The Rev. Al Sharpton gave a rousing speech praising the pop star to hundreds
of fans who crammed into the theater as others waited in line outside to pay
their respects.
"Michael made young men and women all over the world imitate us,"
Sharpton said. "Before Michael, we were limited and ghettoized. But Michael
put on a colorful military outfit, he pulled his pants up, he put on the one
glove and he smashed the barriers of segregated music."
A black fedora with a white glove draped across its brim sat on a lone stool
on the theater's stage, surrounded by elaborate arrangements of white lilies.
Fans left teddy bears, letters and homemade posters compiled from various
images of the star. One carried a sign that said: "Michael we never can
say goodbye: no no no no."
Constance Percival, who decades earlier camped out in front of
"Seeing people united for Michael shows that the world can come
together as one," the 33-year-old Brooklyn resident said, looking at the
multiracial crowd that turned out to honor the artist who had a hit with a song
with the lyric, "it don't matter if you're Black or white."
Among those moved to dance was film director Spike Lee, who joined Sharpton
on stage to groove to "ABC" and "Rockin' Robin."
Sharpton led the crowd in a moment of silence at 5:26 p.m., the time East
Coast fans learned of
"Let's not wallow in the negativity that they're trying to drag us down
into. We're not having it," Lee said. "It's all about the love."
The line outside stretched 10 blocks north to
"I thought that in my time I'd have the opportunity to see him in
concert," said Victoria Campomames, who did a brief moonwalk on the
sidewalk as "Rock With You" played from a nearby store. "This is
about the closest I'm gonna get."
Campomames, wearing a Jackson-style spangled black jacket, fedora and white
gloves, took the day off from her job at a grocery store in Morrisville, Vt.,
for the all-day tribute at the fabled venue that helped make him a star.
Thousands were paying their respects at the theater, which was letting in
600 people at a time to listen to
The event seemed half concert and half family reunion. Even a security
staffer or two could be seen dancing in the aisle.
The tribute began shortly after 2 p.m., but many people had lined up hours
earlier.
Ebony Johnson, 19, arrived at midnight to secure a spot near the front of
the line, clutching a
"I love him so much — I can't explain that in words," she said.
"I felt like Michael was my family."
Khadijah Shakur got in line at 7:30 a.m. to be among the first to get into
the theater. The 53-year-old from Brooklyn said she followed the star's life
and career from the
"I don't care about the pills, I don't care about the child molestation
charges, I don't care about the doctor," Shakur said. "I only care
about the magic he put on this planet, the love and excitement that he gave to
his fans at every concert."
Admirers wrote messages on a wall of remembrance outside the
Fans began assembling at the Apollo soon after
The pop icon's ties to the theater go back to 1967, when the Jackson 5 won
the Apollo's Amateur Night contest. The appearance is credited with helping to
launch the brother act's career, which later propelled
The Apollo also played a role in remembrances for James Brown after his
death in 2006, hosting a public viewing of the "Godfather of Soul"
for thousands of fans.
______
In photo: Fans sing and dance
to the music of Michael Jackson during a tribute to the late singer at Harlem's
Apollo theatre Tuesday, June 30, 2009 in
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