Paris Jackson, daughter of the late pop singer Michael Jackson, signs autographs for fans gathered outside the singer’s boyhood home at 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Ind.,. Wednesday, August 29, 2012. Michael Jackson would have turned 54 on Wednesday.

East Chicago based photographer, lighting designer, and filmmaker Guy Rhodes photographed Michael Jackson’s birthday celebration at his boyhood home in Gary, Indiana.

Since the evening of June 25, 2009, the day pop singer Michael Jackson passed away, I have lost count of the number of times I’ve journeyed to 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana, to document events at the singer’s boyhood home. Some of them were held to commemorate the day of his passing, while others (as with today’s) celebrated the day of his birth.

Today’s event was unique compared to others I’ve covered due to the presence of Jackson’s three children (Paris, Prince, and Blanket), who worked the crowd with their aunt La Toya, signing autographs and shaking hands. They were received by enthusiastic fans from all over the United States and beyond (one woman I spoke with journeyed from Amsterdam) who came to Gary specifically to celebrate The King of Pop.

See more photos on Guy’s blog.

Michael Jackson impersonator Carlo Riley of Denver, Colorado, poses outside the late pop singer’s boyhood home in Gary.

Prince Jackson, son of the late pop singer Michael Jackson, signs autographs outside his father’s boyhood home in Gary.

La Toya Jackson, sister of the late pop singer Michael Jackson, greets the crowd gathered outside her childhood home in Gary.