Michael Jackson to Be Honoured at Apollo Venue
New York’s famed Apollo Theater, where Michael Jackson first sang at the age of 9, will pay tribute to the pop star by posthumously inducting him into its hall of fame, organizers said on Tuesday.
Jackson, who died at age 50 from a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol given in a cocktail of drugs, will feature in the Apollo’s walk of fame in a plaque to be installed next year, Apollo officials said in a news release.
The man behind such albums as “Thriller” and “Off the Wall” will also be remembered in a 100-foot long tribute wall that has already served as an ongoing memorial.
Following Jackson’s death in June, fans danced in the aisles of the theater and lined up for blocks outside to celebrate his life. The venue is planning on playing Michael Jackson music videos.
The theater became a gathering place for “fans from all over to express their memories, grief and condolences for the King of Pop,” said Apollo Theater president Jonelle Procope, adding “the wall became a part of that tribute and is now truly a piece of history.”
The Jackson 5 won the Apollo’s famed Amateur Night two years after Jackson first performed there. The pop singer was then 11 years old and performed Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s Lovin’ You” to clinch the competition in 1969.
Jackson will join previous inductees at the Apollo including Robinson, James Brown and Ella Fitzgerald.
