This review also appears on my RadioIO.com Blog at the following link:http://www.radioio.com/genres/hiphop-soul/

This was a straight up spiritual experience today at the Apollo Theatre. It was the ‘Church of Michael Jackson” up in there today and it was something that I was quite unprepared for. You see I had been to the Apollo a few years ago for what was essentially the “wake” of James Brown. I had expected this event, less than a week after the passing of Michael Jackson to be much the same. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There was no dead body on the stage, as there was at the James Brown wake.. Instead there was a lone barstool, with a familiar looking black fedora, a familiar pair of black shades and a single familiar white sequined glove resting on top of the seat cushion of the barstool. The spotlight shined on the barstool and the items resting on the seat cushion of the barstool glowed.

The crowd entered the lower level of the Apollo in an orderly fashion. They all seemingly had on Michael Jackson T-Shirts, Michael Jackson Baseball caps. Some carried handmade/store brought Michael Jackson banners and posters.

Jonelle Procope CEO and President of the Apollo then came out to speak. She talked about how folks came to the Apollo as soon as they heard about the news of Michael’s passing. Rev Al came out and talked about how the Jackson’s started here at the Apollo and he made the world recognize OUR CULTURE. Congressman Charlie Rangel came on and gave greetings from the Congressional Black Caucus. All of what they had to say was important and most fitting to the occasion. However what they had to say was nearly meaningless after what came next.

And what came next was an EXPLOSION. It was sheer joy.
It made me smile from ear to ear. And it made me understand perhaps for the first time, just why Michael Jackson is/was as big as he is/was.

What came next was indescribable using text. You really had to be there..

If I say something like..

“For the next 30 minutes the packed Apollo crowd was treated to a Michael Jackson MASTER MIX + VIDEO SHOW with legendary rapper CHUBB ROCK leading the crowd”

Then most of you will say “big deal.”

..and you would be correct.

IT WAS A BIG DEAL

In fact it was something pretty damn close to: ::::MAGIC:::::

It can’t be compared to being at any musical event I have ever been to. It was something like being at an amusement park and just watching the joy & happiness on the faces of the people. It was as though it didn’t matter that he had died. People singing.
People dancing. People screaming his name in unison.
The packed Apollo was turned into a house party, for sure.
People “freaking.”
People “moonwalking.”
Young people.
Old people.
Black
White
Hispanic
It was as though there was a “rebirth” right there inside of the Apollo.

NOBODY WAS CRYING

The vibe was incredible. The entire Apollo bonded together as one. I’ve been a Michael Jackson fan since 1969. But after today THE SONGS mean more than they ever did to me before.

When I took the subway back to Penn Station, I encountered two young white girls. They had on Michael Jackson paraphernalia, so I decided to interview them. One was 22 and the other was 23. Neither had been born yet when the “Thriller” album was released.

Later as I added up the sum total of the day, what I had seen, what I had heard, the people I talked with, the people I didn’t, plus the general glow surrounding the Apollo today, I finally came up with a person from the past to compare Michel Jackson to.

It’s not a musical artist. It’s Walt Disney. It occurred to me that Walt Disney was a visionary, who was all about the same kinds of things that Michael Jackson was about. I think that it’s fair to say that Walt Disney had a world view with respect to technology, culture, education and more was similar to that of Michael Jackson.

Except for one difference.

Unlike Walt Disney, Michael Jackson really did figure out a way to place himself into a state of “suspended animation.”

WE HAVE HIS SONGS, WHICH WILL BE HERE FOREVER.

…..And every single time someone spins a record.
Or

….Loads in a CD

Or

…..Clicks a mouse.

Or

….perhaps in the future, summons up a hologram

Over some object, physical or meta physical with the name

::::JACKSON::::

He is going to reappear, and it will be just as if he had never left.

And we are going to smile just as soon as we hear his voice.

Even Walt Disney can’t do that, from the great beyond….

