Michael Jackson farewell: Dancer says MJ 'changed my life'
- 00:02:10
- ITN
Michael Jackson farewell: Dancer says MJ 'changed my life'
LA is bracing itself for an invasion of Michael Jackson fans for a memorial service his good friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor has dismissed as a "public whoopla". Britain's Got Talent finalist Shaheen Jafargholi will feature alongside worldwide music icons including Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder to pay tribute to the King of Pop. Basketball legend Magic Johnson, singer Usher, Smokey Robinson, Brooke Shields and Jennifer Hudson will also participate in the event, the Jackson family said in a statement. But Oscar-winning Dame Elizabeth is dismissing the event. She wrote on Twitter: "I said I wouldn't go to the Staples Centre 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." Officials have warned fans without tickets to stay away from the Staples Centre and believe as many as 700,000 people may try to reach the arena. City councillor Jan Perry said she would "love it" if the Jacksons helped with some of the city's expected costs but that officials had not had a reply. Family friend the Rev Al Sharpton has said: "The city is trying to do what it should do to secure people. "That's what cities do. Clearly, no one in the family are happy that the city is incurring any expense at all." The anticipation among the selected fans comes as the courts untangle the future of Jackson's estate and police investigate the circumstances of his death. Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Jackson's family was planning a "private family function" at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. The ceremony will not be shown on the arena's giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city.
ITN | July 7, 2009
