The Jackson 5, in Yiddish

As Michael Jackson’s media-spectacle memorial service gets started in Los Angeles, it’s worth adding our own tribute. Long before the King of Pop married a Jewish woman or partied with the media-friendly likes of Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, he and his brothers performed a music-through-the-years medley on a 1975 broadcast of Carol Burnett’s variety show. One selection: “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen,” the Andrews Sisters’ Yiddish hit (and a song popularized after the lyricist Sammy Cahn heard a pair of black performers named Johnnie and George sing it at the Apollo Theater). Michael’s introduction is at the 2:50 mark. And, of course, yisgadal v’yiskadash…

Jackson 5 Salute to Vocal Groups [YouTube]