Update: The music of Micheal Jackson live from the Apollo on 6/31/2009 emceed by Chubb Rock, Remarks from Rev Al Sharpton, Apollo President/CEO Jonelle Procope and Congressman Charles Rangel, On site interviews with Queen Mother/Mayor of Harlem, Devena + Two Funky White Chicks. Additional music by Norman Connors and Mellisa Forbes. Broadcast introduced by Joe Jackson, and hosted by Bob Davis

http://www.soul-patrol.net/mj_apollo.ram

Check it out and let me know what cha think?

RIP – Mike

This poem comes from our friend Paradise. A few years ago a few of yall will recall that Paradise was named as Soul-Patrol’s Jazz Artist of the year…
——

THEY JUST BEAT HIM!

by Paradise

They just beat him
Just yesterday
They Finally beat him
Beat him to death
Beat all the black off of him
Beat all the naps off of him
Beat all the song
And the dance
And the music out of him
Beat him like a pinata
Until they knocked
All the goodies out of him
Beat the Soul out of him
Like Rodney King
They just beat him
And beat him and beat him
For 50 years
This world beat him
Made fun of him
And made him their whipping boy
For making great music
For giving us a Thriller of a life
A Thriller of a time
For leaving behind an incredible
Legacy of music and love
And not a single curse word
On any of his songs
Nothing but great art
For the world to cherish forevermore
The number one selling album of all time
On planet Earth
And for this they beat him
Like Emmitt Till and Jesus
They just beat him, beat him
Put him on a cross and beat him
Another messiah bites the dust
For having a beautiful soul
For being too beautiful for this world
For trying to heal the world
And bring salvation back
And bring us together
A humanitarian, a vegetarian
Because he loved animals
Wouldn’t harm a flea
He loved us all
It didn’t matter
Whether you’re black or white
But whites and blacks
Just beat him
Assassinated his character
Blasphemed his name
Held him up against The Wall
And threw rocks at him
Stoned him to death
For trying to Rock With You
For singing about Butterflies
For being a Dancing Machine
They pulled him over
And gave him a ticket
For Moonwalking While Black
For having a Moonwalk
more shocking than NASAs
For being one Giant Step for mankind
They finally popped the King of Pop
And sent him back to Neverneverland
With Peter Pan
And all the other mythical
Mystical, magical creatures
He gave us
Billie Jean, The Love You Save
Never Can Say Goodbye & I’ll Be There
And we gave him creature features
We are the World
And we just beat him
Pulverized him into submission
Teased him to death
The world finally beat Michael Jackson
He’s Out of Our Lives
Are you happy now
Beat him off the planet
Beat all the ebony and ivory off of him
And yet he continues to stand
And he will forevermore be The Man
With the velvet touch
And the Sequined Gloved Hand
Michael Jackson
Invincible
Heeee hee!

(c) 6/26/09 6:30am by Paradise

The “King of Pop” performed at the world-famous Apollo several times in his career – first, in 1969 when he was just a young boy, and, most recently, in 2002 at the invitation of former President Bill Clinton at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.

On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, the Apollo will welcome the public into the Theater to pay tribute to Mr. Jackson, hear his music, and see video tributes to the late pop star. Apollo President and CEO Jonelle Procope, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and others will offer eulogies under the Apollo marquee at 2:00p.m. On Wednesday, July 1, 2009, the Apollo will dedicate its weekly Amateur Night show to Mr. Jackson with special performances and dance features such as a moon walking contest. Further, the Apollo has erected a signature wall outside the Theater where mourners can write condolences and leave remembrances. The Theater also has plans to do a star-studded tribute to Mr. Jackson later in the month of July.

“Michael first performed at the Apollo in the late 1960s with his brothers and won Amateur Night, which catapulted their career as the Jackson 5. We will always remember Michael in our hearts as part of the Apollo’s family of artists and a true Apollo legend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will be deeply missed,” said Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation. “From the moment the news of his passing was made public, fans began gathering at the Apollo to pay their respects and celebrate Michael’s life. We at the Apollo thought it was important to put these events together to give Michael’s fans the chance to remember him as the consummate entertainer that he was.”

Statement to the Press , Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Starting at 2:00p.m. Jonelle Procope, President & CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation, will speak to the press and will be joined by the Reverend Al Sharpton to eulogize the late icon.