Monster plans Michael Jackson tribute at CES
Noel Lee, the founder of electronics company Monster, is accustomed to bringing big name music to the Consumer Electronics Show. This year, he wants to bring some big concepts, too.
The concert event Heal the World: A Tribute to Michael Jackson, scheduled for Jan. 7 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino's Axis Theater, will have a big-name roster of music stars performing the music of the late King of Pop. Jackson's single Heal the World from his 1991 album Dangerous serves as the touchstone.
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Among performers will be the Jacksons, members of Aerosmith, George Benson, Ne-Yo, Christina Milian, Rick Ross and Luis Coronel. NBA legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson will host the event. Producer and record label exec Vassal Benford will conduct a 30-piece orchestra. Additional special surprise guests are planned, too.
About 5,000 annually attend Monster's annual retailer awards and concert at CES. Past performers have included Steve Miller, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
Because of concerns about the environment and "all the violence and terrorism in the world," Lee said that he wanted to put on an especially uplifting event at this year's CES.
"I want to highlight a social consciousness of solutions that the consumer electronics field can think about," he said. "For instance, if you can have a fingerprint reader on a iPhone, why can’t you have one on a gun? My goal is to stir up innovation around affecting the world."
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider
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