ウェールズでの父親の追悼コンサートでステージに立つマイケル・ジャクソンの子供たち

昨夜、ウェールズのカーディフでマイケル・ジャクソン追悼コンサートが開催され、ジャクソン一家13名と多くのアーティストが出席した。

チケットは5万枚販売される予定だという。コンサートの主催会社は当初、正確な数字を明らかにすることに消極的だったが、昨夜、約1万枚のチケットが売れていないことが明らかになった。コンサート主催者は、マイケル・ジャクソン財団から許可を得ていなかったために、一部のネットワークと結んだ世界30カ国へのテレビ生中継契約を手元に置くことができなかった。 Facebookでのライブ配信も同様の理由で中止となりました。

このコンサートの開催決定はキャサリン・ジャクソンとグローバル・ライブ・イベント社によって行われたもので、財団は彼らからコンサートへの参加や意見の連絡は受けていないと述べた。

昨夜のコンサートの終わりに、9歳のブランケット君がプリンス、パリス、その他数人の家族の横で涙ながらにステージに登場し、「ドント・ストップ・ティル・ユー・ゲット・イナフ」のパフォーマンスに参加した。

Paris wore her father’s Thriller jacket. On stage, she told the crowd of about 40,000 inside the stadium:

“We’re happy to be here tonight, in this special night, to pay tribute to our father.”

While Paris and Prince smiled confidently on stage, Blanket was quiet and calm.

Brothers Randy and Germain had opposed it because the concert coincided with Michael’s murder trial, and Jannet—who, after Michael, is the most successful and famous member of the Jackson family—had said that performing in this concert would be too difficult for her to bear.

At last night’s ceremony, Katherine and her sons Tito, Jackie, and Marlon were present, as well as their sister Latoya.

Marlon Jackson said: “Fans had the right to protest this concert. I think they have the right to do whatever they think is right. But tonight we’re celebrating my brother’s music. We know our brother better than anyone else, and we know he would have been happy about holding this concert and remembering him.”

“I want the world to know that my brother wasn’t just a stage performer. He was a human being.”

Marlon continued: “Michael suffered.”

He also said before the concert began that he respected the decision of his brothers and sister not to take part in this concert: “Each of us mourns Michael in a different way.”

Fans who had come to the concert said there is a lot of upsetting news in the murder trial, and this concert is an opportunity for them to show appreciation for Michael.

Another person said: “No matter what happens in the trial, Michael won’t come back. With this concert, we can mourn him.”

The stage was designed like a giant glove as a symbol of マイケル・ジャクソン.

The concert last night began with Ne-Yo and the beat of Billie Jean, and then the gentle sound of “The Lady In My Life” could be heard.

On stage, Ne-Yo said: “Tonight we’re not dealing with controversy, the trial, or his death. Tonight we want to celebrate him. We want to celebrate with his music.”

The British boy band JLS performed “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and then the three main and former members of Jackson 5—Jackie, Marlon, and Tito—joined them to sing “Blame it on the Boogie.”

Addressing the crowd, Marlon asked: “Can you feel his presence here tonight?” And the audience—most of whom were young—shouted in unison: Yes!

Latoya, Michael’s sister, performed on stage for the first time in 20 years last night, and her nephews—Tito’s sons and members of the group 3T—joined her. At the end of this performance, Taryll, one of the 3T members, was moved by emotion and started crying.

Latoya told Reuters that she wasn’t even thinking about performing at all:

“At minute 90, I said that I had to do this for Michael and I did it. I’m happy that I did it. It was worth it to pay tribute to him.”

Other performers from last night included Christina Aguilera, Ci Lo Green, Jamie Foxx, Leona Lewis, and the group Deyor’s Cidi. A video of Beyoncé was also shown.

“Believe in Yourself,” performed by the Queen of Music, Gladys Knight, was one of the best parts of the concert, and then Smokey Robinson—an enormous Motown star—joined her on stage for the duet “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.”

After that, Gladys Knight sang “Gone Too Soon” with a church choir.

Smokey Robinson told Reuters that many imitators would come, but none of them would ever become マイケル・ジャクソン. He added:

“His fame reached a point where no concept of a private life was imaginable for him anymore.”

“He loved this industry and he loved his work, but he couldn’t get into his car and go to the supermarket to shop or go to the cinema. Those conditions would be difficult for anyone. That’s what he suffered from.”

After the concert ended, reactions were mixed. Some people were intoxicated, while others said the quality of the performances wasn’t good. They especially criticized the breaks between the performances.

Source: eMJey.com / Reuters / billboard.com / Life