Michael Jackson Fans And Celebrities Celebrated His Birthday Last Night In Las Vegas

Michael Jackson was honored last night in a grand celebration that included a performance of the acclaimed Michael Jackson ONE show by Cirque du Soleil, and a huge party with fans, celebrities and guests hosted by the Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music.

A guest DJ set from Grammy-winning producer/artist/DJ Mark Ronson and surprise performance from Grammy winning superstar Usher who included a Michael Jackson tribute medley in his set entertained celebrities such as Blake Griffin, Gabriel Union, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashlee Simpson Ross and Evan Ross and Michael's brothers Tito and Jackie Jackson.

One of the most moving moments of the evening was when Paris Jackson and Prince Jackson accepted an award for their father from Evan Ross after the crowd heard from Quinn Tivey of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (he's Elizabeth Taylor's grandson).

Prince said, "On behalf of my sister and myself, it is a privilege and honor to be here about something that my dad was so passion about and who he held so near and dear to his heart. The way my father led his life, he led by example. Even though he was the King of Pop, he never thought he was too big for any person, no matter what you did no matter where you came from."

Then Paris and Prince kicked-off the auction for "Number One," a-one-of-a-kind, ruby and diamond studded pair of shoes created by Giuseppe Zanotti to benefit the charity. The final bidding for "Number One" will take place as part of Julien's Auctions Icons & Idols Auction, live at the Hard Rock Café in New York on November 9/10, 2018. Until then, fans can go HERE to place their bid. (More about "Number One" below).

Earlier in the day, Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson released Michael Jackson x Mark Ronson: Diamonds are Invincible, Ronson's take on some of Michael Jackson's biggest hits . In creating the track, Ronson said, "It was such an amazing, awe-inspiring and insanely intimidating task to put this together, although you'd need hours and hours to fit all of Michael's classic tunes into one track. I wanted this to feel like being on the dancefloor at a sweaty, wild NYC club getting down to as much MJ as possible in five minutes. And I can't wait for you to all hear the extended version coming soon." Listen Here (Spotify or iTunes)

The cultural relevancy of Michael Jackson's music and legacy has never been more evident:

A hit Vegas show, a Broadway play in the works, a huge Drake track on which Michael is the featured vocalist, a limited-edition sneaker from one of the world's top luxury designer and a critically acclaimed Michael Jackson-inspired exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The popularity of the iconic artist and his music show no signs of slowing down. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced last week that 21 different songs and three albums, spanning Jackson's career, have garnered major new Gold and Platinum certifications. With 67M Facebook followers & 8.5M YouTube subscribers & 5.3B video views, Michael Jackson is as hot as ever.

ABOUT NUMBER ONE

"Number One" will be the only pair of 2,000 limited-edition, numbered sneakers to shine with approximately 120 genuine black diamonds (108 karats) and approximately 55 rubies (18 karats). Expected to bring a minimum of $30,000-$50,000 at auction, the mid top sneaker is an exceptional piece that testifies to Giuseppe Zanotti's longstanding admiration for the singer for whom he created several custom-made pieces.

The other 1,999 "Giuseppe Tribute to Michael Jackson" pairs will be available in select Giuseppe Zanotti stores worldwide and on giuseppezanotti.com, the limited edition collection will also be available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Neimanmarcus.com in the US. Each exclusive sneaker will be numbered in sequence. The style will be available in three different colors: black, white, and silver; and will feature Swarovski crystals on the fasteners and Michael's name engraved on the buckle. The word "Tribute" will shine bright in red Swarovski crystals on the right sole. The distinctive collaboration will be accompanied by its own unique packaging: black boxes and dust bags highlighted with Jackson's initials.

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