Michael Jackson may be lost to the world but this past weekend his music and legend were brought to life at the “Michael Forever” tribute concert at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, through a star-studded cast of Jackson-influenced dynamos including Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Gladys Knight, Ne-Yo and members of the Jackson 5. While those superstars gave fans much to talk about (especially Aguilera, for not-so-flattering reasons), superstar mom-to-be Beyoncé, was the talk of the town as the singer strutted on stage to pay tribute to the King of Pop.
According to Complex, Beyoncé, who performed via a pre-taped piece, was introduced by Jackson’s children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, who were all decked out in signature pieces made famous by their father.
“She is always pushing the envelope with her boundless energy and talent,” said Paris. “She carries the torch lit by our father and it gives me great pleasure to introduce this woman.”
Wearing a funky Afro wig and disco era metallic dress, Beyoncé hit the stage with her all-female band to perform the 1972 Jackson 5 classic, “I Wanna Be Where You Are,” a song she explained helped to jump-start her own career with Destiny’s Child.
“Watching him I realized exactly what I wanted to be. He inspired me so much. As a matter of fact, the first song I performed with Destiny’s Child was a Jackson 5 song. It’s called ‘Where You Are.’ It’s the song we [sang when we] auditioned [and got] our record deal. It was the beginning of our future. I love you forever, Michael Jackson,” said Beyoncé, before paying homage to the late star in true Jackson style.
–nicholas robinson
