"We want to play with your
machine," said 3T in true Jackson stylee when we asked them how they
would like to be interviewed. So here, in an extended TOTP Lottery Special,
Taryll, Taj and TJ take it in turns to face the bouncing balls and our
bold-as-brass questions...
Were you popular with girls
in school?
Taryll: Erm... (thinks about it
and grins) I suppose so, because I was very athletic.
Taj: Yes, but I was already at
the school and I paved the way for you. You only became popular after I
was popular!
Taryll: Yeah, right.
You've recorded with Uncle Michael
- would you like to make a record with Auntie Janet?
Taj: Yeah, we would. When we recorded
our album, Auntie Janet was on tour, so it wasn't possible, but maybe it
will happen on our second album. A lot of people ask us why we had Michael
on our album, but basically any artist who had the opportunity to record
with him would take it, so why should we refuse? At one point, our record
company wanted 'Why' (the 3T sonf featuring Uncle Mike) to be the first
single, but we convinced them that it was important to establish ourselves
first. Otherwise everyone would have accused us of only succeeding because
of Michael.
Are you in a relationship at
the moment?
TJ: No. I did have a girlfriend
while we were working on the album, but we agreed to seperate just before
everything really took off. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to have lots
of girlfriends. I'm more the settling-down type, but it's just not possible
to have a proper relationship at the moment. I'd like to think that, in
about ten years, I'll be married with seven kids - five boys and two girls.
Seriously, I have it all planned!
Which part of your body is the
most sensitive to kisses?
Taryll: I guess I'd have to say
my neck and my ear - just on the earlobe. But I can't say any more about
it, because otherwise I'll start going all tingly. Fans try and give you
soft kisses on the neck, which makes life difficult because it feels real
nice.
What do you think about Jarvis
Cocker jumping on stage during Michael's Brits performance?
Taj: This is just the perfect question
for me. I believe the whole thing was a publicity stunt. Michael performance
was the most-watched part of the show and Jarvis knew that. He was unknown
in America until that point, then it became a big story and suddenly he's
on 'The Tonight Show'. So he got what he wanted out of it, but it's a shame
he had to stoop so low. We were brought up to believe that if you want
to be successful, you work hard at it - you don't do it at someone else's
expense. Jarvis was lucky that we weren't there that night - he wouldn't
have been smiling afterwards!
What's your favorite room in
the house?
TJ: My bedroom. It has everything
I love in it: my recording studio, a small library of books, posters of
Michael and baseball stars, plus my dog Yabo. Actually, when I'm at school,
Yabo lives in Taj's room and sits around all day waiting for me to come
home. Then at night, she sleeps with me in his own little bed, which is
just like a tiny version of my bed!
Will you tour with Michael when
he performs in the UK later this year?
Taryll: It's possible we will be
with him, but I don't know if we will perform. It depends on what Michael
wants. We would love to, if he asked us, but, at the same time, we're looking
forward to going out on a tour of our own.
How would a girl be able to
impress you when you first meet her?
Taj: I don't know exactly. Sometimes
a straight-forward girl might get my attention. Other times a quiet one,
because she's not pushy. I like a girl who's very feminine and likes to
have fun. It would also be nice to meet someone who initially didn't know
who I was or what I did. We do have to take care that girls like us for
who we are and not for our name.
Have you ever been in trouble
with the police?
TJ: Well, I've never committed
a crime or stolen anything, but I have been in trouble merely because of
the color of my skin. A few months back, I was driving in Hollywood and
the police pulled me over because I was black and had a nice car. They
put me in handcuffs and threatened me with jail, before checking my registration.
Of course, they had to let me go, but even now I'm very scared of the LA
police. It's really sad.
How old were you when you went
on your first dare?
Taryll: I was about 13. It wasn't
a real proper date, like the ones in the movies when you go round to the
girl's house, meet the parents and then take her out. I was too shy for
all that.
What's your most embarrassing
childhood photograph?
Taj: There's one of me peeing when
I was little, really little. I was in the park by a tree, as you do when
you're really young, and some nice person took a picture. Sadly, that photo
is still around.
What's the sexiest underwear
you've ever worn?
Taryll: (Looks shocked) Sexiest
underwear?! I don't get all dressed up in underwear. So my silk boxers,
I guess.
Taj: Do they have heart on them?
Taryll: No! They're patterned.
TJ: What about those leopard briefs
of yours? The ones with the spots?
Taryll: No! My silk boxers, definitely.
Next question...
What's the last thing you do
before falling asleep at night?
TJ: Hmmm. (Catches Taryll smirking
at him? What?!
Taryll: Gee, it can't be that difficult.
TJ: OK, let's see. Before I fall
asleep, I do 40 push-ups. I'm the fit one in the band.
Taj: I was sent a letter saying
I was the fit one.
