Michael Jackson sang for millions of fans all over the world. So you’d think his own children saw him in concert all the time.
His oldest son, Prince, says it didn’t work out that way.
Prince opened up about it in 2023 on Mike Tyson’s podcast, “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson.” Talking with the former boxing champ, he was honest about what he missed out on as the son who came along later.
“I was born in ’97, so the biggest, call it a regret is I never got to see him.”
But there was one show he did get to see. Prince told Tyson about the concert, and he still remembers where it happened. If you’d like to hear Prince and Tyson talk for yourself, here’s their conversation.
Prince Jackson sits down with Mike Tyson
So where was it?
Madison Square Garden in New York City, in September 2001.
The show was Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, a big concert marking 30 years of Michael’s music. It was held at the Garden over two nights, and the second night was added “due to high demand.”
Prince was 4 years old.
That’s awfully young. Most people can’t remember much from when they were 4, but this night stuck with him, and he could still describe it more than 20 years later.
Prince got to see his dad perform with his uncles, too. Along with his own set, Michael got back on stage with his brothers as the Jacksons. Movie star Elizabeth Taylor introduced them, and they sang a medley together. It was also Randy Jackson’s last concert with his brothers.
This is the reunion a 4-year-old Prince got to see in person, the Jacksons together again on one stage.
The Jacksons reunite on stage at Madison Square Garden
What does Prince remember most from that night, all these years later?
He remembers the crowd first. “It was electric to be in the presence of so many people,” he told Tyson.
And he knew how lucky he was. “I had the privilege of watching him perform on this one occasion,” he said.
And the picture that stayed with him most was his dad in motion. “I do remember him dancing continuously throughout his set.”
That’s what stuck with a little boy all these years. His dad kept moving the whole time, in front of a packed arena.
If you want to see what Prince was talking about, watch Michael’s “Billie Jean” from that same anniversary show and keep an eye on his feet.
Michael Jackson performs “Billie Jean” at the 30th Anniversary show
Plenty of other people got to see those shows later, too. CBS aired the concerts as a two-hour special on Nov 13, 2001, and about 45 million people watched all or part of it.
But Prince was one of the lucky ones who was right there in the building, close enough to feel that electric crowd. He was only 4, and he still carries the memory of his dad dancing all the way through his set.