Meet the local king of pop

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.” – Michael Jackson

For Weltevreden Park resident Michael Jonathan, his dream has always been to be like the king of pop. “I have loved Michael Jackson since the age of three, when I saw him perform Billie Jean on television,” exclaimed Jonathan.

Jonathan, who has been performing professionally for over 16 years grew up in Paris, France with his family and two younger brothers. He described his career performing as MJ as magical and a dream come true. “My family moved to South Africa in 2005 to start a new chapter in our lives. I met my wife here about five years ago,” he explained.

Aimee Jane Jonathan added that she met him at one of his shows, and what started out as friendship bloomed into love. Their beautiful little girl Michaela, who is 17 months old, was their salvation during the dark Covid pandemic. “Covid was rough. It was very bad for artists and people in the entertainment industry,” Michael said. He went on to say that it was a very dark period in his life due to him not being able to perform and live his dream.

Every year on or near June 25 Michael does a tribute show to MJ; this date being significant because it is the anniversary of the day MJ passed away. “Another date that is important to me is August 29, which is Michael Jackson’s birthday. I try and do tributes on both these dates every year in his memory,” continued Michael.

His message to the world is that even though Covid created a lot of hysteria around the world, it still taught us a lesson. “We cannot just rely on one thing, but you can still believe in your dreams. I had to convince my family that I am passionate about my dreams and determined to make them come true,” said Michael, “My father is a retired doctor and my mother is in accountant, so it was up to me to be totally sure this is what I wanted to pursue. I went for it completely, not looking back, and I think I kind of made it.” Michael is a firm believer that dreams do come true.

To witness our community’s very own Michael J in action, book your tickets for his tribute performance on Saturday, June 25 at Snatch32, by messaging Aimee Jane Jonathan on 072 222 7772.