Sharon Jones Felt 'Heavy Silence' After Michael Jackson's Death

Posted on Jun 25th 2010 11:30AM by Benjy Eisen
Comments

When someone's death changes your life, you remember the moment you heard the bad news. For soul sister Sharon Jones, that someone was Michael Jackson and that moment occurred while she was onstage, preparing for a gig somewhere in Michigan. Her friend called and interrupted sound check to deliver the news that Jackson had just passed away.

"I was so hurt; I was in tears," Jones tells Spinner. "We did two covers in his memory -- 'Who's Lovin' You?' and 'I Want You Back.' We worked those into our set for the rest of the tour to honor the King of Pop. There was such a heavy silence that hung in the air for days afterward; his death affected everyone, young and old, so we continued to cover them."

While Jones holds the popular opinion that nobody will ever be able replace Jackson or fill his shoes, she also knows that he passes at least some of his stardust on to the next generation. She recalls the way she fell in love with him when she little. "I was crazy for Michael like these young girls today and Justin Bieber," she says. "I never had the honor of seeing him live, but I remember when he won the award for 'Billie Jean.' I was watching on TV when he came out in his rhinestone-studded socks, the little white glove and the hat. He was just glowing in those lights and I remember just thinking how far he has come and what an amazing entertainer he truly was."

One year after his death and our appreciation for just how far he really did come, and just what an amazing entertainer he truly, truly was, has only grown.

Watch Sharon Jones Live on the Interface