Jackie's Back! (1999) - full transcript

(orchestra music)

- I'm Edward Whatsett St. John.

When I was first approached

to make a documentary about Jackie Washington,

I thought they meant the legendary baseball player

who famously broke the color barrier.

(chuckling)

Once I was set straight, I was compelled to ask

who is Jackie Washington precisely?

Who

is she?



Former child star,

pop diva,

down and out

boozing has-been.

Those are the accepted pre-conceived notions.

Join us

for this no-holds barred

in-depth portrait

of the woman the French call

La

Washington.

(upbeat music)

♪ I don't know where she's been

♪ I don't know where she's at



♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ I don't know if she's thin

♪ I don't know if she's fat

♪ All I know is Jackie's back.

♪ My mama said that Jackie's been around the block

♪ My sister said she read she's down and out

♪ My brother and my daddy said we better change the lock

♪ But I know is I just wanna shout

♪ I just wanna dance

♪ Come on Jackie, come on back, and give it one more chance

♪ I don't know if she's wrong

♪ I don't know if she's right

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ I don't know if she's lost

♪ I don't know if she's found

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ I don't know if she's high

♪ I don't know if she's low

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

- Good luck with the comeback.

- Jackie's back!

- Jackie's back.

- Jackie Washington is back.

♪ Somebody told me she had moved to Arkansas

- I met Jackie Washington once.

She came to the set of Sunset Beach.

I was actually very insulted.

She tried to put a buck in my Speedo.

- Is she making another comeback?

This child makes more comebacks

than anybody I have ever known in my,

alright, if she wants to make another comeback, that's fine.

♪ I don't know if she can, I don't know if she can't

- Jackie Washington. (giggling)

Who exactly is Jackie Washington?

♪ I don't know if she ain't

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

- I love Jackie more than Snickers.

- Jackie's back.

- Jackie's back.

- Jackie's back. ♪ All I know is Jackie's back

- That lady was no Botox at all.

Looks just calm and serene and beautiful,

and she just is Jackie.

If that isn't a diva, then

Celine, get the hell off the stage.

♪ Sometimes she's a hit and heaven knows

- I was so moved by the woman, spiritually, that

I went down to Tijuana, and I got a

tattoo of her.

It's Jackie Washington right there, folks.

♪ Go on Jackie fly

♪ I don't know if she's rich

- Jackie's back.

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

- Come back?

She was there someplace to come back to?

'Cause getting there,

and not getting there,

and then trying to come back from nowhere is a little hard.

♪ Stand and scream for the ovation

♪ Hear it all across the nation now that Jackie's back

- We are standing outside the famed Hollywood Theater,

where tonight, Jackie Washington

will take the stage to reclaim her place

among the titans

of contemporary music.

And here comes Jackie now.

- I told you to take a right on Wilshire,

and then a right on Lucerne, you no driving bastard.

And if you want a tip,

get yourself a new Airwick for this back seat.

Oh,

hi.

How's every body.

Oh my god, Antandra, look at that.

Look at that poster.

Your mama is back.

Jackie Washington!

- Jackie was kind enough to allow us into her dressing room

as she prepared

for the concert of her career. (Jackie groaning)

I didn't know you practiced yoga.

Kundalini or Hatha?

- Yes.

(chanting)

- Jackie,

let's put the meaning of tonight into perspective.

Take us back, if you will, to your very first concert night

at the Fox Theater, St. Louis, Missouri.

- It's been told so many times, people think it's made up.

But it's true.

It's true.

I was 13

when I was discovered

at the Fox Theater talent show in St. Louis, Missouri.

That was where I met my first manager,

the legendary Peaches Yancy.

I was just a kid.

♪ I said proceed with caution

♪ Keep your eyes on the road

♪ And don't tailgate me mister

♪ 'Cause I've got a heavy load

♪ Yield, yield, yield, before you hit me with your love

- I was in the groove,

and they were very supportive when I stepped out on my own.

- [Girl] She pushed me.

- [Girl Dancer] She's not supposed to be singing lead.

- [Girl] Then go kick her butt.

♪ Jump inside, enjoy the ride

♪ Let's make a brand new start

- [Edward] With the help of Peaches Yancy,

little Jackie Washington was truly on the rise.

Her single, Yield, climbed the charts.

Little Jackie Washington was signing autographs

left and right, gold albums, right and left.

Everyone yielded to Jackie Washington,

and with Peaches Yancy right by her side,

her album climbed the charts.

- [Little Jackie] Don't make me take you to traffic school.

- [Edward] She claimed her star.

♪ Put your brakes on, boy

- [Edward] A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

- I was the youngest person to get a star

on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

- Actually, I checked the records.

It was Shirley Temple.

- Oh no, she got her star when she was an old lady.

Hollywood Blvd wasn't even paved when she was, what,

Good Ship Lollypoppin.

- Well, what about Dennis the Menace, Jay North?

- I was the youngest

African American star.

- That was Buckwheat.

- African American female then, Edward.

Alright?

I was the youngest something, okay, so just drop that.

(knocking on door)

Antandra, get that, baby.

(knocking on door)

Antandra!

Where's that girl?

Yeah?

- I have...

Jackie Washington!

- Yeah, it's me.

- Hey, I am Ivan.

I am manager of this theater.

- Well, nice to meet you, Ivan.

- Oh, you ordered Mexican food.

- Oh, my breakfast tacos.

Thank you, baby.

- In Moscow, Yield For My Love was big hit.

All Soviet children would dance.

♪ Yield, yield, yield, before you hit me with your love

- All right, honey, all right, that's okay.

Yeah, that's nice.

Now listen, I'm in the middle of an interview, sweetie, yes.

If you don't mind, yeah, that's all right.

Oh yeah.

(banging on door)

Yes. - Oh, I'm sorry.

Miss Washington, you owe me $7.43 for the tacos.

- Money? - Yes.

- Honey, I don't carry cash.

My daughter Antandra will pay you later.

All right, yeah, come on, now.

Your English is wonderful, Ivan, and welcome to America.

Yes, it's all right, baby.

Now, as I was saying, that

Yield Before You Hit Me With Your Love was my ticket.

- [Edward] We talked to Jackie's oldest sister, Ethyl,

about Yield.

- You know that that Yield, yield, yield, her first hit,

you know where that came, that came from me.

That came from me.

It was my

doing.

I signed up for that talent contest.

I bought the damn yellow dress.

You know what she did?

Well, she just picked up my dress, put it on,

went up there and sang my song

that I wrote.

I sat up and wrote that song.

That's why I'm here in a nurse's uniform

and she's trying to make a comeback.

Okay.

I just...

Gimme a second, okay.

You know, I coulda sung the song.

Yield, yield, yield.

♪ Yield, yield, yield

- There were three great child singing stars:

Michael Jackson,

Stevie Wonder,

and Jackie Washington.

Now, I might get grief for saying this,

but Jackie had the most raw talent.

- [Edward] Her second album was Suki, Suki Mama,

with the hit single Eye on the Motherland, or Cleveland.

After that, she danced to Boogie Ball,

with the somewhat derivative, Wednesday Night Fever.

♪ You're working my last nerve

- [Edward] And then she was working everyone's nerve

with her hit single, Take Your Jeri Curl and Go.

Jackie Washington's Tore Up from the Floor Up

tore up the charts,

and Compton. (upbeat music)

(mellow music)

But her true

crowning glory

was Look at Me,

which she performed at the Oscars.

- [Fan] I love you, Jackie!

Oh, oh Jackie. (audience cheering)

Come on, Jackie, Jackie, we love you.

(audience cheering)

We love you, Jackie.

Bravo!

Bravo,

Jackie!

♪ They say to love somebody else

♪ You've got to learn to love yourself

♪ And so, I proudly show this face

♪ Like it's an Oscar on the shelf

♪ To hell with all forced modesty

♪ If it's perfection you must see

♪ Look

♪ At me

♪ I only say it 'cause it's you

♪ That I adore

♪ My love for you has only made me love me more

♪ Your melody's

♪ A fantasy

♪ Look

♪ At me

♪ Look

♪ At me

♪ Look

♪ At me

(audience applauds)

♪ Yeah

- I remember Jackie's song, Look at Me.

