Michael Jackson was immortalized in a fitting tribute outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday (26 January 2012). The late singer's children Prince, 14, Paris, 13 and Blanket, 9, imprinted their father's hand and footmarks using his famous sequin glove for the handprint and his historic dancing shoes for the footprints.
It was a carnival atmosphere on Hollywood Boulevard as teen sensation Justin Bieber performed Jackson's hit Rockin' Robin' for the bulging crowds. Speaking at the ceremony, the Canadian star paid tribute to Jackson - his biggest influence, saying, "Michael meant so much to me, I know he meant a lot to you guys as well.He was more than entertainer - he was an inspiration in the way he was kind, he was gentle and very charitable. That's why I look up to him... Everything that I do I look at Michael and think I want to be as good as he was". Some of the biggest names in Hollywood history have printed their hand and footmarks outside the Chinese Theatre, including Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope and Cary Grant. More recently, Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon provided their prints during a ceremony in June 2007, and the stars of the Harry Potter movie followed suit in July of that year.
Also in attendance on Thursday was Jackson's mother Katherine and his brothers Tito and Jackie, as well as soul legend Smokey Robinson and QUINCY JONES.