WYLIE DRAPER - AN AMERICAN DREAM AND A YOUNG MANS DEATH - CURIOUS REALLY..

Tonight I found a link to AMERICAN DREAM and watched all 25 parts.

Heres the link, its LONG so be warned but well worth the entire watch, I was completely involved with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naB_p22vAfI&feature=PlayList&p=2067139FB13D390F&index=0&playnext=1


above WYLIE DRAPER as MICHAEL JACKSON in 1992 AMERICAN DREAM .


I found out through google that Wylie Draper the young man who plays the older Michael died in December 20th 1993. He died a year after this film on the above link was made. He was only about 24. He died with no real media attention and there is very little on the web about him. In fact the page on AMERICAN DREAM which has his name in a link on Wikipedia when clicked shows another wikepedia page with all the information deleted. So I thought I would see what else was available on him and did find some things.

http://www.lipstickalley.com/f227/wylie-draper-michael-jackson-character-193501/index2.html

Theres a post from a poster which is quite informative on the above link which states....

Wow, I really thought folks had
known that he'd died. I found out about his death in one of those
People/US Weekly/Jet type magazines a couple of weeks after he passed
away. What's so sad about his passing is that he was so young, I believe
24 years old. What's even sadder is that folks didn't find out about
his death until after Michael died. Just imagine them moonwalking and
whatnot up in Heaven.

And Michael was more than satisfied with Wylie's performance in the
movie. He handpicked Wylie after seeing his screen test. Michael also
went on to cast him as a background dancer in his 'Remember the Time'
video that Fatima Robinson choreographed. Yall have to remember, this
was Michael Jackson. So of course he's going to have 100% input and the
final say on the guys who would portray him in a movie such as this.

From what I've read about him from other folks who knew him is that he
and Michael shared some of the same qualities. Wylie, too was humble,
very shy, soft-spoken and a natural performer. Some say he also
(physically) resembled Michael in his everyday appearance. The producers
didn't have too change too much of his appearance to make him look like
Michael for the movie. Just his hair. It was short in real life.




So I thought that was interesting and decided to keep looking and I found another link

http://www.michaeljackson.com/dk-en/node/523219

This link above seems to give the most (if any) history about Wylie

Wylie Draper
Date of Birth
5 May 1969, West Virginia, USA
Date of Death
20 December 1993, Los Angeles, California, USA (leukemia)

Mini Biography
Wylie Hughes Draper Jr. was born May 5 1969 in West Virginia. He seemed
destined for stardom from the very start, at the age of ten Wylie's
brother Desmond would throw parties at a local skating rink where Wylie
would dance like Michael Jackson often becoming the main attraction at
the party! Even as a child many people noted the strong resemblance
between Wylie and Michael Jackson, but as Wylie grew his focus from the
arts shifted and as a teen he became a football player at Northside high
school, but he changed his focus again back to the arts his Sophomore
year, his drama teacher recalls him as a "Consummate student" and said
he "Would teach forever if I had a class full of Wylies".

After
graduating Wylie attended Point Park College to hone his craft even
more, during summers he worked as lead dancer at Disney World and lead
entertainer on Norwegian cruise lines. Around this time Wylie auditioned
and won the role as adult Michael Jackson in the television film "The
Jacksons an American dream". A local hairstylist has recalled Wylie as
being extremely calm and humble about his audition for the role of
Michael Jackson, as he styled Wylie's hair to look more like Michael
Jackson's he remembers the young man sitting in the chair listening to
comedy tapes laughing!

Not much is known about Wylie's life after his
role as Michael Jackson, but it is apparent that his stellar performance
did not lead to more lucrative film offers. He had a small role in
another television film "The disappearance of Christina", was a dancer
in Michael Jackson's video "Remember the time" and another dancer in the
cable show "The Red Shoe Diaries", which aired after his death.