She sang it at the Oscars that year.

It was from that movie.

The one, (snaps fingers)

the one where Raquel Welch plays

the nun.

Yeah, it was called Stack Sister, that's it.

- By 1972,

Little Jackie Washington was a thing of the past.

I'd become a woman then. (chortling)

I think

Look at Me proved that.

You know it was a very deep song

about self-esteem, mm-hmm.

All that psychological bull-- (bleep)

Aw, damn, I got the taco juice all over my robe.

Antandra!

- Yes, Mama. - Honey did you pack wet ones

in the bag?

- Yes, Mama. - Thank you, baby.

- Oh,

hello darling.

I'm here.

- Ha ha,

Kim,

look at you.

- Honey. - Come here.

- Mwah. - Mwah.

You're crazy. (laughing)

- Edward,

this is my costume designer, Kim.

- Hello.

- Kim is the bravest

man and woman I know,

living life as he has.

You should see him when he's all dressed up.

He's fabulous.

Very Julia Child-ish.

- Well, I am getting up in years.

Of course, when I was younger, it was Tippi Hedren.

(dramatic music)

- Here we are,

a week before Jackie's comeback concert

with a peek

at how Jackie Washington lives

here

in this modest home in the San Fernando Valley.

Unfortunately, she seems to have forgotten

that she's invited us.

She was due to be here over an hour ago.

(horn honking)

- Hey!

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Hey.

Y'all here already?

I'm sorry.

Am I late, baby?

I got stuck in

the checkout line at Tar-jay.

Oh, yeah. (chuckling)

Welcome to my humble home, Edward.

- Well, thank you.

It seems

very charming. - Oh come on now, come on now.

You ain't got to blow no smoke up my rear.

I know it ain't Brentwood, but I don't need all that.

You just remember,

every brick, commode, and yellow bug light is paid for

free and clear. (chuckling)

Yeah, I'm all right out here in the valley.

Y'all come on in the house.

Come on! (laughing)

- [Edward] Before visiting Jackie's home,

I talked to her daughter, Shaniqua,

about their strained relationship.

- I wasn't out of the house two hours

before my mother turned my room into a den.

She calls it a den, I call it a shrine to her ego.

When I was growing up,

my mother's priorities were her career,

her makeup, her hair, and then her children.

And that's the best thing I can say about her.

To be fair, she did think about our hair and makeup.

I got my first wig at age three.

How many kids get that?

- Tell me about your elder daughter, Shaniqua.

- Come, look at this.

11 gold records,

five Grammys,

three Billboard awards,

all before the age of 25.

- It's almost as if you built a shrine to yourself.

- Now, you sound like my daughter Shaniqua.

Let me ask you something.

Who's house is this, huh?

Now you think

you go to Whitney Houston's house,

and she got some other bitch's award on her wall?

- Jackie, who paved the way for you?

- Nobody paved the way for me.

I won that talent contest, free and clear.

Of course, now I,

I do pay homage to all the dead divas:

Billie,

Ella,

Shirley Bassey.

- Shirley Bassey's alive.

- Really?

God bless her.

But now,

them others,

I'm not gonna name names,

but they all stole from me.

Aretha,

Whitney,

little Brandy,

Streisand,

Diahann Carroll,

and Bea Arthur.

They all stole from me.

- I am sick and tired of Jackie Washington

saying that I stole from her.

I built Diahann Carroll from the ground up.

So, don't start saying that I stole from you, Jackie.

And I am not above suing for libel.

As a matter of fact,

I think I will call my attorney right now.

- So, you're saying (chuckling) that after you,

everyone else is a petty criminal.

- You don't like me, do you?

- Oh, Jackie, I hardly know you.

- But you came into this project with an attitude about me.

Uh-uh, don't deny it now.

I'm very perceptive, practically psychic.

- I am a completely objective professional.

Now, I admit that when they proposed you as a subject,

I didn't really know who you were.

- They sold my records in England.

- Yes.

But I never heard them.

- Are you trying to provoke me?

'Cause you not going to make me get ugly on film.

This ain't 60 Minutes, okay.

'Cause what?

Thank you.

Say no more.

- Anyway, I was assigned to share a dressing room

with Jackie.

I loved her, I had all her records, and I thought,

oh, this is gonna be fantastic.

Well, let me just tell you,

it was a (bleep) nightmare.

I am not gonna mince words, alright.

She was a racist.

I mean, I walked into that dressing room,

not expecting this.

There she was, and she gave me the stink eye.

I mean,

the filthiest look.

I am so naive, I just completely dismissed it.

I said, well,

she must have something in her eye, or something.

So, I walked over to her, and I hugged her.

I said, I love you, and I think you're so fabulous,

I'm so excited.

And you know what she did?

She pulled away from me.

And she said,

she said she couldn't stand to be hugged by white people.

She said they all smelled like wet potato chips.

I couldn't believe it.

Where did that come from?

I was devastated.

I don't smell like wet potato chips.

I have always prided my self on smelling flowery.

I mean, I used to get all my perfume

from this guy that only sold to Bendel's.

I was really upset.

Well let me tell you something.

What goes around, comes around.

A couple of years ago,

I ran into Jackie,

and this time she was the one

who really smelled up the joint.

She was reeking of gin.

- Listen baby,

Mama needs her cough medicine. - Yes Mama.

- And make it a double, Antandra.

- Yes Mama.

- Oh my goodness, look at this, baby.

This is the life.

Edward, will you look at the theater.

Antandra, has anyone heard from the rehearsal pianist?

He was supposed to meet me here.

- [Antandra] He's already here, Mama.

- Where? - This is Perry,

you're rehearsal pianist. - Ah.

- Miss Washington.

Miss Washington, I'm Perry, your rehearsal pianist.

(chuckling)

- Fine,

good.

Then shall we get down to work?

- I was hoping we could get down to work,

but I never got your music charts.

- Why not?

Apparently, the copy shop hasn't been paid.

- But that's ridiculous.

Why hasn't Kinko's been paid, Antandra?

Get Barry on the line for me, sweetie.

- [Perry] I'm gonna get paid, aren't I?

- Yes, of course, you're gonna get paid, sweetie.

My daughter, Antandra, will look into all of this.

- Mama, here's some extra music charts

that were in your bag.

- Great, great.

Great.

(humming)

- Alright, darling, shall we get started.

- Some coffee would be nice, thank you.

(upbeat music)

♪ I said proceed with caution

♪ Keep your eyes on the road

♪ And don't tailgate me mister

♪ 'Cause I got a heavy load

♪ Yield, yield yield before you hit me with your love

♪ Got the urge you wanna merge

♪ Just what I'm

Uh, sweetie.

Baby, listen.

Honey, hey, hey, hey, hey, you.

Listen, honey,

I don't wanna offend you,

but you think you could play a little more black?

'Course you can, darling, because you're

absolutely fabulous, and you're doing a wonderful job.

- Thank you.

- You think they could have sent me a whiter pianist?

They might as well have sent Martha Stewart

up in through here.

Okay, baby, listen.

We're gonna take it from the top again,

and I want you to vap,

'cause I'm gonna put a couple of high kicks in here, Perry,

to show them, oh Lord, them bastards I can still do it.

Alright?

Okay, from the top, baby.

One, two-- - Five, six, seven, eight.

(upbeat music)

♪ Yield, yield yield before you hit me with your love

♪ Oh yes.

♪ Give it to me, mama, oh you go girl

♪ Yes

♪ Hit, hit, sing it, gimme some sugar now, baby

- Hey, hey, give me some sugar now.

Hey, some sugar.

I just said, vap.

- Oh, a cramp?

Like a leg cramp, or you mean like lady's troubles?

'Cause, you know, a leg thing, you need potassium.

I have a banana.

- Fire!

Fire!

You can't hear.

You're deaf, aren't you?

- Yeah, and you're bad.

- I got a deaf pianist.

Who hired this deaf man? - There's no reason to shout.

