People News

Michael Jackson vigil held in his hometown

Aug 30, 2012, 8:07 GMT

Fans outside Michael\'s childhood home

Michael Jackson's fans held a vigil outside his childhood home yesterday (29.08.12) on what would have been his 54th birthday.

Many supporters flocked to the late singer's boyhood home in Gary, Indiana, to pay tribute to their idol, who died in June 2009 from acute Propofol intoxication.

They were dancing outside to Michael's music until his eldest two children, Prince Michael, 15, and 14-year-old Paris arrived, when they started forming around them to get their memorabilia autographed.

Paris then tweeted a photo of the crowd and wrote: 'you guys are amazing!!! (sic)'

Reverend Jesse Jackson also showed up at the tribute, stopping in the crowd before the vigil to pose for a photo with a Michael Jackson impersonator.

Before the vigil, Paris and Prince were given blue 'Team Gary' T-shirts by Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson as they posed for pictures at a casino overlooking Lake Michigan.

Paris later told fans: 'We just want you to know how much he meant to us and the city of Gary.'

Prince and Paris are in Gary for four days with their brother and Blanket, 10, aunt La Toya Jackson and the trio's co-guardians, grandmother Katherine Jackson and their cousin TJ Jackson.

Karen Freeman-Wilson, the Mayor of Gary, will host a special dinner tonight (31.08.12) to commemorate the life of the King of Pop as well as honour Michael's mother Katherine, and a tribute concert will take place tomorrow (31.08.12) at the local West Side Theatre Guild.

Michael's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray is currently serving a jail sentence for the singer's involuntary manslaughter.