The mood was anything but somber at the memorial celebration of the life and music of Michael Jackson.
Students from both UH and TSU and other local Michael Jackson fans attended the event. Some came to honor Jackson’s life, while others came out of curiosity. Most of the rest came because they wanted to listen and dance to the pop legend’s music.
Sociology senior Bimpe Aibinuomo shared fond memories of the late musician.
‘His music is like the soundtrack to your life. In elementary school, our PE teacher would make us do warm-ups to ‘Beat It,” Aibinuomo said.
One of the emcees of the celebration was recording artist Takeya, also known as the R&B Princess of Houston. Hip-hop group Atmosphere performed original songs and Jackson covers, including ‘Remember the Time,’ ‘Beat It,’ ‘Rock With You’ and ‘Dirty Diana.’
Many in the crowd sang and danced to the songs. At one point during the celebration, some of the audience got onstage and learned the timeless ‘Thriller’ dance.
During one of the songs, communication freshman Cameron Belcher and psychology freshman Matt Zito were seen dancing wildly in the crowd. Their performance earned them an onstage dance, resulting in a nickname, the ‘Neverland kids.’
Fans also recalled their best memories of Jackson. Sophomore Masae Patrick met Jackson 20 years ago while watching Les Mis’eacute;rables on Broadway with a friend.
‘He wanted to talk to us, but his bodyguard took him away. He seemed like a really nice man,’ Patrick said.
Engineering junior Gabriel Rangel remembered how he, as a child, tried to imitate the lean in the video for ‘Smooth Criminal.’
‘I was unsuccessful, but got pretty far,’ Range l said.
Some attendees came with various memorabilia from Jackson’s career, such as T-shirts. One person even brought their record of Jackson’s 1987 album Bad. Others brought homemade posters and newspaper clippings of Jackson’s death.
Also on Tuesday, CNN broadcasted Jackson’s memorial service from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The service included performances from some of Jackson’s closest friends, including Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and John Mayer, and emotional speeches from Jackson’s brothers and daughter.
At UH, students and staff gathered at the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library to watch the memorial. Unlike the outdoor memorial held later that day, students and staff had mixed feelings about the public event.
‘I’m excited because I would’ve liked to have been there, but it’s also crossing boundaries of privacy,’ biology senior Payton Kehn said. ‘I guess that’s what happens when you’re that famous.’
Others thought making the funeral public was correct, because it gave fans a chance to bid adieu.
‘This is a way for the fans, true fans, to connect and say goodbye,’ University Relations marketing manager Parrice Le Pe said.
UH librarian Loretta Wallace felt that the coverage of Jackon’s memorial was diverting attention from more important issues.
‘News is celebrity driven. It’s not the most important (issue), but our president is in Russia discussing missiles,’ Wallace said.
Some attendees brought their lunches while others brought their books, witnessing thousands of people inside the Staples Center and billions around the world pay their respects to a music legend.
Those who went to either service saw a great celebration for the late King of Pop.
