Jacksons v AEG Timeline Top Stories

Memorial service being planned for LA’s Staples Centre

By | Published on Thursday 2 July 2009

Widespread reports that some sort of public memorial event for Jacko was being planned to take place at his former home Neverland, possibly involving his dead body ‘lying in state’ before his funeral, seem to be untrue.

There is also a lot of doubt over those other rumours that Jackson will be buried at the ranch, and that the property would then be turned into a Graceland style shrine. Even though the investment firm who hold the mortgage on the property are reportedly investigating how to overcome the legal problems of those proposals.

Someone linked to the Jackson family told TMZ yesterday: “Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland. Plans are under way regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly”.

Overnight there have been reports that that public memorial will take place next Tuesday morning in LA, at the 20,000 capacity Staples Centre. It’s thought the event may also be screened at the neighbouring 7000 capacity Nokia Theatre. Both venues are owned by AEG, promoters of the planned fifty night Jacko residency in London.

Reports say the event will ticketed, though it’s not clear how tickets will be distributed. Nor whether the event will be cancelled at the last minute, and then fans will be asked to pay fifty quid to keep their ticket as a souvenir. But if AEG are involved, that could well happen.



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