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The third tribute page. I hope you enjoy it.
People always ask you what you wanna do when you grow up, but always know that you don't have to be grown up to do what you wanna do. - Unkown |
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Michael's Bio and a interveiw [Popstar! Magazine , US]
MICHAEL CUCCIONE
(AKA "JASON 'QT' MCKNIGHT")
BIRTHDATE:
JANUARY 5, 1985
BIRTHPLACE:
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Popstar!: What's your background?
Michael: When I was eight, I got involved in the acting business. I did a couple commercials, a couple TV pilots, worked on "Baywatch," "Smart Guy," - stuff like that, nothing that big. When I was nine, I started writing music. And when I was 11, I was on TV with five songs that I'd written. It was called "Make a Difference," to raise money for cancer research.
How much of the character is really like you and how much is totally not like you?
Well, I'm 15, so I'm pretty girl-crazy like QT.
I think every 15-year old is. But other than that, I am extremely different. For instance, the lady who played QT's mom, she is kind of a stage mom. She works him, she's trying to make him a star. Whereas in my situation, my parents just want me to do my thing.
You have your own cancer foundation, right?
Yeah, I do - "Making a Difference." The money goes to research and I started it in November, 1996. And in September of this yr=ear, we're going to have a half-million-dollar endowment set up and it's going to bring a full-time cancer researcher to work on childhood cancer research. My website is www.makingadifference.org.
How is your own health?
Michael: I am five years cancer free. I have been announced cured by the doctors and I'm feeling great.
How did it affect your life having to go through that struggle so young?
Of course, my priorities completely changed and I really know what's important in life: family, friends, health. I learned at a young age how important life is.
When you were younger, did you ever fantasize about being in a music group?
Of course! But this is beyond my wildest dreams. I am living out my dreams.
You talked about being girl-crazy, so I think it's safe to ask this #1 burning question that our readers have: Are you involved with anyone?
I am single and available!
What kind of girl are you most into?
They've got to be easy to talk to. If you can be a best friend with someone, then I think that's important, because all of the other stuff kind of falls into place, As far as physical looks go, I don't really have a certain look that I look for. If someone catches my eye, then they catch my eye. I don't really have something I prefer as far as hair color, eye color. It's more important if they're someone fun to be around.
How does it feel that you're in pin-ups on all these girls' rooms all across the country?
I don't know...it's flattering. I thought maybe that scene where I'm wearing that tight shirt in the movie would kind of not make the girls take a second look, because I'm kind of wafer-thin. (laughs) If girls dig the thin, frail type, then I'm their man.
Have you been getting calls from people you knew or hadn't heard from in a long time after they saw you doing this?
Not really, because 2Gether isn't really in Canada yet. I go home and I'm just regular, ordinary Michael.
Do you get recognized here?
Yeah, actually I do. It's quite funny. We went to MTV studios and we stepped out, walked about five feet and we got mauled by screaming fans. It's quite fun.
In character as QT, what is your most embarrassing moment?
"Well, I've had a number of fainting spells onstage, but the most embarrassing one was when I fainted and some girl ran up onstage and pulled down my pants. When I woke up, my pants were around my ankles. She left my boxers on, which was quite nice of her." (laughs)
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The Boy With the Amazing Eyes[Bliss Magazine, UK]
"The Boy With The Amazing Eyes"
ALEX SOLOWITZ LEVERED UP THE WINDOW AND SWUNG HIS LEG OUTSIDE. CURFEW? WHAT CURFEW? THIS IS PARTY NIGHT! BUT SUDDENLY, HE HEARD A COUGH BEHIND HIM.
"DUDE," SAID A VOICE. "YOUR GOING TO HELL. I SWEAR YOU'RE GOING TO HELL." ALEX CLAMBERED BACK THROUGH THE WINDOW AND TURNED AROUND. HIS FRIEND MICHAEL WAS LOOKING AT HIM.
"WHAT?" ALEX EXCLAIMED.
NO ANSWER. MICHAEL JUST LOOKED. AN UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING STARTED CREEPING UP ALEX'S NECK.....
"DON'T TRY IT, MIKEY," HE BLUSTERED. YOU'RE NOT MAKING ME FEEL GUILTY ABOUT THIS. HEY, WHEN YOUR 20, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND." THE LOOK AGAIN.
"SHUT UP, MIKEY,"
" I DIDN'T SAY A WORD...." HE REPLIED
BUT ALEX WAS ALREADY SLAMMING DOWN THE WINDOW. MIKEY DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING. EVERYTHING HE FELT WAS IN HIS EYES. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME SINCE THE DAY THEY FIRST MET. "HES JUST A KID," ALEX KEPT TELLING HIMSELF. "SO WHY DO I ALWAYS END UP LISTENING TO HIM?"
