Fans of Michael Jackson crowded around Harlem’s Apollo Theater on Tuesday for a memorial service. Fans were lined up for 10 blocks and waited hours to enter - onyl 600 were ushered in at a time. Mourners lay flowers and other mementos at the foot of the stage and danced to Jackson’s music as it played over the sound system.

A moment of silence was observed at 5:26 PM — the time Jackson was pronounced dead Thursday. A hat and sparkling glove were placed on the stage to represent Michael.

Jackson won an amateur night showcase in 1967 with his brothers, the Jackson 5, at the age of nine. It was his first step on the road to superstardom.

“Shortly after their appearance, Diana Ross took them on an NBC special that she did, and there was no looking back after that. They just skyrocketed,” said Apollo owner Bobby Schiffman.

Jackson at the time “was a sweet little boy,” he said. “He was extremely talented, extremely easy to get along with. He always had a smile on his face, and it was a pleasure to see him working in the theater.”

Credit: CNN