Is Pahrump pop king’s refuge?

After The Wall Street Journal reports that Michael Jackson is there, rumors are flying and the local populace is, for the most part … laughing

Chris Morris

Mon, Jun 23, 2008 (2 a.m.)

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Is Michael Jackson in Pahrump? Has it, at long last, come to this? Has the Howard Hughes of Pop moved to the great weird magnet in the desert?

Who knows? Officially, no one.

So we went to Pahrump to look for ourselves.

As it turns out, there are two basic types of people in Pahrump: People who have not heard the Jackson rumor (and laugh and laugh) and people who have heard the rumor (and laugh and laugh). And yet, in a larger sense, there is only one type of Pahrumpian: People who hope it’s not true. After the brothels, Heidi Fleiss’ gigolo dreams and coin laundry and the leopards, Pahrump is worried Michael Jackson would lower the town’s tone.

Usually it’s hard to say where a rumor starts. In this case, we’re pretty sure it started in The Wall Street Journal on June 13, in an article by Ethan Smith, an article headlined “Michael Jackson: The Next Elvis?” Smith reported investors are hoping to lure the Weird One back onstage and that Jackson is living in Pahrump, “holed up” in a “rural Nevada compound.”

Then the rumor went streaking down the news wires, all the way home, straight to the heart of Pahrump, between the town’s two stoplights, into the big shopping center with the Wal-Mart, into Pepper’s Home Store, which is where we started asking questions Wednesday.

“It’s true,” said Merry Pepper, laughing.

What?

“It’s a rumor on the news,” Merry said.

Plus, she saw a big black limousine the other day. Maybe it was his.

Her husband, Tom Pepper, was more skeptical.

“He hasn’t been in here shopping,” Tom said. “We’ve got some pretty upscale stuff, but probably not to his taste.”

Yes, Merry said, “We’ve got wooden elephants, but not the Elephant Man’s bones.”

Ah, well. Know a good place to get lunch?

“Mom’s,” Merry said.

Mom’s Family Diner is a kind of old-fashioned joint with simple values, like taking payment in cash only.

We asked our waitress, Suzy Dobson, about Jackson. She laughed. “First I’ve heard of it,” she said. “And I bar tend, too, so I would have heard.”

Then she got thoughtful. Give her a call in a couple of days, she said. She’d see what she could find out.

Down at the Bookworm Haven, a used book shop that occupies a couple of trailers and a probably few parallel dimensions to accommodate the overflow, we talked Jackson with the clerk, a kind woman who refused to give her name.

“Michael Jackson — oh my God, that’s all Pahrump needs,” she said. “We’ve got a bad enough reputation already.”

But, she said, you never know.

“There’s a lot of secrets here,” she said. “We’re not just a dusty little town.”

She suggested we stop by the chamber of commerce.

Where they laughed. They’d heard the rumor but didn’t know anything and don’t put their names in the paper.

But, you know, they said, if he were going to live anywhere, maybe it’d be that real nice house for sale on Homestead Road. So down we went to Homestead Road, to the only house that didn’t arrive on the back of a flatbed. It was empty.

We wandered lost, turning on Manse Road, hoping the name was accurate. It is not.

Inside the Bernina sewing shop, we asked about Jackson.

“Ah-ha-ha-hahaha-ha,” went Nancy Lawrence, a clerk.

“We’re just lucky we got the Home Depot,” said Rosemary Wiesner, Nancy’s mother.

“Hey, maybe if Michael Jackson moved here, we’d would get some more stuff,” Nancy said.

Trudy Gossage, the owner, called people to see whether they knew anything. Nope. We should go ask her sister Merry. She knows everything.

As it happened, Merry King had heard the Jackson rumor and was looking into it herself. No luck so far.

Just as we were leaving, Merry ran out waving a telephone. It was Trudy. She was out at dinner and the hostess had heard about Jackson. He’s living down on Basin Road.

Down Basin Road we went. And let us just say that unless Michael Jackson has given up his security guards and taken an interest in lawn auto repair, he does not live on Basin Road.

Now, past the end of Basin Road, that could be a different story.

Out in the large desert lots, a home can breathe, can be a “compound,” with a long gravel driveway, a barbed wire fence and signs that read, “Trespassers Will Be Shot!”

No limos, though.

Back in Las Vegas, we called Nye County Sheriff Tony De Meo. Did he know that Michael Jackson was maybe sort of possibly living in Pahrump?

“Really? He hasn’t said anything to me,” De Meo said.

We also called our source Suzy at Mom’s Family Diner. She had checked it out. It’s true: Jacko has landed.

She’d first heard it from a woman who heard it from her 12-year-old son. Then she confirmed it with a receptionist at the office of doctors who used to work in Las Vegas on all the stars.

Really?

“Yeah, there’s this awesome black limo driving up and down 160. We get limos out here for the whorehouses, but this one’s different,” Dobson said.

“Bigger.”

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

By MLH1

6/23/08 at 7:21 a.m.

Suggest removal

What is it with the press and Michael Jackson? Have you guys sworn to take an oath to belittle the man every step of his way? If he wants to live there, why would it be funny or even anyone's business? If you people would cease and desist on reporting on every personal move the man makes (or think he is making), no one would ever know anyway.

