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Michael Jackson’s “This Is It!” Show May Become All-Star Tribute

6/30/09, 1:12 pm EST

Photo: Shearer/AEG/Concerts West via Getty Images
Michael Jackson’s This Is It! show — the mammoth comeback production that was due to launch July 13th at London’s O2 Arena — may still come to the stage as a tribute concert to the King of Pop, MSNBC reports. The concert will reportedly replicate Jackson’s planned stage show for his 50-concert sold-out run, but with an all-star cast of performers filling in for the fallen singer. According to MSNBC, the This Is It! tribute concert will take place in the next few weeks. “Every major celebrity has been reaching out, saying they want to participate in the show,” a source working on the show tells MSNBC. “Kenny Ortega and Travis Payne have been given authorization to proceed in deciding who will take the stage,” the source adds, referring to Jackson’s director and choreographer.

The city and venue for the proposed show has not yet been decided, but MSNBC reported over the weekend that Los Angeles — whose Staples Center hosted the This Is It! rehearsals — is the frontrunner; the network now reports that the concert may be performed over more than one night.

On person who didn’t get a chance to pay tribute to Jackson at Sunday night’s BET Awards was Chris Brown. The young star’s camp began talks with the network just hours after Jackson’s death was announced, but “Chris was really hesitant when it was first proposed and actually turned BET down,” a source tells Rolling Stone. “When the idea of doing ‘Man In The Mirror’ was suggested, he came around. Chris wanted to do something to honor Michael, and thought that song was a good fit because it’s one he can relate to.” A BET Awards source notes, “To have Chris Brown there would have been too much of a distraction. He wasn’t nominated and was not invited and any sort of performance or MJ tribute was never confirmed.” Today, BET reps denied Brown was ever going to participate in the show, telling MTV News “the rumors are false.” As Rock Daily previously reported, the BET Awards became an impromptu celebration of Jackson’s life and career, and Michael’s sister Janet made an appearance to thank fans for their continued support.

In other tribute news, Harlem’s Apollo Theatre will be the site of a celebration of Jackson’s legacy starting today and continuing through tomorrow night, when the venue’s famed Amateur Night will be dedicated to Jackson and feature a Moonwalking contest, the New York Daily News reports. The Apollo will screen Jackson videos throughout the next two days, and invite fans to adorn the venue’s stage flowers and other memorabilia.

And the Filipino prisoners who had a viral hit a few years back with their rendition of “Thriller” have taken to YouTube with a new tribute to the King of Pop.

Related Stories:

Janet Jackson Speaks Out at BET Awards: “We Miss Him So Much”
Music World Mourns Michael Jackson’s Death
Michael Jackson Photos From “This Is It!” Rehearsals Emerge


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Comments

Black Hole Sun | 6/30/2009, 1:47 pm EST

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! !!!!!!!!!!
I KNEW IT!!!!! They had to do it, they just had to! Look, they held a tribute concert for Freddie Mercury, who with all due respect, was nowhere as huge as Michael at the time of his death. So it’s only fitting that they make one for MJ. It’s probably gonna be one of the most viewed events ever, rivaling the Olympics.

snoopcatty | 6/30/2009, 2:01 pm EST

Sorry, this is not going to work.

peter | 6/30/2009, 2:46 pm EST

It’s probably gonna be one of the most viewed events ever, rivaling the Olympics.

Asim | 6/30/2009, 3:06 pm EST

Yes, good to hear the celebrities are now openly participating to pay their respects to the King of enterntainment. The media was and will always be unhappy with MJ’s life, beacuse they are unable to prove that he was a bad person.

I hope they do the concerts in major cities of the world, i might get a chance to attend one.

Anita | 6/30/2009, 3:11 pm EST

I always hated MJ. I don’t know why this hatred was. But the day i came to know about his death n what agem of a person he was i love him so much that i wish i wud had been in his life n given him all the love he always wanted n deserved. Today i love him with a true heart. I’ve realised it today that beyond that hatred was lots of love for him which i never was able to undersrand. I pray his soul rests in peace and he comes back n leads a gud life n his killers r caught n punished severely.

Fail | 6/30/2009, 4:14 pm EST

Anita, Say no to drugs

Britt Benston | 6/30/2009, 4:35 pm EST

People paid for that magical element MJ brought to his own music, particularly the stuff from 1985 and before. To pay tribute to that, I can’t think of a modern artist that possesses at most 75% of the total MJ package–dancing, funk musicianship, range, and all the vocal SFX that made MJ famous.

Then again, MJ himself may not have been fit enough to do a decent tribute to his former self. How could he sing to his former ability when so much of his facial facility had been either removed or eroded by the damage of so many plastic surgeries?

SeanS | 6/30/2009, 4:45 pm EST

I hope so. The stereotypically rife BET awards would be a horrible lasting impression if that was what we were left with. Jamie Foxx…ghetto superstar. Neyo, magical.

