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Fans moonwalk, hold worldwide vigils for Jackson

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-27 17:14

MEXICO CITY-- Michael Jackson imitators moonwalked at Mexico's Angel of Independence, a prison in the Philippines organized a "Thriller" tribute dance, political leaders paid homage and French fans gathered at Notre Dame to sing and cry Friday as the world mourned the King of Pop.

From Paris to Peru, tributes both personal and public were held by generations of fans, from those who danced to "ABC" and hummed along with "I'll be There" and "Ben" in the '70s, to the Generation X'ers who moonwalked and gyrated to "Billie Jean," "Thriller" and "Bad" in the 1980s.

Mexican Victor Jackson, a Michael Jackson impersonator, dances with members of his group in Mexico City June 26, 2009. [Agencies]

In Mexico City, a half-dozen 20-something fans took turns busting Jackson-like moves on the steps of the country's iconic Angel of Independence monument and later sat arm-in-arm holding candles and posterboards covered with Jackson photo collages and heartfelt messages.

"I love you Michael Jackson, King of Pop," said one. "I will love you forever."

One member of the small gathering, Oliver Munoz, tried to moonwalk his sadness away as he fondly remembered his 20-year membership in a local Jackson fan club.

"At first it's kind of like being in shock," he said. "It doesn't soak in. But then later you really start to feel the sadness and you just give in to the tears."

In one of Mexico City's hundreds of busy nightclubs Thursday evening, a DJ interchanged standard techno-music and hard rock with Jackson songs including "Beat It" and "Billie Jean," while clients sadly raised their glasses in a toast.

Throughout Latin America, fans planned weekend tributes in town squares, while in Paris on Friday hundreds of Jackson fans sang, danced, cried and shouted out in grief at a gathering in front of the Notre Dame cathedral.

In London, shocked fans united at the Lyric Theatre, where a live show based on Jackson's record-selling album "Thriller" is being performed, and waited for news about refunds for 750,000 tickets to his sold-out, 50-night run.

In the Philippines, prison security consultant Byron Garcia planned a tribute for Jackson on Saturday with inmates performing an encore of a famous video in which they do a synchronized dance to "Thriller." The video has had 23.4 million hits on YouTube.

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