Kenneth "Xclusive" Paryo
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Music
Press
• Best Michael Jackson impersonation --Wearing a white batting glove and a Barons jersey, Breakin' BBoy McCoy jumped on top of the home dugout and moonwalked to "Beat It" and "Thriller," earning one of the biggest hands of the night. - The Birmingham News
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- People around the city paid their respects for the late King of Pop on the one-year anniversary of his death.
Michael Jackson was a beloved entertainer, and many in Jacksonville held events to remember his impact in pop culture.
Kenneth Paryo performed as the pop star at Friday's Jacksonville Suns game.
"With this being the anniversary that he died, you know, lots of parks are having a Michael Jackson night. so Jacksonville decided to bring me out," he said.
Paryo said he started impersonating Jackson professionally after the singer's death.
"I couldn't believe it for the first couple of days, but it was really crazy. But it finally hit me that he's really gone. He was such an inspiration," he said.
Out on Jacksonville Beach, Bo's Coral Reef held a party to honor Jackson. There were impersonators, video tributes and live entertainment.
Kelly Alwine, who organized the event, said Jackson had a huge impact.
"I guess because Michael Jackson has been around for so long and throughout his life in every decade, he's made an impact doing something different. So every generation has had the opportunity to explore something new with him," she said.
Jackson died June 25, 2009, at age 50, just before he was to begin a comeback tour. Dr. Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter in his death. Authorities say Murray provided the entertainer with a mix of sedatives - including the powerful anesthetic propofol - that killed him.
Copyright 2010 by News4Jax.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. - News4Jax.com
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
**Currently on this Season's So You Think You Can Dance**
As a child, Kenneth was surrounded by music. His parents were song-writers and musicians and at an early age instilled in him a love for the arts. He studied classical piano technique for nine years and also has become proficient in other genres of music as well as music production and writing.
His interest in dance began at the age of thirteen. He attended a step show and saw a young man do a dance solo. Watching him dance impressed him to start teaching himself at home. After about four years of practice, he perfected his own freestyle moves and he began to perform and battle at competitions, high schools and church youth events which built his confidence. His ability to write and produce music gave Kenneth a creative edge in dance as he is able to edit his own mixes, tracks and samples.
His first big performance was at the 2006 Central Gwinnett High School talent show where he received first place award. The response from the crowd was incredible and from this single event he began to receive calls to perform at birthday parties, colleges, high schools, cafes, skating rinks, picnics etc.
He went on to become a featured contestant on NBCs hit reality television show Americas Got Talent Season 3, and also performed on the finale of So You Think You Can Dance Season 9. He has opened for Trey Songz, Childish Gambino, Keenan Thompson, Jeremih, Soulja Boy, Jon Oliver and the list goes on. He now does a national college tour and performs at MLB, MiLB, NBA, and NCAA games nationally.
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