Fans in Asia stayed awake into the wee hours, bars across Europe held Michael Jackson theme nights and television stations from Sydney to Paris cleared their schedules Tuesday to broadcast the King of Pop's star-studded memorial service from Los Angeles.

Fans mourned the singer and celebrated his life along with the thousands attending the U.S. event, where entertainers including Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie paid tribute to Jackson, who died June 25. The 12-year-old Welsh schoolboy Shaheen Jafargholi, who wowed TV audiences earlier this year with the Jackson 5 song "Who's Loving You" on "Britain's Got Talent" got a standing ovation after he sang the same song to the stadium.

In London, dozens of fans sheltered under umbrellas against the rain as they watched the event on a big screen outside the 02 Arena, where Jackson was to have performed 50 comeback shows starting next week. Many more stayed dry at home after the BBC announced it would cancel scheduled programming and show the ceremony live.

"His whole life was a global broadcast in a way, so I suppose it's fitting that his death also is," said barista Robert Anderson, 26, in London.

Crowds gathered outside Harlem's Apollo Theater in New York — where the Jackson 5 won "Amateur Night" in 1967 — and in Detroit, where his career was launched with Motown Records.

"I think he was somebody who really did change the style of music," said Jonathan Contreras, a 23-year-old college student from Westland, Michigan. "They call him the King of Pop. I call him the King of Music."

Fans gathered at Berlin's O2 World arena and at a bar just off Paris' Champs-Elysees, where about 20 people, many dressed in black, Jackson-style hats or white gloves, watched the ceremony.

"I didn't want to experience this moment alone," said Marie-Anne Le Saux, 25, an insurance company employee who helped organize the ceremony.

In Santiago, Chile, national police band played "We Are the World" during the traditional guard change at the presidential palace La Moneda, as hundreds watched.

About 50 fans lit candles and laid flowers in the main square in Stockholm, as "Billie Jean" and "Earth Song" poured out of a small stereo.

Hannah Ralme, 14, from Stockholm, said she had been heartbroken by Jackson's death. "It's like a piece of me died," she said. "The music, the way he danced, the way he expressed it showed me how to live my life — to be childlike and think about other people."

At a Pan-African culture festival in Algiers, Algeria, hundreds of singers and dancers from across the continent performed The Jackson 5's "Blame it on the Boogie" as a tribute.

Several hundred Jackson fans gathered at a Hong Kong mall late Tuesday to remember their idol and watch the memorial on a big screen, surrounded by shuttered store fronts. Holding white candles, Hong Kong singer William Chan and Taiwanese pop star Judy Chou led the audience in observing a 30-second silence. Many fans clutched red roses and wore black; some donned Jackson's trademark fedora hats.

In Japan, home to some of Jackson's most passionate fans, about 100 people gathered at a Tower Records store in downtown Tokyo to watch his videos on a big screen hours before the Los Angeles memorial. The store, which Jackson visited twice, displayed his hand print in a cement block and large posters celebrating his performances. Several shelves dedicated to the pop star were stacked with his CDs and DVDs.

"I love him," said Namiko Hayakawa, a 31-year-old housewife, one of the first to grab a seat. "He is one of the greatest and most original solo performers. He also has a message about peace. He is such a big star, but he has a message for every little person."

In the Philippines, noontime television variety show "Eat Bulaga" said it would hold a Jackson dance contest Wednesday in honor of the pop icon.

For some, the relentless media coverage of Jackson since his death was too much.

"In Ireland we like a good funeral, so we'll be tuning in. There's no good sports match on tonight anyway," said barman Peadar O Docherty, 24, in the Stag's Head pub in central Dublin.

But, he added, "a lot of the adulation is completely over the top."

More than 2,000 people have attended a candlelight vigil at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in celebration of the life of Michael Jackson.

Fans left handwritten notes, flowers and teddy bears inside the hall of fame lobby Tuesday night. On the museum plaza, they danced to "Billie Jean" and other Jackson hits.

A local church pastor led the crowd in an a cappella version of "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5.

Earlier Tuesday, the museum unveiled a special memorial wall dedicated to Jackson, a two-time hall of fame inductee. He was inducted in 1997 as part of the Jackson 5 and then again in 2001 as a solo artist.

The hall's collection includes several outfits Jackson performed in and one of those very familiar gloves.

Rush Limbaugh said Jackson ‘defined individuality’ during the Reagan years

NEW YORK - Michael Jackson was once so safe that presidents from both parties welcomed him to the White House. In death, after a scandal-filled decline, he is the latest target in the cultural war.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., denounced him this week in a YouTube video as a “pervert” and a “child molester.” Rush Limbaugh said Jackson “defined individuality” and “flourished” during the conservative Reagan years. New York Times columnist Bob Herbert raised the Reagan connection to attack Jackson as a symbol of impossible promises and “grotesque irresponsibility.”

