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KISS off Oct. 8 Michael Jackson tribute concert

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Hard-rock group KISS has been dropped from the lineup of the Michael Jackson tribute concert slated for Oct. 8 in Cardiff, Wales, because of disparaging comments group member Gene Simmons has made about Jackson in the past.

Jackson fans expressed anger over the booking of KISS for the event by the promoter, Global Live Events, which has announced on the official Twitter account for the concert that fans’ wishes would be heeded.

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“KISS invitation has been revoked,” according to a post on the event’s official Twitter page. “Apologies to everyone... our primary focus has been to do justice to Michael’s memory with this tribute.”

Fans objected, citing Simmons’ remarks in the days after Jackson’s death in 2009 that he believed Jackson had molested children. Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges.

Global Live has announced that Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Smokey Robinson, Leona Lewis and the Jackson Brothers would be among the acts saluting Jackson. But even within the Jackson family there has been dissension over the concert, which is being assembled with the participation of Jackson’s mother, Katherine, and siblings Tito and LaToya, but without approval of Michael Jackson’s estate.

Additionally, Michael’s brothers Jermaine and Randy Jackson have expressed their disapproval over the timing of the event, which is to occur during the scheduled trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician who was attending to Jackson when he died.

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Michael Jackson life was infused with fantasy and tragedy

-- Randy Lewis

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