Fans of the late Michael Jackson gathered at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY today (June 25) to remember the 50-year-old music legend.
Shortly after 6 o’clock, a crowd began gathering under the blinking white lights of the theater marquee on 125th Street, which read: “In Memory of Michael Jackson, A True Apollo Legend, 1958-2009.”
Within hours, more than 200 people — most of them dancing and singing along to a boom box that played Jackson hits — were on hand to celebrate the life of Michael.
The Thriller singer had performed at the historic theater many times, beginning when he was 9 years old as a member of the Jackson Five and as recent as 2002 for a Democratic fundraiser.
Meanwhile, the BET Awards (which is scheduled to air on Sunday at 8 p.m. live) is being overhauled to include an opening tribute to MJ that will feature surprise guests.
“Michael was the greatest entertainer of our generation,” says show producer Ron Weisner, manager of The Jacksons and Michael’s solo career for eight years, through the making of Off the Wall and Thriller. “Those pieces of work changed the landscape. When we took the Billie Jean video to MTV, they declined to play it at first. They had never played a black artist. They started airing it after a lot of pressure from Columbia Records. That opened the door. It was the greatest move Michael made.
“Everyone else proceeded to copy him. He was the innovator and consummate performer. We’d be on a tour bus and he’d dance in the aisle while looking at James Brown videos until even his brothers yelled at him, ‘Turn it off!’ To see things end this way is really sad.”
5 Comments
True Icon legend……. RIP MICHAEL JOE JACKSON.. born Aug 29th 1958 in gary Indiana.. sleep on King of Pop.. will always love you!!!
Why are so many honoring a vile scurge of the earth child molester?
Satan obviously needed another minion to join him in the bowels of HELL.
Burn demon burn and you all can rest assured the Billy Jean is NOT his son!
eu sinto muito por esse acontecimento
eu gostava muito do trabalho de michael jackson..
That’s ashame. He had some good music. More and more people are dying young.
May Michael Jackson rest in peace despite some of the negative things said about him.
NKorea threatning to blow up Hawaii on 4th of July.
Cap and trade massive tax to pass in congress.
Trillions in healthcare for illegalsa and a few slackers.
Legalizing 24million illegals while unemployment jumps to 11%.
Yet all the ObamaMedia cares about is Jacko.