Today is the day when our beloved King of Pop - Michael Jackson has been laid to rest, finally, at the Memorial Lawn.
Although the sadness and tears have not yet dried, and will probably not for some long time to come, but, we finally know that he has been laid to rest in a place fit for him, the King of Pop.
Michael Jackson's passing came as a shock to millions around the world ... and like many others, I am still keeping a little hope alive that Michael Jackson is actually still alive and living and among us. As canny as this may sound, it is a wonderment as to why his passing impacts many, including myself, in a special way. We mourn for him as though we have known him all our lives. It is truly as though he lived with us as OUR very own family.
Michael Jackson is indeed a great talent sent by God to lift our souls when we are down and bring a smile when we are grieving. Listening to his voice now through this music, I truly hope that he finally has received the greatest award of all - the sincere and true adoration of fans and people from around the globe.
For one who made global impact, introduced global change, braven global challenges, Michael Jackson is truly our star - our very own King of Pop.
Michael - may you be always be happy and cheerful for eternity.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Guest: Michael Jackson funeral touching, emotional
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – 14 mins ago
GLENDALE, Calif. – Paris Jackson wept as she stepped into the mausoleum where her father, Michael, was to be entombed. Katherine Jackson, overcome by sorrow, turned back when she was faced with her son's final resting place.
On a sultry Thursday evening, amid a sea of white flowers and with a bejeweled crown placed atop his casket by his children, the King of Pop was given an intimate, private version of the lavish public memorial held shortly after his death in June.
The funeral at Glendale Memorial Park was simple but touching, according to one guest. The person, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the day, said Gladys Knight's performance of the hymn "Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer) was soared in the vast mausoleum and moved many to tears.
When it was over, many of the the 200 mourners hugged each other. Among them were Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Barry Bonds and Macaulay Culkin.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who gave a eulogy at the public event and at Thursday's service, also extolled Knight's earlier performance of "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
"Gladys Knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him to rest," Sharpton posted on his Twitter account during the service that was held outside and then within the marble mausoleum.
The mourners followed the crowned, lushly flower-draped casket as Jackson's five brothers — each wearing a bright red tie and a single crystal-studded glove — carried it into the mausoleum. The 11-year-old Paris cried as the group entered the imposing building and was comforted by her aunt, LaToya.
Paris and brothers Prince Michael, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7, known as Blanket, began the service by placing the crown on their father's golden casket. They were composed through most of the hour-and-a-half ceremony.
As it ended, Katherine Jackson appeared extremely weary and had to be helped to her car, according to the guest. Earlier, she had a difficult time going into the mausoleum; she was overcome, turned back, and it wasn't clear if she went in at all, the guest said.
The Jackson family's tardy arrival delayed the service for nearly two hours; no explanation was given to mourners. The invitation notice indicated the service would begin promptly at 7 p.m.; it began closer to 8:30.
The 77-year-old Taylor and others were left waiting in the late summer heat, with the temperature stuck at 90 degrees just before sunset, and some mourners fanned themselves with programs for the service. As darkness fell, police escorted the family's motorcade of 31 cars, including Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, from their compound in Encino to Forest Lawn, about a 20-minute journey, with the hearse bearing Jackson's body at the end.
About 250 seats were arranged for mourners over artificial turf laid roadside at the mausoleum, and a vivid orange moon, a mark of the devastating wildfire about 10 miles distant, hung over the cemetery.
There were two oversized portraits of a youthful, vibrant Jackson mounted next to the casket amid displays of white lilies and roses. At Jackson's lavish public memorial, red roses covered his casket.
A large, blimp-like inflated light, the type used in film and television production, and a boom camera hovered over the seating area placed in front of the elaborate marble mausoleum. The equipment raised the possibility that the footage would be used for the Jackson concert documentary "This Is It," or perhaps the Jackson brothers' upcoming reality show.
More than 400 media credentials were issued to reporters and film crews who remained at a distance from the service and behind barricades. The few clusters of fans who gathered around the secure perimeter that encircled the cemetery entrance struggled to see.
Maria Martinez, 25, a fan from Riverside, Calif., who was joined by a dozen other Jackson admirers at a gas station near the security perimeter, gave a handful of pink flowers she had picked at a nearby park to a man with an invitation driving into the funeral.
"Can you please put these flowers on his grave?" she told him. "They were small and ugly, but I did that with my heart. I'm not going to be able to get close, so this is as close as I could get to him."
The man consented, adding, "God bless."
