Fans Want Money Back-o, Jacko
Call it a less than thrilling comeback for Michael Jackson.
Wednesday night's 18th Annual World Music Awards at London's Earl Court Arena were supposed to mark the beginning of a new era for the onetime King of Pop: a ballyhooed performance designed to kick start his moribund career following his 2005 acquittal on child-molestation charges.
Instead, it was an unmitigated disaster as Jackson disappointed his legion of screaming fans by not only failing to perform his megahit "Thriller," as show organizers had advertised, but barely crooning at all. He managed to get through a 30-second rendition of "We Are the World," backed by a small army of youngsters, before the music cut out, prompting a chorus of boos from the audience.
"People were expecting something significant but he didn't perform at all," Jackson admirer Abdo Binmadhi told the BBC. "When the lights went on, I saw people's faces and they were like: 'Is that it? I should have just stayed at home and watched it on TV. We should definitely get a refund."
The 48-year-old entertainer had turned up to receive the WMA's Diamond Award, honoring artists who sell more than 100 million records.
After an introduction from Beyoncé Knowles, who proclaimed Thriller was the reason she became a singer, the Gloved One came out to the podium to a standing ovation and thanked his supporters "from the bottom of [his] heart."
But instead of breaking out the zombie dance and launching into his seminal single, Jackson simply beat it, leaving many in the audience, who paid upwards of $188 a pop, feeling shafted.
Catcalls rained down as the ceremony resumed with a performance from Rihanna, while, according to Britain's Daily Mirror, Jackson was hunkered down backstage in his dressing room with Beyoncé pleading with him to perform.
The Moonwalker did finally return to the stage and, backed by a choir of 50 children, warbled a few verses of "We Are the World," with his voice wavering on a few of the high notes. His microphone was cut off by organizers after the show ran past its 11 p.m. curfew time.
Jackson the tossed his black sequined jacket into the crowd, shook hands with some people in the front rows and got out of Dodge.
Jackson called the idea that he was going to sing "Thriller" a "misunderstanding." The song was in fact performed at the WMAs, but by Chris Brown—not exactly a HIStory-making moment.
A spokesman for the World Music Awards insisted that organizers "had not been contacted by any of the fans or had one complaint" regarding the event.
Londoner Mohammed Al-Sabti, who was onstage in the choir, had a different take on the proceedings than those who witnessed it from the audience.
"It was an amazing experience, but due to silly people running to Michael and jumping on him, I don't blame him for not being able to sing a full song as he was being harassed," he commented to the BBC.
Meanwhile, the London Times reports that Jackson was paid $500,000 just for showing up and was provided with a private jet and five-star hotel accommodations. Similar arrangements were reportedly made for other name-brand guests, including Knowles, Paris Hilton, Elle Macpherson, Enya, Nelly Furtado and Bon Jovi.
British media outlets gave a collective thumbs-down to the debacle.
The Mirror labeled the affair "shambolic," while the Times chief rock critic, Pete Paphides, said Jackson, who's working on a new album for release next year, has his work cut out for him if he ever wants to be a "credible artistic force again."
"He can make a record that is as good as the producers he decides to work with, but it will still be Michael Jackson, and we can't just forget what we know about him," Paphides wrote.
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