Around 1993 Wylie was diagnosed as having a rare form of Leukemia, it is not
known how long he battled illness or how he battled the disease, but
what is known is that Wylie a talented young man with a bright future
ahead of him was taken way too soon, he died December 20th 1993 in Los
Angeles, California, at the age of 24, with very little media fanfare.
After the death of Michael Jackson and the subsequent showings of the

"The Jackson an American dream", the public fascination with the young
man who brilliantly portrayed Jackson in the film has grown, most fans
expressed world-wide shock and disbelief at not knowing Wylie had passed
in 1993, there are two face book tributes dedicated to his memory, a
you tube tribute video and rumors of an upcoming website dedicated to
Wylies memory. The young man famous for one film role has not been
forgotten and managed to touch the lives of many. It seems that Wylie is at rest at Magnolia Gardens cemetery in Warner Robins, Georgia.

I did think to myself watching PART 23 of the AMERICAN DREAM on the link I have provided where Wylie performs Billie Jean just how amazing the dancing was, it could easily have been Michael if you look at that section of the programme which you can find on the left hand side when you hit the first link in this thread for American Dream.

I wondered myself how this young man was in a huge film like this then a year later died of Leukemia ( a rare form of it apparently) - seems like a quick development and demise really and though he clearly did do a couple of things afterwards nothing much really turned up for him.

But being nosey, I did wonder what was going on in Michaels life in 1993 when this young man Wylie died....and I was surprised to find how little I know about dates.
The same year that Wylie died these were the headlines.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/24/newsid_2512000/2512077.stm

BBC NEWS ON THIS DAY 24 AUGUST 1993 - ]1993: Michael Jackson accused of child
abuse

So basically just FOUR months later after Michael was accused in 1993 - Wylie died in December....1993


I have thought constantly of the references to REMEMBER THE TIME video, and of course WYLIE was in that video.

I just thought I would leave this wide open and let you pick up my thoughts and its just THOUGHTS because if you watch that video of the American Dream it is all too plain that Michael was pulling away completely at the time of Billie Jean - and as Wylie performed that sequence in the film one can assume that all the feelings that are portrayed in the film at that time would be quite true as they came from Katherines book.

So...I just get this feeling that its an odd thing...or maybe its just me?

I need to research about Michael in 1993 and after as I dont know a lot but I am quite interested at this point as I keep thinking about 'the man in the mirror'.

It also did occur to me that if Wylie did a couple of parts in other films which it seems to have been mentioned in one of the posts that I have printed - then it would be AFTER the American Dream, I just wondered how this young man managed to do that work in just one year and then die in the December from an illness that surely would have made itself known?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_child_sexual_abuse_accusations_against_Michael_Jackson

This is a report from 1993 about the allegations regarding Jordy CHANDLER who Michael met in May 1992.

The Dangerous World tour was also in 1993 in August/ September.

see link

http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/event/1993/10/23/dangerous-world-tour-10231993

the REMEMBER THE TIME VIDEO was also in 1993 as we know WYLIE took part in that.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_World_Tour

On the first DAY of the third leg of the DANGEROUS TOUR - is the SAME DAY that the BBC NEWS announced allegations of abuse against Michael.

QUOTE
1993:
Third leg (Europe, Asia, South America and North America)


The day the third leg began on August 24, 1993 in Bangkok, the accusations
of child sexual abuse against Jackson was made public.
Michael cancelled the end of the 1993 Tour, I dont know what month that was but he went into rehabilitation with the help of Elizabeth Taylor.
see link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson%27s_health_and_appearance

On this link BELOW it shows that Michael Dangerous tour finnished on NOVEMBER 11 1993

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

I assume that that was because of his 'breakdown' . It would also be ONE MONTH BEFORE Wylie Draper died.

I dont know what happened afterwards of November but towards the autumn of 1993 Michael apparently proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993,
saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it? In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley

In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during
rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a
stress-related panic attack.

The rest of the history of Lisa and Michael splitting and meeting debbie is all on this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

Michael did the history tour in 1997.

