Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleFans pay tribute to Michael Jackson in Las Vegas
Fremont Street canopy transformed into a glowing memorial to the late pop icon
Marco Saolini, 11, of Rome, Italy, stands with a tribute displayed next to a wax figure of Michael Jackson displayed outside of Madame Tussauds on Thursday.
Friday, June 26, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.
Related Blogs
- Joe Brown: Michael Jackson: 'The Greatest Show on Earth'
- The Kats Report: Remembering when Michael Jackson really was bad
- Culture and Entertainment: By coincidence, Michael Jackson items up for auction
Michael Jackson briefly lived in Las Vegas in this mansion on West Palomino Lane owned by the Prince of Brunei. The home is seen here Thursday evening.
Related Stories
- Jackson-to-Vegas rumors were really off the wall (3-5-09)
- Nuts about the King of Pop (6-4-07)
The typically buzzing crowd traversing Fremont Street’s casino-lined pedestrian walkway paused last night to pay tribute to pop icon Michael Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Passers-by stopped to take pictures and video as photos, album covers and the words “Michael Jackson: King of Pop” flashed across the electronic canopy that runs the length of five football fields in downtown Las Vegas.
“I just loved his songs, his dancing,” said Lucy Rostron, whose husband captured the tribute on his camera. She remembered seeing Jackson live during his “History” tour as a teen in the United Kingdom. “It was so cool to watch,” she said.
Jackson, 50, died in a Los Angeles hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at a home he had been renting. He reportedly was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the call. Hours after Jackson’s death was announced by his brother at a frenzied Los Angeles press conference, several fans on Fremont Street could hardly believe the news.
“It was a total surprise. I was in a shock,” said longtime fan Gail Hayes, adding that she cried when she first heard the news.
An eccentric, dazzling and skilled performer, Jackson wooed listeners with Motown hits as a young child and thrilled crowds with exciting dance moves and chart-topping hits in the 1980s.
Jackson’s star power and trademark style built him a wide and loyal fan base and earned him the title “King of Pop.” His 1982 album “Thriller” sold 26 million copies and remains the biggest-selling album of all time.
“He is very original and he did something for pop music that no one else could do,” said fan Peter Seifert. “He was the biggest thing for music since The Beatles.”
Seifert and his brother, Joseph, also remembered Jackson, who captivated with his dance moves, including his classic moonwalk.
“There wouldn’t be any night clubs in Las Vegas if it wasn’t for him,” Joseph Seifert said. “He brought dancing to people like me who suck at it. Before him, there was nothing to dance to.”
Jackson’s long career touched many generations.
Joel Sherwood of Riverside County, Calif., remembered his classmates singing Jackson 5 hits like “ABC, 123” on the playground jungle gym set when he was 5 years old.
Jackson, whose career had taken several strange turns in the last decade, was preparing for a comeback at the time of his death.
He was in Los Angeles to rehearse for a series of 50 shows at a London arena scheduled to kick off on July 13. Though the latter years of his career were marked by increasingly odd behavior, physical transformations, enormous debt and allegations of child molestation, some fans said they believed Jackson would be remembered as just one thing — a legend.
“He’ll be like an Elvis,” Sherwood said.
Some of Jackson's ties to Vegas
- Jackson briefly lived in Las Vegas in this decade, moving into a mansion in Spanish Trails owned by the Prince of Brunei, a home on West Palomino Lane, and also rented a house in a westside neighborhood just west of Decatur Boulevard near Sahara Avenue, which sat on the same street as a house occupied by NBA player Gary Payton and property owned by longtime Vegas entertainer Frank Marino.
- Three years ago he was rumored to be embarking on a comeback on the Strip, and was said to be in talks with Steve Wynn for a production at Wynn Las Vegas, but Wynn firmly denied any such partnership was being discussed.
- Last year he was mentioned as a possible headliner at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, as AEG Live was presenting his scheduled run of concerts at O2 Arena in London (which were scheduled to begin next month), but AEG Live officials said only that Jackson’s performances would be judged for viability before any plans to bring him to Las Vegas were discussed.
- His most recent reported recordings were held at Studio at the Palms last year, with acclaimed producers Akon and RedOne reportedly producing the sessions. The status and future of those recordings are uncertain.
- In December, Jackson was bailed out of the $24.5 million he owed on Neverland Ranch when Colony Capital, owned by billionaire Tom Barrack, bought the loan and sparked yet more rumors about Jackson possibly performing at the Las Vegas Hilton (Elvis Presley’s haunt from 1969-1976) because Colony owns the Hilton.
