This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2010 issue of World Gaming magazine.
Michael Jackson was the greatest pop singer the world has ever seen. From a young boy until his untimely death he thrilled audiences all over the world with his haunting voice and breathtaking moves. Ponte 16 has opened Asia’s first ever MJ museum and there are plenty of fans flocking to relive the magic that was Michael Jackson.
Ponte 16 is the home of Michael Jackson here in Macau. The legendary pop performer, who tragically died last year, will live on in Macau. This is a result of the efforts of Ponte 16’s MJ museum, which opened on February 2 this year. Hoffman Ma, Deputy CEO of Ponte 16 Casino, is very proud to showcase the American artist and is excited to bring a little bit of Jackson’s magic to Macau.
“Being one of his fans myself, it’s good to have a place where fans can gather and meet each other”, Mr Ma said.
Many of the artifacts at the MJ museum are priceless. Possibly the most impressive artifact on display is Jackson’s white rhinestone glove that he wore in his moonwalk debut performance when he sang Billie Jean. The glove was purchased by the casino at auction in New York last year for US$350,000. It is considered that the glove would be worth far more than that now but the good news is that it is on display for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in this timeless icon of music history.
The casino has over 40 artifacts and is continuing to build their collection. Some of the items they have on display include:
- The zombie suit that Jackson wore when he performed his song Thriller for MTV
- A pair of crystal socks made by Bill Whitten that MJ wore on his ‘Victory Tour’ in 1984
- The RIAA platinum record award for Bad signed ‘All My Love’ by Jackson in 1998
There are also many other features including a ‘time tunnel’ that takes patrons on a journey through the life and times of Michael Jackson. There are a huge range of posters, records and other artifacts on display that will fascinate anyone who is interested in the ‘King of Pop’, music or history in general. You can visit the museum daily at Ponte 16 and you can even buy Michael Jackson souvenirs from the museum shop.
Ponte 16 is looking to build on their collection and want to make this the most important MJ shrine on the planet.
