Filipino Inmates Pay Tribute to Michael Jackson

You have to see this to believe it. Filipino prison inmate had taken to staging mass dance routines as part of their daily workouts and it became a YouTube sensation. Their biggest hit? Michael Jackson's Thriller.

With Jackson's death, they've staged a tribute to Jackson:



The full story is here.

Tourists flocked to the prison in Cebu, south of Manila, Saturday for an elaborate tribute performed by hundreds of inmates in orange prison garb who became an Internet sensation in 2007 for their jailhouse "Thriller" performance.

The original performance - featuring 1,500 inmates in matching prison uniforms doing Jackson's famous 1982 routine - has been viewed more than 24 million times on YouTube.

"Even as a kid, he was already my idol," said Crisanto Nieri, 38, who danced Jackson's part in 'Thriller' in the performance and is serving seven years on drug charges.

The original dance began as a exercise routine for the jail birds.

The inmates dedicated the tribute performance to Jackson's family.