June 29, 1999, Michael Jackson Takes A Fall During A Benefit Concert
On this day in 1999 at the Olympic stadium in Munich, Germany, Michael Jackson fell more than 50 feet, after
the bridge that he was performing on collapsed. His set for the Michael and Friends benefit concert, titled
“Bridge of No Return,” symbolized the refugee children.
The bridge was supposed to drop during Jackson’s performance, but it separated too soon and the middle section fell into the pit of the stage as Michael sang his environmental awareness song “Earth Song.” With typical gumption, Jackson moved past the unexpected malfunction and continued performing for the 62,000 fans attending. After the show, he was taken to a Munich hospital suffering from a few bruises and minor burns. Despite Jackson’s tumble, his eight-hour benefit concert raised $1.6 million with proceeds donated to the Nelson Mandela Children’s fund, Red Cross, and UNESCO.
michael arrives at the Bayerische Hof in Munich. The day after the concert my friends and i gave michael balloons together with a letter because of the accident he had on the concert.
[video=youtube;VlTPQQ7QYUs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlTPQQ7QYUs[/video]
[video=youtube;QDHHaJaIzLA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDHHaJaIzLA&feature=related[/video]
Even tho this is in German, you can still watch this News segment as the local television station gives a basic understanding of what took place in regards to the accident. "Yes, Michael get hurt. He had sprained his ankle. And since that day he had problems with his spine."
28/06/1999 "MJ & Friends" in Munich - Concert Report
Sunday June 27th, 70,000 people gathered at the Munich Olympic Stadium to attend the "Michael Jackson & Friends" concert. The venue was sold out. Early in the morning, Luciano Pavarotti informed Mama Concerts' management that he would not come to perform at the concert for personal reasons. Together with Marcel Avram, his concert promoter, Michael decided he would come on stage at 8:15 p.m. (original scheduled timing for the German ZDF TV station live switch on) to introduce Andrea Bocelli's performance. Since Michael and Pavarotti were expected on stage at that time to sing their duet ("My Song To The Wind"), it was important to give the viewers a glimpse of the King of Pop to keep up the excitement of the TV broadcast.
The "Michael Jackson & Friends" concert in Munich was obviously a huge event but the numerous technical problems that occured during the show left the audience disappointed. However, it was when Michael came on stage, around 10:30 p.m., that the biggest problem of the evening happened.
After performing his greatest hits medley and "Dangerous", the "Earth Song" number began. As stated earlier, Michael had imagined the "Bridge of No Return" for this number. By the end of the song, a steel bridge is elevated on stage and Michael walks on top of it to sing until a soldier comes up to him with a gun and takes him down. Then, a tank breaks in and the performance ends in the same way as during the HIStoy Tour concerts. That's the number how it was imagined and how it happened in Seoul a few days before. However, in Munich, while Michael was singing on top of the bridge (more than 8 meters from the ground), a mechanical problem happened. The upper part of the bridge fell down. It was no longer held by the engines and only stopped from falling free by the cables that were attached to it. Michael was standing on that steel footbridge when it fell down and violently hit the ground below stage level (through the opened hatch in the stage). The audience didn't notice the accident and thought it was all part of the show. Very few fans understood the terrible thing that had just happened. When the bridge hit the ground, Michael was obviously shocked. Nevertheless, he carried on his performance and kept singing "Earth Song" with half of his body emerging from the stage hatch. Nobody could tell something was wrong. Then, without showing any sign of pain or distress, Michael climbed back on stage and ended the song with the HIStory Tour usual routine (band members decided on that new arrangement within seconds after the accident). The tank then came on stage and so did the soldier and the kid. "Earth Song" was over. A few minutes later, "You Are Not Alone" began. Parts of the "Bridge of No Return" weres still on stage. Crew members were unable to operate them anymore and had to leave them there. Michael appeared on stage with his "Earth Song" outfit, which was a clear indication that something was wrong. He was indeed supposed to change clothes for this number. As soon as "You Are Not Alone" finished, with a remarkable ending vocal performance (given the circumstances), Michael left the stadium.
He was immediately taken to a Munich hospital for a complete check-up. One hour later, after the doctors agreed that no major physical injuries had occured, Michael was released and headed back to his hotel. Unfortunately, on his way back, he fainted from nervous exhaustion due to the intense fear, stress and commotion he had just gone through. He was taken back to the hospital and spent the night there under medical observation.
The next day, Monday June 28th, the King of Pop was back to his hotel and Mama Concert's Marcel Avram issued the following statement: " 'Michael Jackson is doing fine', stated his agent Marcel Avram this Monday-morning answering journalist's questions concerning Michael Jackson's state of health. Mr. Avram went on by saying that Michael Jackson will stay in Munich today and leave Germany tomorrow, as scheduled."
29/06/1999 Munich - Michael hospitalized
After the "Bridge of No Return" accident during the "Earth Song" performance, Michael was immediately taken to a Munich hospital for a complete check-up. One hour later, after the doctors agreed that no major physical injuries had occured (just a sprained ankle and minor burns), Michael was released and headed back to his hotel. Unfortunately, on his way back, he fainted from nervous exhaustion due to the intense fear, stress and commotion he had just gone through. He was taken back to the hospital and spent the night there under medical observation. The next day, Monday June 28th, the King of Pop was back to his hotel and Mama Concert's Marcel Avram issued the following statement: " 'Michael Jackson is doing fine', stated his agent Marcel Avram this Monday-morning answering journalist's questions concerning Michael Jackson's state of health. Mr. Avram went on by saying that Michael Jackson will stay in Munich today and leave Germany tomorrow, as scheduled."
29/06/1999 Fans support Michael in Munich
500 fans spent Monday June 28th in front of Michael's Bayerisher Hof Hotel in Munich, chanting and wishing a speedy recovery to the King of Pop. Michael was very happy with that great support from his fans; he often appeared at his suite window (wearing his pajamas) to salute the fans. He sent for their banners and gifts, and threw balloons and messages to them from his window.
Early in the evening, a fan fainted in the crowd and had to be carried away by a medical team. As she was being laid in the ambulance, a TV crew from RTL (a station that has a history of being anti-Jackson) tried to film the exhausted fan. Led by fan-club leader Dirk H lsenbeck, police officers stopped the TV crew from doing their unethical job. Simultaneously, the hundreds of fans standing near started to sing the newly created slogan: "Michael is the best, f*/!@ the press!". The slogan soon became a huge roar and Michael appeared at the window of his suite to put his thumb up in appreciation. And the more the fans sang, the faster Michael's thumb was moving! Earlier in the afternoon, Mama Concerts' Marcel Avram held a press conference to confirm that Michael's condition was now fine. He also rose to the occasion to tell the press the King of Pop would come out with a new album before the new millennium concerts in Sydney and Hawai. Michael will leave Munich on Tuesday morning and will come to Paris for a series of business and artistic meetings. He will then go back to the USA to carry on his work on the new album.
http://www.michael-jackson-trader.com/news/1999/June/index.html