I'm a little hearing impaired.

So was Beethoven.

- I'm not paying for somebody who can't hear me.

- Oh, well, that explains why I'm not being paid.

- Oh.

When it comes to money, you can hear loud and clear, huh?

- No, I read lips.

- Antandra, get my manager.

- Yeah, and tell him where to send my check because I quit.

- You can't quit 'cause you're fired.

- No Miss Washington, I've seen your act.

I think you're the one who's tired.

(upbeat music)

- We'll find out more about Jackie, and her men,

when we return.

Jackie Washington's professional life

was healthy and vigorous.

But her love life lingered on life support,

even when she was disco's reigning love goddess.

- [Jackie] Do you want fried rice with that?

♪ Baby, baby, baby

♪ Can't you see, got to have it

♪ My body is a temple

♪ Worship me, got to have it

♪ Just like Aphrodite

♪ In a nightie

♪ You're like Thor, I'm like Venus

♪ Something's got to come between us

♪ Love goddess

♪ Fall down on your knees

♪ For your Love goddess

♪ Touch me where you please

♪ Lay yourself there at my shrine

♪ Squeeze the grape and drink the wine

♪ Love goddess

(moaning)

♪ Love goddess

(moaning)

- Well, I learned how to

fake an orgasm listening to Love Goddess.

That's a skill that every woman has to

call upon from time to time.

It's like-- (moaning)

Oh no, that's the second verse.

Oh no, the bridge is more like-- (moaning)

And then, I really sell it.

- I wish Jackie well.

I mean,

I haven't talked to Jackie in a while.

There's a lot of pain there.

- [Edward] Here you are, a child bride.

- I was 17 years old. - And two months pregnant.

- Somebody's been digging up a little dirt.

- Milkman Summers, the football star.

- Yeah, to hear him tell it.

- Now, he was the first of how many husbands?

- Three. - I thought it was four.

- The last one was annulled.

And there you go working my nerves again.

- Well, it's a matter of public record, Jackie.

- Alright, I'm unlucky in love.

But I'm the first to admit it.

Not my fault,

especially with Milkman.

- The serenity of Beverly Hills

has been shattered this morning.

Rams running back, Milkman Summers,

has sustained a stab wound to the head

with a deadly afro pick.

Here, he's coming out right now.

- Take this from you. - Milkman!

- [Reporter] Do you have anything to say--

- Milkman, milkman, what do you have to say for yourself,

Milkman?

(people talking)

His wife, pop star Jackie Washington,

is being taken in right now for questioning.

Jackie, Jackie, can we have a word with you, Jackie?

- Please, I don't wanna talk to you people.

- [Reporter] Jackie, how do you feel?

- I got all these people here.

Hey, get off my yard out here.

All those people. - Jackie!

Jackie, did the Milkman go sour?

- What do you mean, he goes sour?

He was always sour.

- [Reporter] Did the Milkman not deliver, Jackie?

- He delivered, but it's what he delivered.

He delivered some (bleep), that's what he delivered.

Oh, wait a minute.

Alright, I'm bitter about Milkman.

I had to give up alimony to have those charges dropped.

I never stabbed nobody.

He fell on that comb.

(chuckling) - Bull.

You remember that song

where she pretended to have an orgasm?

See now, that's the low down on Jackie.

That's the real low down.

She's all pretend.

See Jackie couldn't have a...

I mean, even if...

Can I say this on TV?

- Oh yes.

- Jackie is all pretend.

Oooh, ahh.

"Can I have a little rice with that?"

Jackie can't cook.

Shoot.

Now see, that's why she stabbed me, pure and simple.

It's frustration. (beeper beeping)

Hold up.

Ooh.

Yeah, yeah.

- You know what it's like

being married to a professional ball player?

The Milkman, he delivers.

I'll tell you what he delivered, nothing.

Oh,

and Milkman.

That Heisman trophy you been looking for all these years.

It's under 50 feet of water up there in Lake Hollywood.

Happy swimming, bastard.

- He would have been the greatest football player ever,

until he got stabbed with that afro pick.

He could never run straight again.

Just every time he tried to run, he just

kind of wobble and go in circles like The Three Stooges.

- I

influenced

a lot of Jackie's work.

I never wanted money, I didn't want the fame,

I just wanted some love.

She couldn't give it.

- What?

I've never been frustrated in that way.

Please.

Who told you that?

- There's no truth to the rumor about me and Jackie.

All right.

There was one night.

But it was just one, and nothing happened.

At least, not that I can remember.

- Milkman Summers was husband number one.

Who was husband number two?

- No comment. - Number three?

- Gay.

- And where's husband number four?

- I told you, he was annulled.

- Jackie, let's discuss the photograph

that landed you in so much hot water.

Some say, this was the beginning of your decline.

- Yeah, well, some say all kinds of (bleep).

There was no black performer more militant than me.

My afro was bigger than Angela Davis's.

This is my NAACP Image Award.

I got it for Lifetime Achievement.

So, that whole thing didn't do any damage.

My people have always loved me.

- Is it true that you were inebriated at the ceremony?

- I was not drunk.

I just had some oral surgery,

and I was having a severe reaction to the Novocain.

My body's always been hypersensitive.

That's why I can't drink or do drugs.

- So, you thought you might as well

act.

- Yeah.

(funky music)

(grunting)

- It's a trap, Coco.

- What?

- It's too late to warn her now, jive turkey.

- If it ain't Dolomite himself.

- Get her, boys. - Whoo!

- [Gangster] Baby you about to become espresso.

Cool you off, little Coco.

- [Thug] No marshmallows for you, Coco.

- [Gangster] We're gonna pour down the drain.

- [Thug] Now, sweet mama.

Yeah.

Yeah, come on, come on, do it.

- [Coco] You want some of me, jive turkey?

(grunting)

- I will see you again in the sequel.

(funky music)

♪ I'm on the scene, a bad mama machine

♪ I'm Coco

♪ Coco

♪ Jive turkey beware 'cause I can kill with my hair

♪ I'm Coco

♪ Coco

♪ Don't try to pass I'll Kung Fu your ass with a chop

♪ Ha, ha, hoo, ha

♪ Don't look for me between two and three

♪ 'Cause I'm in the beauty shop

♪ I'm Coco

♪ Coco

♪ Coco

♪ Bad mama-jama

♪ Whoa

♪ Whoa

♪ Whoa

♪ Coco

- [Announcer] Sequel coming soon.

♪ Coco

- [Announcer] Coco Can Burn Your Tongue.

- Oh, I saw Coco's Revenge, I did see that.

What can I say about that movie.

That sucked.

- You know what, she was robbed from an Oscar.

I mean, Coco's Revenge, I had seen 73 times,

and let me tell you, she is a

consummate

actress.

- [Edward] Jackie, can we talk about the Coco movie?

- Whipped Cream, you saw it?

Oh, it was huge.

I don't remember how much money it made,

but it killed in Europe.

They ate Coco up in Norway.

Oh yeah.

There were five more Coco movies in development.

- But they were never made.

- Antandra, just a minute, just a minute.

Edward, let me tell you how Hollywood works.

Yeah, Hollywood.

They let one black woman slide through per decade.

Hattie McDaniel

had hers.

Diana Ross had hers.

Whoopi had hers, love them.

But by the time I came along,

they filled their black woman quota.

I didn't stand a chance.

- Yeah, that's right.

That's what happened to Mama.

- Alright, honey, that's enough there.

- It brought to an end

the black exploitation movies of the '70s.

After the studios saw that one film,

they said, we're not making another.

And I just remember a lot of

the people in Hollywood were really upset.

You know, I mean, normally somebody says

you're not gonna work in this town again.

And with Jackie, a lot of people said,

you'll not work in this country again.

- She guest-starred on Laverne and Shirley once,

but not many people know that because it never aired.

We had to eat the episode.

She was terrible.

I mean, it was embarrassing.

I mean, the cast was crying.

- Occasionally, I have these evenings at my house where

people come and they sing, and they,

I call them musical evenings.

We all have just a great time and

perform for each other.

