There was an unexpected but most welcome figure on the red carpet of Los Angeles's Shrine Auditorium for Sunday night's BET Awards: Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson.Sporting a black hat, sunglasses and a dark suit – and set to make an appearance onstage during the three-hour ceremony – the patriarch of the Jackson family told CNN about Michael: "I wish the world had recognized him when he was living. Right now, he's bigger than ever. But I wish he was here to see all this, to hear all this."
The memory of Michael dominated the gala. Host Jamie Foxx made his entrance in a red, leather "Billie Jean" jacket. "No need to be sad. We want to celebrate this black man," said Foxx. "We gonna go through all of Michael Jackson."
The host closed his opening monologue with his rendition of Jackson's signature Moonwalk. "I hope I can make it," said Foxx, adding that it was his first attempt at the fancy footwork since 1983.
Those that also tipped their hats to Michael included Beyoncé, Ne-Yo, Maxwell and Bobby Brown, set to reunite with New Edition to perform a Jackson 5 medley.
Alicia Keys and Wyclef Jean received Humanitarian Awards. Early in the ceremony, LeBron James, picking up his best male athlete trophy, told the crowd, "My heart and prayers go out to the whole Jackson family. What they did for us ... was amazing."
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