The Jonas Brothers paid tribute to King Of Pop Michael Jackson at the MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday - revealing how the Jackson 5 were their first major influence.
The trio introduced a tribute piece to the late Thriller hitmaker, during which Jackson superfans performed hits like ABC, Bad and Man in The Mirror in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.
And the siblings told fans that listening to the Jackson 5's I'll Be There as kids spurred them on to become the new century's leading family performers. Nick Jonas told the MTV audience, "This year we saw the loss of the greatest pop musician the world has ever seen. We and MTV wanted to pay tribute to the true king of pop, Michael Jackson. His unrivalled talent has shaped the musical landscape, influencing artists old and young."
Brother Joe added, "The first time we heard Michael's voice was when our dad played the Jackson 5's I'll Be There. We were amazed by the one-of-a-kind talent. The way that he and his brothers came together to entertain the world has been an obvious influence on us. Michael Jackson influenced every listener and every future performer with a talent the world had never seen before. As a writer and a performer he was the best."
Jackson, who passed away in June, was honoured at the MTV event's American counterpart, the MTV Music Video Awards, in September with a performance from the star's sister Janet and a moving tribute from Madonna.
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