And one time, a friend of mine brought Jackie.

I'd never met her before,

but she was so wonderful.

I mean, she sang, and she sang, and she sang,

and sang.

And

when she said good night, I was so touch, because

she looked like she'd had a good time, you know,

and she gave me a hug.

A hug.

And it was kind of this

stiff-armed

traditional something.

I don't know what,

you know, I don't know much about the African...

Now, the next thing I noticed my Oscar for Cabaret was

missing, but it was just coincidence.

- Jackie, is that an Oscar by the door?

- Oh yeah.

My good friend Liza gave it to me.

She wasn't using it anymore.

- And obviously, you needed a door stop.

To show the world she still had the stuff,

she chose to bare all

in a provocative photo spread.

♪ I'm a suki, suki mama

♪ And I'm laying it out for you

- With this photographic essay,

Suki, Suki Mama

became

Looky, Looky Mama.

And Jackie achieved more exposure

than she bargained for.

Jackie,

Jackie?

About your spread in Play Pen.

- I'd figured you'd bring that up.

Most men I meet do.

- I'm surprised you have it on your wall after,

well, you know, the whole thing about...

The press dubbed it Bodygate.

- [Jackie] Listen, I stand by those pictures.

I'm proud of my body,

and you ought to be ashamed of yourself,

stirring up all that old trash.

- I don't know how they darkened my skin,

but a girl knows her own body,

especially with what my surgery cost me.

I was exploited,

and I didn't even get paid for it.

Jackie Washington took my body. (crying)

- Shoot.

Remember, I was married to Jackie.

I know what the girl looked like naked.

She had no right to desecrate that woman's beautiful body

with that head.

You know, that's when I went to the D.A.

You would have to

if you had eight pick dents in your forehead.

Shoot, I couldn't run the same, man.

My equilibrium was all off.

I tried to jig and...

Whoa.

You know,

can't even see straight sometimes.

- Listen.

Why don't you go and interview some people who love me.

You know, that have some nice things to say.

- And who do you suggest I speak to?

- Well, you could talk to...

Or there's...

Go to Kinloch.

Go to Kinloch, you know, where I'm from.

Oh, they love me back there.

Talk to those people.

I'm still huge in Kinloch. - Fine.

We'll go there.

Days before the concert, we flew an excited Jackie

back to her hometown of Kinloch, Missouri.

We're here on the main street of Jackie's birthplace,

the African American community of Kinloch, Missouri.

Jackie, how does it feel to be home?

- Oh, it feels wonderful.

I feel surrounded by love.

- Now, in 1984, Kinloch honored you.

- Yeah, that's right.

Every July 15 is Jackie Washington Day.

- Antandra just loves that.

Me, I don't go in for all that fuss.

I hardly ever come for it.

- Yes you do, Mama.

Last year, they had a big fish fry,

and Mama got real drunk.

And then thing happened with the gun--

- Hey, Antandra,

you save a little bit of that for later, sweetie.

Alright.

Oh, hey, oh they just love me here.

I'm still huge in Kinloch.

- Hey, ain't you that lady from Star Trek?

- Now, do I look like Uhura to y'all?

(kids agreeing)

Alright, alright, lookit.

You go and ask your mama who I am, alright.

She'll remember.

Go ahead on.

Y'all go ahead on, now.

Aren't they cute.

Oh yeah.

Still huge in Kinloch. - Hey Mama!

I met the lady from Star Trek.

(car horn beeping)

- Hey Jackie.

What are you doing back here?

Don't tell me it's Jackie Washington Day here already.

(chuckles)

- Cadillac Johnson.

You just keep on moving now.

These are my crew people.

They making a movie about me.

I'm making a comeback, you know.

- Damn Jackie.

You look good enough to sop with a biscuit.

- Don't you start with me, you fool.

Cadillac used to sing in the church choir with me.

He's always trying to get under my holy robe.

- I didn't have to try.

Listen, I still got my usual table reserved down at the

Threaded Needle.

Why don't you join me down there later.

- Yeah, okay, Cadillac.

You go ahead on down to the Threaded Needle.

I'll meet you there.

Hey, hey, you go ahead on.

Don't y'all put Cadillac in my movie.

I don't need to be seen with the biggest pimp in town.

Oh, now you see that vacant lot over there?

That used to be Odessa's grocery store.

Me and my sisters used to come up here.

For a nickel, you could buy a great big sour pickle.

We stick a peppermint candy

right down the center of that pickle,

and suck on it all the way home.

We used to get our pickle nickles from Play Mama.

That's her house right over, oh my god, there's Miss Krumes.

She used to be my Play Mama.

- Play Mama? - Oh, we had our real mamas,

and then we had our play mamas.

Miss Krumes was my Play Mama.

Hi Play Mama.

Hey Play Mama.

Remember me?

- Of course I remember you.

Little Jackie Washington.

- I was Play Mama's favorite.

- Don't come into my yard.

You was the nastiest little child.

Had the dirtiest mouth in this neighborhood.

Now get away from here before I call the police.

- Now, Play Mama,

come one now.

I was five years old when I cussed at you that time.

She gave me a nickel, and I wanted a dime, so

I told her where to stick her nickel.

Come on now, Play Mama.

We made up over that.

Don't you get the hard candy I send you every Christmas?

- I'd rather have some soft chocolates.

Now, you get away from here with your nasty self,

and take those white people with you.

You know how white people smell after the rain,

like wet potato chips.

Now, get out of here.

- Yeah, yeah, I heard she lost her mind.

Poor thing.

Crazy as a road lizard.

- There was really nothing

that Jackie Washington could do with herself,

except go into show business.

She had

the largest boobs,

breasts,

I have ever seen on an eight-year-old child.

- Little Jackie Washington, loudest child in church,

God bless her.

Put Kinloch on the map.

Used to be tourists in here on Sunday,

especially after them Play Pen pictures came out.

- You see right there, it says To Snookie, huh?

Yeah.

Oh, me and Jackie, we go way back, way back, uh-huh.

Will you two...

Go sit your butts down.

I'm trying to tell this man about Jackie.

Your Aunt Jackie, you know, the singer.

One couldn't keep no husband.

Where was I? Be still now, baby.

Oh yeah, Jackie and I, we were, Fonzie.

Fonzie!

Get your hands from in front of that camera.

Whoo, where was I.

We like sisters, we were like sisters.

Oh honey, she used to give me things, do things for me.

She bought me that stove I got in there,

bought me a refrigerator, yes she did.

Though, honey, I could use another one.

Like I said, one of them frost-free honey.

I ain't got time to be defrosting, feeding all these kids.

And let me tell you, I know you could afford it.

'Cause I saw them boots you been stomping around with.

You know something?

I heard

that every time one of your old songs play on the radio,

honey, they send you a check.

And with just one of them checks?

Whoo, I could buy me a new refrigerator,

one of them frost free with the ice maker on it, yeah.

Keisha, Keisha get over here.

Keisha, come here, come here.

This is Keisha, and this Teisha.

This is my young one, Teisha.

Keisha.

(laughing) Look just like they daddy, don't they?

- [Jackie] It all started with this cherry tree.

My people was slaves for George Washington.

Now this is my great-great-great-great-grandm or Bolitha

and her husband Joe Henry.

He didn't like George.

You know what that means, don't you.

I got some of George's blood.

That's why I can't tell a lie.

- Jackie clearly resembles George.

I mean, if you hold up a dollar bill to Jackie's face,

it's plain as day.

- I'm sort of a history buff on the side, and

I was reading that she's not related to George Washington.

She's related to a distant, distant,

distant, distant cousin called Lester Washington.

And he was a big liar.

I mean, a big, big, liar.

So she has his blood, Lester's blood, not George's blood.

Well, we could prove that today, couldn't we, with DNA.

- She tell that lie, child.

She does that every year,

telling somebody we related to George Washington.

It's George Washington Honor

from up there around Peckinpah, Idado.

Because our people, you know we're mixed.

Did she tell you that?

We are one-quarter

Korean,

and half black,

and a quarter Hachapana Indian.