Others upheld a different image. Liberal columnist John Nichols believed “the singer projected to the world the sense and the promise of a multicultural and tolerant United States.” Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., called King’s comments “scandalous and outlandish” and praised Jackson as an exemplar of “hard work, discipline, perseverance and self-determination.”

“Musical savant though he was,” columnist Patricia Williams wrote recently in the liberal magazine The Nation, “Jackson was, almost from the beginning, a tragic figure ... forever reflecting what others wanted him to be.”

Cited by the Rev. Al Sharpton at Tuesday’s memorial as helping Obama to become the first black president, Jackson himself was as cautious in his politics as he was daring in his music. He advocated self-improvement over organized action and favored uncontroversial causes such as education and anti-poverty programs. His riskiest stance may have been calling Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola a racist, in 2002, and accusing the record industry of ripping off black artists.

“He wasn’t interested in electoral politics, but he was interested in causes in the black community. He contributed to a lot of charities and was close to the Rev. (Jesse) Jackson and to Rev. Sharpton,” says poet and essayist Ishmael Reed, who wrote about Jackson in “Mixing It Up,” an essay collection.

Musicians and politicians often mix
Musicians have often served as irresistible, and frustrating candidates, for political branding. Elvis Presley was a counterculture pioneer who later requested, and received, an audience with President Nixon to offer his help in the government’s war on drugs. Bob Dylan taunted his admirers by implying that he was for the Vietnam War. Louis Armstrong, accused by fellow blacks of being a grinning Uncle Tom, shocked the world when he called President Eisenhower “two-faced” on civil rights and said “the government can go to hell.”

Politicians, in turn, have a history of celebrity fascination/revulsion — from the Washington legislators who condemned Ingrid Bergman as an adulteress to Jimmy Carter quoting Dylan’s lyrics as he campaigned for president in 1976. The star-crossed syndrome was captured whole in the 1950s when, according to Arthur Miller, he was offered a loophole on being charged for contempt of Congress for refusing to name suspected Communists. All Miller had to do was agree to one legislator’s request — permit a photo with the playwright’s wife, Marilyn Monroe.

The request was denied.

Before Jackson’s 2003 arrest on child molestation charges (he was found not guilty), Republicans felt safe to stand in his company. In 1984, President Reagan invited Jackson to the White House to thank him for supporting a campaign against drunk driving. “He is totally opposed to Drugs & Alcohol & is using his popularity to influence young people against them,” Reagan wrote in his diary at the time.

The first President Bush also complimented Jackson, appearing with him in the Rose Garden in 1990 and noting that Jackson had received a humanitarian award from the Capital Children’s Museum. “He does good work, what we call the ‘Points of Light’ concept,” said Bush, referring to his national volunteer program. “Glad you’re here, sir. Very pleased you’re here.”

Jackson sang “Heal the World” at President Clinton’s first inaugural gala, in 1993. Nine years later, even after allegations had emerged of inappropriate behavior with children (child sexual abuse charges had been settled out of court in 1994), Jackson appeared at a New York fundraising concert for the Democratic National Committee.

Affection remains among leading Democrats. Clinton recalled Tuesday that the singer had saved the party from “terrible financial distress.” President Obama mentioned his “sad personal life,” but emphasized “the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer.”

“He was a universal African-American, probably the first post-race superstar,” Reed said. “It’s weird to see people attack him now because in some ways he reminds you of Obama — looking for compromise between different groups, for ways we could all get along.”

An economist thinks the city may not need family or fans’ help

LOS ANGELES - Deficit-ridden Los Angeles may break even on the bill for the cost of police and other public servants on duty for Michael Jackson’s memorial service, even though the city asked the singer’s fans to help defray the costs, an economist said Tuesday.

A Web site was posted Tuesday seeking donations to cover the costs, estimated at between $1.5 million and $4 million, according to Matt Szabo, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The Web page reads: “Help the City of Angels provide the extraordinary public safety resources required to give Michael the safe, orderly and respectful memorial he deserves.” The site is linked to a PayPal account where donors can make tax-deductible contributions.

But Jack Kyser, founding economist of the Kyser Center for Economic Research of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, estimates the city could rake in $4 million from the event, thanks to the throng of media and other visitors who stayed at hotels, ate at restaurants and shopped in Los Angeles.

Kyser believes the city also got a major image boost because the memorial service went off without any major problems.

“This thing went off very smoothly,” Kyser said. “I think you had some good exposure for downtown and for the entire city.”

Thousands of police officers and other city workers were enlisted to provide security and logistical support for Jackson’s private service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills and the public memorial at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Some city officials have expressed concern about the cost, given the city’s estimated $530 million deficit.

Similar complaints followed the announcement that the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers would hold a victory celebration at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last month. In the days before the event, much was made of its estimated $2 million cost, with critics grumbling that the city could not afford it.

