Michael Jackson fans gathered at his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame to pay tribute on the ninth anniversary of his death.
The King Of Pop died on June 25 2009 at the age of 50 and his admirers marked the occasion by visiting his star in Los Angeles.
Tourists stopped to take pictures with the star, which was unveiled in 1984, while Jackson’s still grieving fans placed a single white flower on the ground.
Luke Stewart, 34, and his wife Tasha, 36, travelled from Oklahoma to pay their respects to the Thriller singer.
Mrs Stewart said: “My mom was a huge fan. She adored him so much, I remember her telling me stories and when he’d come on television she’d run crazy around the house because she was so in love with him.”
Asked what she remembered from the day Jackson died, she said: “The silence. It was like the world was silent because he had touched a lot of people and when it’s unexpected it really hurts.
“I think he was more important than that (the King Of Pop). It was not just about his music, he was giving too. He had a very joyful and giving spirit so it was more than just the music.”
Another fan, Julia, 25, arrived at Jackson’s star wearing a Thriller T-shirt and told how she travelled from northern California to pay homage.
She said: “I was a fan because of the way he sings and dances and his humble personality, and he was kind and giving to other people. I admired the type of person he was.”
She admitted she cried on the day Jackson died and added: “I was really sad. I always wanted to see him in concert and never got the chance to.”
Natalya Franco, 20, journeyed from Atlanta, Georgia, to pay her tributes.
She said: “He was a fantastic person. He wanted to heal the world and wanted the world to be a better place.
“It’s really special to be here today, he means a lot to me and seeing the other fans here makes me feel great to know that others cared about him.”
Jackson died following an overdose of an anaesthetic in 2009.