- This is my grandmother,

Miss LaVata Washington.

She had 22 children,

and then she died.

Well, there was nothing else she could do.

I loved my grandma.

(mellow music)

These are all the Washington children here

lined up ready for church.

All my sisters and brothers graduated from college.

I paid for it, and was happy to do it.

We couldn't be closer.

- You know, it's ironic, isn't it,

that you sent your entire family to school,

and yet growing up in show business,

you basically received no education at all.

Do you...

Do you sometimes feel cheated out of your childhood?

- I don't feel cheated out of anything.

Alright, I can't add or subtract, but

growing up on the road, I learned a lot about life.

And in the end,

isn't that all the learning that really matters?

(mellow music)

- Jackie, out of your entire family in Kinloch,

only your sister Ethyl agreed to be interviewed.

Now,

why is that?

- I bet that Ethyl told them not to talk to you.

Everybody scared of Ethyl,

except me.

I ain't scared of Ethyl.

- Yeah, okay, look.

She paid for me to go to school.

I appreciate that, but what's the big deal?

I mean, she's my sister, she rich.

She had the money.

Doesn't change the fact that she's a dog.

A low down dirty, dirty dog.

And you know, let me tell you something about

Miss Jackie Washington, okay.

She ain't (bleep).

Oh no, I'm not bitter.

No, if I was bitter, she'd be dead.

I mean, God bless her, she's my sister.

She's my sister.

But you know it rains every time we have

Jackie Washington Day in the neighborhood.

I didn't wanna say that, but y'all are here,

you know doing a documentary on her,

like she's some Miss big thing.

She's been gone awhile, huh.

People

on Jackie Washington Day,

they just die.

You didn't know that, did you?

No, of course not.

Nobody talks about it.

People just at the washing machine doing laundry, boop.

Jackie Washington Day.

Dead. (groaning)

- I gotta tell you, honey.

They love me in Kinloch,

but it is so good to be home.

Whoo!

Antandra, baby, run mama a bath, will you.

A'ight?

I'm exhausted.

Kinloch will wear you out.

- You want bubbles?

- Yeah, bubbles, oils,

and those dead sea salts too, baby, please.

She's the best, isn't she?

Every mother should have an Antandra.

Whoo!

Lord.

- Jackie, I think it's time we talked about...

(clears throat) Oh gosh,

I'm really not sure how to put this.

- Come on, Edward, come on now.

No more questions about my sex life.

I'm beginning to think I turn you on.

- I'm just doing my job, Miss Washington.

(laughs seductively)

- I see that glint in your eye.

Is there a little spark between us?

- You're a very attractive woman, Jackie,

but we need to focus here.

Tell me about

being washed up.

Bankrupt.

Broke.

- Well, you certainly know how to sweet talk a woman.

- By the end of the '80s, Peaches Yancy was played out.

Up to his eyeballs in money troubles.

- Yeah, yeah, he had the IRS,

Vegas bookies, and

bounty hunters hunting him down.

My career suffered because of it.

I was desperate for a gig.

Any gig.

- Any gig

indeed.

Jackie was in a downward spiral.

What she couldn't have known

was how far she would have to fall

before she hit

rock

bottom.

By the time she was 30,

show business had left her

standing out in the cold.

Still, as the song says,

she wouldn't trade it for a pot of gold.

And so, you had to fire Peaches Yancy.

- It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life.

He was the well from which my career drank deeply.

Oh, the pain.

But I had no choice.

I, who had Grammys, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,

my Image Award

was broke.

I was selling my Bob Mackie gowns at yard sales.

- But then

you found a new manager.

- See, all Jackie needed was a big-time, high-profile gig,

and I had connections inside the Bush White House, 'cause

I done a little Savings and Loan deal with Neil Bush.

Anywho, they were having this charity brunch

for Millie Bush.

She's a cute little Cocker Spaniel.

May she rest in peace.

So, I called in a few favors, and I got Jackie to sing.

- [Edward] Jackie, is it true, that at the White House,

you called Barbara Bush Millie?

- Yeah, but I told you

I didn't wanna talk about that Bush thing.

That was a simple mistake, all right?

I can not be expected

to be expected to remember every presidential dog.

Besides, Millie and Barbara had the same hair.

Oh my god, look at this stage.

I am back where I belong.

Antandra, Kim, look.

The stage is mine.

This stage belongs to me.

Who are these skinny boys?

- They're your dancers, Mama.

- These are dancers?

- This is all we could afford.

- Are they rehearsed? - Yes Mama.

- Take it from the top.

(upbeat music)

♪ Baby, baby, baby, can't you see

(laughing loudly) ♪ My body is a temple

♪ Worship me

♪ Just like Aphrodite

♪ In a nightie

♪ You're like Thor - Ow!

♪ I'm like Venus

♪ Something's got to come between us

♪ Love goddess

♪ Fall down on your knees

♪ For your love goddess

♪ Touch me where you please

♪ Lay yourself there at my shrine

♪ Squeeze the grape and drink the wine

♪ Love goddess

♪ Whoo

Just a minute, just a minute.

Light person.

Baby,

listen baby, baby.

Light person, yeah honey, listen.

Now, this is not just some diddy number I'm doing, a'ight.

This is Love Goddess. - Yeah. Yeah, I know.

- Antandra?

Baby, what do you think about this?

This lighting?

- It's all wrong, Mama.

Way too blue.

- Really?

Too blue?

- You need some Bastard Amber.

- You heard the girl.

I'm gonna need some Bastard Amber.

- I got it. - Bastard.

(glass cracking) (boy shrieking)

What happened to that boy?

Somebody trying to sabotage me tonight.

Get him, Tommy.

- Now, see this?

That's two kitties playing with a ball of string.

It's pretty adorable, huh?

That's needlepoint,

and I'll tell you, it's been a lifesaver for me.

'Cause I'll get up in the morning,

and I'll start needlepointing the little kitty's face,

and before I know it, it's time for lunch.

Now I'll come back,

and I'll needle point the big kitty's paws,

then it's time for bed.

I mean, the days just fly by.

I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it.

Any way.

I know that we're here to talk about Jackie.

I just wanna say, it's true.

I took her to the cleaners.

- [Inmate] Interview me!

- But listen.

If it wasn't for me,

she wouldn't have had the income I could rip off

when I created that cosmetic crap.

- Yo, why y'all talking-- - Hey,

good luck in the comeback, kiddo.

Listen, if you guys need anything else,

you know where to find me, okay?

Gonna be here a little while.

Hey, can we maybe get a copy I can screen for the fellas?

(inmates yelling)

And I promise it won't be so darn dirty in here next time.

Honey!

Clean this place up.

(inmates yelling)

Hey, come here.

Sorry.

- Yo! Bring that camera over here.

Yo!

Bring that camera-- - Emotional.

(audience applauds)

♪ On the Pammy Dunbar Show

- Hi, hi, hi, I'm Pammy Dunbar

here at the Shopper's Corner with a very special guest star,

the legendary pop diva, Jackie Washington.

Welcome.

- Thank you, Pammy.

- Well, why don't you tell us about the special needs

of Afro-American skin and hair.

- Certainly.

When it comes to skin,

you wanna be on the look out for ashy dryness.

And as for hair,

it can turn nappy.

- Oh, nappy, that's cute. (giggles)

Now, I understand that you've worked

with some of the finest cosmeticians,

and you've come up with a very special,

and complete, beauty regimen for African Americans.

- I call it

Essence

of Jackie.

- And you personally discovered the secret ingredient

in your toner.

- That's right.

Pickle juice.

And not just any pickle juice.

But the unadulterated juice of a rare kosher dill.

Handmade by Orthodox Jews in the Amazon.

- That's fantastic.

What do you got for the hair?

- A relaxer. (audience applauds)

- Smells yummy.

- Go ahead on and taste it, girl.

Go ahead on.

There's no harsh chemicals.

(gagging)

- I'm standing here at Queen of Angels Hospital

where the fifth woman in 24 hours

has been admitted with severe chemical scalp burns

after using Essence of Jackie hair relaxer.

