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Michael Jackson public memorial held in Los Angelels
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-08 02:20

CROWDS SMALLER THAN EXPECTED

Police had estimated that more than 250,000 people would gather outside the arena to say farewell to the "Thriller" singer and one-time member of The Jackson 5.

Michael Jackson public memorial held in Los Angelels
 
Singers Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz perform during the memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, July 7, 2009. [Agencies]

But the orderly crowds were much smaller than expected and many fans and downtown office workers appeared to have stayed at home. The ceremony was carried live on most television networks.

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Los Angeles resident Parisa Ebraihimi, 28, who said she has been a Jackson fan since she was five years old, came "to pay her final respects. "For me, his dance moves and his music -- all his songs were about a better world. He'll live on for generations," she said.

"This is certainly a momentous occasion that is probably as big, if not bigger than, when Elvis (Presley) passed away," said Steve Howard, a resident of Glendale, California, who won a ticket in an online lottery.

Tuesday's memorial focused on Jackson's musical achievements, overshadowed in the last 10 years by the darker side of the singer's life, including his humiliating 2005 trial and acquittal on charges of child sex abuse.

Questions persist over the cause of his death, which is being investigated by coroners, police and drug police amid reports of possible prescription medication abuse.

Police, security, escorts and sanitation for the memorial ceremony are expected to cost cash-strapped Los Angeles city council nearly $4 million. The city council on Tuesday launched a web site asking for fans to make donations towards the cost of hosting Tuesday's events.

The memorial was being shown live on U.S. television networks, in some 37 U.S. movie theaters, and was streamed on the Internet.