This ad will close in 15 seconds

From : tswang2
Added: Sep 2, 2009
Michael Jackson The King Of Pop Tribute Concert by TSwang August 29th 2009 126 Niles Ave South Bend, In 46601 The East Race Water Park A tribute to the King of Pop Birthday concert meant to celebrate Jackson By HOWARD DUKES Tribune Staff Writer Anthony Gullens was 12 years old when he started trying to dance like Michael Jackson. Back then, I was kind of imitating him here and there, Gullens, who is organizing a birthday tribute to the late singer, says. The event will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Seitz Park. I would do certain moves, he says, but then I started to separate a little bit and do my own thing as I got older. Since then, Gullens has become an independent recording artist who goes by the stage name of T Swang. Gullens' style fuses R&B, hip-hop, neo-soul and pop. He has released a CD, We Gets Down, and is preparing to release another. Gullens says that his musical influences are an eclectic mix, but his inspiration comes from such 1960s-era soul performers as Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Jackie Wilson. Jackson, Gullens says, had one thing in common with those performers. He was definitely a showman and innovator, and I put those words together because he showed you on that stage how it's supposed to be done, he says. You bring your all to the stage. He learned that from (watching) Jackie Wilson and James Brown. When they hit that stage — when Aretha Franklin hit that stage — they didn't play. Gullens learned that same lesson when he watched Jackson perfect and popularize the dance called The Moonwalk on a TV special honoring Motown's 25th Anniversary in 1983. That performance inspired a generation of rappers, rockers, singers and dancers, Gullens says. Over the years, Gullens developed his own style, but Jackson remains his primary musical influence. Gullens says he has been thinking about organizing a Michael Jackson tribute show for several years, but the efforts never came together. The King of Pop's death on June 25 gave Gullens' efforts more urgency, and so the artist decided to invite musicians to perform at an event honoring Jackson on what would have been his 51st birthday. I decided that instead of making it a memorial type of deal that we are going to make (the show) more like musicians getting together (to perform for) the community, he says. Gullens says that the lineup is still being finalized, but the performers will include R&B bands, hip-hop groups and vocalists performing both original songs and covers of Jackson's hits from his time as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist. Some of the people are talking about revamping their (original) songs and doing them as a kind of cover tribute song, Gullens says. His performance will include covers of Jackson tunes. He also will use computer technology to perform a duet with Jackson that will be similar to the duet of the song Unforgettable that Natalie Cole performed with her father, Nat King Cole, 26 years after his death in 1965. Gullens says there are plans for a Chicago-based Michael Jackson impersonator to perform at the concert. They say that this guy looks just like him, Gullens says. I can't wait to see that.
Category : Music

Video Categories:

Also Try: