immense gift, she admitted she never imagined just how far he would go in his career.
“I didn’t really think he’d get as far as he did, even though he was good,” she said. “I was really shocked and happy.”
Reflecting on his life struggles later on, Hill shared her thoughts on his challenges with fame and health.
A far cry from the little boy Hill knew in the 1960s, Jackson was twice accused of child molestation and became addicted to prescription medication over the years.
He died on June 25, 2009 from propofol intoxication at the hands of his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray – just weeks away from performing his comeback “This is It” shows in London.
“I really think he became addicted to drugs unintentionally,” she said.
“You want to feel a certain way, and I think he just wanted to feel good and that was it. A lot of them do that.
“In order to be a performer, you have to feel a certain way to get out there on that stage in order to do like you did every day.”
Hill also reflected on Michael’s changing appearance over the years, particularly his skin condition.
“When he first did the song for me, he had a little small afro and he was tiny,” she said.
“And then as the years passed, actually, some of his skin looked like it changed on its own, because you can’t really change your face without changing the body.
“But his whole body, his arms — I think I could see his arms and hands — and they were all the same color as the rest of his body. So that’s what always concerned me.”
In 2009, Hill spoke at Jackson’s memorial at Steel Yard baseball stadium in Gary.
Recently, two Jackson brothers visited Gary when a music program was named after the Motown group.
“Tito and Marlon were here and I went to a program,” Hill said.
“One of the schools here started a music program, a new building, and named it after the Jacksons. I took a picture with them. They come to the city quite often.”
She also attended a performance honoring Jackson’s legacy in 2020.
“I went to New York to see the films they had about him,” she said. “They selected other children that could imitate him.
“The boys were good. They really imitated him pretty good, but they weren’t Michael.”
As an influential force behind the legendary King of Pop, Hill shared words of encouragement for those striving to achieve their dreams.
“Whatever you start, keep on doing it,” she said. “You are going to become successful if you don’t give up.”
