The death of pop king Michael Jackson left Edmonton fans who held tickets for his comeback concerts in England devastated.
“It’s a shocker,” said Freddie Jawaid, who was planning to watch Jackson perform in London on July 16. “I’ve been a lifelong Michael Jackson fan.”
Jawaid, 31, is set to fly to Europe July 8, in keeping with plans he made to visit the country after snagging two sets of Jackson tickets back in March.
Buying four tickets cost Jawaid about $800. He said he expected TicketMaster to refund the cash.
Jackson, 50, died this afternoon after suffering a heart attack inside his Los Angeles, Calif. home.
The superstar had been in rehearsals for dozens of upcoming concerts he was slotted to perform in London beginning next month.
Jawaid was planning on catching part of his This Is It tour inside London’s O2 stadium on July 16. His plans to visit the city will stand, he said, adding that he watched Jackson perform in London back in 1996.
Nauzi Knight, a University of Alberta student, said she was crushed by news of Jackson’s death. She, too, booked a trip to England to watch him in concert.
“I have always loved Michael Jackson since I was a little girl watching Moonwalker,” said Knight, 19. “I was prepared to see him, for the first time, in London on July 28.
“This news was devastating and heartbreaking to me.”
Edmonton Sun reporter Clara Ho also held tickets to a Jackson concert in London and said she was looking forward to watching him perform.
“I’m disappointed,” she said.
Jackson is not to believed to have performed in Edmonton in the past but has put on shows in Toronto and Vancouver.
It was in Lisbon, Portugal where Edmontonian Evelyn Van Diest watched Jackson put on one of the greatest shows she’s ever witnessed.
Van Diest, 34, was just 17 when she won a MuchMusic contest to see the superstar perform abroad.
She also met him backstage.
“He was a little bit odd to look at, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “He was really nice.”
Jackson signed an album, photo and book for Van Diest.
She said she was shocked to learn of his sudden death.
“I still can’t believe it,” she said. “I thought Michael was one of those guys that would live forever.”
michelle.thompson@sunmedia.ca
http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2009/06/25/9938486.html
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