Ray O’Hara from Moate, who was famous for chauffeuring Michael Jackson while in Ireland for six months, passed away on Monday, July 18.
The taxi driver was a legendary figure in the Moate area. He became immortalised in RTE Radio 1’s 2013 documentary titled ‘Michael Jackson’s Irish Driver’.
The people of Moate were said to have kept the star’s whereabouts hidden while he was in the small town.
Ray drove the pop superstar and his kids around the Midlands to places such as the Mullingar Cinema to see Santa Clause 3.
In 2006 Moate based taxi driver Ray O’Hara found himself with a VIP in the back of his cab. Michael Jackson- the King Of Pop. But this was no short ride – the fare would last nearly six months as Ray found himself appointed as driver to Jackson when he came to live and record at Grouse Lodge studios in County Westmeath.
“The first few days I was in shock. I kept looking in the mirror to be sure the guy in the back really was Michael Jackson,” said Ray. This is the story of a humble cabbie thrown into exceptional circumstances but who rose to the challenge as he became not only driver but bodyguard to the biggest star on the planet. The two men would become friends as Ray, acting as Michael’s guide, brought him and his family to visit local play centres, bowling alleys, cinemas, and pubs. Incredibly word didn’t get out as the owners of the businesses the singer visited chose to stay silent. When a delivery man spotted Jackson in a local bowling alley, the owner assured him the man in the funny hat was not Michael Jackson but just “a fella from Tullamore who thinks he’s Michael Jackson.”
“And I didn’t charge Michael Jackson anything extra. Just the usual daily rate I would any customer,” said Ray O’Hara
Rest in Peace Ray!