Large crowds never surfaced
The Lakers and AEG, which owns Staples Center, donated $1 million and private donors covered public costs. AEG, which also was the promoter for Jackson’s now-canceled London shows, has not committed any money to cover the city’s bill for the Jackson memorial.

Despite the police being out in full force — some 3,200 officers, according to the Los Angeles Times — large crowds never surfaced, apparently heeding city officials warning not to come downtown unless they had a ticket for the memorial service. Some people who worked downtown also stayed home, Kyser said.

Preliminary estimates on the crowd had ranged into the hundreds of thousands.

“This was an extraordinarily unique event,” Szabo said. “The only thing certain about this event was uncertainty.”

It wasn’t the first time Angelenos took heed of such advice. Dire warnings of massive traffic jams led to just the opposite during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and a 1987 papal visit, which were marked by lighter-than-normal traffic.

The city may reap additional funds from the Jackson event, especially if he is buried in the Los Angeles area. Staples Inc. earned several years of value in its naming rights because of the exposure the Staples Center received, Kyser said.

“I think people now have a better idea of what is downtown Los Angeles,” Kyser said.

Emotions peaked when the Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a fiery eulogy highlighting all the barriers Jackson broke and the troubles he faced. “Every time he got knocked down, he got back up,” Sharpton said, and the applauding crowd again jumped to its feet.

Sharpton rode the moment, building to a crescendo. “There wasn’t nothing strange about your daddy,” he said later, addressing Jackson’s three children in the front row. “It was strange what your daddy had to deal with!”

Jubilation erupted, with the longest standing ovation of the day. It seemed as if Sharpton broke through some sort of wall, freeing shouts from the crowd of “We love you Michael!” After he left the stage, chants of “Mi-chael! Mi-chael!” filled the arena.

The parade of famous names continued: Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Kobe Bryant.

For a performer who smashed the race barrier on MTV and did as much as anyone to make black music mainstream — not to mention was accused of trying to turn himself white through skin treatments and plastic surgery — the ceremony had a remarkably black cast. John Mayer and Brooke Shields were the only white celebs with major roles.

700,000 gawkers? More like 1,000
Another unexpected aspect was the logistics. The mayhem and traffic snarls that had been feared by city officials never materialized. The thousands of ticketholders began filing in early and encountered few problems, and traffic was actually considered by police to be lighter than normal. An estimate of up to 700,000 gawkers turned out to be about 1,000.

The city of Los Angeles set up a Web site to allow fans to contribute money to help the city pay for the memorial, which was estimated to cost $1.5 million to $4 million. AEG, the event promoter behind the memorial, has not addressed whether it will give money for the effort, but did contribute $1 million to the city after it staged a victory parade for the Los Angeles Lakers last month.

It was not clear what will happen to Jackson’s body. The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills cemetery, where a private service was held, is the final resting place for such stars as Bette Davis, Andy Gibb, Freddie Prinze, Liberace and recently deceased David Carradine and Ed McMahon.

But Jackson’s brother Jermaine has expressed a desire to have him buried someday at Neverland, his estate in Southern California.

The ceremony ended with Jackson’s family on stage, amid a choir, singing “Heal the World.”

“All around us are people of different cultures, different religions, different nationalities,” Rev. Smith said as he closed the service. “And yet the music of Michael Jackson brings us together.”

Teary tribute from singer’s young daughter caps music-filled ceremony

LOS ANGELES - It was not spectacular, extravagant or bizarre. There were songs and tears but little dancing. Instead, Michael Jackson’s memorial was a somber, spiritual ceremony that reached back for the essence of the man.

Singer, dancer, superstar, humanitarian: That was how the some 20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center arena on Tuesday, and untold millions watching around the world, remembered Jackson, whose immense talents almost drowned beneath the spectacle of his life and fame.

If there was a shocking moment, it came in the form of Jackson’s daughter, Paris-Michael, who made the first public statement of her 11 years.

“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” she said, dissolving into tears and turning into the embrace of her aunt Janet. “And I just wanted to say I love him — so much.”

Outside the arena, the celebrity-industrial complex that Jackson helped create ground on. More than 3,000 police officers massed downtown to keep the ticketless at bay. Helicopters followed the golden casket as it was driven over blocked-off freeways from Forest Lawn cemetery to Staples Center. A bazaar of T-shirts, buttons, photos and other memorabilia sprouted in the blocks around the memorial. Movie theaters played the service live and people paused around the world to watch.

Inside, however, the atmosphere was churchlike, assisted by the enormous video image of a stained glass window, with red-gold clouds blowing past, that was projected behind the stage.

Stars come out for Jackson
The ceremony began with Smokey Robinson reading statements from Jackson’s close friend Diana Ross — “Michael was part of the fabric of my life” — and then Nelson Mandela — “Be strong.”