Glendale police said all went smoothly and there were no arrests.
Jackson will share eternity at Forest Lawn with the likes of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields, entombed alongside them in the mausoleum that will be all but off-limits to adoring fans who might otherwise turn the pop star's grave into a shrine.
The closest the public will be able to get to Jackson's vault is a portion of the mausoleum that displays "The Last Supper Window," a life-size stained-glass re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. Several 10-minute presentations about the window are held regularly 365 days a year, but most of the building is restricted.
The Jackson family had booked an Italian restaurant in Pasadena for a gathering Thursday night, and family members and guests were seen coming and going late into the night.
"I feel like I watched Michael finally given some peace and I made a commitment to make sure his legacy and what he stood for lives on," Sharpton said outside the restaurant around midnight. "So at one level we're relieved; another level we're obligated."
The ceremony ends months of speculation that the singer's body would be buried at Neverland Ranch, in part to make the property a Graceland-style attraction. An amended copy of Jackson's death certificate was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County to reflect Forest Lawn as his final resting place.
In court on Wednesday, it was disclosed that 12 burial spaces were being purchased by Jackson's estate at Forest Lawn Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles, but no details were offered on how they would be used.
The King of Pop died a drug-induced death June 25 at age 50 as he was about to embark on a comeback attempt. The coroner's office has labeled the death a homicide, and Jackson's death certificate lists "injection by another" as the cause.
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told detectives he gave the singer a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep. But prosecutors are still investigating, and no charges have been filed.
GLENDALE, Calif. – Paris Jackson wept as she stepped into the mausoleum where her father, Michael, was to be entombed. Katherine Jackson, overcome by sorrow, turned back when she was faced with her son's final resting place.
On a sultry Thursday evening, amid a sea of white flowers and with a bejeweled crown placed atop his casket by his children, the King of Pop was given an intimate, private version of the lavish public memorial held shortly after his death in June.
The funeral at Glendale Memorial Park was simple but touching, according to one guest. The person, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the day, said Gladys Knight's performance of the hymn "Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer) was soared in the vast mausoleum and moved many to tears.
When it was over, many of the the 200 mourners hugged each other. Among them were Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Barry Bonds and Macaulay Culkin.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who gave a eulogy at the public event and at Thursday's service, also extolled Knight's earlier performance of "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
"Gladys Knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him to rest," Sharpton posted on his Twitter account during the service that was held outside and then within the marble mausoleum.
The mourners followed the crowned, lushly flower-draped casket as Jackson's five brothers — each wearing a bright red tie and a single crystal-studded glove — carried it into the mausoleum. The 11-year-old Paris cried as the group entered the imposing building and was comforted by her aunt, LaToya.
Paris and brothers Prince Michael, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7, known as Blanket, began the service by placing the crown on their father's golden casket. They were composed through most of the hour-and-a-half ceremony.
As it ended, Katherine Jackson appeared extremely weary and had to be helped to her car, according to the guest. Earlier, she had a difficult time going into the mausoleum; she was overcome, turned back, and it wasn't clear if she went in at all, the guest said.
The Jackson family's tardy arrival delayed the service for nearly two hours; no explanation was given to mourners. The invitation notice indicated the service would begin promptly at 7 p.m.; it began closer to 8:30.
The 77-year-old Taylor and others were left waiting in the late summer heat, with the temperature stuck at 90 degrees just before sunset, and some mourners fanned themselves with programs for the service. As darkness fell, police escorted the family's motorcade of 31 cars, including Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, from their compound in Encino to Forest Lawn, about a 20-minute journey, with the hearse bearing Jackson's body at the end.
About 250 seats were arranged for mourners over artificial turf laid roadside at the mausoleum, and a vivid orange moon, a mark of the devastating wildfire about 10 miles distant, hung over the cemetery.
There were two oversized portraits of a youthful, vibrant Jackson mounted next to the casket amid displays of white lilies and roses. At Jackson's lavish public memorial, red roses covered his casket.
A large, blimp-like inflated light, the type used in film and television production, and a boom camera hovered over the seating area placed in front of the elaborate marble mausoleum. The equipment raised the possibility that the footage would be used for the Jackson concert documentary "This Is It," or perhaps the Jackson brothers' upcoming reality show.
More than 400 media credentials were issued to reporters and film crews who remained at a distance from the service and behind barricades. The few clusters of fans who gathered around the secure perimeter that encircled the cemetery entrance struggled to see.
