Michael Firestone is the new 'Man in the Mirror'

Michael Joseph Firestone, 40, is an artist. He draws, paints, sculpts, sings and dances at public concerts as well. But the canvas that really matters to him is his face, which he transforms to look like his role model, icon and namesake – late Michael Jackson (MJ). "Growing up, I loved to draw and paint. I looked at my face as a canvas and studied his [MJ's] features and used makeup to make myself look like him," says the Las Vegas-resident in an email interview.

"My first memories of seeing MJ were in the Rock with You video, his Motown 25 performance, the Thriller video and his Billie Jean performance. Those really stuck with me," says Firestone, who has been impersonating the King of Pop for over two decades. Aside from his music and enthralling performances, MJ's charity was what appealed to Firestone. "As a kid, it made an impact seeing someone write a million dollar check to children's hospitals."

For as long as he can remember, Firestone has been an MJ fan. He adds, "I really started loving MJ around the age of five." He may be one of many tribute artistes for MJ, but unlike others, who might work on perfecting the art of the iconic Jackson moves like the pelvic thrust and the moonwalk, he also aims to sound like the late pop star. Right from his school days, Firestone admits to being self taught, imitating MJ's moves for his parents, parties and even school events. "I practiced to his videos. I'd also record myself and replay the videos to see how I was progressing," says the artist, adding that he "naturally" picked up singing. Today, his on-stage performances, popular on social media, are so realistic that MJ fans pack the stadiums in his hometown and all over America to witness the magic – the way he mimics MJ's distinct voice, complete with breathless stutters, whether it is the dulcet tune of Earth Song or fierce renditions of Smooth Criminal and Thriller with their highest of high notes.

(Michael Firestone poses sans makeup)

His latest performance of the MJ tribute, I AM KING – The Michael Jackson Experience, has travelled from Washington, Indiana and will be coming to Mumbai's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) from March 13 to 15 and Bengaluru's St John's Auditorium from to March 16 to 17.

Dancing and singing apart, Firestone spends two to three hours doing his own make-up and perfecting his hair. "Other Michael Jackson impersonators the world over have reached out to get tips on how to apply make-up and look like The Gloved One," he says. While all the MJ costumes that give him an authentic look, he says, are custom-made and an end product of working with multiple designers. Though his favourite song to perform is Human Nature for its "pure sound," MJ's child abuse allegations that led him to write Stranger in Moscow, is the song Firestone finds "very relatable". He says, "I feel his pain in that song after the accusations he dealt with."

While this isn't the artiste's first time visiting India, it will be his first time performing here. After which he will also be performing in Alaska for the first time. "We have many international tours on the horizon. I'm always excited to travel and bring the music and magic of MJ around the world as best as I can," he says adding, "I would not be relevant if it wasn't for Michael Jackson fans."