CHICAGO: The king of pop will be honored in Motown with a street named Michael Jackson Avenue, officials announced on Thursday in Detroit.
The city, which has a rich history of nurturing American musical talent, will rename a portion of its Randolph Street in the downtown theater district in honor of the late entertainer.
The tribute comes 50 years after his family group known as the “Jackson 5” birthed their career with a successful recording contract audition in the Motor City.
“The Jacksons were among the first groups of black American performers to attain crossover status, and went on to release hit after hit after hit,” said city spokesman Stephen Grady.
Michael Jackson, who started with the group, went on to become one of the most famous performers in pop music history.
He died in 2009 at the age of 50 from a fatal dose of drugs, including the powerful anesthetic propofol.
The street renaming will take place June 15, coinciding with the Detroit Music Weekend outdoor festival, which Tito, Marlon, Jackie and Jermaine Jackson are scheduled to headline.
“This is where music comes from. This is where everybody copied the Motown sound,” Jackie Jackson said at a Detroit news conference.
The city honored another American music royalty during last year’s festival — naming a street after queen of soul Aretha Franklin.
King of pop Michael Jackson to get street name in Detroit
King of pop Michael Jackson to get street name in Detroit
Musk’s X to open source new algorithm in seven days
Elon Musk said on Saturday that social media platform X will open its new algorithm, including all code for organic and advertising post recommendations, to the public in seven days.
“This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed,” he said in his X post.
Earlier this week, the European Commission decided to extend a retention order sent to X last year, which related to algorithms and dissemination of illegal content, prolonging it to the end of 2026, spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters on Thursday.
In July 2025, Paris prosecutors investigated the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction, which Musk’s X called a “politically-motivated criminal investigation” that threatens its users’ free speech.
