Saturday June 25th 2011 marked the 2 year anniversary of Michael Jackson the "King of Pop". I was born in 1968 the year the Jackson Family packed up and headed out West for fame and fortune. I grew up in Gary with my family and headed South after High School in 1986. I just looked at the numbers and that is kinda creepy. 1968, 1986... Anyways...
All of us in Gary hoped we had some type of connection with the famous family. We hoped for a homecoming, maybe a concert at the Genesis Center in downtown Gary or even to the Star Plaza in Merrillville. Closest we got were tour stops in Chicago and Indianapolis in the 80's and early 90's. Fact is, none of the Jacksons ever returned home for anything except for that failed song "2300 Jackson Street" song. Now Michael did return on June 11th 2003 for a bogus lawsuit from these cats wanting money from pre-Jackson 5 fame and after that MJ went to City Hall, his old house, Roosevelt High School and did the whole "I am proud to be from Gary" stunt. Got a key to the city, signed a promissory note to help with a performing arts center, blah blah blah. Quite a gap in homecoming 1968-2003! If there was not the legal issue he had to give a deposition for, I doubt Gary would have gotten a visit.
He was generous to kids and causes all over the world no one can ever dispute the generosity and his giving. None of those millions upon millions of dollars ever made it to Gary Indiana the place he was "proud to be from". It doesn't take me to tell ya that Gary could have used a few bucks throughout the years when he was alive. Since he has passed, both his parents have stopped by in Gary and coincidently after they visited, plans were announced to build the huge Jackson Museum in Gary that has damn near died off. Was the visit to get the hometown approval for such a ridiculous project?
All the people still in Gary that flock to 2300 Jackson Street that might not live in the greatest neighborhoods in the greatest of living conditions have to be somewhat pissed at the lack of help from the famous family. But you can see from the news footage from the house on the anniversary that when in doubt, "help yourselves"! I doubt any of the souvenirs that are being sold outside of the old house are licensed or have approval from MJ's "estate".
I would love to see one of these lawyers try and stop the survival instinct that is 2nd nature in Michaels hometown that is now a ghost town..