Eventually In October 2001, Jackson released Invincible. This was
his first full-length album in six years, and it turned out to be the
last album of new material he released while still alive.


Michaels LAST EVER TOUR was the History tour which had 82 concerts in 1996.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_concert_tours_by_Michael_Jackson_and_The_Jackson_5

So that was the last time Michael did concerts on tour.That was 13 years before he died. Even though the invincible Album went out Michael did not do a promotional tour for it.

I thought this was all interesting history because basically Michael has been a recluse when it comes to proper concerts for a very very long time before the concerts were announced in February 2009.

Very few people really know what Michael looks like apart from any appearances he made. Its all very thought provoking as is the connection of Wylie Draper and his sudden demise in 1993. I really did,nt know much about Michaels history.

INTERESTING PICTURE BELOW OF WYLIE DRAPER - he has a scar on his cheek same as Michael?





Another picture of Wylie Draper below




More pics of WYLIE DRAPER BELOW







AND ANOTHER ONE WHICH IS A GIF OF HIM DANCING.

ABOVE IS MICHAEL - Michael has a shorter Chin






below - Wylie Draper - has a longer chin.





wylie draper in american dream above and below.





If anyone watches the film, he wears his EARPIECE in the LEFT EAR which Michael does also so he must have really studied Michael well.

More rare pics of WYLIE DRAPER

https://www.youtube.com/user/WylieSIS24

This is Wylies sisters youtube Channel - they keep Wylie tributed and there is also a face book account.

Wylies moms account and email on findagrave.com
(link) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...r&GRid=7118768

her name is Charleta Draper

Apparently though Michael picked Wylie from auditions it is claimed 'they never met'.

It was claimed in contradiction to all thats posted here that MJ had nothing to do with An American Dream and that he'd stayed well
out of it. It was Jermaine and his then wife's project and MJ didn't
want to endorse it.

Information quote here

http://www.maximum-jackson.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=4240&page=5

WYLIE DRAPER BELOW ON A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME -








I think this thread is a GREAT example of how 'hoax theories' can be spread. I say this because this boy that played Michael is more like Michael when he was younger than any impersonator portraying him.

Dont you?

THESE PICTURES BELOW ARE MICHAEL APPARENTLY WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER. INTERESTING RESEMBLENCE.

Wylie Draper DID have a natural DIMPLE in his chin as you will see from the American dream Film which I posted in the FIRST post on this thread a link .

Michael in the pictures above - did NOT have a Dimple in his chin at that time. But Michael DID have a dimple in his chin later in life.

above WYLIE

Below MICHAEL




below MICHAEL





AND here is Wylie a lot younger though.




Here is Michael again below




Here below is WYLIE

Michael as a very young baby. He had a fuller top lip then.


Here he is older still.




Michael had his nose altered a little in the second pic above? BELOW I think he was younger than the second picture as his nose is the same as the first one of these two.

Truly amazing performance of Wylie Draper (Billie Jean).
I'll come back later on this topic is really aroused me a lot of attention.

My brain is really quite scrambled here......time out to think, methinks!!!!

I have this on video, my parents recorded it ages ago, I remember watching it and I loved it. I've seen it a few times actually, and I think they did a pretty good job of portraying the Jackson's life. The things in the movie, I've read about in books like Randy Taraborrelli's so I think a lot of it is based on facts.
It was interesting to see how more withdrawn they showed Michael getting as he got older too.
Wylie really looked like MJ in the late 70's era, when he still had his afro, the resemblance is really uncanny. I recommend watching it, it's very interesting and always leaves me thinking more deeply about Michael.

Joygirl you put that so well. In fact if I remember in the film Katherine said that she thought that Michael began withdrawing after Marlon got married.

In the film Joe wanted to keep control of the boys as a group and of course as the lads began to get interested in girls they were wanting to do other things but Joe kept them in line for rehearsals ect and therefore getting married was a 'threat' really to the 'group' as a unit. Perhaps Michael picked up on that and as Katherine said, began to withdraw realising that everything could not stay the same?