Now, the FDA has recalled this product.

If you have it in your home, please

do not touch it.

Not even the box.

The FDA will come and remove it safely.

(reporters yelling)

- People, I stand by Essence of Jackie.

Everyone of these products was tested,

and not just on rabbits, monkeys, and Chihuahuas,

I tested this stuff on my own daughters.

If someone is tampering with my relaxer,

I beg you,

please stop.

(reporters yelling)

And one more thing my lawyers want me to say,

I never advertised Essence of Jackie for dogs.

Some woman talking about her poodle hair came out the dog.

- There's a big lawsuit of my own going on now.

She about killed my dog.

I have this little poodle, Fluffy.

I mean, there's some kind of pickle juice they had

in those cosmetics and they tested it on...

My dog's hair all fell out.

I mean, I'm really not even supposed to be talking about it.

In fact this interview is over.

I'm done, done, done.

- I'm under court order not to talk about it, Edward.

It's still in litigation.

It's a nightmare.

'Cause I'm telling you this product is safe enough to use

as a chip dip.

I think I still got a couple of jars around here somewhere.

Yeah.

Here it is.

Look at this.

This stuff didn't hurt anybody.

Never could.

Look.

(gagging)

Okay, cut it.

- Cut.

- Cut it, baby.

Cut it!

- We know Jackie the star, Jackie the wife,

let's explore Jackie the mother.

- Well, all right.

Well, here's Shaniqua right here.

Always so serious.

She's always been mature like that.

Her first word was mascara.

Wonder where she learned that. (chuckling)

And here's little baby Antandra.

You know,

being one of the world's most beloved entertainers

has had its rewards.

But I must say,

my greatest joy

has been motherhood.

- My mother's house was a tower of lies.

Has she told you yet that my daddy was Peaches Yancy?

'Cause I didn't know until I was 19.

My mother didn't even tell me herself.

I had to learn from her friend Snookie back in Kinloch.

- Mama?

Are you talking about Grandma again?

- Wilson, that camera is on,

and you don't want your grandmother

to hear you calling her Grandma.

- Okay.

Are you talking about Jackie again?

- Yes, baby.

- Here's the three of us in a hotel.

We always had so much fun traveling.

Didn't we?

- Jackie, come clean.

Let your hair down, level with me.

What went wrong between you and Shaniqua?

What alienated her?

- Shaniqua has always been a difficult child.

I'm crushed that she doesn't let me speak to her.

But at least she lets me talk to the children.

- But you don't let the children call you Grandma.

- Do I look like a grandmother to you?

Huh?

But hey, you know,

the sad thing about this whole Shaniqua business

is life is too short.

Honey, we live in California.

An earthquake, you know, (imitating earthquake)

could come up in here, kill us all in a minute.

- Mama, I've talked to Shaniqua,

and she told me she's missing you so much.

She really wants to see you, Mama.

- Yeah, well then, why don't she call me?

What?

- Mother can pick up the phone and call me

anytime she wants.

She's just too proud, because in her heart she realizes

that what's gone wrong between us is entirely her fault.

- Well, you know I actually received a letter

from Jackie's daughter Shaniqua.

She told me that she was writing a tell-all book

about her mother.

I believe

it's called What My Mother Did to Me.

I would like to take the time to tell Shaniqua,

Jackie, if you're watching out there,

you have an open invitation to discuss anything on my show.

I promise things would be treated fairly.

We could discuss everything; you're safe.

I don't make a habit of soliciting my guests, but

I would love to have you on if you find the time.

- [Edward] Antandra.

What's it like having Jackie Washington as your mother?

- Mama and me?

We get along.

She's alright.

She can't help it if she got bad nerves.

If she scream at me,

then later on

she'll buy me something nice on sale.

She does the best that she can do.

Can't expect more than that.

In the end,

you only get one mama.

Right?

Jackie Washington

is my mama.

- I know I didn't do right by Shaniqua,

that's why I've always kept Antandra with me.

Antandra's my girl.

She grew up on the road, we had tutors.

We live for each other.

'Course now, I'm always on her about her posture.

You know feminine beauty is all about carriage.

Sit up, Antandra.

- Jackie's a diva.

- I think if you look in the dictionary for the word

diva, you'd probably see Jackie's picture.

- A diva is a very spoiled singer who lies,

like Jackie.

- It's a larger-than-life creature

who can turn on a dime, or on a friend.

- It's a word that some gay man made up.

- What is a diva?

- A dumb

ignorant

vicious (bleep).

And if that's what Jackie calls herself, she's right.

- Sex, sex, sex.

This is what Jackie Washington was all about.

What a woman.

I mean, she was so fantastic and way before her time.

The royal scandals, the debauchery, the drugs,

so as a writer, I kind of like, you know think,

oh wow, I've gotta write about this woman.

And then of course, when she died,

I was like compelled.

It was almost as if she was speaking to me.

I had to write about her.

- Jackie's not dead.

- What do you mean, she's not dead.

She choked on a chitlin or something.

It was in all the papers.

- [Edward] No.

- You're telling me she's not dead?

Oh my god.

I've gotta stop this interview.

I gotta call my lawyer.

- I just feel like

Jackie has made the world her bed,

and I'm just a pretty sham.

- Compared to Jackie Washington's life, my life

seems sedate.

- She ain't coming back.

She gone.

That's why y'all doing the documentary

to help her (bleep) come back.

But see, if it had been me,

y'all wouldn't be here,

'cause I wouldn't have gone no where.

Would have been Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin,

and Ethyl Washington.

- [Jackie] Talk to me, fellas.

What's the problem here?

- It's real simple, Miss Washington.

We need to make sure we're going to get paid.

- Oh, oh, look now,

I know there's been a little mix-up with the money,

but I've spoken to my manager Barry,

he's stuck on the 101, but he's bringing the check.

- At this point, it's gonna have to be cash.

(crew members murmuring)

- Okay, alright, alright, as soon as he gets here,

we'll have him turn around and find the nearest bank.

- Thanks ma'am, we know it's not you.

- Ma'am?

No need to be so formal, darling.

Please, call me Jackie.

- Yeah, whatever.

It's just that that's why we have a union

to protect us.

- Well,

my heart has always been with the working man.

I'm a union man myself.

♪ Look for the union label

♪ When you are buying a coat, dress, or blouse

♪ Remember someone

♪ Is out there sewing

Alright, alright, alright.

It's not working too well.

Listen, why don't y'all just scurry on off, people,

scurry on off, and go on about your important business.

Leave Jackie to worry about the money.

Okay?

And try to get that wreck bastard Barry on the line.

Tell him we're on the verge of a full-scale mutiny.

- Yes, Mama.

- And don't slouch, baby, please.

Remember, we have not been brought this far to be left...

Damn.

The money is coming, people.

That's a promise from Jackie.

- So much has already been said

about the influence of Peaches Yancy on Jackie's life.

(upbeat music)

He was every major male figure in her life

at one time or another.

Mentor, father,

lover,

all the elements of a Greek tragedy laced with soul.

- Whoo, back in the day. (giggling)

Jackie used to call me all the time from the road.

I was gonna go on the road myself,

if I hadn't had that seventh child.

I was, I was, but...

Anyway.

She called me, she said,

Peaches this, and Peaches that.

She was eating all the peaches she could get her hand on.

Sent me some peach cologne, peach soap, honey.

Peach, called everything was peach, honey.

I told her, girl, you in love with you some Peaches.

(laughing)

And she just laugh at me and tell me I was crazy.

But I wasn't, I was right.

But I tell you this.

Even though her and Peaches had a parting of the ways,

honey, she was tore up from the floor up

when he married that 17-year-old girl, oh yeah.

'Cause you know after all, he was the father

of her babies.

What?

You did know that, didn't you?

Now Jackie, you know me.

I'm not the kind to put your business in the street.

I'd never do nothing like that.

Like I said, I don't tell nobody your business.

I ain't said nothing about that affair you had

with Cadillac, and--

- Everybody in the industry owes the man big time.

Like, Quincy Jones and I

were talking about Peaches last night, and

Quincy said it best.