Maria Martinez, 25, a fan from Riverside, Calif., who was joined by a dozen other Jackson admirers at a gas station near the security perimeter, gave a handful of pink flowers she had picked at a nearby park to a man with an invitation driving into the funeral.
"Can you please put these flowers on his grave?" she told him. "They were small and ugly, but I did that with my heart. I'm not going to be able to get close, so this is as close as I could get to him."
The man consented, adding, "God bless."
Glendale police said all went smoothly and there were no arrests.
Jackson will share eternity at Forest Lawn with the likes of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields, entombed alongside them in the mausoleum that will be all but off-limits to adoring fans who might otherwise turn the pop star's grave into a shrine.
The closest the public will be able to get to Jackson's vault is a portion of the mausoleum that displays "The Last Supper Window," a life-size stained-glass re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. Several 10-minute presentations about the window are held regularly 365 days a year, but most of the building is restricted.
The Jackson family had booked an Italian restaurant in Pasadena for a gathering Thursday night, and family members and guests were seen coming and going late into the night.
"I feel like I watched Michael finally given some peace and I made a commitment to make sure his legacy and what he stood for lives on," Sharpton said outside the restaurant around midnight. "So at one level we're relieved; another level we're obligated."
The ceremony ends months of speculation that the singer's body would be buried at Neverland Ranch, in part to make the property a Graceland-style attraction. An amended copy of Jackson's death certificate was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County to reflect Forest Lawn as his final resting place.
In court on Wednesday, it was disclosed that 12 burial spaces were being purchased by Jackson's estate at Forest Lawn Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles, but no details were offered on how they would be used.
The King of Pop died a drug-induced death June 25 at age 50 as he was about to embark on a comeback attempt. The coroner's office has labeled the death a homicide, and Jackson's death certificate lists "injection by another" as the cause.
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told detectives he gave the singer a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep. But prosecutors are still investigating, and no charges have been filed.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Michael Jackson book draws on unseen images by the singer
The ink outlines may be crudely etched, the style described as impressionistic, at best. But for fans of Michael Jackson, the pose struck by the figure in the foreground is unmistakable.
The picture, drawn by a 13-year-old Jackson in 1971 as a protest against the Vietnam War, shows troops taking a hill, backed up by blazing aircraft. It is to be included in an official book documenting the singer’s life, and can be published for the first time today.
Although he drew and signed it while still a student at Walton Elementary School, in California, the outstretched arms of its protagonist would later become one of the singer’s trademark poses. Along with a portrait drawn by Jackson during his 1988 Bad tour, the picture is among thousands of pieces of material unearthed for inclusion in the Michael Jackson Opus, a 400-page tome that is the only new biography of the star sanctioned by his estate.
Plans to publish the 13in by 18in book, which weighs more than 26lb (12kg), had begun before the King of Pop died of a heart attack in June. This month a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the project could go ahead, given that Jackson had already given it his blessing.
Related Links
Michael Jackson: no Proust, and no Messiah
Was 'magic milk' cause of Jackson's death?
Jackson's death 'was a homicide'
The singer is to be buried on September 3 at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles, his family have said, after they were forced to delay the ceremony from August 29, the day on which he would have celebrated his 51st birthday.
Court documents released this week show that he died from a lethal dose of propofol, an anaesthetic, leading police to focus the investigation on Conrad Murray, his personal doctor, who was with him on the day he died.
Two dozen researchers have begun the task of going through his personal notebooks and boxes as well as other material from collectors around the world, and hope to include lyrics, notes and drawings on songs that have never been seen before.
To be released this year, it will also include a feature known as augmented reality, which can be used to trigger 3D images via a webcam and computer.
A picture of a boy’s face quickly drawn by Jackson on the Rome leg of his 1988 tour has also been found. As he got back to his room at the Lord Byron hotel he took a sketch book and drew the picture of a boy in pen. He told friends: “Look at the eyes, look at the eyes,” and signed it “Boyhood M.J. 88 Italy”.
Also included is a photograph taken of the singer in Minneapolis in May 1988 that he had framed and hung in his games room in his Neverland ranch. He told friends that it was one of his favourite performance photographs.
A note left by the star to a Parisian artist whom he had commissioned has been unearthed as part of the search and will be seen by some fans as an eerie portent. Quoting Michelangelo, the Renaissance artist, he wrote: “I know the creator will go, but his work survives, that is why, to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” He adds: “Dedication, Will, Belief creates all things, Believe. MJ.”
