A Brazilian Michael Jackson fan, Antonio Gleidson Rodrigues, 32, has taken his love for the late King of Pop to the next level.
The self-proclaimed number one Michael Jackson impersonator in Brazil has spent about £2,000 on cosmetic procedures and has used acid to lighten his skin.
To imitate the Michael Jackson, he also had rhinoplasty and spends about four hours everyday rehearsing his dance moves.
He likes to be known as Gleidson Jackson and had his first surgery five years ago when he had his nasal septum corrected so that he can reach the higher notes.
He said: “I wasn’t able to reach notes like Michael before but after surgery I can now sing some notes in falsetto.”
Following his first bid at surgery, Gliedson continued his mission by having hyaluronic acid injected into his face, which whitened his skin, and botox injections to enhance the area under his eyes.
He also had surgery to close the gaps in his teeth and had his eyebrows tattooed.
He is now hoping to raise enough money by imitating Jackson to have more surgeries.
He said: “If I can afford it in the future, I am thinking of working on my cheekbones so I can get rid of the wrinkles along my mouth – I also want to have my eyebrows arched.
“I would like to have my forehead tattooed and have my nose made even slimmer.”
He spends about one and a half hours applying makeup before showtime.
He was encouraged to become a Michael Jackson impersonator when he was just 19 after his drama students suggested he looked like the pop star.
He said: “It was tough, they teased me for around 15 days and the mothers of the children even got involved.
“By the end of it I was caught up – I had the bug.”
The former drama teacher says his act and the dedication he has put into improving it is the greatest tribute he can pay to his idol.
His aunt Maria Doriane Bastos de Souza, however, worries about him.
She said: “He is obsessed, sometimes he will spend hours on the internet looking for things related to Michael Jackson.
“I worry for his health – I want him to come downstairs and eat a sandwich.
“I also worry when he goes into surgery, I never want him to feel disappointed and sometimes surgery doesn’t work out the way you would want it to.”
Jackson’s death in 2009 obviously crushed Gleidson.
He said: “My reaction was absurd – I started to cry right away, I still don’t understand how this could have happened to Michael Jackson.
“He was a guy who used to drink juice and avoid energy drinks – how could he have died of an overdose.
“In my opinion, to lose that man – the greatest artist of all times – is a real tragedy for the world.
“There will never be another one like him – but I can try my best.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usdABYev7eg
