Did Michael Jackson Ever Play Vegas?

My sister is a HUGE Michael Jackson fan. We're meeting in Las Vegas in July and I'd love to treat her to a Michael Jackson impersonator show. Are there any currently running? And while we're on the subject, did Michael Jackson ever play Vegas?

The answer to your first question is yes. One show -- out of numerous iterations with Michael Jackson performers in impersonator revues, impersonators in their own Michael Jackson shows, and even a Cirque show with Michael Jackson holograms -- is still going on in Las Vegas. MJ Live has been at the STRAT for many years and, luckily for your sister, it returned after capacity restrictions were lifted. In July, it will go on Wednesday-Sunday at 7 p.m.; tickets are on sale for $74.95.

The answer to your second question is, amazingly, no.

As the youngest member of the Jackson 5, Michael did perform a series of gigs at Bally’s Las Vegas in 1974. Twenty years later, he returned to Sin City for an NBC telecast from MGM Grand Garden of "The Jackson Family Honors." Other than singing as part of an ensemble number at the end of the show, Jackson’s sole contribution was a spoken tribute to Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records.

Otherwise, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in 2009, "Michael Jackson never performed an actual ticketed show in Las Vegas during his adult career."

The closest he came was holding some recording sessions in the studio at the Palms in 2008. Some of these tracks found their way onto the 25th anniversary reissue of Thriller. Because of the way the Palms’ recording studio was set up, however, the reclusive Jackson didn’t have to leave his suite much of the time, instead piping his vocals into the studio via remote.

He also provided the theme song for Siegfried & Roy’s Mirage show and stayed often in the Mirage’s poolside villas during the era when Steve Wynn owned the property. Jackson also sought refuge from various scandals and hassles in Vegas and Pahrump periodically from 2002 to 2008, including a six-month stretch in 2007.

During this period, Jackson met in Vegas to discuss the never-to-be This Is It show with Kenny Ortega. There were also, for a time, undercurrents of a Jackson-themed hotel-casino on the Strip. But none of the plans ever came to fruition.

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Kevin Lewis Jul-02-2021

Pahrump??

Michael Jackson had to hide out in Pahrump? I wouldn't wish that on a dog.

I do think that Jackson's "Eat It" would have been a great casino buffet theme song. Oh, wait, that was Weird Al Yankovic.

O2bnVegas Jul-02-2021

Green Valley Ranch

Can't recall the year we were staying at GVR, but a staff member (shuttle driver, I think) told us MJ was 'hiding out' there at the time.  True or false who knows, but it was during/around the time he (MJ) was being investigated for the kid molestation scandal.  I'm sure MJ had lots of hidey-holes in Las Vegas through the years.

Overall a sad life behind the curtain; abnormal childhood, greedy abusive parents.  Victim of medical malpractice to say the least, though seems like this is so common...famous entertainers needing uppers and downers by the train load to keep going to make money for other people (managers, lawyers, back up stage crews).  I'm sure the fame and adulation are as addictive as the meds they rely on.  Burning out doctors one after another commanding (and paying) them to practice outside medical guidelines.  What a waste.

Candy

Kenneth Mytinger Jul-02-2021

Jackson-themed hotel-casino

Another "undercurrent" location, when it was still vacant land, was across W Flamingo from the Gold Coast, between the Palms & Valley View.

Deke Castleman Jul-02-2021

This in via email

Regarding the LVA QOD of July 2, 2021:

·         In it, you say that the Jackson 5 played Bally’s in 1974.  In fact, that property was still MGM Grand at that time.

·         It is possible that they were billed as The Jackson 5 at that time, but since LaToya and Janet joined them for those shows and they were also about to leave Motown Records, they may have been billed as The Jacksons for that engagement.

 

I am not a Jackson expert by any stretch, but I was at one of those shows in 1974 and I remember it being at MGM Grand, the act being billed as The Jacksons and one of the Jacksons saying that it was Janet Jackson’s first time on stage.

Donzack Jul-02-2021

Solar MGM

Just read a 4 line article about MGM finishing a solar panel project near Carson city. Supposed to power 90% of their properties. Any other casino corporations watching this?

Question of the Day - 02 July 2021

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