Karl Fowler, chief executive of Opus Media Group, which is producing the book, met Jackson in the weeks before his death and said the Thriller singer was “literally jumping up and down with excitement” when he learnt of the Opus plan.
The Michael Jackson Opus will be handbound in leather in a silk clamshell case and is being produced by the team behind several other Opus books, including one on Manchester United that changed hands this year for £1 million, making it the most expensive sports publication on record.
But the singer made it clear that he wanted the book to be priced so it would be available to the majority of his fans. Mr Fowler said: “Our researchers are hard at work as we speak looking at so much rich and varied material from Michael Jackson’s life and career, with photographs, art, letters and drawings such as this one. We know there are lyrics and notes on songs that he wrote that have never been seen before.”
Readers of The Times can purchase the Opus at a discounted price as part of an exclusive deal. For details, see times2, page 18. For details of the book, see michaeljacksonopus.com
The picture, drawn by a 13-year-old Jackson in 1971 as a protest against the Vietnam War, shows troops taking a hill, backed up by blazing aircraft. It is to be included in an official book documenting the singer’s life, and can be published for the first time today.
Although he drew and signed it while still a student at Walton Elementary School, in California, the outstretched arms of its protagonist would later become one of the singer’s trademark poses. Along with a portrait drawn by Jackson during his 1988 Bad tour, the picture is among thousands of pieces of material unearthed for inclusion in the Michael Jackson Opus, a 400-page tome that is the only new biography of the star sanctioned by his estate.
Plans to publish the 13in by 18in book, which weighs more than 26lb (12kg), had begun before the King of Pop died of a heart attack in June. This month a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the project could go ahead, given that Jackson had already given it his blessing.
Related Links
Michael Jackson: no Proust, and no Messiah
Was 'magic milk' cause of Jackson's death?
Jackson's death 'was a homicide'
The singer is to be buried on September 3 at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles, his family have said, after they were forced to delay the ceremony from August 29, the day on which he would have celebrated his 51st birthday.
Court documents released this week show that he died from a lethal dose of propofol, an anaesthetic, leading police to focus the investigation on Conrad Murray, his personal doctor, who was with him on the day he died.
Two dozen researchers have begun the task of going through his personal notebooks and boxes as well as other material from collectors around the world, and hope to include lyrics, notes and drawings on songs that have never been seen before.
To be released this year, it will also include a feature known as augmented reality, which can be used to trigger 3D images via a webcam and computer.
A picture of a boy’s face quickly drawn by Jackson on the Rome leg of his 1988 tour has also been found. As he got back to his room at the Lord Byron hotel he took a sketch book and drew the picture of a boy in pen. He told friends: “Look at the eyes, look at the eyes,” and signed it “Boyhood M.J. 88 Italy”.
Also included is a photograph taken of the singer in Minneapolis in May 1988 that he had framed and hung in his games room in his Neverland ranch. He told friends that it was one of his favourite performance photographs.
A note left by the star to a Parisian artist whom he had commissioned has been unearthed as part of the search and will be seen by some fans as an eerie portent. Quoting Michelangelo, the Renaissance artist, he wrote: “I know the creator will go, but his work survives, that is why, to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” He adds: “Dedication, Will, Belief creates all things, Believe. MJ.”
Karl Fowler, chief executive of Opus Media Group, which is producing the book, met Jackson in the weeks before his death and said the Thriller singer was “literally jumping up and down with excitement” when he learnt of the Opus plan.
The Michael Jackson Opus will be handbound in leather in a silk clamshell case and is being produced by the team behind several other Opus books, including one on Manchester United that changed hands this year for £1 million, making it the most expensive sports publication on record.
But the singer made it clear that he wanted the book to be priced so it would be available to the majority of his fans. Mr Fowler said: “Our researchers are hard at work as we speak looking at so much rich and varied material from Michael Jackson’s life and career, with photographs, art, letters and drawings such as this one. We know there are lyrics and notes on songs that he wrote that have never been seen before.”
Readers of The Times can purchase the Opus at a discounted price as part of an exclusive deal. For details, see times2, page 18. For details of the book, see michaeljacksonopus.com
Michael Jackson's death certificate amended
Michael Jackson's death certificate has been amended to show his cause of death as a homicide.
The change follows comments by coroner's officials last week indicating that the singer's death resulted from the intervention of another person.
Jackson's death certificate now specifies "injection by another" as the ultimate cause of the tradgedy of June 25.
Investigators have said a mix of the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative killed the pop singer.
