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Michael's Last Rehearsal: 'I Feel So Alive'

Photog, friend reveals Jackson's excitement at performing again

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 1, 2009 9:51 AM CDT
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(Newser) – The photographer who captured Michael Jackson’s image at his last rehearsal reveals the singer was upbeat and energetic on his final night. “He was totally there—100% there in fact,” Kevin Mazur tells the Mirror. “You would never suspect this would have ever happened—especially after his performance.” He says Michael told him, “I feel so alive—can you feel it? This is where I belong.”

“This is me. The true me. I feel as though I want to perform forever,” Jackson said. The rehearsal ran until midnight and was “incredible,” Mazur said. “I have never seen him so happy.” Jackson sang 12 songs, including a Jackson Five medley, Smooth Criminal, and Black or White. But he really shone when performing Thriller: “You could see in Michael’s face how much that particular song excited him.”

In this handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.
In this handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/ Kevin Mazur, AEG/Getty Images)
In this handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.
In this handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/ Kevin Mazur, AEG/Getty Images)
In this handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.
In this handout photo provided by AEG, pop star Michael Jackson rehearses at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/Kevin Mazur, AEG/Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
Kookey90
Jul 5, 2009 1:07 AM CDT
Now that Jackson's dead, the promoters need to consider renaming his tour from " This Is It" to " That Was It".
FORREAL
Jul 1, 2009 9:05 AM CDT
not ingesting and shooting all those drugs could he probably function at all..
RobN
Jul 1, 2009 3:33 AM CDT
This sounds very much like those situations where somebody who has already decided to kill themselves is described by everybody who saw them as "happy and upbeat and looking forward to the future". Doctors call it a suicide high. I think he knew he couldn't pull of a series of 50 concerts.

 
entertainment • celebrity • death • concert • Michael Jackson • Thriller • rehearsal • celebrity death

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