The BET Awards turned into a memorial for Michael

On Sunday night, Janet Jackson, Michael’s sister, who clearly seemed emotional, appeared on stage at BET in a one-piece white outfit during her first public appearance since her brother’s death, to say: "All members of my family wanted to be with you tonight, but it was too painful for them. Michael is a symbol to you, Michael is a member of our family to us. He will live forever in our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all your love and support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much."

Michael’s father, sitting in the front row next to Reverend Al Sharpton, stood up and applauded his daughter. The awards ceremony for last year’s top artists was being held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Before that, Joe Jackson, Michael’s father, wearing black clothes and dark sunglasses, had told CNN on the red carpet: "I wish the world had known him while he was still alive. Now, he is bigger than ever in his life. But I wish he were here to see and hear these things." Whenever Michael appeared at an event, he claimed it for himself. His appeal was so great that by himself he would overshadow the entire ceremony. And this time, too, even though he wasn’t there, his memory dominated the event. The host of the ceremony, Jamie Foxx, entered the stage in a Beat It red jacket and said, "Don’t be sad—we’re here to hold a celebration in honor of this Black man. We want to go all out." After that, Jamie Foxx tried to do the moonwalk (Michael’s dance) and said, "I hope I can pull it off. I haven’t done it since 1983." At the ceremony, artists such as Beyoncé paid tribute to Michael. Beyoncé dedicated her award to Michael and called him her "teacher and hero". Another group of artists addressed Joe Jackson on stage, and Marlon Wayans, speaking on behalf of the others, said: "The Jacksons have had a deep impact on my family. If it weren’t for the Jacksons, I would never have been here. Thank you." Basketball star LeBron James also told the audience: "My heart and my prayers are with the Jackson family. What they did for us was amazing." In the press room, Joe Jackson was asked what message he would give to Michael’s fans if Michael were here. Joe replied: "I think he would enjoy this celebration. It’s as if he’s bigger than ever right now. I think Michael gave love to everyone, and we hope his record is never broken." When asked what he would like his son to be remembered for, he said: "I want them to remember him forever around the world. We know that everywhere in the world people support him." After news of Michael’s death was announced, the Black television network BET tried to completely change the schedule of the ceremony over 72 hours so it could hold a memorial celebration for Michael on Sunday’s event. Some of the artists who were supposed to perform at the ceremony removed their songs so they could sing Michael’s songs instead. They increased the length of the ceremony to three and a half hours and added more guests. Source: eMJey / People / Billboard / Associated Content