Stars join Jackson's 3D tribute

Michael Jackson posthumously paid tribute to both Mother Earth and 3D video on Sunday’s Grammy Awards telecast.

The occasion was a lifetime achievement award for Jackson from the Recording Academy.

But the much-awaited spectacle was the 3D live-and-film number with the King of Pop heard performing his 'Earth Song', accompanied by on-stage stars as well as images from nature that had multitudes of Grammycast viewers peering through red-and-blue-lensed 3D glasses.

The big event arrived about two hours into the three-hour live shindig from Los Angeles’ Staples Centre.

It was introduced by Lionel Richie, who said the performance was meant by Jackson as a call to action against the destruction of Nature and animals by humans.

The performance began with footage of waterfalls and rain forests with Jackson heard declaring, “I respect the secrets and magic of Nature”, as the song began its message of preserving the planet.

The lyrics were affecting enough: “Did you ever stop to notice all the blood we’ve shed before? Did you ever stop to notice this crying Earth, its weeping shores?”

But with the sight of a little girl blowing the seeds of a dandelion seemingly right into a viewer’s living room, every viewer had to be captivated – at least, viewers with the 3D glasses.

Viewers without glasses saw slightly offset red and greenish images. Not so captivating.

In turn, the background panoramic visuals were supplemented by onstage singers Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson to powerful effect – and, when captured at the proper angles, they stood in distinct 3D relief against the film background.