Or care.

I would be much more interested if you had some scoop on his next music move.

Not his housing move.
By jimsjam

6/23/08 at 7:46 a.m.

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Can you find someone to write an article about Pahrump that is not ridiculous? Do you know there is an entire community living here in homes not created in a factory, who are educated and might be able to speak to your writers about Michael Jackson (leave the man alone, he has enough problems)or perhaps (heaven forbid) something more interesting. Come over someday, call me, I will have you meet some friends, we can lunch at a really nice restaurant (there is such a thing), talk about the benefits of no longer living in a crazed city full of crime, but then that would not be fodder for the type of columns you seem to favor. Everyone I know has all their teeth, doesn't smoke a corn cob pipe or sit on the front porch in their rocking chair. Why don't you pick on another small town for a change?
By kingswayonly

6/23/08 at 11:05 a.m.

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People in Pahrump might not like to admit that out town is full of rumor and gossip, but that don't change the facts that there is a lot of RUMOR and GOSSIP. The lighter side of this rumor made a lot of people laugh, We need more laughfter myself included. People were on the look out for this big Black Limo keeping them preoccupied and busy trying to be the one who would finally spot the "KING of POP". There is a big Black Limo that runs around town with the words
"BADD" It belongs to a "Hip Hop" group of boys that live here in Pahrump in a group home. ( not Rumor)
Instead of taking offense at this article, why not enjoy the well meant humor. If we can't laugh
at ourselves who can we laugh at? Lighten up
PAHRUMP you will not hear the rumors and gossip after the population reaches 100.000. Than we will have lost our uniqueness so enjoy it while we can.....
By sesshoumaru

6/23/08 at 2:11 p.m.

Suggest removal

Leave Michael alone already!
Peopleare sick of the media publishing
the same crap everyday!!!!
By casinokid

6/23/08 at 6:44 p.m.

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why would the people of pahrump be stereotyped as weird, I visited the lovely place two years ago and found it pleasing, friendly and clean.
I also went to the winery, very nice wines, also toured Model homes, I could fit in there,these are my kind of folks down to earth.

Casinokid
By cliff

6/24/08 at 1:57 a.m.

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let me tell you alittle about the pahrump i know.
when i arrive home from my vegas commute i pull up the driveway- get out of the car, then hear complete silence. the smells are of sweet sage. maybe there are jackrabbits staying on the move to avoid the coyotes. if it is night, the sky is filled with stars. and if i see my neighbors, we meet at the fence- and talk. I love living in the country. I lived in vegas for so many years- that i just couldnt take those police helecoptors anymore. Hey Buhler- who are you.
"there is only one type of pahrumpian"?? Are you new at this writing thing? Like, is this your first big assignment? And if michael is here, are you going to leave him alone.
or do you now see your chance at the big-time. Im betting on the big-time. you can be the local guide to the worlds media. people like you are the reason people like us left vegas.
By Rosalinde

6/27/08 at 11:12 a.m.

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I can just see it now. The invasion of the Paparazzi!
Leave well enough alone. We like it quiet!
By Livefast22

7/3/08 at 9:53 a.m.

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I Think it is absolutly hillarious,how you people really have NOTHING better to do than drive around in my home town looking for michael jackson, you really drove an hour out of your way just to come look for him? what did you think you were going to spot him? and then what? leave the poor man alone, he has been publisized enough by people like you who have nothing better to do with their lives.... "the only house that didnt arrive on a flatbed huh?" hmm thats funny because i know plenty of people including myself in this town that probably live in nicer houses than you can even try to afford... No wonder why he moved here probably to get away from annoying poparatzi like you people, this town is quiet and nice, ive lived here all my life and I LOVE IT and know PLENTY of people that think the same!!!! so if you dont have nothing nice to say then just stay out please! and leave us "Pahrumpians" alone!!!!!
not trying to be rude, but it really just irritates me how you can sit here and just degrade on a town that you know nothing about!
By Livefast22

7/3/08 at 10:23 a.m.

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I Think it is absolutly hillarious, how you people really have NOTHING better to do than drive around in my home town looking for Michael Jackson. You really drove an hour out of your way just to come look for him? What did you think you were going to spot him? Yeah and then what? Leave the guy alone, he has been publisized enough by people like you, who have nothing better to do with their lives.... "The only house that didnt arrive on a flatbed huh?" hmm, that is just so funny, because i know plenty of people including myself, in this town that probably live in nicer houses than you can even try to afford. No wonder why he moved here probably to get away from annoying poparatzi like you people. This town is quiet and nice, and that is the way we like it! I've lived here all my life and, I LOVE IT, and know PLENTY of people that think the same! so if you dont have anything nice to say, then just stay out please! and leave us "Pahrumpians" alone!!!!!
Not trying to be rude, but it really just irritates me how you can sit here and just degrade on a town that you know nothing about!
By cindysue

9/11/08 at 7:06 p.m.

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Hey, "Pahrumpians" have any of you heard of a Dr. Charles Lewis that lived in your town? He is a Naturopathic Doc into alternative medicine. I think he had a clinic in Vegas? Any info would greatly be appreciated.