Michael Jackson rehearses for his “This Is It” tour at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in these photos taken just days before his tragic death. The 50 shows at London’s O2 Arena were set to kick off on July 13. The concerts sold out in record-breaking time.

“It was an amazing show. The thing was just days away from being perfected. It was incredible,” said magician Ed Alonzo, who was hired to work on the production. “Even though it was just a walk-through with the dancers, his moves were dead-on—the same Michael Jackson we [saw] through the years in music videos.”