- - Written by John Katsilometes
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Two dead after accident in downtown Las Vegas
- Superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48
- Instant Analysis: Debating whether UNLV should continue series with San Diego State
- Police looking for man in white Ford Explorer
- Dining Guide: 2012 Valentine’s Day options in Las Vegas
- Four people injured in car accident
- Color from the scene at Thomas & Mack Center: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
- Blog: Justin Hawkins’ steal seals UNLV’s thrilling 65-63 victory against San Diego State
- After Nevada and Florida wins, Mitt Romney trying to prove he’s ‘severely conservative’ to CPAC base
- UNLV makes key plays down stretch to hold off San Diego State 65-63
Blogs
The Kats Report
Color from scene at Thomas & Mack: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Who can miss this perverted pedophile? The criminal charges may have been beat but twenty-five million is a lot of pay off in a civil case for an 'I did not do it'. This mentally ill,black goof ball tried to make himself look white while all of the plastic surgeries make him look like a freak.
Years ago his father should have been jailed for child abuse and his mother for child neglect, these facts are suppotred by the Jackson family books and stories.
And we wonder where Americas values have gone?
Now go hang your baby over the balcony railing and you will become an instant success or an inmate.
Michael Jackson is not of my generation and as an alleged entertainer I found him to be weird, sexually driven and a poor moral model for the younger generation and not worthy of my attention and interest. His dancing and music never interested me. In my opinion I found his dancing vulgar, sexually explicit and simulating masturbation and other sex acts. To me this is not entertainment but vile, vulgar, primitive public behavior.
The scandal involving him and young children at his 'fairyland' ranch was glossed over in the publicity of his trial because of his status as a so called entertainer, his headline fame and abundant money. Like O.J. Simpson he was able to shield himself from the probable truth and escape a hefty jail sentence.
I sincerely believe he was a deviant, weird, mentally sick, gross sexual pervert and child abuser, if not a child rapist. Public sympathy for this creepazoid was in his favor as an alleged "hero" of American pop culture fanatics. I believe he should have spent the rest of his life in prison breaking up big rocks into smaller ones; hence he would have been a "real" rock star!
He now belongs to God and must face His justice. Whether he deserves Heaven or Hell as his final reward is not for me to determine. Whatever it is, I hope he has earned his final reward.
Good lord, people. Jacko was just a guy who never grew up, was never found guilty of any crimes (perhaps those invented by weak minds or hateful minds), and deserves to be put to rest in peace by his family and his fantastically huge worldwide following. He was a creative genius in his field, often unparalled by peers.
By being an overgrown kid, he helped many adults in unselfish ways, many times giving his money away to worthwhile causes, some of which included juveniles in the ghetto.
Please, people! Can't we let Michael rest in peace? He was ACQUITTED of those charges in 2005, so all the "pedophile" talk is baseless rumor at best. I certainly did not understand his life choices later in life, and I didn't agree with many of them. However, we can't forget all the good he did.
Have we forgotten his efforts to help children in war-torn nations? Or feed starving people in Africa? Or all the other charities he supported? Not to mention all the music that forever changed the world?
Let MJ rest in peace. Maybe he'll finally get some now.
What is there to idolize about Michael Jackson and his life, life style, so-called music and dancing? As far as I am concerned he was not an entertaining STAR...just a creep who did outlandish things that caught the imagination of stupid people who had the brain and cultural tastes of morons. In America the more outlandish your behavior, the more you are idolized. Grapping your crotch and simulating masturbation with the song "Beat It" is real talent..oh, yeah, lets honor and hold that up as real entertaining behavior for all youngsters to emulate.
Michael Jackson's is but one of a number of so called entertainers that have dragged American morals into a disgusting cesspool idolized by drug crazed imbecils....
shut up vsestini nobody wants to hear your preaching, old lady.
and homer is well known on here as a bitter old man who hates anybody who has achieved anything of significance, while his life is almost over and he's down nothing so now it's time to rant and rave online. I hope you two creeps drop dead, I bet nobody would give a rat's ass when you do.
RIP MJJ 1958-2009
whats_in_the_box Who are you to tell anyone to shut up you little punk? You have proven yourself to be an idiot of the highest degree.