*2GETHER*
MICHAEL AND ALEX HAD BEEN CHOSEN TO PLAY LEAD ROLES IN A NEW TV SHOW ABOUT A SPOOF BOYBAND, 2GETHER. IT WAS GOING TO BE SHOWN IN AMERICA AND THEN ON TROUBLE TV IN THE UK. ALONG WITH EVAN FARMER, KEVIN FARLEY AND NOAH BASTIAN, THE BOYS WERE ABOUT TO BE FAMOUS.
"WE WERE ALL REALLY EXCITED," SAYS NOAH "WE WERE SURE THAT THE SHOW WAS GOING TO BE BIG. AND THE DIRECTOR DECIDED TO GIVE ALL FIVE OF US A COUPLE OF WEEKS JUST TO HANG OUT AND GOT TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER."
"IT TURNED OUT WE WERE ALL REALLY DIFFERENT, HE CONTINUES. "ALEX CAME FROM A LARGE JEWISH FAMILY. MY FAMILY ARE MORMON AND KEVIN'S ARE CATHOLIC. EVANS DAD WAS IN THE MILITARY SO HE SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD MOVING ALL AROUND OVER THE COUNTRY AND MICHAEL WAS CANADIAN. WE WERE ALL TOTAL OPPOSITES BUT, Y'KNOW, IT WORKED. WE GOOFED AROUND TOGETHER."
THE BOYS FELT THEY REALLY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER IN THOSE FISRT TWO WEEKS. ALEX WAS THE REBEL, EVAN WAS A BIT SERIOUS, KEVIN WS THE JOKER, NOAH WAS THE SHY ONE AND MICHAEL WAS THE CUTE ONE WHO SEEMED WISE BEYOND HES YEARS. BUT ONE OF THE BOYS HAD A SECRET HE DID'NT TELL THE OTHERS. AND IT WAS A WHILE BEFORE EVERYONE FOUND OUT THE DEVASTATING TRUTH............
*REVALATIONS*
HE WAS THE YOUNGEST, NO ONE THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THAT MICHAEL'S PARENTS WERE ALWAYS AROUND. OR THAT HE WAS SO BODY CONSCIOUS. BUT THEN THE BOYS WERE TOLD THE NEWS.
"WHEN HE WAS 9, MICHAEL WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HODGKINS DISEASE," THE DIRECTOR TOLD EVAN. "ITS A FORM OR CANCER WHICH EFFECTS THE BONE MARROW. HE GOT OVER IT BUT HE HAD SUCH HUGE DOSES OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION, HIS BODY WAS DAMAGED. HES GOING TO NEED SURGERY ON HIS DIAPHRAGM." THE DIRECTOR PAUSED. "YOU MAY FIND HE HAS TROUBLE BREATHING. I WANT YOU ALL TO BE AWARE OF THIS." EVAN COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. MICHAEL TALKED ABOUT SOCCER, GIRLS, AND MUSIC...HE'D NEVER MENTIONED ANYHING ABOUT BEING ILL. NOT ONCE. BUT NOW THAT HE KNEW, EVAN STARTED TO NOTICE LITTLE THINGS.
"I SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT MICHAEL LOOKED YOUNGER THAN HIS AGE," HE SAYS "AND I REALIZED WHY HE WAS SO INTENT ON KEEPING HEALTHY AND TAKING CARE OF HIMSELF." HE SAW OTHER THINGS TOO LIKE HOW MUCH ENERGY MICHAEL GAVE TO EVERYTHING HE DID, HOW FUNNY HE WAS AND HOW HE ALWAYS KNEW THE RIGHT WORDS TO SAY. "MICHAEL WAS SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN US," EVAN SAYS "HE WAS ONLY 14 WHEN WE MET HIM (WHEREAS THE REST OF US WERE IN OUR 20'S AND 30'S). BUT HE WAS SO MATURE FOR HIS AGE... I SUPPOSE WHEN YOU'VE BEEN THAT CLOSE TO DYING YOU TEND TO RESPECT YOUR LIFE - HE THREW HIMSELF INTO IT." HE WAS AT ALL THE REHERSALS, HE COULD DO ALL HIS DANCES, AND KNEW ALL HIS LINES. THE BOYS BEGAN TO SEE WHY HE'D NEVER MENTIONED HIS ILLNESS - HE WAS TOO BUSY GETTING ON WITH LIFE TO WASTE TIME FEELING SORRY FOR HIMSELF. BUT IN TIME, THE BOYS BEGAN TO FEEL SORRY FOR HIM. FIRST THERE WAS THE NOSEBLEED. THE REHERSAL WAS STOPPED, MICHAEL WAS MOPPED UP AND THE REHERSALS CONTINUED AGAIN. THEN THE NEXT DAY HE HAD ANOTHER. " I LOOKED AT HIM ONCE AND THOUGHT HE WAS COUGHING UP BLOOD," KEVIN SAYS. "THAT'S HOW BAD HIS NOSEBLEEDS GOT." SOON HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING TOO, JUST AS THE DIRECTOR HAD WARNED. HE COULD'NT GET TO THE END OF A SENTENCE WITHOUT STOPPING FOR BREATH AND BEFORE LONG, AN OXYGEN TANK WAS BROUGHT ON SET. "MICHAEL WOULD STOP AND BE GIVEN OXYGEN," SAYS KEVIN. "THEN HE'D CARRY ON AGAIN."
