The lives and music of late Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Michael Jackson and Jimmy Buffett will be celebrated in August with festivals in the cities that loved them.
The Jackson family’s hometown of Gary, Indiana, will hold the 2300 Jackson Street Block Party Aug. 29-30, celebrating MJ’s birthday and the Jackson family’s legacy. It’ll take place at the city’s Roosevelt High School, where the Jackson 5 first gained recognition by winning a talent show in 1966.
Actor and comedian Chris Tucker will host the event kickoff on Aug. 29, which would have been Michael’s 66th birthday. On Aug. 30, Jackson 5 members Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson will be present as the entire family is honored; the late Tito Jackson, who died in 2024, will be memorialized. That event will be hosted by fellow Gary native and “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” singer Deniece Williams.
Marlon Jackson said in a statement, “Gary will always be home to us. Being able to come back and celebrate with the people who knew us before we were famous, who watched us grow up on this street, is a blessing. This event is about family, community, and never forgetting where you came from.”
Meanwhile, the city of Key West, Florida, will mark the anniversary of Buffett’s death with Just a Few Friends, Key West, a tribute that will run from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. While not officially sanctioned by Buffett’s family, the event will feature book signings, film screenings and panels. There will also be free concerts featuring past and present members of his Coral Reefer Band, as well as Buffett’s “Bubbles Up” co-writer Will Kimbrough.
Buffett died on Sept. 1, 2023. Michael Jackson died June 25, 2009.
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