Michael Jackson birthday party hosted by Spike Lee in New York

Michael Jackson's 51st birthday was celebrated yesterday with a party in New York hosted by the director Spike Lee. Thousands of people braved the rain in Prospect Park in Brooklyn where Lee, who worked with Jackson on the music video They Don't Care About Us, had organised the free event to celebrate the life and music of the King of Pop.

Even through the sea of umbrellas and raincoats, tributes to Jackson were evident, from posters to commemorative badges and white gloves. The crowd, a mix of ages and races, sang Jackson's greatest hits from Bad to Dirty Diana, with music provided by DJ Spinna.

Some fans had hobbled to the event on crutches, others brought fold-up seats with them, but most were up on their feet dancing. They did the moonwalk and performed his iconic poses.

A few children dressed up as the cast of The Wiz, the 1978 film featuring Jackson and Diana Ross.

Jackson fan Patricia Brown, from the Bronx, was dressed in a black-and-white suit with bow-tie, holding a sign that declared: I'm the Off the Wall Michael, from 1978.

"I love Michael so much, I've been grieving, but his birthday is a day of celebration," she said.

Lee – who grew up on Jackson's music and said in a recent interview with The Root, an online magazine, "we're of the same era ... I wanted my Afro to be perfectly round like Michael's" – spent the afternoon on stage, wearing a Jackson tribute T-shirt and leading the singing.

Lee was joined by the Rev Al Sharpton, who began his speech saying: "Fifty-one years ago today, history changed."

He paid tribute to Jackson for defying "social and musical odds" and breaking barriers. Sharpton then paid his respects to Ted Kennedy, whose funeral also took place yesterday, calling the senator a trailblazer. Sharpton also asked the crowd to remember the victims of hurricane Katrina, on the fourth anniversary of the disaster.

After the sombre speech, the music came back on and the celebrations continued. The Way You Make Me Feel blasted over the speakers, with fans singing along to lyrics played on a big screen in the park. One of the fans, Diana Bourne, who grew up in Brooklyn, said: "I was born in the same year as Michael, so I had to come out and celebrate. I love him so much.

"At moments I have been teary-eyed but this is a great day. His music transcends age, race, everything. All over the world people love him and his music.

"He was phenomenal, there will be never be anybody like him."