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Exclusive: Michael Jackson's First Mainland Performance in Over 11 Years- ``Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, the Solo Years'' to Take Place September 7th and 10th At Madison Square GardenNEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 2, 2001-- Performers Set for an All-Star Salute to ``Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, the Solo Years`` Friday, September 7, 2001 & Monday, September 10, 2001 At Madison Square Garden; Jackson's First Live Mainland Performance in Eleven Years to Coincide With Epic Records Release of ``Invincible.''; Jacksons to Reunite for Tribute. ``An all-star salute to `The King Of Pop', MICHAEL JACKSON: 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, THE SOLO YEARS has been set for two dates, Friday, September 7, 2001 and Monday, September 10, 2001 at Madison Square Garden at 7:40 P.M.,'' announced David Gest, producer of the event. According to Gest, tickets to the public will go on sale Thursday, July 26th through the Madison Square Garden Box Office and Ticketmaster for both performances. Ticket prices for the concert only will range from $45.00 to $500.00 per seat. The event will mark Michael Jackson's first live performance on a mainland stage in eleven years. He will debut a new single from his first Epic Records release, titled ``Invincible,'' in more than five years. Jackson will also reunite on both nights with his brothers The Jacksons (Michael, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy) for the first time in twenty years. The Jacksons will perform a medley of their Motown and Epic Records hits as well as sing a Jackson 5 classic with pop supergroup `N Sync. Jackson will also perform a number of his greatest hits. According to Gest, in addition to Michael Jackson and The Jacksons the line-ups are as follows: Friday, September 7, 2001 (alphabetically): Marc Anthony; Ray Charles; Deborah Cox; Gloria Estefan; Billy Gilman; Whitney Houston; James Ingram; Quincy Jones & The Legends Of Jazz including Al Jarreau, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Mann, Les McCann, David ``Fathead'' Newman, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry & Cassandra Wilson; Mya; `N Sync; Jill Scott; Shaggy featuring Ricardo ``Rikrok'' Ducent & Rayvon; Britney Spears; Tamia; 3T; Usher and many surprise guests. Monday, September 10, 2001 (alphabetically): Marc Anthony; Mary J. Blige; Deborah Cox; Missy ``Misdemeanor'' Elliott; Gloria Gaynor; Al Jarreau; Gladys Knight; Lil' Romeo; Ricky Martin; Mya; 98(0); Diana Ross; Jill Scott; Usher; Luther Vandross; Dionne Warwick and many surprise guests. The evening, a World Events LLC production, will be filmed as a two-hour primetime special for the CBS Television Network as well as being shown throughout the world. Both evenings will feature a forty-eight piece orchestra and twelve background singers. There will also be a three-hundred member gospel choir, a two-hundred member children's choir and a forty member dance ensemble. According to Jackson, ``I am very excited to celebrate my 30th anniversary as a solo artist with such an illustrious roster of talent and so many of my friends from the entertainment world. What makes this event even more rewarding is that my fans will be flying in from around the world. I look forward to performing live and reuniting with my brothers on these two very special nights.'' According to Joel Peresman, Senior Vice President of Radio City Entertainment, ``all of us at Madison Square Garden are thrilled to be the host for MICHAEL JACKSON: 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, THE SOLO YEARS, which will truly be a historic event for not only Madison Square Garden but for New York City.'' Chairmen for the event are: Alfred R. Berkeley lll (Vice Chairman, Nasdaq), Jeff Bezos (Founder & CEO, Amazon.Com), Whitney Houston, Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono Lennon, Liza Minnelli, Leslie Moonves (President & CEO, CBS), Liam Neeson, Veronique and Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor and David Weild (Executive Vice President, Nasdaq). They will host a Champagne & Caviar Dinner in honor of Michael Jackson at Tavern On The Green following the concert on Friday, September 7, 2001. Limited seats for the exclusive all-star dinner (which features a carnival) including preferred seating for the concert at Madison Square Garden are available by calling the special reservations line at (323) 980-7964. More than two hundred stars from the motion picture, television, recording and sports fields will join together for this special celebration in honor of Jackson. Dignitaries from around the globe will also participate in the event. American Airlines has been set as the ``official airline'' for the event. According to Gest, ``Michael is very excited about this event and is already at work creating innovative and trend-setting dance routines for these shows. It was thirty years ago this September that Michael released his first solo record on Motown, ''Got To Be There.`` That tune went gold and Michael has never looked back. He has had an unprecedented career as a recording artist: with the Jackson 5 he recorded seventeen top forty hits, four of which went to number one; with The Jacksons he recorded seven top forty hits and on his own has had thirty-six top forty hits, including thirteen number one records. Throughout the world he has sold more records than any other solo artist in the last three decades.'' Jackson's 1982 ``Thriller'' album, with sales of over 46 million copies, is the best selling album in history by a solo artist. He has won twelve Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy Living Legend Award in 1993. He is also the youngest entertainer to be inducted into the Rock & Rock Hall Of Fame twice, first as a member of the Jackson 5 and the second time as a solo performer in March of this year.
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