Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Ind., in 1958, and grew up in a modest one-story home in the blue collar town, where his father was a steel mill employee.

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He wasn't a frequent visitor to his boyhood hometown, but his family's roots in Gary were a source of great pride for many of its residents.

Within minutes of the news of Jackson's death, crowds began to gather outside the home, laying stuffed animals at the doorstep and playing Jackson's music.

Marilyn Parker's grandfather drove the Jackson family, primarily the boys, before they became world-famous.

"It's a sad day. It's a huge loss for me, and a lot of people in Gary. As you can see, everyone's out here. It's just said. I love Michael Jackson. I love the Jackson family," Parker said.

And Parker was among the throng that greeted the King of Pop in 2003 as he returend to his Northwest Indiana roots--a rare trip to the home that started one of the greatest music careers in history.

"In Gary I sang in public for the first time. It was the first time I danced with joy," Jackson said at the time. "Gary, you will always have a special place in my heart."

It was also the place Jackson recorded his first album.

As a child, Jackson toured the Midwest with his brothers as part of the Jackson 5.

In 1989 The Jacksons released an album and song titled "2300 Jackson Street," paying tribute to their childhood home at 23rd and Jackson streets in Gary. The house is still owned by the Jackson family.

"He lit Gary, Indiana. He lit it up. Anywhere you go in the world, if you say you're from Gary, Indiana, the first thing they will say to you is 'that's the home of Michael Jackson,'" said Gary Mayor Rudy Clay.

"Meeting Michael Jackson was a high point in my life, because of the love I have for him, and the love the people of Gary, Indiana have for him," Clay added.

The 2003 visit was the first time in nearly 30 years Jackson had visted Gary. Crowds of fans and well-wishers packed the streets, some of whom had driven for hours to catch a glimpse of him. People lined up near City Hall and the rest of his stops with posters, some of them dressed as the iconic star.

He was presented the key to the city by then-Mayor Scott L. King at Gary City Hall.

"I was taken with how down to earth he was," King said.

He said Jackson enjoyed himself at a Gary talent show, even as his handlers were trying to get him to leave for Chicago.

"He finally told them to sit down," King said. "Eventually, I had to suggest that we needed to leave because it was starting to rain."

Jackson also received an honorary diploma from Roosevelt High School, his older brothers' alma mater.

"It's great to be home, that's the first thing," Jackson said during his trip. "It's a wonderful feeling. Your hospitality has been overwhelming. It's been incredible. The love has been phenomenal."

At the time Jackson pledged to help build the Michael J. Jackson Performing Arts Center in downtown Gary, but it appears little progress was made on the project.

For some, it was too little, too late.

"He let us down 30 years ago," one woman said.

In a 2008 visit to Gary to film a reality TV show, Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, gave his blessing to a Jackson family museum, tentatively planned for Grant Street and Interstate 80/94.

Residents of Gary expressed hopes the museum would bring visitors and much-needed business to the struggling industrial town.

Gary resident Robert Lewis, a Jackson fan, says he was floored by the news of the star's death.

"My guy's gone," Lewis said. "We loved him. Coming from Gary, Ind., he was a great success story. It hurts me that he's gone."

Lewis said Jackson's success "means they have something to pattern themselves after, especially my granddaughters. They love his dances, his music."

When asked if there was anything else he would like to add, Lewis said, "So long, Mike."

CBS 2's Mike Parker and Suzanne Le Mignot contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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