Love him or hate him, Michael Jackson certainly made an impact around the world.
Wednesday night, in downtown Youngstown, area fans gathered for a tribute to the late King of Pop. "He left us with some great music and I just want them to appreciate what he left us, you know?" said Greg Johnson, who was the DJ for the tribute.
"This is a good opportunity for everyone here to get together, celebrate his life and his music, and for me, that means a lot and makes me happy to see, because he's been such an inspiration for me ever since I was in the first grade," said Jackson fan Manoj Sharma.
Dozens of people came out to the B&O Banquet Hall to watch some of Jackson's videos and listen to his music. Some even showed up wearing wigs and hats like Jackson, and of course, copying his legendary dance moves.
"I think I was in my living room and my dad put on a Michael Jackson album and I was like, 'Woo!' I started dancing around. I have videos of me when I was 5 years old dancing to his music," said Ryan Clausen.
Clausen wasn't the only one there to celebrate Jackson's life. "I've got every Michael Jackson video there is. I could do dances to videos that you haven't even seen yet," said Debbie Julious of Youngstown.
Since his death last Thursday, both the good and bad moments throughout Jackson's life and career have been examined. But, for these fans, the King of Pop's sometimes controversial behavior is not what should be remembered. "I'm here to celebrate the good things in life. Everyone has the negative, why focus on that?" asked Clausen.
Even in death, some are looking for the silver lining to losing a music legend. "I think when the biggest stars go out in such a tragic, dramatic way, it only adds to their legacy," said Sharma.
