Fans sign a Michael Jackson poster covered in messages outside the Staples Center, which will be the site of a memorial service for musical legend after his recent death, in Los Angeles on July 6, 2009. A total of 1.6 million people scrambled for tickets to Jackson's memorial service, officials said as the probe into the singer's death zeroed in on the role of drugs.MARK RALSTON
Live coverage ahead of the Jackson Memorial (CBS News)
Michael Jackson's casket will be taken to the downtown Staples Center for the singer's star-studded memorial service.
The addition of the body adds to the spectacle currently gripping downtown Los Angeles. Police blocked off roads and warned those without tickets to stay away because they would not be able to get close to the Staples Center. In a stange twist, it was reported Tuesday that the public has been asked to donate their own money to cover the costs of the event.
As Los Angeles braces itself for the onslaught of massive crowds hoping to take part in a final tribute at the downtown Staples Center today, organizers were still scrambling to secure the lineup, giving rise to rumours of who would and would not be attending.
The King of Pop was to be laid to rest this morning at Hollywood's pristine Forest Lawn Memorial Park, after a private family service on the sprawling grounds.
Mr. Jackson was to be buried in a gold coffin lined with bright blue velvet, near the graves of Bette Davis, Sammy Davis Jr. and Humphrey Bogart.
The 90-minute public memorial service expected to feature a speech by Diana Ross, his long-time mentor, and performances by Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson.
The official guest list also includes Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Lionel Richie, Brooke Shields, John Mayer, Martin Luther King III, Usher and Stevie Wonder, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is expected to speak.
That was subject to change, organizers warned, and the precise details of the tribute remained shroudedin mystery.
With every confirmation, there was a cancellation, adding to the sense of chaos and confusion that seemed to mark Mr. Jackson's life.
His lifelong friend, Elizabeth Taylor, had been asked to eulogize him, but at the last moment decided against it. "I cannot be part of the public whoopla. And I cannot guarantee that I would be coherent to say a word," she wrote on Twitter. "I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. How I feel is between us. Not a public event," she wrote.
Debbie Rowe, Mr. Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of his two eldest children, had been given a ticket to the VIP section, alongside Mr. Jackson's mother, Katherine. As speculation mounted that Ms. Rowe might sue for custody of the children, she also cancelled.
"The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy. Debbie will continue to celebrate Michael's memory privately," said a statement from her lawyer's office.
Meanwhile, in a downtown courtroom, a separate drama unfolded, as a judge ruled that Katherine Jackson would have to relinquish control of her son's $500-million (U.S.) estate, ceding her temporary authority to two business associates named as co-administrators in the singer's 2002 will.
However, none of that overshadowed the sense of excitement building at the Staples Center, where fans who won the online lottery for 8,750 pairs of tickets to the memorial had already arrived. Some moonwalked with sheer joy, while others openly wept at Mr. Jackson's memory, signing a giant billboard and leaving an odd collection of flowers, stuffed animals and white gloves at the foot of a makeshift memorial.
Giant outdoor screens flashed images of Mr. Jackson's face, morphing through the years, as security teams erected crowd-control fences and news crews jostled with vendors for strategic space.
Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to descend on the downtown core, despite the city's call for ticket-holders only to attend.
Lindell Waller, a 57-year-old cleaner at Los Angeles International Airport, held the tickets she won close to her heart, carefully sealed in a worn clear-plastic zip-lock bag.
"I started crying and thanking God when I heard I'd won," said Ms. Waller, who decided to give her tickets to her daughters, Sabrina and Ebony, who grew up with a six-foot cardboard cutout of Mr. Jackson in their room.
"I wouldn't sell them for a million dollars, even though Lord knows we could use the money," she said.
Nearby, Sherry Hall was selling a selection of Michael Jackson buttons for $5 each to a couple who had flown in from Switzerland with no tickets but a burning desire to be part of the scene.
Ms. Hall, who "grabbed a bottle of Moscato wine, a glass, a candle and Thriller ," when she heard of Mr. Jackson's death, gave her tickets to her two grown children.
"He's bigger than Elvis, bigger than anybody. To me, these tickets are the greatest gift I could give my kids. To me, this is going to be bigger than 9/11."