A lengthy silence of several minutes followed, punctuated only by a steady twinkle of camera flashes. The thousands of mourners spoke softly to those in neighboring seats or contemplated their private thoughts.

Celebrities made their way to their seats in front of the stage: Kobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Lou Ferrigno, Don King, the Kardashian sisters, Magic Johnson, Brooke Shields, Larry King. While Jackson was among the most famous faces in the world, today’s megastars were largely absent. Those present mostly reflected some connection to Jackson’s life or work.

Among those conspicuously not in attendance were Elizabeth Taylor, Ross and Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s ex-wife and the mother of Jackson’s two oldest children.

Many vehicles left Staples in a long motorcade that ended up in a Beverly Hills hotel. Record producer Jimmy Jam told AP Television that he was headed for a gathering for friends and family, but he won’t give details.

The fans, clutching tickets that 1.6 million people had sought, were a visual representation of Jackson’s life: white, black and everything in between; from Mexico, Japan, Italy or America; wearing fedoras, African headdresses, sequins or surgical masks. Actor Corey Feldman showed up fully costumed as Michael Jackson.

“Words can’t express how I feel,” said Dani Harris, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom from Los Angeles.

“You think about one person, larger than presidents and kings and queens,” Harris said. “People in countries you can’t even see on the map know his face, his music.”

The pre-ceremony stillness was broken by the organ strains of “Soon and Very Soon,” a gospel hymn by Andrae Crouch. “Hallelujah, hallelujah, we’re going to see the King,” a choir sang. The crowd cheered and rose to its feet.

The Rev. Lucious W. Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the greeting, standing on the same stage where Jackson had been rehearsing for a comeback concert before his death on June 25 at age 50. Then Mariah Carey sang the opening performance with a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5 ballad “I’ll Be There,” a duet with Trey Lorenz.

Queen Latifah read a special poem composed by Maya Angelou. Lionel Richie sang gospel, “Jesus Is Love.” Berry Gordy remembered the prodigy of young Michael, drawing a standing ovation when he said the title King of Pop would no longer suffice: “He is simply the greatest entertainer who ever lived.”

The King of Pop is more popular than the leader of the free world, at least on Facebook.

During Tuesday's memorial service for fallen music icon Michael Jackson, when numerous news, music and entertainment events streamed the event live, Facebook users were averaging 6,000 status updates per minute. That's roughly 2,000 more updates per minute than occurred during the inauguration ceremony for President Obama last January.

Just like the inauguration, Facebook users could comment during the Jackson funeral while streaming it live on CNN.com. Perhaps given Jackson's global appeal, along the 10-day plus news crescendo following his death, Facebook/CNN.com users turned up in droves to view and share their thoughts on the memorial ceremony. According to Facebook officials as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday — just a half hour into the ceremony — users had already posted 500,000 status updates. Over 300,000 users were logged in at that time.

Whether the total Web audience for the Jackson funeral tops the inauguration remains to be seen. But Jackson already has over a million more friends than Obama (close to 7 million). Meanwhile, a virtual Michael Jackson glove has become the most popular gift in the site's history, as over 800,000 gloves have been exchanged by Facebook friends.

NEW YORK - Nielsen SoundScan says 800,000 copies of Michael Jackson albums were bought in the U.S. last week — nearly double his sales from the previous week.

Jackson is claiming the entire Top 10 roster on the Top Catalog Album chart this week. His “Number Ones” collection is the top seller, followed by “Thriller.” Solo albums occupy every position but No. 7, where the Jackson 5’s “Ultimate Collection” album resides.

Data from the week ending Sunday — the first full week since Jackson’s June 25 death — shows physical albums accounted for 80 percent of his sales.

On Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson holds five out of the top 10 slots, with “Man in the Mirror” leading as his top-selling digital download song of the week.

Four Jackson CDs also are in the top 10 albums sold on iTunes, and five of the top 10 singles for the week ending Monday.

At memorial, the Jackson family invited a stadium of people into their lives

LOS ANGELES - Plenty of expectations were placed on Michael Jackson’s public memorial at the Staples Center on July 7: There would be drama (leading up to the event and possibly during), there would be celebrities, there would be songs that remind us of what made Jackson famous.

What no one expected was that, for about 90 minutes, the Jackson family would invite a stadium full of strangers into their lives.

It all began with a subtle family message: At the memorial the remaining Jackson brothers wore yellow ties, and family friend Lionel Ritchie wore a yellow flower on his lapel.

The color coordination wasn’t planned, said a person who helped the Jackson family with the wardrobe for the memorial. “The color has family significance,” he said. “It was fine for the world to notice, and they’ll explain it when they’re ready. But they wanted to put the message out there.”

Then there was the deeply religious overtones of some of the songs — “Jesus is Love,” performed by Ritchie, was just one of them. Although the Jacksons are religious — they were Jehovah’s Witnesses — the idea that Michael’s memorial would have so many non-secular songs surprised many.

