Some 7,000 people turned out to see the Jacksons in concert at the Roanoke Civic Center on Nov. 11, 1979.

"The star-studded Jacksons literally exploded Sunday night in an aurora of total sight, sound and motion that set the Roanoke Civic Center ablaze," read a review in the next day's edition of The Roanoke Times.

Michael and brothers Marion, Tito, Randy and Jermaine rocked the mostly female audience with tunes such as "ABC," "Things I Do for You" and "Shake Your Body."

According to the review, Michael Jackson sang the Grammy-Award winning hit "Ben" from atop a rotating carousel, which "had the same effect [on the crowd] as throwing a juicy bone into a pack of mad dogs."

LTD, the 1970s funk band best known for their 1977 hit "Back in Love Again," opened the show.

-- The Roanoke Times