It might not be what you think!
Let’s set the decor! Michael Jackson was secretly filming the 3D movie with Disney Studios and Georges Lucas in the late 80s: “Captain EO”.
Michael just heard that there was a real life Bambi in the studios and Michael asked to meet her. The Bambi is question was Bambi Moé.
Bambi Moé spent twenty years working at Disney after which she founded and co-owned Courgette Records, a multi-Grammy-nominated independent record label. She also created and hosted a series called Composers on Composing, developed music-centric programming for LA’s PBS station KLCS-TV, and has been a part-time faculty member at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, having developed and taught a course curriculum for the music business studies program.
She recalls: “It caught the attention of Michael Jackson. He wanted to meet “the real-life Bambi.” I met him in a trailer on the Disney lot, when he was there shooting [Disney theme park 3D film] Captain EO re-takes.”
“A Friend of mine was working on Captain EO. She calls me one day and said ‘Michael Jackson wants to meet you’; and I said ‘What!? Are you kidding me? – No no, he wants to meet you!’. I said ‘Why Michael Jackson wants to meet me? and she said because he heard that there was a real life Bambi at Disney. So I went out to the shoot and so I walked into the trailer and met Michael Jackson. I don’t really remember much after that. I mean I went in and he invited me in and sit down. Trailers are not very big and he was very tall. We just sat there and talk, at least for half an hour. This is the most extraordinary experience I’ve never had. At that point, someone call him to go back on set. I am pretty comfortable with him and I see he is moving towards me to give me a kiss on my cheek and I panicked and I grabbed his both hands and I said ‘Very nice to meet you!!!’ – I felt so embarrassed! I couldn’t believe it! I met Michael Jackson, he wanted to meet me, just because my name was Bambi!”
She shared her story in her new book that just came out on June 30:
Part of the Magic: A Collection of Disney-Inspired Brushes with Greatness is a book of remarkable and wildly entertaining anecdotal stories told through the lens of an entertainment industry insider. Author Bambi Moé enjoyed a twenty-year career at The Walt Disney Company in charge of all aspects of music for Walt Disney Television Animation. Her name, vocation, and background gave her exceptional access to pop culture and entertainment giants. The book takes readers on a nonstop ride and keeps them riveted throughout extremely candid encounters shared here for the first time.
Moé’s fascinating true stories provide a rare insight into the creative process associated with music in animation and give readers a historical reference to The Walt Disney Company’s burgeoning direct-to-video empire. Her career exemplifies the rewards often associated with hard work, perseverance, integrity, and the ability to recognize potential in others. Often the only woman in a male-dominated work environment, Moé’s success will inspire young readers interested in pursuing a career in entertainment.
Part of the Magic invites readers to consider their own stories and recognize their own universality. Like a photo that captures life’s moments and teaches us lessons, each of Moé’s brushes with greatness serves as a reminder that we are all connected by reason of our own humanity. Her joy extends far beyond the original encounter and multiplies in the retelling of these stories.
You can purchase the book HERE