During the memorial I reached, via text, a close friend of the “King of Pop” who said that those who really knew Michael weren’t surprised by the spiritual element of the memorial.

“He was DEEPLY spiritual,” read the first text. He added, “And he expressed it often and at length to those close to him. Especially during the creation of his (London) show. (Jackson’s spiritualism) would have been very evident when people saw it.”

Those subtle nods to the real Jackson and his family were amplified by the sentiments of his friends. Magic Johnson, who spoke of sharing fried chicken with Jackson; Brooke Shields, who with Jackson snuck in to see Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding dress, and finally, there was Jackson’s young daughter Paris, who bravely took to the microphone to express what a wonderful father she had.

Al Sharpton went to great lengths to say Jackson wasn’t strange, but was in a strange situation. The truth might lie somewhere in between, but Tuesday, that was all forgotten. The Jackson family and their friends shared something deeply personal, raw and human. And they didn’t just share it with the Staples Center — they shared it with the world.

Many of the day’s memorable sentiments might have come from the A-list, but the message was one that real people could understand. Jackson might have been a celebrity’s celebrity but inside the Staples Center on Tuesday, we got to know the world’s greatest performer in a way we might get to know a friend. Yet another first for Jackson, not to be repeated, perhaps ever.

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, defined in equal parts as the world’s greatest entertainer and perhaps its most enigmatic figure, was about to attempt one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Then his life was cut shockingly — and so far, mysteriously — short.

The 50-year-old musical superstar died Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London’s famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.

An autopsy was planned for Friday, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that could take several days and sometimes weeks. However, if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, they will announce the results, said Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital where doctors continued to work on him.

“It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known,” his brother Jermaine said.

Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

Jackson’s death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music’s premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album “Thriller” — which included the blockbuster hits “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.

As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson’s heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York’s Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

“No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow,” Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. “It’s like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died.”

The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “I’ll Be There.”

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

“For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words,” said Quincy Jones, who produced “Thriller.” “He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music’s biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie. Jackson’s sudden death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

“I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible,” Lisa Marie Presley said in a statement. “I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me.”

As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him “Wacko Jacko.”

“It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It’s as if he was trying to defy gravity,” said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a “disciple of P.T. Barnum” and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was “much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew.”

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.

Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary. He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers — Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito — in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.

The album “Thriller” alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of “Billie Jean,” the grinding Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on “Beat It,” and the hiccups and falsettos on “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through “Billie Jean.”

The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson’s scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987’s “Bad” and 1991’s “Dangerous,” but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy’s family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson’s expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album “HIStory,” which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson’s music was clearly waning even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, now 12; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.

Jackson also had a third child, Prince Michael II. Now 7, Jackson said the boy nicknamed Blanket as a baby was his biological child born from a surrogate mother.

Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson’s star power was unmatched. “The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it,” Werde said. “He’s literally the king of pop.”

Jackson’s 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.

“He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit,” he said. “People might have started to think of him again in a different light.”

Michael Jackson will not be allowed to rest in peace at his beloved Neverland Ranch.

The singer's family, who wanted a funeral at Jackson's former home north of Santa Barbara, was not able to obtain a residential exemption required for a burial on private property.

"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland," says a Jackson family statement. "Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."

Colony Capital, the investment company that purchased Neverland in May 2008, tried to get an exemption for burial. "They couldn't get it in time," a Colony spokesperson says.

As for reports that Jackson's body is being held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, William Martin, communications director for the funeral home, won't confirm or deny if Jackson will be buried there.

Michael Jackson had been considering releasing his next music album as a videogame, it has emerged

The singer, who died last Thursday aged 50, discussed the idea with veteran games developer David Perry prior to the announcement of his comeback string of concerts at the 02 Arena in London.

It would have seen a collection of songs Jackson was working on being put out as part of a videogame first before being released as a standalone album.

“This would have introduced many new players to videogames,” says Perry, who had visited Jackson's Neverland ranch to discuss the idea before the superstar was forced to sell the property due to mounting debts.

“He was incredibly interested in the idea, and we got quite far down that road, working on the story and mechanics. We were excited about the press potential.”

Perry, who is an executive videogame industry consultant and founded Shiny Entertainment, makers of Earthworm Jim in 1993, revealed the plans in a post on his website, dperry.com, following the singer's death.

He wrote: “Michael Jackson was a gamer, he wanted me to come up to Neverland and talk to him about games.”

He added: “I feel lucky to have spent time with him, I think the music industry lost a major part of its history, I know his children will be devastated, and for people like me that spent time with him, that got to see the "real" guy, (outside of his celebrity) the world lost a really great person too.”

Jackson's love of videogames was well documented and he had a gaming arcade as part of his multi-million dollar Neverland ranch.