*FIGHTING BACK*
MORE MONTHS WENT BY, THEN A YEAR, AND MICHAEL KEPT FIGHTING HIS CONDITION. BUT THE BOYS COULD'NT HELP NOTICING HE WAS GETTING WORSE. HE DID'NT HAVE THE ENERGY TO DANCE ANYMORE. HIS DANCING HAD BECOME JERKY LITTLE MOVEMENTS. "THEN ONE DAY WE HAD TO DO A SCENE TOGETHER," SAYS KEVIN. "I WAS DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND MIKEY HAD TO KNEEL DOWN BESIDE ME. HE SAID HE COULD'NT DO IT. HE TOLD US THAT IF HE GOT DOWN. HED NEVER BE ABLE TO GET BACK UP. "ARE YOU OK?" "DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?" BUT TO EACH QUERY, MICHAEL'S RESPONSE WAS THE SAME. THAT LOOK AGAIN. THE LOOK WHERE HE FELT EVERYTHING IN HIS EYES.
"I GOT MAD," SAYS ALEX. "I GOT MAD AT HIS PARENTS, I GOT MAD AT THE TEAM, I GOT MAD AT US FOR NOT STOPPING HIM AND I GOT MAD AT ME. I WAS TREATING PEOPLE BADLY - PICKING ON MIKEY, EVERYONE. I WANTED TO HELP MIKEY, BUT I COULD DO NOTHING AT ALL."
THEN MICHAEL GOT PNEUMONIA AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN A CAR CRASH.
"THE PNEUMONIA MEANT HE HAD TO HAVE HIS SURGERY STRIAGHT AWAY." ALEX SAYS. "HAVING SURGERY WITH PNEUMONIA WAS'NT GOOD BUT EVEN THEN MICHAEL KEPT POSITIVE."
THERE WERE COMPLICATIONS WITH THE SURGERY. MICHAEL WAS LEFT HOOKED UP TO A RESPIRATOR, UNABLE TO SPEAK. TO COMMUNICATE HE HAD TO SCRIBBLE WORDS IN A NOTEBOOK. AND SEND OUT MESSAGES WITH THOSE EYES.
"HIS PARENTS WERE WITH HIM EVERYDAY BUT WE WERE WORKING AND HAD TO KEEP IN TOUCH OVER THE PHONE." ALEX SAYS. "WE TALKED TO MIKEY THROUGH HIS PARENTS."
AND THEN, SUDDENLY, THE TALKING STOPPED. ON JANUARY 13, 2001, A WEEK AFTER MICHAEL'S 16TH BIRTHDAY, THE BOYS WERE TOLD THAT MIKEY HAD DIED.
*SAYING GOODBYE*
"I COULD'NT BELIEVE IT," NOAH SAYS SOFTLY. "IT SEEMED LIKE MIKEY WAS GOING TO LIVE FOREVER."
"I FEEL GUILTY," SAYS ALEX. "I KEPT THINKING THAT IF WE'D DONE MORE THAN HE'D STILL BE ALIVE."
ALL THE 2GETHER BOYS ATTENDED HIS FUNERAL. DURING THE SERVICE AN EXCERPT FROM MICHAEL'S NOTEBOOK WAS READ OUT TO THE CONGREGATION. "MIKEY'S DAD HAD HAD HIS BIRTHDAY WHILE MICHAEL WAS IN THE HOSPITAL," ALEX SAYS. "AND IN THE BOOK MICHAEL HAD WRITTEN :'DAD I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO SPEND YOUR BIRTHDAY IN THE HOSPITAL WITH ME. NEXT YEAR, WE'LL GO SOMEPLACE SPECIAL.'"
EVEN AT THE END, MICHAEL HAD BEEN MAKING PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR..........
AS THEY LISTENED, THE BOYS REMEMBERED HOW MIKEY ALWAYS KNEW THE RIGHT WORDS TO SAY. AND SUDDENLY THEY KNEW WHAT HE'D BEEN SAYING NOW........
"NEVER GIVE UP. HOWEVER BAD THINGS GET. APPRECIATE LIFE. AND MOST OF ALL. LIVE YOUR DREAMS."
"HES JUST A KID, SO WHY DO I ALWAYS END UP LISTENING TO HIM?" ALEX USED TO SAY. NOW HE KNOWS.
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