At the time, Jackson was preparing for This Is It, his planned concert residency in London. The shows were expected to mark his return to the stage, and he was reportedly excited about what he had planned for audiences.
Swizz said Jackson spoke enthusiastically about the performances during their visit. He even demonstrated some of the dance moves he intended to use, showing Alicia what fans might see when he returned to performing.
“He was just excited about going on a tour. He was just like, ‘Yo, when I do this, I’mma hit ’em with that,’ showing A.K. some of his moves,” Swizz recalled.
It’s a particularly poignant detail, given what happened next.
Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, just weeks before the first This Is It concert was scheduled to take place. The residency was cancelled, and footage from the preparations later became part of the concert film of the same name.
What had been intended as a major comeback never happened.. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)