Skip to main content
  • News
    • MTV News
    • Trending News
    • Videos & Interviews
    • Taylor Swift
    • Kim Kardashian
  • Music
    • Music Highlights
    • Music Videos
    • Charts
    • Playlists
    • EMAs
    • MTV PUSH
    • Artists
  • Shows
    • Latest Shows
    • The Charlotte Show
    • Geordie Shore
    • Ex on the Beach
    • Just Tattoo Of Us
    • Teen Mom UK
    • The Royal World
  • Movies
    • Movies Highlights
    • New Movies Coming Soon
    • Videos & Interviews
    • Trailers
    • Moana
  • Travel
    • Videos
  • Style
  • Life
    • Life
    • MTV Breaks
    • Sex
    • WTF
    • SRS
    • Travel
    • Fitness
    • Generation Change
  • Pictures
  • Win
  • MTV Play
  • TV Guide
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Search
  • Pictures
  • Win
  • MTV Play
  • TV Guide
Home
  • News
    • MTV News
    • Trending News
    • Videos & Interviews
    • Taylor Swift
    • Kim Kardashian
  • Music
    • Music Highlights
    • Music Videos
    • Charts
    • Playlists
    • EMAs
    • MTV PUSH
    • Artists
  • Shows
    • Latest Shows
    • The Charlotte Show
    • Geordie Shore
    • Ex on the Beach
    • Just Tattoo Of Us
    • Teen Mom UK
    • The Royal World
  • Movies
    • Movies Highlights
    • New Movies Coming Soon
    • Videos & Interviews
    • Trailers
    • Moana
  • Travel
    • Videos
  • Style
  • Life
    • Life
    • MTV Breaks
    • Sex
    • WTF
    • SRS
    • Travel
    • Fitness
    • Generation Change
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Search

VMAs

  • Main
  • Videos
  • Pictures
  • News

VMAs: Madonna Pays Tribute to MJ

The Queen of Pop opens the VMAs 09 with a tribute to the King…

  • Share to Facebook
  • Tweet to Twitter
  • Share to Google plus
Monday, September 14, 2009 - 05:39

Madonna has paid a heartfelt tribute to Michael Jackson at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Walking onto a darkened stage, dressed all in black, Madonna spoke of Michael’s unique talent and stolen childhood, and revealed that she in fact went on a date (of sorts) with the late singer in the early 1990s.
 
Madonna's full (eight minute) tribute went like this:
 
"Michael Jackson was born in August, 1958. so was I. Michael Jackson grew up in the suburbs of the Midwest. So did I. Michael Jackson had eight brothers and sisters. So do I. When Michael Jackson was 6 he became a superstar and was perhaps the world's most beloved child. When I was 6 my mother died. I think he got the shorter end of the stick.
 
"I never had a mother, but he never had a childhood. And when you never get to have something, you become obsessed by it. I spent my childhood searching for my mother figures; sometimes I was successful. But how do you recreate your childhood when you are under the magnifying glass of the world for your entire life?
 
"There is no question that Michael Jackson was one of the greatest talents the world has ever known. ... That when he sang a song at the ripe old age of 8, he could make you feel like an experienced adult was squeezing your heart with his words. ... That the way he moved had the elegance of Fred Astaire and packed the punch of Muhammad Ali. ... That his music had an extra layer of inexplicable magic that didn't just make you want to dance but actually made you believe that you could fly, dare to dream, be anything that you wanted to be.
 
Because that is what heroes do. And Michael Jackson was a hero.
 
"He performed in soccer stadiums around the world, he sold hundreds of millions of records, he dined with prime ministers and presidents. Girls fell in love with him, boys fell in love with him, everyone wanted to dance like him, he seemed otherworldly, but he was also a human being. Like most performers, he was shy and plagued with insecurities.
 
"I can't say we were great friends, but in 1991 I decided I wanted to get to know him better. I asked him out to dinner: I said, 'My treat, I'll drive, just you and me.' He agreed and showed up to my house without any bodyguards. We drove to the restaurant in my car. It was dark out, but he was still wearing sunglasses. I said, 'Michael, I feel like I'm talking to a limousine, do you think you could take off those glasses so I could see your eyes?' He paused for a moment, then he tossed the glasses out the window, looked at me with a wink and a smile and said, 'Can you see me now, is that better?'
 
"In that moment, I could see both his vulnerability and his charm. The rest of the dinner, I was hell-bent on getting him to eat French fries, drink wine, have dessert and say bad words, things he never seemed to allow himself to do. Later, we went back to my house to watch a movie and we sat on the couch like two kids, and somewhere in the middle of the film, his hand snuck over and held mine. It felt like he was looking for a friend more than a romance and I was happy to oblige him. And in that moment he didn't feel like a superstar, he felt like a human being. We went out a few more times together and then for one reason or another we fell out of touch. Then, the witch hunt began and it seemed like one negative story after the other was coming out about Michael. I felt his pain. I know what it's like to walk down the street and feel like the whole world has turned against you. I know what it's like to feel helpless and unable to defend yourself because the roar of the lynch mob is so loud that you are convinced your voice can never be heard.
 
