MEXICO CITY – Michael Jackson imitators moonwalked at Mexico's Angel of Independence, a prison in the Philippines organized a "Thriller" tribute dance, political leaders paid homage and French fans gathered at Notre Dame to sing and cry as the world mourned the King of Pop.
From Paris to Peru, tributes both personal and public were held Friday by generations of fans, from those who danced to "ABC" and hummed along with "I'll be There" and "Ben" in the '70s, to the Generation X'ers who moonwalked and gyrated to "Billie Jean," "Thriller" and "Bad" in the 1980s.
In Mexico City, a half-dozen 20-something fans took turns busting Jackson-like moves on the steps of the country's iconic Angel of Independence monument and later sat arm-in-arm holding candles and posterboards covered with Jackson photo collages and heartfelt messages.
"I love you Michael Jackson, King of Pop," said one. "I will love you forever."
One member of the small gathering, Oliver Munoz, tried to moonwalk his sadness away as he fondly remembered his 20-year membership in a local Jackson fan club.
"At first it's kind of like being in shock," he said. "It doesn't soak in. But then later you really start to feel the sadness and you just give in to the tears."
In one of Mexico City's hundreds of busy nightclubs Thursday evening, a DJ interchanged standard techno-music and hard rock with Jackson songs including "Beat It" and "Billie Jean," while clients sadly raised their glasses in a toast.
Throughout Latin America, fans planned weekend tributes in town squares, while in Paris on Friday hundreds of Jackson fans sang, danced, cried and shouted out in grief at a gathering in front of the Notre Dame cathedral.
In London, shocked fans united at the Lyric Theatre, where a live show based on Jackson's record-selling album "Thriller" is being performed, and waited for news about refunds for 750,000 tickets to his sold-out, 50-night run.
In the Philippines, prison security consultant Byron Garcia planned a tribute for Jackson on Saturday with inmates performing an encore of a famous video in which they do a synchronized dance to "Thriller." The video has had 23.4 million hits on YouTube.
"My heart is heavy because my idol died," Garcia said.
Newspapers around the world covered their front pages with pictures of Jackson, who publicly morphed from a bellbottom-wearing child star to a pale-skinned, thin-nosed man with lipstick, eyeliner, and a troubled personal life.
Many Japanese TV channels switched to special programming while Mexico's TV Azteca invited Jackson imitators to participate in a special program it will devote to the entertainer in coming days.
One such impersonator, Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler, performed a duo, acoustic version of "Billie Jean" with Mexican actress and singer Ximena Sarinana on Thursday night in Mexico.
"I am sad," Drexler was quoted by El Universal newspaper as saying. "I danced a lot with him Jackson when I was a kid."
Fans snatched up recordings of Jackson's music around the world: A major Japanese online retailer was flooded with orders for Jackson's recordings, and music stores in Mexico City's touristy Pink Zone had sold out of his compact discs.
"Sales have been impressive," said Ana Reinish, marketing manager for the Mexican music chain Mixup, without elaborating. "I'm sure it's going to break records, more than for any other artist who has died. We've never seen anything like this."
Associated Press writers Istra Pacheco, E. Eduardo Castillo and Jose Osorio in Mexico City; Frank Bajak in Bogota; Deborah Seward in Paris; Gregory Katz in London; Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo; Kim Yong-ho in Seoul; and Teresa Cerojano in Manila contributed to this report.
The sun sets over the New York City skyline on June 26. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
New User?
New User?
buzzed up:
2 seconds ago 2009-06-27T06:25:23-07:00
buzzed up:
3 seconds ago 2009-06-27T06:25:22-07:00
buzzed up:
3 seconds ago 2009-06-27T06:25:22-07:00
buzzed up:
3 seconds ago 2009-06-27T06:25:22-07:00
buzzed up:
3 seconds ago 2009-06-27T06:25:22-07:00
0 comments:
Post a Comment