Jackson's last rehearsal, filmed on the eve of his death and recorded in multi-camera, high-definition video, could be released as the performer's last album, according to several sources close to the now-defunct concert tour. The recordings were made as part of concert promotion company AEG Live's deal with Jackson, which included a plan to produce both an album and DVD of what Jackson had billed his "final performance" tour, titled "This Is It." The recordings also could be used to produce both a DVD or Blu-ray disc of the entertainer's last performance – the entertainer singing his greatest hits.

One AEG official is reported to have boasted to a colleague: "We have a live album in the can." The rehearsal, which went on for several hours, included dancers, musicians and aerial performers. Patrick Woodroffe, lighting designer, watched the final rehearsal. He said: "We had rehearsed for the last couple weeks. We put together a complicated show, quite a spectacular show. Of course a huge part of it was him, and I would say for the last week he hadn't really been with us. He would appear, and he would rehearse sometimes, and he would not rehearse." Randy Phillips, president of AEG Live, has refused to comment for the story.

Obama writes to Jackson family

President Barack Obama has written to Jackson's family to express his condolences, one of his aides said. Mr Obama has not made any public comment on Jackson's death but his senior adviser David Axelrod told NBC: "The President obviously believes that Michael Jackson was an important and magnificent performer and obviously he led a sad life in many ways as well but his impact is undeniable. The President has written to the family and has shared his feelings".

'Use your O2 refund to try something new'

The Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw, said the "vast majority" of fans would get refunds on tickets for Jackson's 50 planned concerts at the O2 in London, and called on them to spend the money on other events this summer. "My understanding is that for those people who bought their tickets through bona fide means ... that they are entitled to a refund." The online shopping site eBay said users would get their money back. The retailer Seatwave and the ticket exchange site viagogo also said they would offer refunds.

The hit machine keeps on rolling...

Michael Jackson topped the album chart and made six new entries in the singles top 40, yesterday, six years after his last number one. His Number Ones album, that features his biggest hits, raced up the charts from 121 to number one. That album earned Jackson his last number one hit when it was released in 2003. Four of his other hit albums also reappeared in the top 20 today. A total of 11 Michael Jackson or Jackson Five albums were back in this week's Top 200, the Official Charts Company revealed. Thriller, still the biggest-selling album in history, surged from 179 to number seven. The single, "Man in the Mirror", re-entered the charts at number 11, nearly 20 years after its release. Jackson hits accounted for all but one of the new entries in this week's top 40 singles. A spokesman for HMV said: "We've seen this [posthumous comeback] with John Lennon, Elvis, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra. Michael Jackson in particular, he was just on the cusp of a big comeback anyway."

Plan for Neverland to become 'new Graceland'

Speculative reports suggest that Jackson's home, Neverland, could be turned into a tourist mausoleum much like the late Elvis Presley's home, Graceland, with Jackson's grave as the central attraction. The proposal has apparently come from Tohme Tohme, Jackson's former manager and special ambassador to Senegal. Mr Tohme works with Colony Capital LLC, the firm that holds the mortgage note on Neverland. Their idea is to turn the estate into a new Graceland. The idea is likely to be met by substantial legal issues, including a permit to bury someone on site. Neverland is on a two-lane country road opposite a school, in the hills above the Santa Ynez Valley, which many locals feel is not equipped for heavy traffic.

A tearful Janet Jackson made her first public appearance since her brother's death today as she joined a host of stars honouring the King of Pop.

The singer struggled to speak as she thanked people for their support at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards in Los Angeles.

During emotional remarks, she spoke of her family's loss: "To you Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family and he will forever live in all of our hearts."

Her father Joe Jackson also attended the star-studded event. He sat in the front row at the Shrine Auditorium as a succession of singers and actors paid tribute to his son and celebrated the musical legacy he left behind.

The BET Awards ceremony was always due to take place today. But after the announcement of Michael Jackson's death on Thursday, it was decided that the event would be turned into a celebration of his life and music.

"When we heard that he had passed, we knew we had to revamp this year's show and make it special for him," BET's chief executive Debra Lee said.

Host Jamie Foxx got the show off to a fitting start.

With a Jackson 5 medley pumping through the auditorium, the actor moonwalked on stage wearing a Jacksonesque red jacket and white glove.

Addressing the celebrity guests, Foxx said: "No need to be sad. We want to celebrate this black man. We gonna go through all of Michael Jackson."

And celebrate the music they did. Most of the acts incorporated classic Jackson tunes into their performance in a night when award winners had no chance of stealing the show from the absent main attraction.

In between musical tributes, guests were invited to share their memories and thoughts of Jackson.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs said the singer "knocked down barriers" for black artists like himself. "Love you Mike," he added.

Picking up an award for best female R'n'B artist, Beyonce - who had earlier dedicated a version of Ave Maria to the late singer - held aloft her trophy and said: "This is for you Michael Jackson. I have to thank Michael for being my future and hero."

