The Jacksons have long been known as the iconoclast of American pop music and the template for R&B pop groups like New Edition, DeBarge, 5 Star and The Sylvers. From the “steeltown” dreams of Gary, Indiana, to a world renown legacy that has sold 100 million records and been honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame, you simply can’t deny the impact of The Jacksons. GFM had the honor of attending the celebrated Unity Tour in Atlanta reuniting brothers Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie Jackson. Here are the concert photos from the occasion.
Jermaine Jackson tossed a rose after singing in front of his brother's casket during the memorial service on Tuesday. Source: Monica Almeida/The New York Times
Earlier today at the Staples Center, AEG and Ken Ehrlich produced a very respectful and honorable tribute to the greatest entertainer of all times, Michael Joseph Jackson. There were great performances from Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Usher and many others. Of course, hearing his daughter Paris speak at the end of the ceremony was the ultimate tear jerker for all.
It’s been a long day, and an emotional roller coaster. You can check out clips of all the performances after the jump. Once again, I’d just like to say thank you to Michael Jackson for sharing your gifts of love, creativity and music with the world. Thank you to Katherine and Joe Jackson, as well as the entire Jackson family for sharing your son/brother/family with the world. R.I.P. MJ.
There are some incredible tributes, mixes, blog posts and personal recollections being shared all around the web. We’ll be updating this for some time with the best of what we find. If you know of others, please leave us a comment and we’ll update with those as well. Check back often, as we continue to update this post.
Quincy Jones:
“I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. Divinity brought our souls together on ‘The Wiz’ and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the ’80s. To this day, the music we created together on Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all…talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”
Diana Ross:
“I can’t stop crying, this is too sudden and shocking,” Ross says in a statement. “I am unable to imagine this. My heart is hurting. I am in prayer for his kids and the family.”
‘I am shocked and saddened by Michael’s passing,” Turner says. “I, along with his millions of fans, looked forward to seeing him tour one more time. Now, may he rest in peace.”
