A Chicago performer who has spent years channeling Michael Jackson's signature spins and glittering costumes is bringing his tribute act to Kankakee for one night only. Enrico “Rico” Hampton, known on stage as Rico MJ, is scheduled to perform Michael Jackson's greatest hits at the Majestic Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 28, with Motown singer Lisa Joyce opening the show.
According to Shaw Local, doors at the Majestic Event Center, located at 150 N. Schuyler Ave. in Kankakee, open at 6 p.m., with the show itself running from 8 to 11 p.m. General admission tickets start at $45 and are being sold through Eventbrite and Majestic Weddings & Events, and the event is open to all ages, with free parking offered at the venue. Majestic Weddings & Events, which promotes the show on its own site, describes the bill as a chance to “experience Michael Jackson's greatest hits performed live by tribute artist RicoMJ”, complete with “signature dance moves, dazzling costumes, and fan-favorite hits,” according to the venue's promotional copy.
Motown Opener Sets the Tone
Before Hampton takes the stage, Lisa Joyce will open the evening with soul hits from Detroit's Motown era of the 1960s and '70s, per the same report from Shaw Local. She is billed as a Motown artist whose work focuses on the vocals and harmonies of that period, and she often collaborates with Chicago-area entertainment groups and tribute productions, the outlet notes.
A separate Eventbrite listing for the concert, titled “One Night One Legend,” also points to a Saturday, Nov. 28 date running from 8 to 11 p.m., though that detail comes only from a search-result snippet rather than a fully verified event page.
A Career Built on the Moonwalk
Hampton's path to the stage goes back decades. A Chicago Tribune profile from October 2025 reported that Hampton, then 57 and raised in North Lawndale, quit his job at the Department of Family and Support Services in 2000 to pursue impersonating Michael Jackson full-time, launching his production company, Gold Coast Entertainment, in the process. The Tribune traced the spark back even further, describing his work as a nearly 40-year career that began with a performance at his brother's office Christmas party.
Other outlets describe his tenure differently. The Chicago Defender has characterized Hampton as having more than 25 years dedicated to performing as Michael Jackson, a noticeably shorter timeline than the Tribune's account, and the discrepancy between the two has not been resolved.
Viral Clips Fuel Bigger Bookings
Whatever the exact number of years, Hampton's online following has clearly swelled recently. The Defender reported that his performances have gone viral, particularly on TikTok, a visibility boost the outlet says has translated into increased bookings in Los Angeles and Atlanta. The Tribune separately reported that a repost of video showing Hampton sliding toward a guest at an event drew more than 8 million views in August 2025.
Kankakee is far from Hampton's first regional stop. Years earlier, a 2018 report from the South Bend Tribune described him as a Chicago-based Michael Jackson impersonator performing at the Apple Road Theatre and Ministries in Osceola, Indiana, a show whose proceeds went to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. He's also played larger regional festivals, including an appearance scheduled before Too Hype Crew at Streator Fest, a free four-day live-music event at Northpoint Plaza, according to a report from Shaw Local's MyWebTimes.
For Kankakee audiences, the Nov. 28 show offers a rare chance to catch Hampton's full production close to home, pairing his King of Pop homage with Lisa Joyce's Motown set for an evening built around two eras of soul and spectacle.
