It was a contest that seemed doomed from the start.
Port Arthur's KHYS radio station had planned a Michael Jackson look-alike contest at Parkdale Mall in Beaumont 25 years ago.
The contest would give about 50 impersonators the opportunity to show off their best moves and win some cash at the same time. But it would take a little persistence to ultimately make it happen.
The date for the extravaganza was April 28, 1984, and at the time Michael Jackson was at the top of the pop scene.
In 1983, he had released "Thriller" with Quincy Jones producing, according to Rolling Stone online. The album went on to sell more than 45 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album in history, the magazine reported.
In May of that year, he performed the "moonwalk" on NBC's "Motown 25" special, according to the Web site. People were wearing replica red-and-black jackets from "Thriller" and sporting the lone white glove.
It was this star power that brought a crowd of 6,000 people to Parkdale Mall at the appointed time, creating a traffic snarl on Eastex Freeway for more than a mile. The congestion got predictably worse inside.
According to The Enterprise archives, mall security and management expected between 500 and 1,000 people for the event.
Their estimates were a little off, prompting shops to close their doors, The Enterprise story reported.
"The people were very rowdy," a mall employee said at the time. "Security personnel warned the crowd at least five times that they would cancel the show if the people didn't let the contestants reach the stage. Finally, the announcement came."
Apparently some children were so upset they began to cry, the article said.
Neither the radio station nor Parkdale Mall management were deterred. Though that show had to be cancelled, they scheduled the contest again.
Less than a month later, on the scheduled date of May 19, 1984, organizers cancelled after heavy rains made Babe Zaharias Stadium an unsuitable venue.
"Next time we're going to try to hold it someplace enclosed like the Civic Center so we don't have to worry about the weather," said Parkdale Mall General Manager Thomas E. Winstead Jr.
But they stuck with the stadium instead, and on June 9 there was no rain to dampen the excitement. When it was over, Port Arthur resident Herbert Ned Jr. took his place as the top Michael Jackson impersonator.
Clad in a red leather jacket, red leather pants and black loafers and wearing sunglasses and one white, sequined glove, Ned pulled out all the stops. He arrived at the stadium in a chauffeur-drive limousine, according to the archives. One of his three "bodyguards" stepped out to direct traffic so the limo could push through all the congestion.
After winning, he delivered an acceptance speech and signed autographs.
"I am so deeply honored, so deeply moved," Ned told the crowd, according to the archives. "I'd like to thank my bodyguards, my cousin, and especially the girls in the back."
Ned received $250.
Eight-year-old Dan Woods of Beaumont placed second even though he was the crowd's favorite, according to archives. He received $100.
Leekas Green, 19, from Ville Platte, La., placed third and received a $50 check.
They since apparently have shunned the limelight, since The Enterprise was unable to reach any of the three. The deejay involved in the production also proved elusive.
Maybe 15 minutes of fame was enough after all.
