High Profile Michael Jackson Tribute At Vienna's Schoenbrunn Palace Cancelled

Multiple news outlets are reporting that the Michael Jackson Tribute Concert which was scheduled for Vienna on September 26 has been cancelled. Recent reports noted that many of the artists scheduled to perform had other obligations during the time of the concert, which is now hoping to be organized for June 2010 in London. 

Entertainment Tonight recently reported that Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, and Natalie Cole have recently added their names to the roster for the high-profile tribute to the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, at the end of September at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Palace.

Jackson's older brother Jermaine had invited the worlds major talent to perform in front of Schoenbrunn, once home of Austria-Hungary's last Emperor Franz Josef, where the show's producers expect an audience of at least 85,000 people.

Schoenbrunn is regularly used as a venue for the annual summer concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. "The concept of The Tribute is that some of the world's leading artists will perform Michael Jackson's greatest hits live on stage in an imperial setting, befitting the King of Pop," producers World Awards Media said on the company website.

Jermaine Jackson announced on CNN's Larry King show last month that the concert will take place in Vienna. He will also present the show, which is scheduled to take place between September 22nd and 27th.

Georg Kindel of World Awards Media revealed that negotiations are ongoing with networks over rights to broadcast, "Jermaine thinks maybe 1 billion people will watch the television show." Austrian media reports hinted that Madonna, U2, Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston might be among the artists performing around 15-20 Jackson hits on the outdoor stage in front of Schoenbrunn Palace. Kindel however said the lineup is still in the Early Stages of planning. 

Jackson, 50, died Thursday, June 25th, 2009.

In a phenomenal, unparalleled career, Michael Jackson sold more than 750 million records, had 13 number one singles - more than any other male artist - and is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. His numerous other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, including one for "Thriller" as the world's best-selling album of all time - 100 million copies and counting.