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In the recent bunch of fantastically rare old photos, La Toya has put up a few… among which there is one with Michael Jackson and Honda Minako in the late ’80s. One set of photos must have been taken pre-and post-concert in Japan for Michael, and the other photo set was from what was probably the most iconic beat video ever made, The Way You Make Me Feel. The caption read “You both are missed” with heart emojis that carried an intense feeling of nostalgia and yearning.
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Loaded with numerous hashtags such as #ThrowbackThursday, #MichaelJackson, and many more, the reaction came immediately, with an emotional response from the audience and family members. The photos seem to capture unnervingly fortuitous moments between La Toya and Honda Minako, smiling for the lens either backstage or in the studio of 1987, when Michael Jackson’s “Bad” album and videos were dominating the World beat charts.
Honda Minako is a great name for the Japanese singer and actress, extremely well known for playing Eponine in the Les Miserables productions in Japan. She actually joined forces with Michael Jackson at the height of his career. Therefore these very few photos insinuate the wider international footprint of Jackson’s art and some of his collaborations with other performers from around the globe.
Among the scores of comments came another from Jackson’s own sister Dedra, “This is so beautiful, I love it. ❤️.” Another comment, “OMG Very nice pic😍 First time I see! Honda Minako was very good singer. She roled Eponine in Musical of Le Miserable in Japan❤️❤️,” actually provided clarifications for Minako’s Japanese theatrical credentials.
One could easily read from the tone of many of the comments reflecting how intense Michael Jackson’s legacy is even today: “We Love and Miss Michael so much ❤️🥹,” “Beautiful We Miss his Beautiful Light and Energy.” A sense of mourning, shared with warm conversations about memories, stayed in abundance.
There were more personal comments that were directed at La Toya Jackson herself. One said, “You are literally Michael, in a female version,” probably alluding to their physical appearance. “How beautiful you look. Wherever this God and Michael Jackson are watching over you” is another comment that could be classified as a beautiful fusion of spiritual elements with the memorial tone that ran through the post.
Those throwback photos became the backdrop of all sorts of questions about current pursuits: “is there anything (not beat related) that you’re working on that we should keep an eye out for??!” was one example by a follower, hinting at a continued interest in Jackson’s career shifts outside of her musical output.
Interesting has been the fact that many Spanish comments were also left; one reader wrote: “Que familia más bonita.Cómo se parece Janet a Latoya en la última foto.Que guapas.” Literally translated means, “What a beautiful family. How Janet looks like La Toya in the last photo. How beautiful.” This comment truly embodies the international spirit that stays deeply rooted within the heritage of the Jackson family.
The phrases heard in the video transcription read: “Oh Go mami Hey baby with the high heels on,” possibly from footage or at least audio from behind-the-scenes of the filming for the “The Way You Make Me Feel” video, which is known for its elegant fashion and the dancing of model Tatiana Thumbtzen.
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The way collectively people reacted to La Toya Jackson’s post assures that Michael Jackson’s memory spans across generations and cultures. Memories, appreciation, and a ton of emotional connection prove concretely that the King of Pop lives on through these moments of shared memories and family archives. Thus this post is somewhere between a personal memorial and a public salute to shared artistic endeavors that crossed cultural divisions at the very height of beat’s most global visibility.
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