The new record lists "acute propofol intoxication" as the main cause of death and "benzodiazepine effect" as another significant contributor.
Conrad Murray, who was Jackson's personal doctor has told detectives that he gave the singer a series of sedatives and to try to help him sleep but no charges have been made.
The public copy of Jackson's death certificate has not been changed to reflect his permanent resting place.
Jackson is scheduled to be interred tomorrow at Forest Lawn Glendale.
The coroner's determination of homicide makes it easier for prosecutors to seek criminal charges, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.
Authorities investigating the singer's death have served search warrants in at least three states, California, Nevada and Texas.
The change follows comments by coroner's officials last week indicating that the singer's death resulted from the intervention of another person.
Jackson's death certificate now specifies "injection by another" as the ultimate cause of the tradgedy of June 25.
Investigators have said a mix of the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative killed the pop singer.
The new record lists "acute propofol intoxication" as the main cause of death and "benzodiazepine effect" as another significant contributor.
Conrad Murray, who was Jackson's personal doctor has told detectives that he gave the singer a series of sedatives and to try to help him sleep but no charges have been made.
The public copy of Jackson's death certificate has not been changed to reflect his permanent resting place.
Jackson is scheduled to be interred tomorrow at Forest Lawn Glendale.
The coroner's determination of homicide makes it easier for prosecutors to seek criminal charges, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.
Authorities investigating the singer's death have served search warrants in at least three states, California, Nevada and Texas.
Hoax video of Michael Jackson creates online stir
BERLIN – A hoax video purportedly showing Michael Jackson emerging from a coroner's van was an experiment aimed at showing how quickly misinformation and conspiracy theories can race across the Internet, German broadcaster RTL said Tuesday.
The video was posted by RTL on YouTube for a single day a week ago and received 880,000 hits. The broadcaster has since removed the video from YouTube, but it has been picked up by other Web sites around the world.
"We wanted to show how easily users can be manipulated on the Internet with hoax videos," spokeswoman Heike Schultz of Cologne-based RTL told The Associated Press. "Therefore, we created this video of Michael Jackson being alive, even though everybody knows by now that he is dead — and the response was breathtaking."
Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles.
The video — posted under an "anonymous source" — shows a coroner's van entering what seems like a parking garage and the King of Pop getting out of the back with another person. The lighting is bad, the sound muffled and the footage appears amateurish.
"Unfortunately, many people believed it was true," Schultz said. "Even though we tried to create the video in a way that every normal user can see right away that it is a fake."
She said the video was shot near Cologne — "definitely not in the U.S." The van in the video had the word "CORONER" printed in English, suggesting it had been recorded in America.
RTL admitted to the hoax in an Aug. 26 report on its daily news show Explosiv.
Hoaxes and rumors commonly spread like wildfire on the Internet. Videos of flying saucers and impossible stunts routinely are among the most-viewed on video-sharing sites, though purported evidence of the deceased being alive is less common than false rumors of someone's death.
The rise of Twitter and its real-time microblogging has quickened the pace. American actor Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, had to declare that he is still alive this year after thousands of Twitter users spread news that he was dead. Actor Jeff Goldblum had to do the same.
The RTL spokeswoman said some Jackson fans were upset by the German broadcaster's actions.
"We didn't want to dishonor Michael Jackson, but we needed a strong name to get this experiment going," Schultz said. "Had we used Britney Spears, then the fans of Britney would have complained."
The video was posted by RTL on YouTube for a single day a week ago and received 880,000 hits. The broadcaster has since removed the video from YouTube, but it has been picked up by other Web sites around the world.
"We wanted to show how easily users can be manipulated on the Internet with hoax videos," spokeswoman Heike Schultz of Cologne-based RTL told The Associated Press. "Therefore, we created this video of Michael Jackson being alive, even though everybody knows by now that he is dead — and the response was breathtaking."
Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles.
The video — posted under an "anonymous source" — shows a coroner's van entering what seems like a parking garage and the King of Pop getting out of the back with another person. The lighting is bad, the sound muffled and the footage appears amateurish.
"Unfortunately, many people believed it was true," Schultz said. "Even though we tried to create the video in a way that every normal user can see right away that it is a fake."
She said the video was shot near Cologne — "definitely not in the U.S." The van in the video had the word "CORONER" printed in English, suggesting it had been recorded in America.
RTL admitted to the hoax in an Aug. 26 report on its daily news show Explosiv.