I was so into this film when I got to part 6 I was full of tears in my eyes I found it very hard to not feel emotional.

I do not feel bad about Joe as other people do, he just wanted what was best for his family so they did,nt have to struggle all their lives but he did make a lot of mistakes. It has earned him some bad press I realise that - he could have done things differently and not lose his temper which clearly had an effect on the children and upset them - but I think his passion and drive to keep everything on focus was so large that he just did,nt realise that you cant control people in that way. His principles I do understand though - and he wanted to teach his children to be strong and to be able to face anything and stand up to things and be counted.

There is so much I felt when watching this film I could probably talk endlessly on it, but better not for fear of boring you all - I do see that Michael was not going to count on other people in the long run...he was going to do his own music because he knew he could do it, if he could rely on himself then nobody around him could affect his work - there would be no group for someone to leave - so in some way its quite understandable.

Michael also was exposed to some quite questionable clubs when he was young with strippers and goodness knows what else went down as he was in those clubs very early in the morning. You dont really know what he might have seen but when the stripper came out he was bothered by it as he knew it would be wrong in his mums eyes and his religion (Naturally the older boys had a look) - BUT there were a lot of things he must have seen that just seemed to counteract what his mother had preached so he was living in two worlds then if anything...one of principle and steadyness and the other clubs and scenes that certainly would not be suitable.

Yes, it does rather leave a long deep feeling inside you when you watch American Dream. Its very poignant and emotional because you can see everyones point of view if you know what I mean.

Oh Empathy, I totally agree, there is so much that can be said on the movie. I think just putting it on in a movie, where it's visual just makes you feel with the Jackson's through out it, instead of just reading about it, on the screen you almost get lost in the story with them.
I got quite emotional too while watching it, especially when Michael was in his teen years. There's a part where he looks in the mirror and he starts crying at what he sees, then Katherine comes in to try comfort him- at that scene I was in tears, I just found it heart breaking. We've heard Michael say how he wouldn't look in the mirror at all because he hated what he saw and seeing that re-enacted really shows you how hard it would have been for Michael to have all that fame and people wanting him to be a certain way and him feeling that he couldn't fulfill all their needs.
It was also quite interesting to see Katherine and Joe before they got married and had kids, how they met and such.
I really wonder how Michael felt about the movie and how his families life was portrayed Can't find his opinions of it on google.

Empathy, Is it possible to do a reading on Wylie Draper Jr. I do not know if this can be done because of his status in the physical realm.

Its possible yes - but whether it will yield results we can make sense of I am not sure.

First you have to put a question. What is your question Lemonbread x

Empathy, Here is the question: Did Mr. Wylie Draper Jr. enjoyed meeting with Michael

Lemonbread wrote:Empathy, Here is the question: Did Mr. Wylie Draper Jr. enjoyed meeting with Michael

Actually Lemonbread - it has been stated that Wylie NEVER met Michael and I did read this the other day.

Empathy, That is correct. It has been stated. But is this the true or just hearsay that is why I am presenting that question to the tarot. Because it seems to me, that one thing is said from one source and another is said from a different source We all know that Michael is a hands on person. Even though he did not like the media that once, I sure do believe that he wanted to make sure that he is presented in the correct light. Sometimes things are twisted and turned around to suite other people's goals.

I just cannot go by what other people said, mainly because the information that they had receive may not be the correct information.

In 1993
Dame Elizabeth Taylor, longtime friend of the late Michael Jackson, met with the King of Pop in the past to help him with what she once called his "medical problem," and now ET has footage of Dame Elizabeth
talking about flying to Mexico City in 1993 to have a face-to-face discussion with Jackson over his ailments.
"I have suffered and dealt with the same kind of medical problem now afflicting my friend, Michael Jackson," Taylor said in a press conference.
more on this link and video
http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/07/76437/index.html