Other stars who paid tribute to the late singer included basketball star LeBron James and singer Ne-Yo. The R'n'B star said of Jackson: "He's the man who made it possible for me to be on the stage. I love you and I miss you."

Jackson's father said that he thought that his son would have approved of the tribute.

Mr Jackson said: "I think if Michael was here he would enjoy the celebrations. He couldn't be here but it's like he is larger than he was before.

"Michael gives his love to everybody and we hope that his record will never be broken."

Asked how he would like his son to be remembered, the grieving father replied: "I would like him to be remembered forever around the world. And we know that all over the world, everybody is supporting him at the moment."

Janet Jackson's appearance drew an emotional response from the audience.

Taking to the stage, the tearful singer said: "On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all your love."

After she spoke, the celebrity crowd rose to its feet. After a standing ovation during which more than one celebrity was seen to be wiping away tears, Foxx and Ne-Yo sang Jackson's I'll Be There to the backdrop of photos of the star.

BY now you’re probably wondering what Michael Jackson’s been up to. Good to see that the news and broadcast media has been given the King of Pop his dues and playing his songs non-stop for hours now.

For years all we’ve heard about Jackson is that he’s nuts and has a face that presents his impersonators with a moving target.

But then we get a text message that say Michael Jackson has died. And who cannot help feel an extra pang that no sooner has the world woken once more to his talent than he is dead.

It’s a cruel irony, but one Jackson with his keen sense of the absurd would have enjoyed.

Of course, with Jackson gone, you can now say what you like about him. You can’t libel the dead, so here’s the Sun to say that Jackson had converted to Islam, or hadn’t:

The King of Pop’s body was taken to a mortuary late last night by his family who have yet to confirm plans for the 50-year-old’s funeral.

Jacko was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness but before his death there were reports he had secretly converted to Islam. According to Muslim funeral custom the body is usually buried within days of the death.

Other reports say that Jackson was thinking of converting to Scientology, Kabala, Jedi-ism and, weirdly, Catholicism, on account of the “really awesome hats, guys.”

Also in the Sun, we learn of the “they” who Jackson feared were out to kill him. The Taliban? Maybe:

TORMENTED megastar Michael Jackson was terrified of performing the 50 London gigs that were looming, but told pals: “If I don’t tour they’ll kill me.”

In the Mail, we hear:

All three of the children, Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and youngest son Prince Michael II - known as ‘Blanket’ - are said to want to live with Joe and Katherine Jackson.

And in the Mirror:

He was acquitted of child abuse but those allegations never truly left him in life, and they will not let him go in death. Already there are those saying: “Michael could never harm a child.”

Other people are saying other things. Some people are saying not all that much, while others are just repeating the same things.

Meanwhile, the rest of you can get back to watching Wimbledon and waiting for the roof over Centre Court to close. It being Michael great dream to see that happen…

Fans made a mad dash on the Internet on Friday for tickets to a Tuesday memorial service here for Michael Jackson, stirring worries among city officials over the expected throng and the city’s resources to police it.

After days of talks with the authorities, Mr. Jackson’s family and business representatives announced a memorial at the downtown Staples Center arena but imposed what they promoted as a stringent lottery for fans to get the 17,500 free tickets reserved for them in the arena and an adjacent theater.

As fans raced to sign up, the Web site the Staples Center set up for the lottery failed several times in the first hours after the announcement. By late afternoon, some 500,000 people had registered for tickets, the only way to get them, with winners to be notified on Sunday.

“You might want to consider watching this from the comfort of your own home,” said Jan Perry, a city councilwoman who is serving as acting mayor while Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa is away on vacation through next week.

But despite the pleadings of the organizers and city officials, some fans without tickets seemed intent on going.

“I’m going to come anyway,” said George Badilla, 28, who flew in from Guadalajara, Mexico, this week to visit sites associated with Mr. Jackson, 50, who died June 25 of undetermined causes.

Mr. Badilla, like several dozens fans, had rushed to the Staples Center on Friday believing tickets would be available there and now, uncertain if he would get a ticket online, thought about how close he could get to the arena.

Los Angeles police officials, bracing for tens if not hundreds of thousands of people, have not given an estimate of what it may cost to control the event, whose lineup and other details have not been announced. Plans for Mr. Jackson’s burial, expected to be private, have not been disclosed, and it was unclear if the police would help secure it as well.

The city is struggling to close a recession-fueled $530 million deficit in its operating budget. Ms. Perry said the city considered the memorial an “extraordinary event” and would tap into a fund set aside for such occurrences.

But Ms. Perry promptly went on local and national television to urge private donors to help; private donors, the Los Angeles Lakers and AEG Live, the company that owns the arena, covered the nearly $1 million in city costs for a parade honoring the team’s championship last month.