Hoaxes and rumors commonly spread like wildfire on the Internet. Videos of flying saucers and impossible stunts routinely are among the most-viewed on video-sharing sites, though purported evidence of the deceased being alive is less common than false rumors of someone's death.
The rise of Twitter and its real-time microblogging has quickened the pace. American actor Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, had to declare that he is still alive this year after thousands of Twitter users spread news that he was dead. Actor Jeff Goldblum had to do the same.
The RTL spokeswoman said some Jackson fans were upset by the German broadcaster's actions.
"We didn't want to dishonor Michael Jackson, but we needed a strong name to get this experiment going," Schultz said. "Had we used Britney Spears, then the fans of Britney would have complained."
Michael Jackson to be buried amongst the stars
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Two months after his death, Michael Jackson is to buried on Thursday in a private sunset ceremony that will see the "King of Pop" laid to rest alongside a galaxy of Hollywood stars.
The tragic pop music icon, whose mysterious June 25 death was ruled a homicide by city officials last week, will be interred in an elaborate mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of Glendale.
Only close family and friends of Jackson will be in attendance for the event, in stark contrast to the star-studded public memorial held at Los Angeles's Staples Center in July attended by 20,000 mourners.
Several streets surrounding the entrance to the cemetery in Glendale will be closed in an effort to keep fans at bay, police said.
Jackson is to be interred at a 7:00 pm (0200 GMT Friday) ceremony inside the cemetery's massive Great Mausoleum, an elaborate neo-classical building inspired by Genoa's famous Campo Santo.
Jackson's gold-plated casket is to be placed in a private section of the mausoleum that is also home to the final resting places of famous names from Hollywood's golden age such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Carole Lombard.
Forest Lawn, which opened in 1906, is also home to exact replicas of some of Michelangelo's greatest works, including "David," "La Pieta" and "Moses."
The cemetery also boasts a stunning recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" in stained glass.
Other entertainment icons buried at Forest Lawn include Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Nat King Cole, Walt Disney, Errol Flynn and Jimmy Stewart.
Although open to the public, the Forest Lawn Memorial Park is renowned for its strict privacy rules, and unlike many other Hollywood cemeteries does not provide maps of famous grave sites.
Scott Michaels, who runs the successful "Dearly Departed" tours of notorious Hollywood death locations, said officials at Forest Lawn guard celebrity graves "like the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"The Great Mausoleum where he is going is like the Holy Grail of grave hunters," Michaels told The Los Angeles Times.
"There are cameras all throughout it, and if you are just wandering about, they will find you and kick you out."
One of Jackson's brothers, Marlon, meanwhile revealed in an interview with a British newspaper that the singer's children -- Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7 -- would leave notes in their father's coffin.
Jackson said messages reading "Daddy we love you, we miss you," would be placed in the casket alongside the singer's trademark single white glove.
Glendale officials meanwhile have meanwhile discouraged anyone not invited to the service from trying to attend, noting that several streets around the sprawling 300-acre site will be closed to the public.
Ending weeks of feverish speculation, Los Angeles coroners said last week that Jackson's death was being treated as homicide and revealed the singer had a cocktail of six different drugs in his body when he died.
Ending several weeks of feverish speculation following Jackson's sudden death in Los Angeles on June 25, the county coroner's office issued a brief statement Friday ruling that the superstar's death was unlawful.
A statement said "acute intoxication" from the powerful anesthetic propofol was the primary cause of death although, Jackson, 50, had also suffered from the effects of other drugs in his system.
Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients undergoing major surgery in hospital. Medical professionals say it should never be used by private individuals at home.
The coroner's announcement fueled speculation that authorities may charge Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray in connection with the death. Cardiologist Murray was the last person to see Jackson alive.
Jackson, one of the most influential figures in pop music history whose four-decade career included the highest-selling album of all-time, "Thriller," had been preparing for a July concert comeback at the time of his death.
The tragic pop music icon, whose mysterious June 25 death was ruled a homicide by city officials last week, will be interred in an elaborate mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of Glendale.
Only close family and friends of Jackson will be in attendance for the event, in stark contrast to the star-studded public memorial held at Los Angeles's Staples Center in July attended by 20,000 mourners.
Several streets surrounding the entrance to the cemetery in Glendale will be closed in an effort to keep fans at bay, police said.
Jackson is to be interred at a 7:00 pm (0200 GMT Friday) ceremony inside the cemetery's massive Great Mausoleum, an elaborate neo-classical building inspired by Genoa's famous Campo Santo.
