Michael Jackson: Neverland Public Viewing and Funeral Plans

There will be a public viewing of Michael Jackson's body as it lies in state at Jackson's Neverland Ranch home Friday. And it seems that his ability to attract millions to his live performances will not wane with his death. A spokesperson for the Jackson family told CNN that the immense outpouring of affection from the public leads them to believe that hundreds of thousands may attend. There will also be a private family memorial service on Sunday.

With the media frenzy over the death of Michael Jackson, it sometimes is difficult to see through all the hype and scandal, controversy and speculation, innuendo and insinuation to what is actually occurring behind the scenes. Michael Jackson is dead and even with all the mayhem and melodrama that has been attendant with that unfortunate occurrence, the usual memorial and funereal aspects of the death and grieving process must be attended to. Since his death was sudden, preparations that normally would have been in place for the eventuality of the singer's death were not.

Final plans for Michael Jackson's funeral and burial have not been made, either, pending results of the private second autopsy performed Monday on the late singer's body. The Jackson family decided to have a second autopsy performed when questions continued to arise about the cause of death of the 50-year-old pop star. Burial plans are also being slowed by the sheer logistics of the event. It is estimated that as many as a million people might attend Michael Jackson's funeral.

Starpulse reported the singer's hometown of Gary, Indiana, also hopes to hold a memorial viewing for Michael Jackson in addition to the one at Neverland Ranch. Rudy Clay, mayor of Gary, told radio station WGN in Chicago that he expects the family to fly Michael Jackson's body back to Gary to lie in state at Steel Works ball park. He said he hopes to convince the family to have the King of Pop buried or cremated in Gary.

At the same time, millions will watch the public viewing on television. CNN has announced live coverage of the event. Most networks will be in attendance.

Given the response to the death of Michael Jackson, it might not be outside the realm of possibility that the public viewing at Neverland Ranch be the most viewed single event in television history. The funeral could garner even more viewers.

Jackson acquired Neverland Ranch in 1987 and turned it into an amusement park, but when authorities searched the property for evidence in his 2005 child molestation trial, he vowed to never return there to live. Over the years, Jackson has sold off portions of the estate but retains partial ownership still.

But Michael Jackson was true to his word, never returning to Neverland to live...

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Source:

Starpulse.com
CNN Television