"But I had a childhood, and I was allowed to make mistakes and find my own way in the world without the glare of the spotlight. When I first heard that Michael had died I was in London, days away from the opening of my tour. Michael was going to perform in the same venue as me a week later. All I could think about in that moment was that I had abandoned him. That we had abandoned him. That we had allowed this magnificent creature that once set the world on fire to somehow slip through the cracks. While he was trying to build a family and rebuild his career, we were all busy passing judgment. Most of us had turned our backs on him.
 
"In a desperate attempt to hold onto his memory, I went on the Internet to watch old clips of him dancing and singing on TV and onstage and I thought, 'My God, he was so unique, so original, so rare. And there will never be anyone like him again.' He was a king. But he was also a human being and alas, we are all human beings and sometimes we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them. I want to end this on a positive note and say that my sons, age 9 and 4, are obsessed with Michael Jackson. There's a whole lot of crotch-grabbing and moonwalking going on in my house, and it seems like a whole new generation of kids has discovered his genius and are bringing him to life again. I hope that wherever Michael is now, he is smiling about this.
 
"Yes, yes Michael Jackson was a human being, but dammit, he was a king. Long live the king."
 
Watch the MTV Video Music Awards tonight (September 14) at 9pm on MTV.


Latest News

Arlo Parks - MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
Arlo Parks Has Her Sights On Acting & Directing
AWA - MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
AWA Says Her Debut Album Is ‘Very Vulnerable and Open’
220 KID - MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
220 KID Tells Us The Heroic Reason Behind His Name
Alfie Templeman - MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
Alfie Templeman Just Wants To Make You Smile
MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
Voting For MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021 Is Open!
Get To Know - Iann Dior
Get To Know: iann dior
Get To Know - J.I the Prince of N.Y
Get To Know: J.I The Prince Of N.Y
Khloé Kardashian Reacts To “Disrespectful” Typo On Throwback Family Christmas Card
Shawn Mendes Reveals How He And Camila Cabello Are Spending Christmas
Selena Gomez Wins An Award From Peta For Her Vegan Rare Beauty Makeup Collection
Get To Know - Holly Humberstone
Get To Know: Holly Humberstone
Addison Rae And Rachael Leigh Cook Recreate She’s All That Scene On TikTok
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights - Music Video
The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' Was MTV’s Most Played Video Of 2020
Cardi B Surprises Offset With A Lamborghini In Celebration Of His 29th Birthday
Kylie Jenner Named Highest Paid Celebrity Of 2020 With Nearly $550 Million
Dixie D’Amelio Defends Herself After A Fan Doubted Her Feelings For Noah Beck
Shawn Mendes Opens Up About “Frustrating” Rumours Surrounding His Sexuality
Dove Cameron Confirms Her Split From Thomas Doherty After Four Years Together
Timothée Chalamet Transforms Into Harry Styles For His SNL Hosting Debut
The Kardashian-Jenner Family Have Signed A Multi-Year Content Deal With Hulu

More From VMAs

MTV World Stage - VMA 2020
MTV World Stage
VMA Highlights 2020, USA
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande Perform at the 2020 MTV VMAs
VMAs
2020 VMAs: Watch The Performances
VMAs
Miley Cyrus Performs "Midnight Sky" (Live - 2020 VMAs)
BTS
BTS Perform "Dynamite" (Live - 2020 VMAs)
VMAs
Lady Gaga Performs "Chromatica" Medley Ft. Ariana Grande (Live - 2020 VMAs)
VMAs
Doja Cat Performs "Say So"/"Like That" (Live - 2020 VMAs)
2020 VMAs - CNCO
VMAs
CNCO Perform "Beso" (Live - 2020 VMAs)
VMAs
VMA 2020: lady gaga wins the first-ever tricon award
2020 VMAs - Maluma
VMAs
Maluma Performs "Hawai" (Live - 2020 VMAs)
VMAs
The Weeknd Performs "Blinding Lights" (Live - 2020 VMAs)
2020 VMAs - Machine Gun Kelly
VMAs
Machine Gun Kelly Performs "my ex's best friend"/"Bloody Valentine" With blackbear & Travis Barker (Live - 2020 VMAs)
2020 VMAs - Chloe x Halle
VMAs
Chloe x Halle Perform "Ungodly Hour" (Live - 2020 VMAs)

Trending Articles

Charli D’Amelio Sets The Record Straight About A Fake “Leaked” Picture Online
10 Things Your Heartbroken Friend Needs To Hear
21 Types Of People You'll Find In Every Friendship Group
Celebrity
10 Celebrities Who Have Some Seriously Kinky Sex Likes In The Bedroom
18 Most Naked Of Naked Moments To Have Ever Hit Geordie Shore
MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
Voting For MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021 Is Open!
Arlo Parks - MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
Arlo Parks Has Her Sights On Acting & Directing
AWA - MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021
AWA Says Her Debut Album Is ‘Very Vulnerable and Open’
  • Contact Us
  • Access Services
  • Website Terms
  • Mobile Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • MTV Jobs
  • MTV Press
  • Anti-Slavery
  • Global Tax Policy Statement
Hit us with some keywords!