Fans remember Jackson year after his death

NEW YORK — A year ago, DJ John Quick was scheduled to spin at a party when he got the news — Michael Jackson was dead.

So instead of playing the hits of the moment, the Harlem event turned into an impromptu tribute to the King of Pop.

"It was the first time I've ever seen grown people crying and dancing at the same time," he said.

Today, the first anniversary of the King of Pop's death, Quick will once again play Jackson tunes, at the club Taj in Manhattan, but he expects a more cheerful party this time.

"They wanna celebrate his life and music," he said. "His albums are like timelines in your life. You can remember what you were doing ... when 'Thriller' came out."

The Taj party will be part of the global celebration of Jackson's brilliant but troubled life. Jackson died at age 50 as he was preparing for comeback concerts in London.

In that city, a memorial was unveiled Thursday to a gaggle of press who packed the foyer of London's Lyric Theatre, the site of an impromptu wake following the pop superstar's death last year.

Perri Luc Kiely, 14, a member of the dance troupe Diversity, pulled back a pair of dark purple curtains to reveal a small plaque featuring a young Jackson with a wide, beaming smile. Applause and the bright flashes of cameras erupted.

"He influenced me and the whole group so much, and it was just a real big honor to be able to do that," Perri said.

With the foyer packed to the brim with photographers, videographers and journalists, fans stood on the street and peered in, capturing the moment with their camera phones.

Leanne Irving, 20, traveled seven hours by bus from her home in northern England to be able to attend the memorial events.

"An absolute inspiration. I would love to be like him and dance like him. He inspires everything I want to do in life and everything I want to achieve," said Irving, an aspiring performance artist.

In Hong Kong, Jackson imitators performed to the late singer's classics at a suburban mall Thursday. Four-year-old Wang Yiming danced to "Dangerous" wearing Jackson's trademark black fedora hat, a black suit with a silver armband and white socks.