Don Cornelius

Don Cornelius O’Jays Tribute 2009 BET Awards - Don Cornelius attended the 2009 Bet Awards to present the award to the O’Jays. The creator of ‘Soul Train, Don Cornelius also have something to say on Michael Jackson when he was on the 2009 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday (June 28) in Los Angeles. “I met Michael Jackson at the age of 8, when his father and my new friend, Joe Jackson, first began to bring the Jackson 5 to Chicago, from their home in Gary, Indiana, for concert appearances.

“The word of the Jackson 5’s devastating abilities as concert artists had already begun to spread like an out-of-control forest fire to the laser-like attention of all Chicago area R&B music stars. “If Michael Jackson and his brothers were booked on an upcoming Chicagoland show, leave it alone! Don’t book it! Don’t go on that show and get completely blown away by young Michael and the Jackson 5!” With the news of the BET Awards 2009 making last minute alterations to pay tribute to the pop star Michael Jackson, it was expected to be a memorable show.

Don Cornelius of the Soul Train fame remembered his experience with Jackson while talking about him onstage. Don who had Known Jackson since childhood but only as a young singer onstage mentioned about the huge talent that the pop star possessed since childhood. It was in the mid 1960s when Don encountered MJ from among the five brothers from Indiana who were performing to covers of the then established bands namely the Temptations. The then four feet tall young Jackson’s vocal skills and dance onstage caught the eyes of Cornelius as he reminisced.