Friday, September 4, 2009

Pop legend Jackson laid to rest

Michael Jackson, the iconic singer who died from a drug overdose more than two months ago, has been laid to rest at a ceremony in Los Angeles attended by family and celebrities.

Tight security kept fans, reporters and even aircraft away from Friday's private burial service held at Glendale's Forest Lawn cemetery.

Jackson joins a long list of famous stars including Hollywood icons Walt Disney, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn and Clark Gable who have also been buried there.

The service had been due to begin at 02:00GMT but was delayed by an hour as his family, travelling in a procession of 31 limousines and cars, arrived late.

Among about 200 guests present at the funeral were actress Elizabeth Taylor, child star Macaulay Culkin and Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley.

Final farewell

Jackson's final resting place is a crypt in Forest Lawn's Great Mausoleum, a vast, mock-Renaissance building on the stately property.

The late pop star's coffin was driven to the ceremony shortly after his family arrived for the private event.

The singer - who sold millions of albums worldwide with hits such as "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" - died of a drug overdose on June 25 in what the Los Angeles county coroner later said was a homicide.

Officials said a cocktail of prescription medication, including the powerful anaesthetic propofol and sedative lorazepam, were the primary causes of his death.

Police have investigated several doctors who treated Jackson, focusing on Conrad Murray, his personal physician, who was at his bedside when he suffered a heart attack in a rented Los Angeles mansion.

Murray was hired by concert promoter AEG Live in the weeks before Jackson's death to watch over him as he rehearsed for a series of comeback concerts in London, scheduled to start in July.

Police have said they will seek criminal charges in the case but so far officials have not filed any.

The Jackson estate has said it will reimburse the Glendale Police Department for its expenses, estimated at up to $150,000.

The cost of the memorial service, estimated $1.4m, was absorbed by the city of Los Angeles.

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