Plans for the Jackson family home in Gary in the works

When the rain stopped Tuesday morning, five people left the Jackson family home on the corner of Jackson Street and 23rd Avenue in Gary.

The five people and Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said Tuesday, the 15th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, that the city and the Jackson family are working on projects to honor the Jackson family legacy.

Four Illinois residents and a Jackson family representative met at the home for a meeting to discuss a project aimed at creating “a different energy” around the historic home, said Rita Lee, an Illinois resident and music executive who attended the meeting.

What they didn’t realize until they saw the plaque next to the gate was that the gathering was taking place at the Jackson family home on the 15th anniversary of the death of Jackson, known as the King of Pop and the youngest member of the Jackson Five, Lee said.

“The only day we could come was today,” Lee said.

“Did you do that on purpose?” Lee laughed and asked Johnny Mullins, an Illinois resident who has worked on projects including several Hard Rock casinos and Trump Tower. In coordinating the meeting, Lee said Mullins was only available on Tuesday, so they made it work.

Lee declined to provide details about the project or how the group knows the family.

“The Jacksons want to give back to Gary and we want to help them do that,” Lee said. “We’re aware of them like everyone else. You know the Jacksons, you know the rules.”

In a statement, Melton said that as mayor, he is “constantly working with the family to review projects in the City of Gary” to honor the Jackson family legacy.

“We are proud to call Gary the home of the world’s most famous artist, Michael Jackson. He left us far too soon and his memory will forever resonate in our hearts,” Melton said.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009, of cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of propofol, a surgical anesthetic. Dr. Conrad Murray, his personal physician who prescribed the drug to Jackson to help him sleep, was convicted of manslaughter in 2011.

Mullins said he remembers driving down DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago when he heard on the radio that Jackson had died. Mullins recalled canceling his meetings for the day and only talking about Jackson with his friends and family.

Lee said she was in Los Angeles when she heard the news of Jackson’s death. Lee said she will never forget all the helicopters flying over Los Angeles that day.

“He went to the musical gods,” Lee said.

The house, with white siding, a black front door and a black roof, is surrounded by a fence on which people have left locks, bracelets and even a white glove, a typical feature of Jackson’s style.

Inside the house, there is a warm, welcoming atmosphere, Lee said, with family photos hanging everywhere. But it’s surprising to think that Jackson, his parents and his eight siblings grew up in this house, she said.

Andre Haynes, a Chicago resident and real estate investor who attended the meeting at the Jackson family home, said the house marks the beginning of Jackson’s legacy.

“Look at where he came from and what he’s done,” Haynes said. “There are no limits. It’s all a matter of attitude.”

Jackson left a profound legacy in the music industry that resonated throughout pop culture, Lee said.

“His seed is ripening in others,” Lee said. “If you can have that effect on people, that’s what it’s all about.”

Candice Fallon of Australia came to the house with her mother-in-law, Gloria Fallon, who said she recently moved to Miller Beach in Gary from Illinois. Candice Fallon said she wanted to visit the house because of its history.

“We remember 15 years ago like it was yesterday,” said Candice Fallon.

Kenyada Boyd of Springfield, Illinois, said she and her co-worker Pamela Williams drove to the house on Monday to look at it. When they noticed others had put locks on the fence, they decided to come by on Tuesday and put their own lock on, Boyd said.

They were shocked to realize they had returned to the house on the 15th anniversary of Jackson’s death, Boyd said.

“It doesn’t feel that long. Fifteen years is a long time. But people keep him alive every day,” Boyd said.

Williams said she was glad the house was preserved in its original form. She was a huge Jackson fan, Williams said, and she admired his ability to be himself in the industry.

“He’s inspiring. He did his thing,” Williams said. “He followed his own trend.”

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