Michael Jackson Mourned In Hometown Of Gary
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 26, 2009 2:00PM
As the world reels from the unexpected death of pop star Michael Jackson, fans in his hometown of Gary are flocking to his childhood home to pay homage to the fallen singer. Jackson was born in Gary in 1958 and first started performing with his brothers at nightclub Mr. Lucky's in 1964. Jackson left Gary in 1969. According to the Tribune:
In 1967, Gordon Keith auditioned the band in the Jackson home, and he said he was immediately struck by the 9-year-old Michael's singing and dancing ability. As the band set up to play, he recalled being impressed by Michael jumping flat-footed over his brother Tito's guitar cord."I'm remembering him still as the good little kid, a fresh boy," Keith said. "You know, running up and down with a smile on his face, a super kid, really."
Keith signed the Jackson 5 to his record label, Steeltown Records, and recorded the band's first two singles. But in 1969, when singer Diana Ross visited Gary and saw the band perform at Roosevelt High School, local legend has it that she stole the group away from their northwest Indiana hometown.
WBEZ hit up 2300 Jackson Way to talk to fans gathered at the home. Doris Jennings spoke to criticism Jackson received for not doing more to help his hometown: "They are going to remember him from his music and the things he did. It wasn’t about what he could do for the city because it’s a lot of people who left here who didn’t do nothing for the city. It’s just him. The King of Pop."
For more on Jackson's career, Chicago's stalwart music critics, Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot have their retrospectives on Jackson's music.