Jackson's gold-plated casket is to be placed in a private section of the mausoleum that is also home to the final resting places of famous names from Hollywood's golden age such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Carole Lombard.
Forest Lawn, which opened in 1906, is also home to exact replicas of some of Michelangelo's greatest works, including "David," "La Pieta" and "Moses."
The cemetery also boasts a stunning recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" in stained glass.
Other entertainment icons buried at Forest Lawn include Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Nat King Cole, Walt Disney, Errol Flynn and Jimmy Stewart.
Although open to the public, the Forest Lawn Memorial Park is renowned for its strict privacy rules, and unlike many other Hollywood cemeteries does not provide maps of famous grave sites.
Scott Michaels, who runs the successful "Dearly Departed" tours of notorious Hollywood death locations, said officials at Forest Lawn guard celebrity graves "like the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"The Great Mausoleum where he is going is like the Holy Grail of grave hunters," Michaels told The Los Angeles Times.
"There are cameras all throughout it, and if you are just wandering about, they will find you and kick you out."
One of Jackson's brothers, Marlon, meanwhile revealed in an interview with a British newspaper that the singer's children -- Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7 -- would leave notes in their father's coffin.
Jackson said messages reading "Daddy we love you, we miss you," would be placed in the casket alongside the singer's trademark single white glove.
Glendale officials meanwhile have meanwhile discouraged anyone not invited to the service from trying to attend, noting that several streets around the sprawling 300-acre site will be closed to the public.
Ending weeks of feverish speculation, Los Angeles coroners said last week that Jackson's death was being treated as homicide and revealed the singer had a cocktail of six different drugs in his body when he died.
Ending several weeks of feverish speculation following Jackson's sudden death in Los Angeles on June 25, the county coroner's office issued a brief statement Friday ruling that the superstar's death was unlawful.
A statement said "acute intoxication" from the powerful anesthetic propofol was the primary cause of death although, Jackson, 50, had also suffered from the effects of other drugs in his system.
Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients undergoing major surgery in hospital. Medical professionals say it should never be used by private individuals at home.
The coroner's announcement fueled speculation that authorities may charge Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray in connection with the death. Cardiologist Murray was the last person to see Jackson alive.
Jackson, one of the most influential figures in pop music history whose four-decade career included the highest-selling album of all-time, "Thriller," had been preparing for a July concert comeback at the time of his death.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
‘King of Pop Hometown Tour’ takes Michael Jackson fans to Gary, Ind.., sites
By CARYN ROUSSEAU
The Associated Press
GARY, Ind. | Before there was the Neverland ranch, before he became a superstar with the best-selling album of all time, “Thriller,” a tiny house in the industrial city of Gary was home for Michael Jackson.
Since Jackson’s death, two Chicago women have started “The King of Pop Hometown Tour,” taking busloads of tourists on a four-hour trek through Jackson family landmarks in northwest Indiana. The highlight is 2300 Jackson St., a small white-sided house as big as a two-and-a-half-car garage where the Jackson family lived — with nine children — almost four decades ago.
“This is a tour of motivation and inspiration,” guide Denise Jordan Walker tells riders, as her partner, Tecora Rogers, readies the bus to leave. “We are not taking you to a gated community. We are not taking you to Neverland. We are taking you to Gary, Indiana.”
On cue, a music video of the Jackson 5 plays on overhead screens as the bus pulls off from Chicago and travels south down the highway. A young Michael Jackson sings, “I’m going back to Indiana. Indiana here I come. I’m going back to Indiana. That is where my baby’s from.”
The women said they always wanted to host a Jackson-themed tour of Gary but had put the idea aside to focus on a Chicago jazz music tour instead. After Jackson’s death in June, requests started pouring in, Walker said.
“It hasn’t changed that much since the Jacksons lived here,” Walker said. “It’s pretty much like time stood still. We want to paint a picture and let people really feel what the Jacksons went through on a day-to-day basis.”
Off the highway in Indiana, the bus drives through a heavily industrial area along Lake Michigan before stopping in front of the steel mill where father Joe Jackson worked. The tour goes on to the hospital where the Jackson children were born and the elementary school they attended. It also highlights the beginnings of the Jackson 5, with stops at Mr. Lucky’s Lounge, where the group first performed, and the house where the Jacksons recorded for Steeltown Records in 1967.
While stuffed animals, cards and signs still decorate the outside of the Jackson home, the inside remains closed. The tour, however, has partnered with the owners of a mirror-image house across the street, allowing for a walk-through to get a feel for the Jackson home.
