Gossett herself got to the now-shuttered North Philadelphia theater on Broad Street near Susquehanna Avenue around 8:45 p.m., only to discover that someone had placed a white teddy bear, holding a red heart, with "Michael Jackson" scrawled in black marker, under the marquee.
Gossett opened the doors of her minivan so passersby could hear the musical Jackson tribute that was playing on WDAS-FM. A young Michael Jackson was crooning: "I wanna be where you are. . . . "
"No matter how you want to remember Michael Jackson," Gossett said, standing with her twin 12-year-old girls, Kiana and Brianna, and Dougie, her Pomeranian, "you can't take away his inspiration. He inspired so many artists - Usher, Chris Brown. He was just a phenomenal entertainer."
Meanwhile, on Hector Street in Conshohocken, Lydia Simon, 45, was adjusting to the shock.
"It's devastating," said Simon, who works at a Hampton Inn. Referencing the death of Farrah Fawcett earlier in the day, Simon said, "Two stars in one day. It really makes you appreciate life."
Contact staff writer Alfred Lubrano at 215-854-4969 or alubrano@phillynews.com
Contributing to this article were Inquirer staff writers Kristen E. Holmes, Liz Wagner, and Matt Katz.