Peaches was a peach.

(mellow music)

- [Edward] Peaches Yancy died suddenly from food poisoning

after eating salmon patties from a vending machine.

- I had not seen mother in nearly two years,

and then last spring, she came by to tell me

that Peaches had died from food poisoning.

First I thought maybe she had poisoned him.

But,

when I saw how upset she was,

I was touched she made the effort to tell me herself.

Although, I still didn't wanna talk to her.

(mellow music)

The irony of it all is,

Mother would always say Peaches would eat anything.

Don't ever eat with Peaches.

She was right about something.

You know how hard it was for me to say that?

- We are all remorseful,

and we are all going to miss him.

But like I said before,

Peaches Yancy was a world leader in his field.

Yeah.

Peaches is gone, but he didn't yield.

He went through quite a few stop lights,

even though he read the signs that said walk, don't walk.

Walk, don't walk.

Sing it, Sister Mary.

♪ Yield

♪ Yield

♪ Yield

♪ Come on, hit me

♪ With your love

♪ But I got the urge

♪ I wanna merge

♪ That's what I'm

♪ Speaking of

- Why, why Lord, why? (crying)

- It was Peaches' time to go, Mama.

- No.

Why is that woman singing my song?

- That's just the grief talking.

- Peaches.

Peaches,

Peaches.

- Mama, I'm hungry.

- Shaniqua.

Shaniqua.

Can't we be friends now?

Please-- (screaming)

- Mama!

(gagging) (cameras flashing)

- Yeah, that was rock bottom.

When I fell into Peaches's grave, I had a voice.

When they pulled me out, it was gone.

I mean, I'd open my mouth to sing, and.

I tell you Edward,

I've lost a lot in this life.

- You once said that losing your voice

saved your life.

- Well it made me look within,

and led me to this concert.

♪ I once

♪ Was lost

♪ But now

♪ I'm found

You know, I believe that in the end,

the spiritual journey is all that matters.

'Cause what?

Thank you.

Say no more.

- In the '70s when she lost her voice,

I remember

a lot of people liked her a lot better without her voice.

- Jackie Washington's voice

is sultry,

sexy.

I mean,

it's like shwance, that's it.

When I was about 15,

I happened to have the pleasure of singing

background vocals for her.

And at the time, she must have been already

maybe 49, or 50, or something, so you can imagine.

But for me, it was a wonderful experience.

Her voice is something like chicken fat.

(harsh piano music) (vocalizing)

- We're here eavesdropping

on a session with Jackie's vocal coach, the renowned

Miss Jo Face. - Fa-chay, Fa-chay,

Fa-chay, the Italian pronunciation.

- Oh, I'm so sorry.

Capisce.

So,

Ms. Fa-chay.

You're known as an opera coach.

How is it to work with a pop singer like Jackie?

- I make no distinction, because you see it is all about

the vol-chay. (snorting)

You see, Jackie has a naturally, very loud instrument,

but when she came to me, she had blown it up, blown it out.

And so, we had to very slowly, and very gently

restore her to vocal health. (snorting)

- This saintly woman

restored my voice. (Jo snorting)

- Her voice restored,

Jackie quickly signed with Barry Price,

her current manager,

whom we should add,

steadfastly refused to be interviewed for this film.

Barry wasted no time putting Jackie on the comeback trail.

(upbeat music)

- [Woman] I have Jackie on albums, on tapes, and on CDs.

- And so, this is it.

The night Jackie has been waiting for.

It's been a hard road back for Jackie.

But tonight,

she comes out.

(upbeat music)

- I named my two kids after you, Jackie.

Jackie and Jackie.

And when I call, they both come.

♪ Baby, baby, baby, can't you see

♪ My body is a temple so worship me

♪ Just like aphrodite in a nightie

(laughing)

- Oh, oh, oh, I'm sorry.

- Oh, I'm so excited, I love you, Liza.

- [Edward] No, this is a Jackie Washington concert.

- The Love Goddess? Eh.

- Oh, every important event in my life is

associated with one of Jackie's hits.

I hope she has another hit soon.

My life's gotten so boring.

- You sure this isn't the Liza concert?

(upbeat music)

- No.

- The press has always had it in for Jackie.

I have never believed the nasty trash

they've written about her.

I have a chart here.

It's a seating chart for the divas in heaven.

Maria Callas is on the right hand of God,

and Jackie is two seats from the left,

right next to Peggy Lee.

So, don't say mean things about Jackie,

because God will smite you.

(upbeat music)

I love you, Jackie.

- Man, when she wrote this song,

Take Your Jeri Curl and Go,

man, I used to have a Jeri curl.

And my woman left me. (crying)

I can hear the song right now.

♪ Take your Jeri curl and go

♪ Just drip, drip, drip on

- Jackie came to see my opening night on Broadway, and

as I've told her many times,

you know it was my dream always,

and when I saw her there in the front row, it just

really got to me, 'cause I was so touched by her.

By her being there.

Right after intermission, I looked down again

to get some moral support, and she was sleeping.

Yeah, I know.

At first, it hurt me, but then I realized

she must have been tired and everything.

She started to snore.

She had a little bit of,

little bit of drool, and I tried to sing my ballad loud

to wake her up, but she was out.

The great thing about her, in true Jackie style,

she came backstage, and I said, how'd you like the show,

and she said, baby, the second act was the best.

I didn't have the heart to tell her

that I saw she was sleeping.

That's my Jackie, right.

There's no one like her.

- It was when I first moved to New York, and

like every wannabe actor, I was waiting tables.

I was working at this S&M restaurant called Slappy's, right.

(laughing)

Jackie comes in with this entourage of these uptown divas.

We've got Aretha, there was Patti La'elle, Diahann Carroll,

Bea Arthur, you know, whatever, right.

And they're all just sitting around

knocking back these tequila shooters, and doing their nails.

So, Jackie comes up to me, she goes, girl, come here.

Can you just go down to the drug store

and get me some nail polish remover?

Sure, whatever, right.

So, I go, and

when I come back, she gives me the best tip

I have ever gotten.

She says to me, girl,

whatever you do, don't you ever lose weight.

You stay just the way you are.

- Camryn gave me this note for you.

- Oh, that's sweet.

Open it.

- Jackie, I just want to tell you,

what a unique experience this has been

spending this week with you.

I just wanted to say

break a leg, break them both, tonight.

You deserve it.

- Thank you very much.

But you can't kiss me now, my lips are on.

- I wasn't going to kiss you.

- Ah, but you wanted to.

- Jackie--

- Antandra, thank god, I'm starving.

- Mama,

they wouldn't give me the food.

- What do you mean?

Did you tell them who the food was for?

- That's when they threw me out. (crying)

- Oh, oh, honey.

Oh, honey, don't cry.

Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward, hand me the note.

Now, baby, it's from Camryn Manheim.

You know, the one from the lawyer show.

Read it, it'll cheer you up.

Camryn, go on baby.

- Oh no, Mama, I'm so sorry.

- Oh, it's all right, Antandra.

I didn't need to eat anyway, baby.

I still have to get in that gown.

- No Mama.

I'm sorry about this note.

- From Camryn?

What does it say?

- "Barry's gone--" - Barry, your manager?

- Gone where?

- No one knows.

Camryn said he emptied out all his accounts and left.

- What?

"Sorry to break

"this to you on your big night.

"I hope you didn't have

"any of your personal funds with him."

- But-- - Love Camryn.

- Let me see this.

What the...

My god!

I don't-- - Jackie!

You know I love you, but enough is enough.

Sequins do not grow on trees, you know.

I've got to be paid for my gowns.

- Not now, Kim, I've got bigger problems than that.

- There is nothing bigger than your gowns.

Besides, you wouldn't be Jackie Washington without them.

- And you wouldn't have a job without me.

- A job?

Oh, that's a laugh.

I thought people got paid for jobs?

I mean it, Jackie.

I'll take my gowns and go.

- Where are you going?

- Some place pretty.

I made it perfectly clear.

I needed a certified check by showtime,

otherwise I take my toys and leave.

