Jackson Appearance Not a "Thriller"

Wed., Nov. 15, 2006 6:47 PM PST by Natalie Finn

He came, he saw, he changed his tune.

Somewhat placating the devoted fans who came out Wednesday just to hear the erstwhile King of Pop perform "Thriller" at the World Music Awards in London, Jackson instead took to the stage accompanied by a big group of children and sang an abbreviated version of "We Are the World."

Standing in for Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, et al., the swaying, clapping kids surrounded Jackson as he offered up a few verses of the hit 1985 ballad before accepting the evening's Diamond Award, given to artists who have sold 100 million-plus records.

"There have been so many people who have loved me and stood by me," Jackson said. "I love all the fans from the bottom of my heart."

With that said, he tossed his black jacket into the crowd and exited the stage.

Wednesday marked the 48-year-old artist's first performance since his 2005 child molestation trial—FYI, he was acquitted—and first public appearance in Britain since 1997.

Event organizers had said last week that Jackson would perform the title song from his 1982 mega-hit Thriller, to commemorate the album's 25th anniversary. With more than 50 million copies sold, Thriller is the all-time best-selling album in the world and the second-highest all-time seller in the U.S.

Stopping briefly to chat with journalists on the red carpet, however, Jackson said it was a "misunderstanding" that allowed people to believe he was going to sing "Thriller." Then, when asked where he had been living lately, he replied, "All over the place."

'Nuf said, apparently, because that was the extent of the exchange.

While the eager folks who crowded the red carpet outside Earl's Court Arena this evening told reporters that Jackson would get the biggest boos if he didn't perform, many people are not expecting a return to form from the legally beleaguered pop star.

"I would say there's very little chance of him coming back from where he is," Q magazine deputy editor Gareth Grundy told Reuters, suggesting that Jackson's days of being known as a musical genius are over. "I think people will always be fascinated by the freak show, and that's what's going on. I would categorize him as a celebrity as opposed to an artist."

Or, in the words of Britain's Sun tabloid: "Be afraid, be very afraid."

But there were still plenty of well-wishers on hand hoping to hear more from Jackson, both onstage and off.

"I'm here for Michael, he's just the greatest, no one can take his place," 24-year-old Suzie Butler of Canterbury told BBC News outside Earl's Court. "People are going to be reminded just how great he is."

The ceremony, hosted by Lindsay Lohan, also featured performances by Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli.