Get ready, ‘cause here they come! Broadway.com is taking a deep dive into some of the musical icons who grace the stage in Motown: The Musical, which charts the life of Motown mogul Berry Gordy. Our Legends of Motown series continues with Jibreel Mawry, whose smooth moves and even smoother voice bring Michael Jackson back to life on the stage.
Jackson’s legacy is one of the greatest in music history, and Motown flashes all the way back to the beginning with his breakout in the Jackson Five.
Name: Jibreel Mawry
Age & Hometown: 12; Detroit, MI
Role: Young Michael Jackson/Berry Gordy/Stevie Wonder
First/fondest memory of your icon: One of my first memories of Michael Jackson was the video for “Thriller.” I used to run to my room as soon as I heard the door creaking…but then I’d talk myself into going back and not being scared. It was the most thrilling music video I’ve ever watched. When I was eight, I started singing “ABC,” “Stop the Love You Save,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.” My fondest memory was a dream I had: Michael was sitting on top of a car in a parking lot in a place that looked like the video when he was doing the panther dance. Michael looked sad, so I asked him what was wrong. He said, “Nobody wants to be with me.” I said, “You have to make a comeback!” I said it three times and then we started hearing his song “Childhood” in the background, and we rocked back and forth to it.
Favorite song sung by your icon: “Dancing Machine”
Source: Broadway / MJ-Upbeat.com
Michael Jackson is the king. Whenever i listen to his records i feel as he is still alive. Definitely one of the best music stars ever!