'He looked exactly like Michael'
Tuesday 29th September 2009
Enough was enough. I was tired, fed up and lonely. 'It's time for a new challenge,' I told myself as I flicked on the internet one night in November last year.
I'd spent the past couple of years working in the pub trade, and what with the late nights, tipsy customers and hard graft, I'd finally decided it was time for a change.
Now I was hoping to go back to dancing. I'd taken classes for years and had passed all my exams. It had been ages since I'd done it, but I was desperate for a change.
'Here goes,' I said, hopefully, logging onto a special website for dancing jobs and auditions.
Then I saw it. An ad looking for backing dancers for a Michael Jackson tribute act. 'That's the one for me,' I smiled, jotting down the contact details. I'd been a massive Michael Jackson fan since I was a kid.
I dialled the number and was put through to a man called, coincidentally enough, Glenn Jackson, 28, who played Michael.
'I love Michael,' I told him. 'And I think he's had a really bad press.' 'I've been crazy about him since I was knee high to a grasshopper,' Glenn replied.
There was something about his voice. As I listened to him chatting about what was involved in the job, I suddenly realised my pulse was racing. He sent me a link to his website, and we arranged to meet in Portsmouth a couple of weeks later.
I logged on to the site straight away and couldn't believe it. Glenn looked exactly like Michael Jackson.
When we met up in a Portsmouth café a couple of weeks on, I was more than impressed. 'You must be Gemma,' a tall, handsome man said, holding out his hand as I walked in. He was lovely. Perfect, clear skin, dark, sensuous eyes, plump lips…
'H-hello,' I stammered.
We chatted for hours about the act and what it involved. We got on like a house on fire. 'I think you'd be perfect for the job,' Glenn smiled at the end of the interview.
A couple of weeks on, we started rehearsals. I had to learn an energetic routine to the hit, The Way You Make Me Feel, which I'd dance with Glenn. He was a fantastic dancer and singer and as I watched him during the rehearsals, I was mesmerised.
Then one night, a month later, we went out with some other dancers for a few drinks. At the end of the evening we'd all ended up back at Glenn's place. The others eventually made their way home. But Glenn and I stayed up chatting.
As dawn broke and sunlight streamed in through his living room window, I realised we'd been up all night talking. 'I love you Glenn,' I blurted out suddenly. 'And I love you, too,' he smiled, leaning in to kiss me.
That day, I moved all my stuff into his place. Yes it was fast, but it felt completely right and that was all that mattered.
During the following few months, Glenn and I toured the country together. The show is a replica of Michael's HIStory tour, and it's exhausting.
When Michael died in June this year, Glenn was completely gutted. But since then, we've been inundated with bookings.
We're just about to embark on a three-year tour, taking in the UK, Greece, and even a telly show in France. I feel so lucky. I just wanted a bit of a new challenge and I got Michael Jackson , and Glenn. It was almost as easy as 123, ABC…
For more information about Glenn, log on to www.mjacksonuk.co.uk