- Don't you threaten me, Kim.

I'm about to go off.

There's some sort of mix-up. - Oh,

there's always some sort of mix-up.

You're gonna have to do better than that.

- No, Kim, please! - Don't touch me.

- You can't repossess this woman's gowns.

She goes on in half an hour.

- Business is business.

If I wanted to work for charity,

I'd go down and dress the Little Sisters of the Poor.

- Kim, no, baby.

Just let me have one gown. - No!

You no ticky, no washy.

Get your hands off of that.

That belongs to me. (Jackie yelling)

- Pull, Mama!

Pull Mama! (women yelling)

- Are you crazy (beep)?

Get out!

Get out! Get out!

(Kim screaming)

(people chatting)

(crying)

- [Man] Okay, everybody.

Let's get back to work.

Alright, alright, let's get back to work.

The show's over.

Got work to do. - I don't understand why.

- Don't worry, Mama.

I'll figure something out.

Don't I always take care of you?

- Antandra, you should be my manager.

- Really Mama?

I'm so glad you said that,

'cause I've been having

all sorts of ideas about your career.

I'll only take 10% the first year.

- Seven.

- 7 1/2.

- Eight.

You graduate from college and

we'll talk about 10 kid.

- And Mama, do I get royalties?

(people chatting)

- What the hell is going on around here?

What's going on, everybody? - You, you're out!

- What do you mean I'm out?

Excuse me, excuse me, what do you mean I'm out?

- I mean you got five minutes to get your ass out of here.

- Excuse me.

I don't think you know who you're speaking to.

- No I don't.

Who the hell are you?

- She's my new manager.

- I'm sure we can work out a solution to this problem.

Why don't we step into your office,

while Miss Washington-- - Miss Washington is finished.

She's a deadbeat has-been trying to pull a fast one on me.

- Has-been, has-been?

Let me tell you something, mister.

My name happens to be on those posters out there

in letters bigger than your mother's mustache,

you Ruski bastard!

- You have five minutes to get the hell out,

or Boris and Igor will help you leave.

- Make it seven, and we have a deal.

- Seven.

- Look, Mama, I can negotiate.

- Wait a minute, baby, precious, where are you going?

- We've been canceled, Jackie.

And that theater manager's packing a piece.

- Antandra, Antandra,

do something. - Mama?

- Shaniqua?

You came.

- Antandra kept calling

leaving all kinds of urgent messages.

- I thought we should all be together again tonight.

I didn't wanna come,

but Wilson insisted.

He's never seen you sing before.

- That's right, little man.

You've never heard me in concert, have you?

- I've listened to your records,

but I've never seen you live.

Mama says you're one of the best.

- Your mama said that?

- I never denied that you weren't a good singer.

My problems with you were that you weren't a good mother,

that you were never around-- - Shaniqua!

I did the best I could do, alright?

Alright, alright, I wasn't the best mother, okay?

But you don't show up at the theater,

and hang dirty laundry out here like that.

It doesn't make any sense.

You can't come in here-- - Look, I made the first move.

I didn't come here for more of your drama.

- Shaniqua.

Give it a rest, okay.

Mama's manager ran off with the money.

- Again?

Another manager ran off with your money?

Oh Mama.

- And we're being thrown out of the theater.

(mellow music)

- But they can't throw you out.

(mellow music)

'Cause you Jackie Washington.

(mellow music)

- Shaniqua.

Oh baby.

- [Man] No refunds, concert canceled?

What? - Concert canceled, what?

Man, I've been waiting in line for five hours.

You know what, I bet it's drugs.

I bet she's hopped up on drugs again.

- Or drunk.

Everyone knows she's a lush.

- And I drove all the way down here from Compton.

I say we find the low-life,

and make her give us some gas money.

(crowd yelling)

- Alright, get the hell out of here.

Go on.

Get out, you has-been.

- Your mama, you Ruski bastard.

Oh my god, I don't believe this.

Shaniqua, honey, can you run us home?

- Yes Mama.

- But I wanna hear you sing. - Not tonight baby.

Some other time.

Oh my god, I can't walk more than a block in these pumps.

- [Woman] Yep, there she is.

(crowd yelling)

- Oh my god!

(everyone yelling)

- [Shaniqua] Run Wilson.

Run baby, up the steps. - Get her, grab her!

- [Jackie] My shoe!

(crowd yelling)

- [Woman] Shame on you Jackie, shame on you!

- No, I won't run.

- Go home!

- We want our money back, Jackie.

(crowd yelling)

- Stop, people, stop!

I don't have any money.

My manager ran off with all my money.

They threw me out of the theater.

I'm sorry.

It's been the worst day of my life.

I made a lot of mistakes along the way, people.

I've hurt a lot of people.

I thought I can make it all up tonight.

I thought I had a second chance.

But it was not to be.

God had different plans.

Maybe this is what I deserve.

Maybe tonight

wasn't about me at all.

Maybe tonight was about something bigger than me.

This is my family.

It's my daughter Antandra,

and my daughter Shaniqua.

And this little one is my grandson.

That's right, I'm a grandma.

- Ma, she called herself grandma.

- So, I'ma try to sing for y'all tonight.

(crowd cheering)

If you'll let me. (crowd applauding)

(mellow music)

♪ The road is long before us

♪ I can't see round the bend

♪ But I've the strength to keep on

♪ Because you were my friend

♪ We've had our share of detours

♪ But that was yesterday

♪ So keep your eyes up on the prize

♪ And love will light the way

(crowd cheering)

- I can't do it.

I really can't

sing tonight.

- Sing Jackie, sing Jackie.

(audience cheering)

- Mom?

Mama. (mellow music)

Do it, Mama.

(audience cheering)

♪ Yield, yield yield before you hit me with your love

♪ Got the urge, I wanna merge

♪ That's what I'm thinking of

♪ Yield, yield yield I've gone and opened up my heart

♪ Come inside, enjoy the ride

♪ Let's make a brand new start

♪ Yield, yield yield come on and hit me with your love

♪ Got the urge, I wanna merge

♪ That's what I'm thinking of

♪ Yield, yield yield I've gone and opened up my heart

♪ Come inside, enjoy the ride

♪ Let's make a brand new start

Come on now, people.

(audience cheering)

♪ Suki, Suki mama

♪ Say it with your grandma

♪ Come on, sweetie

♪ Dance with your grandma

♪ Go mama-jamma, go mama-jamma

♪ Suki, suki mama, suki, suki, mama

♪ Come on

- [Crowd] Go Jackie, go Jackie, go Jackie

(crowd chanting)

(upbeat music) (crowd applauding)

- [Edward] Jackie was truly changed.

She re-recorded Look At Me

with new lyrics.

♪ I've learned my lesson now

♪ The mirror only show the mask I wore

♪ It's time to look inside

♪ Reflections will not haunt me anymore

♪ I found a new philosophy

♪ I'm finally humble can't you see

♪ Look

♪ At me

♪ I'm not the lonely woman desperate

♪ For your praise

♪ I don't need service now

♪ To bring me things on trays

♪ Humility

♪ Has set me free

♪ Look at me

♪ Look at me

♪ Look

♪ At me

♪ Yeah

♪ Oh

♪ I don't know if she is

♪ I don't know if she ain't

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ I don't know if she's sharp

♪ I don't know if she's flat

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ I don't know if she's this

♪ I don't know if she's that

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ She's been through the valley

♪ She's been to the mountain top

♪ She's been written up and written off

♪ Sometimes she's a hit and heaven knows she's been a flop

♪ But all I know is Jackie's free and clear

♪ Jackie's riding high

♪ Jackie's like an eagle

♪ Go on girl, go Jackie fly

♪ I don't know if she's rich

♪ I don't know if she's poor

♪ All I know is Jackie's back

♪ I don't know what she's against

♪ I don't know what she's for

♪ All I know is put me on the foot roll

♪ Let me stand and let me shout

♪ 'Cause the girl is coming out

♪ Standing straight for the ovation

♪ Hear it all across the nation

♪ Now that Jackie's back

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.