WASHINGTON (JTA) — Rabbi Shmuley Boteach will release a book based on his interviews with the late Michael Jackson.
Boteach conducted 30 hours of taped interviews with Jackson more than eight years ago that are said to reveal much about the singer’s life, his views on celebrity and what motivated him.
"NBC Dateline" is scheduled to run a one-hour special next weekend on Boteach and the book, The Jewish Week reported.
“Michael loved coming to our house for Friday night dinners with his kids,” Rabbi Boteach told The Jewish Week.
The rabbi met Jackson about 10 years ago and struck up a friendship.
Boteach says that in in the summer of 2000, and for about 10 months, the two met regularly during the week.
“We started our conversations on Shabbat, the only day of the week with no intrusions or distractions," Boteach said. "He had nothing but distractions in his life; he was always so busy.”
