REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON

It was a night meant to honor the top songwriters and publishers of 2008, and it did. Winners shuffled to the stage Friday at ASCAP’s 22nd annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, posing for photos as they clutched onto their trophies.

But it was also the night after Michael Jackson’s death, and the ASCAP ceremony at the Beverly Hilton took on the feel of a tribute, with Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, Berry Gordy and more paying their respects to the fallen pop icon.

The event began with a moment of silence in honor of the “King of Pop.” A short montage followed, highlighting the gloved one’s illustrious career -- from his days crooning hits such as “I’ll Be There” as part of the Jackson 5 to the night he exposed the world to his slick moonwalk.

The brief tribute was capped with a performance of Jackson’s ballad “Lady in My Life” by R&B; singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, who ended the song by saying, “We love you, Michael.”

The Jackson appreciation didn’t end there. Artists such as gospel singer James Fortune and the GS Boys dedicated their performances to the pop tour de force, and others took time to expand on Jackson’s legacy. When she accepted ASCAP’s Golden Note Award, 12-time Grammy Award winner Keys thanked Jackson for his adventurous spirit.

Said Keys, “This man really broke all of the rules. . . . Nobody could tell him what he could and could not do. How long his videos could or could not be. Or how the song structure should be. Or how many records he could or couldn’t sell.

“He went and did from his heart as a genuine and good, blessed artist,” Keys continued. “I think he is someone that obviously inspired us all.”

Before presenting the songwriter of the year award, record producer Timbaland sounded somber: “I’ve kind of been down for the last day. You know, I had an opportunity to work with Michael coming up, before the tour, and it’s been wild. The same thing happened to me when I was supposed to work with Biggie Smalls before he passed. It’s kind of a sad day . . . but a good day because his music lives on.”

And as Gordy took the stage to present his “best friend” Smokey Robinson with ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, the room fell silent, eager to hear what the Motown founder had to say about the pop icon he watched blossom. Mostly looking down, he nurtured each word.

“I stand here today still in a state of shock from the news of his death,” Gordy said. “At home last night, I was looking at some of my old pictures of him, from his early rehearsals to ones with him and my son on the baseball field as we played our weekly Gordy-Jackson baseball games. For the world, Michael’s legacy will always be his music and his artistry.

“But for me, it will be so much more. The memories of watching him grow from a mere 9-year-old kid with boundless determination and talent to become perhaps the greatest entertainer of all time. It is a bittersweet moment for all of us; even as we celebrate Motown’s 50th year, we have to say goodbye to yet another vital member of our family.”

As Robinson accepted his award, he acknowledged his sadness over Jackson’s death but added that he was happy to receive the award, given to ASCAP members who’ve had a profound influence on the legacy of rhythm and soul music, because Jackson would have been happy for him too.

“I miss him so much. My heart is heavy, of course, because of Michael, but I know that Michael’s happy that I’m getting this award so I can be happy about this.”

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yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com