Angela Bassett, Natalie Cole and Sister Sledge also slated to perform at September 26 event.
Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and Akon are among the first group of artists announced for the September 26 Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna being put together by the late pop singer's brother Jermaine Jackson.
Organizers also announced that veteran acts Natalie Cole andSister Sledge will perform outside the 17th-century palace ofSchönbrunn in the Austrian capital, with more names slated to beannounced later this week at press conferences in London on Wednesdayand Berlin on Thursday.
The first group of performers also includes boy band US 5,protégés of imprisoned boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman, and actressAngela Bassett, who portrayed family matriarch Katherine Jackson in theTV-movie "The Jacksons: An American Dream." According to organizers,Bassett will "impersonate one part of Michael Jackson's life." A totalof 20-25 acts are expected to take part in the concert, which will betelevised around the globe.
The show will be the first live performance by Brown since his sentencinglast month for the beating of ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February. Brown,20, an avowed Jackson devotee, was sentenced to 180 days of communitylabor work, a year of domestic-violence counseling and five years ofprobation in the case, but he can travel outside the country with ajudge's permission, lawyer Mark Geragos told CNN's Larry King lastweek. Akon worked with Jackson on songs for what was to be the King of Pop's long-in-the-works comeback album.
The performers will be backed by Jackson's touring band, withwhom he'd rehearsed for weeks before his untimely death on June 25 atthe age of 50. The dancers for his planned This Is It concerts inLondon will also be on the bill.
Jermaine will sing a virtual duet with his late brother that hepromises will be a "magic moment for all who loved his music." Amongthe songs that will performed by various artists at the event are "Manin the Mirror," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller," "Black or White,""Earth Song," "Smooth Criminal," "Bad," "Dirty Diana," "Will You BeThere," "You Are Not Alone," "Remember the Time," "Heal the World,""The Girl Is Mine" and "Scream."
The palace's grounds can accommodate more than 65,000 fans, whowill watch the proceedings along with Jackson's family and children.The 165-foot-wide stage will feature massive LED walls that can slidetogether and apart and a runway that allows performers to walk throughthe audience.
Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and Akon are among the first group of artists announced for the September 26 Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna being put together by the late pop singer's brother Jermaine Jackson.
Organizers also announced that veteran acts Natalie Cole andSister Sledge will perform outside the 17th-century palace ofSchönbrunn in the Austrian capital, with more names slated to beannounced later this week at press conferences in London on Wednesdayand Berlin on Thursday.
The first group of performers also includes boy band US 5,protégés of imprisoned boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman, and actressAngela Bassett, who portrayed family matriarch Katherine Jackson in theTV-movie "The Jacksons: An American Dream." According to organizers,Bassett will "impersonate one part of Michael Jackson's life." A totalof 20-25 acts are expected to take part in the concert, which will betelevised around the globe.
The show will be the first live performance by Brown since his sentencinglast month for the beating of ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February. Brown,20, an avowed Jackson devotee, was sentenced to 180 days of communitylabor work, a year of domestic-violence counseling and five years ofprobation in the case, but he can travel outside the country with ajudge's permission, lawyer Mark Geragos told CNN's Larry King lastweek. Akon worked with Jackson on songs for what was to be the King of Pop's long-in-the-works comeback album.
The performers will be backed by Jackson's touring band, withwhom he'd rehearsed for weeks before his untimely death on June 25 atthe age of 50. The dancers for his planned This Is It concerts inLondon will also be on the bill.
Jermaine will sing a virtual duet with his late brother that hepromises will be a "magic moment for all who loved his music." Amongthe songs that will performed by various artists at the event are "Manin the Mirror," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller," "Black or White,""Earth Song," "Smooth Criminal," "Bad," "Dirty Diana," "Will You BeThere," "You Are Not Alone," "Remember the Time," "Heal the World,""The Girl Is Mine" and "Scream."
The palace's grounds can accommodate more than 65,000 fans, whowill watch the proceedings along with Jackson's family and children.The 165-foot-wide stage will feature massive LED walls that can slidetogether and apart and a runway that allows performers to walk throughthe audience.
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