Later on, some tourists point at the marquee next to Roosevelt High School in Gary, which reads, “We celebrate the life of Michael Jackson.”
The ride is broken up with video interviews with Gary residents who knew the Jacksons and videos of Michael Jackson songs, such as “Remember the Time” and “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.”
There’s even Jackson trivia. Tour guides call out questions: “Who was Michael Jackson’s first wife?” or “What song was about his favorite pet?” Riders yell back the answers, “Lisa Marie Presley” and “Ben.”
The trip is taken on a smaller charter tour bus that seats about two dozen people to allow for Gary’s narrow side streets and to fit under low-hanging electrical wires.
One rider, Mallorie Garner, 58, of Olympia Fields, Ill., said the tour offered her perspective on the beginnings of such a famous family.
“It helps you appreciate where they started and how far they came,” Garner said.
Another rider, Danielle Smith, 21, a student from Park Forest, Ill., said she attended memorials after Michael Jackson’s death. Seeing his childhood home put the singer’s career into perspective for her.
“To truly understand Michael, you have to go where it all started, his beginning, their experiences in Indiana,” Smith said. “It was really calming, because I knew that’s where he grew up, but there’s a feeling of loss.”
The Associated Press
GARY, Ind. | Before there was the Neverland ranch, before he became a superstar with the best-selling album of all time, “Thriller,” a tiny house in the industrial city of Gary was home for Michael Jackson.
Since Jackson’s death, two Chicago women have started “The King of Pop Hometown Tour,” taking busloads of tourists on a four-hour trek through Jackson family landmarks in northwest Indiana. The highlight is 2300 Jackson St., a small white-sided house as big as a two-and-a-half-car garage where the Jackson family lived — with nine children — almost four decades ago.
“This is a tour of motivation and inspiration,” guide Denise Jordan Walker tells riders, as her partner, Tecora Rogers, readies the bus to leave. “We are not taking you to a gated community. We are not taking you to Neverland. We are taking you to Gary, Indiana.”
On cue, a music video of the Jackson 5 plays on overhead screens as the bus pulls off from Chicago and travels south down the highway. A young Michael Jackson sings, “I’m going back to Indiana. Indiana here I come. I’m going back to Indiana. That is where my baby’s from.”
The women said they always wanted to host a Jackson-themed tour of Gary but had put the idea aside to focus on a Chicago jazz music tour instead. After Jackson’s death in June, requests started pouring in, Walker said.
“It hasn’t changed that much since the Jacksons lived here,” Walker said. “It’s pretty much like time stood still. We want to paint a picture and let people really feel what the Jacksons went through on a day-to-day basis.”
Off the highway in Indiana, the bus drives through a heavily industrial area along Lake Michigan before stopping in front of the steel mill where father Joe Jackson worked. The tour goes on to the hospital where the Jackson children were born and the elementary school they attended. It also highlights the beginnings of the Jackson 5, with stops at Mr. Lucky’s Lounge, where the group first performed, and the house where the Jacksons recorded for Steeltown Records in 1967.
While stuffed animals, cards and signs still decorate the outside of the Jackson home, the inside remains closed. The tour, however, has partnered with the owners of a mirror-image house across the street, allowing for a walk-through to get a feel for the Jackson home.
Later on, some tourists point at the marquee next to Roosevelt High School in Gary, which reads, “We celebrate the life of Michael Jackson.”
The ride is broken up with video interviews with Gary residents who knew the Jacksons and videos of Michael Jackson songs, such as “Remember the Time” and “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.”
There’s even Jackson trivia. Tour guides call out questions: “Who was Michael Jackson’s first wife?” or “What song was about his favorite pet?” Riders yell back the answers, “Lisa Marie Presley” and “Ben.”
The trip is taken on a smaller charter tour bus that seats about two dozen people to allow for Gary’s narrow side streets and to fit under low-hanging electrical wires.
One rider, Mallorie Garner, 58, of Olympia Fields, Ill., said the tour offered her perspective on the beginnings of such a famous family.
“It helps you appreciate where they started and how far they came,” Garner said.
Another rider, Danielle Smith, 21, a student from Park Forest, Ill., said she attended memorials after Michael Jackson’s death. Seeing his childhood home put the singer’s career into perspective for her.
“To truly understand Michael, you have to go where it all started, his beginning, their experiences in Indiana,” Smith said. “It was really calming, because I knew that’s where he grew up, but there’s a feeling of loss.”
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