Ramona | 6/30/2009, 5:41 pm EST

This would be a fitting tribute for Michael Jackson. I think it would be fabulous and yes, Chris Brown should be allowed to perform. Michael is a true icon and ambassador and to send him off in this way would make his fans proud. I truly hope he knew how much his fans adored him.

CMuniz | 6/30/2009, 6:21 pm EST

MJ was forced to be an adult as a young child, never having the chance to live out his childhood like many of us do. He never had the chance of going thru the process of trying to figure out who he was as a child, he was made to be what others wanted him to be. As an adult he was in control and lived trying to take back his childhood and trying to go thru the discovery process with cameras at his every turn and hateful people trying to ridicule him…

I ask this question, if MJ really molested the kid do you think the kids parents would have taken a big payoff? Wouldn’t they have wanted to make sure MJ could never do it to another child? HMMMM, makes you wonder!

I know MJ didn’t do it because I looked at his life and MJ helped a lot of sick children and gave a lot of money around the world to starving children.

MJ shared his soul with his fans thru his music and if you really felt the love within this man you knew MJ could never hurt a child.

Bill | 6/30/2009, 11:25 pm EST

Michael deserves that concert, it is sad, all the media were against him, why??? Everybody knew Michael was a good person, andf they even know he was innocent, i just discovered that, they were just trying to cash in, this is disgsting, hope they are happy now, they were the ones, they kill his soul, Michael felt lonely he only wanted to be loved, guess he’s in a better place, now he does not suffer. RIP MJ

RIPMJ. | 7/1/2009, 12:22 am EST

I’m all for a tribute concert if it goes to charity. Michael Jackson was an incredibly charitable person (as the results of any google search will tell you). I also think that the best thing ticket holders can do is donate their refunds to charity as suggtest by “the Man in the Mirror Project” and other groups.

Chris Brown | 7/1/2009, 12:51 am EST

Is a peice of shit.

Jenny | 7/1/2009, 11:39 am EST

I am trying to promote the tribute across facebook at the moment, as are a lot of people.
This is what the fans want. The o2 concerts should be adapted, and stars need to show their support.
But tributes should be held in the o2 to the people who bought tickets. Not solely in LA. The people who paid for a ticket are all true fans and deserve to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life!

Bubbles The Chimp | 7/2/2009, 5:27 pm EST

Drugs!

SD | 7/3/2009, 4:51 am EST

I think it would be so great for it to be turned into a tribute Tour. I’ll miss Michael terribly,I wasn’t born yet when he rose to fame with off the wall and thriller but I will never ever forget the first time i saw him do the moonwalk. I was 5 years old and I was seriously trying to do it everyday until I finally got it. I was behind Michael when all the allegations came about. I was so mad when the media would make fun of him.Once I saw Jordan Chandler’s confession I was so damn mad because why did he have to wait 16 years to come out with the truth? It’s really pathetic and disgusting on his dad’s part for convincing him to do this. He has inspired so many singers in today’s industry and that includes Chris Brown especially. I’m still in disbelief about his death but we have to remember him as the great singer/dancer/father/brother/a nd son that he was.We lost The King Of Pop too soon, an inspiration to his children,family and many generations before us and MANY more in the future. He will always and forever be known as the King of Pop…

sonia | 7/3/2009, 9:11 am EST

omgg
u loh are tight
go on likee smee big mans -x

bellaboo41670 | 7/6/2009, 8:07 pm EST

how can you people mourn over someone who wouldnt give you the time of day if he seen you on the street.now all of you sound like youve just lost your best friend.please everyone grow up, focus on your own daily struggles not the death of someone you only heard on the radio or tv,maybe in concert years ago. people get over the ignorance.think about how dumb you all look and sound-haha

Anna Gonzales | 7/7/2009, 4:40 pm EST

I feel he was guilty of the charges that were filed against him, but I also felt sorry for him, I think his soul is now a child in heaven, and he is able to play in Gods playground. I think God brought back his innocence, and he is able to live his childhood that he missed out on. God Bless you Michale, you are in Gods hands now, God will be the one to past the final judgement.

Laura | 7/24/2009, 4:32 am EST

Why does no one know anything about how much these tribute tickets are going to cost i would really love to go i never really followed michael as i was growing up but see now i just cant get him out my head and i would really love to go to this tribute concert by reading whats going to happen at it this sounds amazing rip michael i will love you forever laura x

Jacqueline | 10/15/2009, 8:58 am EST

I love michael so much and he’s moves and choreagraphy was an inspiration to all of us. We will never forget MJ, Luv u, MJ!!! OXOXOX

BiggestFanOfMichaelJackson. | 11/2/2009, 5:14 am EST

To Chris Brown:
Ur a piece of shit.. F you. !!
You stinks like a shit. !!
“This is it” Show is the best show ever for fans of MJJ. But if ur not so stop commenting then.. no1 wants 2 listen you.. !!
We Love Michael Jackson. <33

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