-
2 July 2009
Abuja — In death, as in life, Michael Jackson is doing things with fairytale extravagance.The singer's body will be transported to his funeral in a white carriage led by two horses, instead of the traditional black vehicle, it is understood.
His body will then be placed on show in a glass coffin at Neverland, to give fans a chance to say their personal farewells.The coach and coffin fit Jackson's obsession with children's stories such as Peter Pan and the fantastical style of his Neverland ranch.
Plans are being drafted to have the coffin taken to the ranch today or tomorrow and displayed either before or after a private funeral on Sunday, it was reported last night.
Then Jackson fans - expected to turn up in their thousands - will be invited to pay their respects. Details were sketchy Tuesday but some fans began to leave vigils in Los Angeles for the two-hour drive north, intent on being at the front of the queue.
At one stage it was suggested he might even be laid to rest at Neverland, but laws governing where bodies can be buried are understood to have scuppered the plan. A private service for family and close friends is then expected to be held this Sunday.
It is believed the motorcade will set off from Los Angeles at around 10am today for the 250-mile journey. The memorial services are likely to create unprecedented attention from Jackson's legion of fans and the media.
A senior LAPD chief said: 'We are preparing for an event of historic proportions.
"We will be co-operating closely with the family once they have decided where to hold the funeral". Lt. Butch Arnoldi, a Sheriff's Department spokesman, said: "Our guys are meeting as we speak with the California Highway Patrol to discuss the security issues".
Details of Jackson's burial are not yet known, but the singer's birthplace town of Gary, Indiana, has expressed an interest in laying the star to rest in the area.
Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, previously said a funeral would not be held until the results of a second post mortem. The Rev Al Sharpton, a close family friend, spoke to USA Today about the arrangements after speaking to the Jackson's parents earlier in the week.
He said: 'They've not made the final decisions. "My recommendation is that they do whatever they want - private or for close associates - and then at a later date let the whole world have a celebration, maybe around his birthday at the end of August.
"They wanted to keep his legacy out there and focus on the positive". Meanwhile a memorial service held at Harlem's historic Apollo Theatre in New York attracted thousands of fans.
They lined the streets outside the theatre where, more than 40 years ago, the Jackson Five launched their careers. It has also been revealed that Jackson's last day of rehearsals was captured in high-quality, which will probably result in a future album and DVD.
Culled from dailymail.co.uk
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