If this pedophile creep was innocent of the charges why did he voluntarily pay one of the highest civil payments (twenty-five million) in history. I'll bet in reality you are a little thug yourself who has never grown up and needs a good butt kickin, along with that I'll bet you have a criminal history. You are a guttless little coward who insults and threatens people with your key board while in real life you are a pathetic,sniveling coward.
Now go the library (if you can read) and find out just what the Jackson children had to say about their thug dad. Any bets the mom will not be awarded custody of his children? She is unfit as well.
Now you go shut up and get some manners and do some research on sexually abused children by the Michael Jackson's of the world. Maybe you should have suffered what they suffered.
afveteran His frequent run ins with the law regarding inappropriate behavior withchildren is an indictor of a pervert. His paying twent-five million to make a civil case that could be proven go away is proof of his actions, and you need come out of your coma.
He is not an overgrown kid at fifty-one, he is accountable for his actions as everyone else is. Anyone else would have been in prison for being an overgrown kid who violates children.
Tell it like it is.
How much more eccentric was Jackson than some nationally syndicated radio talk show hosts? Dittoheads who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. EXCUSE ME I have to fly off to the Dominican Republic, better pack my blue pills.
mred There are not children involved.Get it?
hom -er or is it -o, shut your pie hole, dirtbag. sad, bitter old man. always taking shots at celebrities. do you realize how much of a scumbag you look for your pathetic attempts in other posts to disparage TARKANIAN. Ya, just seeing that name makes you squirm, makes you pace back and forward in the assisted living one room apartment you live in. Ah, well the first of the month is coming so you can leech another check from those of us who are productive members of society.
whats_in_the_scum_box Once again if you would or if you could you would do some research and find out why UNLV got rid of the lying Tark and how he dirtied up UNLV as well as collegiate athletics. He is the scorn of the NCAA.
You are an idiot if you think Tark is a celebrity. He was a scumbag who hung around Piero's drulling on young girls.
By the way you fruit cake I live in Summerlin and pay more in taxes in one year then your filthy lazy butt makes in five years. Now you go see what mommy has fixed you for dinner tonight you guttless, little coward while I go to a casino on Rampart for a steak.
You are wrong it is the wretches of society like you who make me squirm. You probably abuse children yourself. Anyone who condons it and supports someone who has been proven to have done it is trash. Now go away no one cares to hear about you or your disgraced heros. You are not a productive member of society or you would not make an ass of yourself like you do and you would know the facts before you post. Now go to the internet and look at child porn like you do every evening.If Tark,Jackson,Boggs McDonald,Gates are your heros then you are sick. I remeber you and your ignorant posts. Do some research then open your pathetic mouth.
whats_in_the-scum_box, And by chance,if, which I doubt you have done for one semester, your highest achievement in life is attending UNLV then you have failed at attaining anything worth while and have nothing to brag about.Tark? Get real!
whats_in_the_scum_box I wonder if Jachson had sexually molested one of your family members just how you would react?Have you ever seen the results of sexually abused children? I did not think so. Of course you have proven you can"t think that far ahead of yourself. You have a flare for the obvious and your head is in the sand when it comes to cognitive thinking. How pathetic you are to ridicule anyone when you are so far gone. The sad part is everything I say there are facts to prove my statements up while you just insult like the little cowardly piss ant you are. Do some research nit wit. I have to go to dinner.
Opening the freezer and throwing a TV dinner in the micrwave then eating it in your bedroom which also doubles as your living room; that's what you call going to dinner? haha.
You're a pathetic old POS whose idea of a night out is dragging your knuckles on the ground while electric wheel-chairing it around wal mart. Get a job, i'm sick of paying for you to sit on your ass all day whining about the world.
I'm barely old enough to remember MJ at his peak. But, you can't fault the man as an entertainer in the least. I have fond memories of singing Karaoke to "Thriller" when I was a little kid :).
He obviously was a guy who suffered from the trauma of being used and abused since childhood. He really did seem like an overgrown 10 year old boy.
The abuse that he was acquitted of, NONE of the people involved in those cases were model citizens. They all had history of trying to create trouble and pressing suit against people and business they thought had deep pockets (several of them even had to admit at the MJ trial that they had lied under oath in the past and committed fraud).
At the time 25 million was chump change to MJ, he was never one to hold on to his money well (didn't you see on TV when he spent 6 million randomly in a single store in one fell swoop). The false allegations were even harder on him because of his child like demeanor. Sad but true lots of people and businesses pay off settlements when they are innocent just to "make it stop".
These events probably even led to MJ's early death in some way.