Michael Jackson's song Billy Jean echoes across a small room in Żejtun where 22-year-old Robert Lautier is practising his idol's famous moon walk.

"He was like a brother to me," he said, expressing his grief at the news that the 50-year-old pop giant passed away on Thursday night.

Posters of the singer are stuck to the walls. Different outfits used by Mr Lautier during his shows are hung against a wall-to-wall mirror and memorabilia are scattered around the room.

The young pastry maker has been impersonating Michael Jackson since he was six, practising daily in the small room, which forms part of the Żejtun youth centre.

Mr Lautier, who goes by the stage name of Michael Robert Jackson, said the first move he copied was the moon walk. "I was fascinated and started trying to master it," he said, adding that he watched the video thousands of times to perfect the moves.

He wanted to be a recognised tribute artist of Michael Jackson, whom he had never watched live in concert.

"It is a big loss for fans." The news, he said, had left him speechless.

Matthew Mallia too used to impersonate Michael Jackson when he was younger and remained a fan. The 33-year-old took part in a talent show in Italy's San Remo 20 years ago and won for best imitation. "After that, people started calling me Jackson. Even my mother still calls me Jackson," he said.

The death of one of the biggest celebrities the world has ever known has shocked his local fan base, including those who were preparing to attend his concerts starting in London next month.

"I cried my eyes out when I heard," Angie Laus said.

Ms Laus, who presents the weekly programme Pjazza, was looking forward to the concert in January and was not even interested in a refund. "I would still like to get the tickets so I can keep them," she said. The two tickets cost Ms Laus £170 (almost €200), including entry to an after-party.

This would have been the second time seeing her idol, the first being in Tunisia some 13 years ago.

"I did not sleep last night and am still in shock. I was hoping it was a joke but it evidently is not," she said.

The 34-year-old said not a day passed that she did not listen to at least one song by Michael Jackson: "It felt like he was part of my family and I would like to go to his funeral."

She described her hero as "the last legend" and, like Elvis Presley, said he would remain immortalised.

"He changed the history of music. Nobody can replace him," she said, adding that her favourite song was Man In The Mirror.

Jane Deguara, 49, has had a poster of Michael Jackson stuck to her bedroom wall for the past 30 years. "My brother gave it to me for my 18th birthday and I have kept it in my bedroom since," she said.

The British woman, who has lived in Malta for the past 27 years, said she was stunned when she heard the news on the radio yesterday morning.

"He was a year and a day older than me," she said.

Fans posted messages in the comments section of timesofmalta.com.

Renald Micallef said things would not be the same for him. "My idol has died and no one will ever understand how I'm feeling right now," he wrote.

William Attard McCarthy said that as a young boy he was addicted to Michael Jackson's music and used to spend hours stopping and rewinding the VHS player to try and copy his dancing.

"The world is definitely an emptier place today. It has lost the last remaining pop icon of our generation... There was Elvis, the king of rock 'n roll; James Brown, the king of soul; Freddie Mercury, the king of rock; and now the king of pop and modern dance... There will never be another musical genius that was Michael Jackson," he said.