TJ: Hey I got that letter, too.
Taryll: You did? So did I. She
must have send it to all of us.
TJ: I used to have difficulty falling
asleep and I had to have the lights and the TV on the whole time. But nowadays,
because we're working so hard, I doze off immediately.
Are you a good kisser?
Taj: Yeah, I'm a great kisser.
I started late, at around 18, and I've only really kissed three girls,
but I have a natural talent. I've definitely caught up with my brothers
in that department!
Do you or any of your brothers
snore?
TJ: I don't think we do. In the
beginning, we all used to stay in the same room when we were on tour. We'd
have to fight over who had the bed! Then we noticed that not only did other
bands have their own rooms, but even their dancers weren't sharing.
Do you think you would be as
successful if you weren't Jacksons?
TJ: I do, actually. I think it
might have taken longer to be recognized, but we still would have made
it. We were lucky to be given great advice by so many talented people,
who happen to be our relatives - and, of course being Jacksons helped us
to get a food in the door. But we've been working at this for 10 years,
so I wouldn't say it was easy. Even now, there are people who do us down,
because of who we are. We've had a gold-selling single in the States, but
we still can't get on the top two chat shows, hosted by Jay Leno and David
Letterman. I think the only difference is that if we weren't Jacksons,
we might easily have been sportsmen rather than musicians.
Have you ever carried a gun?
Taj: Absolutely not. If you have
a gun, you might want to use it at some point. Plus, no doubt, we'd get
pulled over by the police and they'd love it if we had guns.
Did you get treated differently
at school, because of your famous family?
Taryll: No. We went to a very small
private school. When we at about the age or three we didn't know how big
the Jacksons were, so we grew up learning about them in the same way our
friends did. There were also quite a few kids with famous parents, though
it wasn't a particularly rich school. We considered ourselves normal and
that's how we were treated.
What's been the most frightening
experience of your childhood?
Taryll: Being in the middle of
a rioting crowd on the day the Jacksons were presented with their fame
star on the Hollywood Boulevard. I was about four, and everyone was screaming
and pushing. It was chaos. I was picked up by someone and shoved in a limousine,
but our auntie Carol ended up being thrown into some bushes. It was a frightening
time.
Who's the best singer in the
group?
Taj: I don't know, but it's not
me. I become quite nervous ehn I have to sing in front of people. I think
both TJ and Taryll are really great singers, though. Taryll always sings
around the house.
Taryll: That's because when I was
younger, everyone told me I couldn't sing.
Taj: He's got better, thought there
were times he'd wake me up in the morning with loud music and singing.
Taryll: That's because you didn't
get up until 2pm. I didn't want to start my day that late.
TJ: That's what headphones are
for, so you don't wake up everyone else...
Taryll: The trouble is, when you
wear them, you can't hear Taj creeping up behind you!
Do you wish you weren't Michael's
nephews because everyone wants to talk about him?
Taryll: Not at all. My uncle is
the greatest person in the world to me. He honestly is. I think a lot of
people don't get to see the real Michael, because of all the garbage that's
said about him.
Who was the biggest crybaby
when you were little?
Taj: TJ, absolutely.
TJ: No! Pop said I was the toughest,
so what's going on? Anyway, I only cried because you guys picked on me.
Taj: TJ was always so spoilt. We
were always nice to him, but he'd cry if he didn't get his way.
TJ: That's not true!
Have you ever had your heart
broken?
TJ: Erm, erm...(long silence).
Taryll: Answer the question...
TJ: I'm thinking! I don't think
I have, no.
Taj: Yes, you have. Stop trying
to act so tough.
TJ: Well, tell me more, because
I can't remember. My break-ups have been gradual. I did care for someone
very much, but by the time we split it had fizzled out.
What's the most embarrassing
gift you've ever been sent by a fan?
Taryll: Ooh! Probably a condom.
Is that an embarrassing gift? We haven't been sent gifts like underwear
yet.
Taj: No, but when we were performing
in Amsterdam, someone threw a bra onto the stage. There were all these
stuffed animals and flowers landing all around us. Then, right in the middle,
came this bra! We didn't get to find out who it belonged to, I should add.
What's the meanest thing you've
ever done?
Taj: I love scaring people, and
the best time was when TJ's friend Quincy was staying at our house. I called
Quincy on Taryll's phone - we each had our own phoneline - told him I was
still at the movies and asked him to let the dogs out. Then I dressed up
like the guy in the Halloween horror movies and grabbed a kitchen knife.
On cue, Quincy let the dogs out, and when he turned around, I was there
behind him with the knife. He just fell on his knees and screamed 'Oh my
God, don't kill me!' He sat on the floor, shaking and crying, for about
15 minutes. That was probably the meanest thing I've ever done, but also
one of the most enjoyable!'