5. Witnesses Saw Joe Beat and Trip Michael
Michael was far from the only person to level physical abuse charges against his father, Joe. One witness saw Joe push a young Michael so that he tripped into a drum set. The man reported that Michael was pretty banged up from the fall. Others saw Joe take a belt to the young boy to enforce perfect rehearsals. It appears that Joe’s behavior was a rather open secret in the music industry, with many being aware of his disciplinary tactics.