Maxwell.Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty
Maxwellis markingThriller’s upcoming milestone anniversary.
The iconic album — the lateMichael Jackson’s sixth — turns 40 this November, and Maxwell, 48, paid tribute with a performance of the closing track “The Lady of My Life” at the 2022Billboard Music Awardson Sunday.
Maxwell.Ethan Miller/Getty
Ahead of the award show, Maxwell spoke to Rocsi Diaz onE!‘sLive from the Red Carpetabout paying homage to Jackson.
“I’m feeling honored to be here, honored to be able to celebrate the 40th anniversary ofThriller, one of the biggest and greatest albums that’s ever hit,” he told the outlet. “I’ve been up since six in the morning trying to get everything together, and you know, just want to do right — it’s Michael Jackson. There’s nobody better, nobody greater, so I just want to do it well, and then do it with my own twist, but truly it’s just an absolute honor.”
For more on the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
“When they called me and said, ‘Hey, we want you to do this,’ I was like, ‘Really, me?’ There’s a lot of people that could probably do it better, but I’m just happy to be here to celebrate.”
Maxwell’s performance at Sunday’s show comes alongside others fromMiranda Lambert,Ed Sheeran,Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion and more.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.Alamy
Sunday’s tribute comes three months after Michael’s two oldest children,Prince JacksonandParis Jackson, attended opening night ofMJ: The Musicalon Tuesday, the Broadway show that celebrates the career of their late father.
MJ The Musicaltakes audiences inside Jackson’s creative process, depicting the singer rehearsing for his 1992Dangerous Tour.
Check out PEOPLE’s fullBillboard Music Awardscoverage to get the latest news on music’s big night.
RELATED VIDEO: Remembering Michael Jackson
Maxwell, meanwhile, opened up to PEOPLE last year about his experience as a first-generation American Brooklynite, his lasting music legacy and — of course — some of the meaningful life lessons he has learned through the years, ahead of his performance at the 2021NAACP Image Awards.
Of his performance at 2021’s show, Maxwell said, “I’m from Brooklyn, New York, and obviously New York has been through a lot during the pandemic, so the performance is a celebration of New York and how much it’s given me and how much I hope to give back to the city that I’m from.”
The 2022 Billboard Music Awards are airing live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
