Michael Jackson was heralded as the Kind of Pop, so a concert created to commemorate his incredible talent should be fit for royalty, right?
You'd think so! But the event appears to be anything but as the Michael Forever gig in Cardiff tomorrow night has turned from tribute to tragedy, with endless disasters — just this morning another act has left the line-up and Facebook have stopped their involvement.
No shows: Chris Brown and The Black Eyes Peas have pulled out of the tribute gig just days before the event
Chris Brown is the latest star to pull out, after being denied entry to the UK. The singer's working visa was rejected by authorities due to his criminal record for the 2009 assault on Rihanna.
Organisers rejected the idea that the 22-year old would perform via a video link as Beyonce plans to.
Brown's departure from the line-up comes just days after the headline act, Black Eyed Peas, bailed on the show. The band blamed 'unavoidable circumstances' sparking split rumours which they have since denied.
Vanishing act: The line up on the concert’s website today is a shadow of its former self
Earlier this morning Facebook also jumped ship. The hugely popular social networking site planned to broadcast the concert, but today announced they will not continue their commitment citing rights issues as the cause. *OKAAAAY THEN*
Dire ticket sales have also plagued the event, with reports of poor purchasing figures surfacing a month ago.
Facebook group 'Fans Against Michael Jackson Forever Tribute' protested against Ticketmaster's BOGOF (Buy one get one free) promotion, with mjstar.com allegedly slashing prices in half due to the £95 price tag.
True icon: The concert was supposed to pay homage to a man with a magnitude of talent
And arguably the saddest part of the entire affair is that the Jackson family has been torn apart by the show, with family members being split on two sides — those supporting the event and those against it.
Michael's brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie, his sister La Toya, who will be performing live in public for the first time in nearly 20 years, his mother Katherine and his children are all in support of the show.
However, Jermaine, Randy and Janet have criticised the tribute due to its timing, which coincides with the manslaughter trial of Michael's former doctor.
All omg! wants to ask is 'What would Michael think?' For an artist who seemed to care so much about his fans (as anyone who's seen 'This Is It' will know), it's unlikely he would be happy to witness such a shambles.
200 comments