The Wiz (film) certain we didn't use anything from it. They made a brilliant movie, and even though our concept is different – they're Kansas, we're New York; they're white, we're black, and the score and the books are totally different – we wanted to make sure that we never overlapped in any area." Michael Jackson, a former Motown star and close friend of Diana Ross was cast as the Scarecrow. By the start of development on "The Wiz" in 1977, he and his brothers The Jacksons, had left Motown for Epic Records, though Jackson had yet to make a solo album since
Trial of Michael Jackson spend all his time with him. When asked about the lawsuits that resulted from her family's involvement with Michael Jackson, June Chandler made the distinction that even though she was listed as a plaintiff and received settlement money, it was not she who sued Jackson, but rather Jordan and his father Evan who did so. She claimed not to recall that Jackson had counter sued for extortion, or that her second husband, Dave Schwartz, had sued Jackson, or that Evan Chandler had sued Jackson a second time. Thomas Mesereau said in a Harvard lecture later that year, "the prosecutors tried