14 DAY TRIAL // This year’s Grammy Awards started off on a very high note, with the biggest artists of the moment paying homage to King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Celine Dion, Usher, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood walked together on the stage and sang Michael’s “Earth Song” while the screens behind displayed 3D images that were supposed to be shown during his “This Is It” residency at London’s O2 Arena last summer, as the New York Times informs.
The stars were introduced by Robinson himself and put on what was deemed the most touching moment of the evening, second only to the segment when Michael’s eldest children, Prince and Paris, came in to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of their late father. Though not all members of the audience had their 3D glasses on, judging by their reaction, they were all moved by the tribute and had thoroughly enjoyed it.
“The 52nd annual Grammy Awards placed good intentions at the core of the show, with a Michael Jackson tribute that was also a protest: ‘Earth Song.’ It was another thank-you from a music business that continues to owe Jackson more gratitude, now for being the best-selling act of 2009. His poised son Prince, accepting his father’s latest Grammy, said his ‘message was simple: love,’ adding, ‘We will continue to spread his message and help the world.’ Then his daughter, Paris, added: ‘Daddy was supposed to be here. Daddy was going to perform this year’,” the aforementioned publication writes.
“Instead the Grammys had the 3-D video that would have been shown during Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ concerts, overlaid with live belting by Usher, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood. In a song that sees disaster everywhere, none of them matched the anguish in Jackson’s own vocals, but they came surprisingly close. (Those who didn’t have 3-D glasses saw red and green blurs around Jackson’s Edenic rain forest, complete with innocent child, but were spared the equally protruding live performers.)” the NY Times further writes.
Right after the performance, Lionel Ritchie introduced Paris and Prince Jackson, who came accompanied by their cousins. Useless to say, the audience became even more emotional when the two spoke of their father. Below is the video of Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson and Usher performing “Earth Song” for the Michael Jackson tribute at the 2010 Grammys. Enjoy.