Features
Party With MJ
The self-professed King of Pop announced April 16 that the all-star concert will take place at Madison Square Garden September 7. Among those invited to appear are Jill Scott, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Marc Anthony and Shaggy.
The concert will mark the first time Jackson and his brothers – Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Tito – have performed together since the 1980s.
In a statement, Jackson, 42, said, “I am very excited to celebrate my 30th anniversary as a solo artist with such a distinguished array of talent, friends and fans. I look forward to performing live and reuniting with my brothers on this special night.”
Jackson first hit the charts with The Jackson 5 in 1969 and started releasing solo material two years later. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his solo work last month; The Jackson Five were inducted in 1997.
Jackson hasn’t performed at a concert in the United States since his Bad concert tour in 1988. At the time, he was without a doubt the biggest pop superstar on Earth. He ended the tour with a sold-out six-night run at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
Since that time, Jackson’s profile in the States has suffered due to his eccentricities and allegations of child molestation. He maintains a substantial international following, however, and performed a successful tour of Europe and South Africa in 1997.
He’s working on a new album, slated for release in the fall, and will debut material from the album at the show. The success of the album is considered crucial to his career.