Michael Jackson almost died on 9/11 but a strange twist of fate saved him: “I’m okay thanks to...”
Michael Jackson was one of the popular celebrities who managed to escape the harrowing disaster of 9/11! For the unversed, the 'King of Pop' was supposed to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. At the time, the scheduled meeting was set to take place at the top of one of the skyscrapers to discuss Michael's tenth album, 'Invincible', which came out on October 30, 2001. On the day of the meeting, Michael overslept and ended up missing the appointment. Later on, down the lane, Michael stated that his mother, Katherine Jackson, saved him from America’s worst terrorist attack.
Michael's elder brother Jermaine Jackson shed light on the near-miss death in his memoir titled 'You Are Not Alone Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes'. As per The Independent, Jermaine recalled, “Thankfully, none of us had had a clue that Michael was due at a meeting that morning at the top of one of the Twin Towers. We only discovered this when Mother phoned his hotel to make sure he was okay. She, Rebbie [Jackson], and a few others had left him there around 3 am. ‘Mother, I’m okay, thanks to you,’ he told her. ‘You kept me up talking so late that I overslept and missed my appointment.’”
Just a month after the attacks, the 'Way You Make Me Feel' crooner held a benefit concert for the victims of 9/11 and their families on October 21, 2001, called 'United We Stand: What More Can I Give.' Then, Michael's concert took place at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. This concert was the third major event organized for the victims of the September 11 attacks. For those wondering, the other two concerts saw the light of day in New York City, and featured musicians including The Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Pink, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, James Brown, Janet Jackson, Billy Gilman, Carole King, Krystal Harris, Goo Goo Dolls, CeCe Peniston, and Usher.
According to a report by Express, Michael also addressed the crowd at the benefit concert by saying, "I am not one who sits and says: Oh how wrong I am for what happened! I want the whole world to sing What More Can I Give, because all the people are united because this song is like a mantra, something you repeat endlessly. We need peace, we need to give to others, we need to love and unity."
Back in the day, 'Fuller House' star John Stamos served as the host of the star-studded event. At the concert, Michael performed two of his hit songs for the audience. At first, Michael serenaded the viewers with a soulful rendition of 'Man in the Mirror' from his seventh album named 'Bad.' In addition to this, Michael also sang 'What More Can I Give', a track which was specifically written and recorded for the 9/11 attacks. The song also featured several A-listers like Beyonce, Celine Dion, Reba McEntire, Usher, Nick Carter, NSYNC, and Mariah Carey.