Here are some details I discovered of Michael Jackson's iconic tribute to James Brown at the 2003 BET Awards. The Date & Location • Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 • Location: Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California • Event: The 3rd Annual BET Awards The Context & The Surprise Michael Jackson made a special, surprise guest appearance at the ceremony to present his lifelong idol, James Brown, with the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. According to comedian Steve Harvey (who was in attendance), the surprise was completely Jackson's idea. During Brown's electrifying performance, instead of Brown's legendary emcee and "cape man" Danny Ray coming out to drape the signature cape over the Godfather of Soul's shoulders, Michael Jackson walked out onto the stage to do the honors himself. James Brown was visibly elated and surprised, and he immediately had the band strike up the music so Jackson could show off a few of his signature dance moves. The Speech & Emotional Moment Following the performance and the cape routine, Jackson formally presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. It was a rare, vulnerable moment where the King of Pop became deeply emotional while honoring the man who paved the way for his own career. In his tearful and heartfelt speech, Jackson stated: "I couldn't refuse to give this award tonight because nobody has influenced me more than this man right here. I'm happy, from the bottom of my heart. Since I was a child, at six years old, he was the one that I looked up to more than any other entertainer. And I still do today. So I'd like to say, ladies and gentlemen, I'm deeply honored to present to James Brown this year's Lifetime Achievement award, and nobody deserves it more than this man." The monumental moment marked the second time the two music legends had shared a stage together, with the first being at the Beverly Theater in 1983. #michaeljackson #jamesbrown #viraltiktok #fyp - @legendsin4kremast