“Any company, entity, individual who would have such great love, the city would welcome the support,” she said in an interview, adding that so far no one had come forward.

Councilman Dennis P. Zine said that next week the City Council would discuss asking AEG, which had promoted a series of concerts Mr. Jackson planned to give this summer, to reimburse the city’s costs.

The police and organizers have taken steps to limit the crowds, aside from the lottery. The memorial will not be shown on the giant video screens in the Staples Center plaza, and arrangements have been made for a worldwide TV broadcast and live feed on the Internet.

The Staples Center has a capacity of nearly 20,000 for sporting events. The organizers said 11,000 fans would be admitted to the arena, with the remainder reserved for Mr. Jackson’s family, friends, guests and the news media. At the Nokia theater next door, 6,500 fans will be let in.

AEG restricted the lottery to United States residents, out of unspecified legal concerns.

Although tickets are free, AEG officials have not said whether there are plans to distribute recordings of the event.

AEG had invested $25 million to $30 million in Mr. Jackson’s planned concerts and could be responsible for $85 million in ticket refunds. Company officials have said they expected many fans would keep their tickets as souvenirs and suggested films or recordings of Mr. Jackson’s rehearsals might also soften the financial blow.

It may recoup losses through insurance if Mr. Jackson’s death is ruled accidental. Investigators have said he was taking prescription medicine, and Mr. Jackson had admitted to addiction to painkillers and other drugs in the past, but it was unclear whether drugs played a role in his death.

The California attorney general, Jerry Brown, said Friday that his office, which maintains a database of prescriptions filled in the state, was assisting the Los Angeles police in tracking down Mr. Jackson’s medicines and the doctors who might have prescribed them.

Citing an unnamed law enforcement source, The Associated Press reported that propofol, a powerful anesthetic used most often in surgery, was found in Mr. Jackson’s rented home in Los Angeles. A police spokesman declined to comment on the case.

A spokeswoman for Dr. Conrad Murray, Mr. Jackson’s physician, said she would not comment on “rumor or innuendo,” though his representatives have denied the doctor gave Mr. Jackson painkillers or other medicine that might explain his death.

Organizers of Michael Jackson’s memorial in Los Angeles were to begin informing registrants on Sunday if they had been awarded one of the 8,750 pairs of free tickets to the Tuesday memorial.

Interest in tickets quickly intensified last Friday after Mr. Jackson’s family and business representatives announced a memorial at the downtown Staples Center but imposed a lottery for fans to get the 17,500 free tickets reserved for them in the arena and an adjacent theater.

The Web site to register for the lottery for the tickets received 500 million hits within the first hour last week. Over the weekend, 1.6 million people registered online for tickets.

Each person whose name is drawn will receive two tickets and will be notified by e-mail after 11 a.m. Pacific time (2 p.m. Eastern) Sunday with instructions on where to go on Monday to pick up their tickets, organizers said. The tickets include a wristband, part of an effort to prevent people from trying to sell the tickets.

The Staples Center has a capacity of nearly 20,000 for sporting events. The organizers said 11,000 fans would be admitted to the arena, with the remainder reserved for Mr. Jackson’s family, friends, guests and the news media. At the Nokia theater next door, 6,500 fans will be let in.

Also Sunday, NBC executives decided to join other networks that will televise the memorial service live, The Associated Press reported. The network had initially planned only a one-hour prime-time special on Tuesday night. ABC, CNN, MSNBC and E! Entertainment also planned to offer the ceremony live.

Katie Couric, the anchor for “CBS Evening News,” will be at the Staples Center, although the network had not yet said whether it was offering live coverage of the memorial. Fox News Channel had yet to announce its plans on Sunday morning.

Organizers said the memorial will not be shown on the giant video screens in the Staples Center plaza, to keep the crowd levels under control, but arrangements have been made for a worldwide TV broadcast and live feed on the Internet.

Organizers and city officials have urged residents to watch the memorial from home but many fans have signaled that they intend to show up anyway.

Los Angeles police officials, bracing for tens if not hundreds of thousands of people, have not given an estimate of what it may cost to control the event, whose lineup and other details have not been announced. The city is struggling to close a recession-fueled $530 million deficit in its operating budget.

Jan Perry, a city councilwoman who is serving as acting mayor while Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa is away on vacation through next week, said that the city considered the memorial an “extraordinary event” and would tap into a fund set aside for such occurrences. She also publicly urged private donors to help.

The Los Angeles Lakers and AEG Live, the company that owns the arena, covered the nearly $1 million in city costs for a parade honoring the team’s championship last month.

Councilman Dennis P. Zine has said that the City Council would discuss asking AEG, which had promoted a series of concerts Mr. Jackson planned to give this summer, to reimburse the city’s costs.

Plans for Mr. Jackson’s burial, expected to be private, have not been disclosed, and it was unclear if the police would help secure it as well.