14 DAY TRIAL // Tuesday, July 7. Today is the day when fans will get their last chance to see their idol, Michael Jackson, and to say goodbye to him in a memorial ceremony that will take place at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and that will probably be one of the most mediated events of the year, to say the least. With the list of those who will take the stage to speak of The King already public, TMZ also has confirmation that the Jackson clan has agreed to move the coffin for a public viewing.
According to the celebrity gossip website / paparazzi agency, Michael Jackson’s body will be moved from Forest Lawn, where it is now held and where the family will hold a private ceremony before the grand memorial event, to Staples Center. The decision, it seems, has been prompted by the realization that fans also need to say their goodbyes to the man they have supported and loved through thick and thin, as well as by the idea that this was perhaps what Michael himself would have wanted.
“Michael Jackson will create even more pandemonium in death than he did in life – his body will take center stage at Tuesday’s public memorial at the Staples Center in downtown L.A. The family will hold a private memorial early in the morning at Forest Lawn – where the body is now. The coffin will then be transported to Staples for what promises to be one of the biggest spectacles in L.A. history.” TMZ writes after speaking to sources from within AEG Live, the organizers of the event.
The list of stars who will be taking the stage to share their memories and pay one final tribute to the King of Pop has been made public a few hours ago, and it includes: Ron Boyd (family friend), Kobe Bryant, Mariah Carey, Andrae Crouch Choir, Berry Gordy, Shaheen Jafargholi (finalist on Britain’s Got Talent), Magic Johnson, Martin Luther King III, Bernice A. King, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Brooke Shields, Pastor Lucious Smith (family friend), Usher and Stevie Wonder. Mariah Carey will reportedly be performing. Another rumored performer is Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, whose participation has not yet been officially confirmed.
One star who will not be taking part in the memorial is Michael’s longtime friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who has announced on her Twitter page that she’s certain the late star would not have liked her to share her grief with the public. “My love goes out to Katherine and Michael’s beloved children. I said I wouldn’t go to the Staples Center and I certainly don’t want to become a part of it. I love him too much. 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. And I cannot guarantee that I would be coherent to say a word. I’ve been asked to speak at the Staples Center. I cannot be part of the public whoopla.” the legendary actress writes on her Twitter page.