LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson fans the world over paused
Friday to remember the man they called the King of Pop with songs,
dances and prayers on the first anniversary of his death, a day
Jackson's father marked by filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against
the doctor charged with giving his son a lethal dose of sedatives.
In Japan, hundreds of people lighted candles in Jackson's
memory. In the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, thousands filed
silently through the gates of Forest Lawn Cemetery, where Jackson's
body is entombed in the mausoleum. Some of them released white
doves while others wept softly.
"He's been my idol all my life since I can remember. I feel
like I haven't had closure," said Erick Dominguez, who traveled
more than 80 miles from his home in Victorville to pay respects. As
he spoke, the 37-year-old sales representative, his eyes hidden by
sunglasses, began to weep.
Several of Jackson's relatives visited the mausoleum, which was
off limits to the public. Brother Tito shook hands with fans as he
arrived, and brother Jermaine rolled down a window and waved as the
family left in a fleet of luxury vehicles.
In Jackson's hometown of Gary, Ind., Jackson's mother,
Katherine, unveiled a monument in the front yard of the modest home
where her children grew up.
"This past year has been very hard on the family," she said.
"If it wasn't for the help of all of you, we wouldn't have made it
through."
Jackson died June 25, 2009, at age 50, just before he was to
begin a comeback tour. Dr. Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to
felony involuntary manslaughter in his death. Authorities say
Murray provided the entertainer with a mix of sedatives -- including
the powerful anesthetic propofol -- that killed him.
As Jackson fans everywhere grieved, the entertainer's father,
Joe Jackson, filed suit against Murray in federal court in Los
Angeles.
The complaint, which seeks more than $75,000, accuses Murray of
professional negligence and contends the physician tried to conceal
his administration of propofol after Jackson's death. Propofol is
normally administered only in hospital settings. Murray had been
providing it in the bedroom of Jackson's rented mansion in Los
Angeles to help him sleep after the physically grueling rehearsals
the performer had been putting himself through to get in shape for
his comeback.
Murray attorney Charles Peckham said in a statement he expected
his client's innocence to be "proven in a court of law."
Jackson's father is also fighting with his son's estate, seeking
more than $15,000 a month. Father and son had a strained
relationship and the elder Jackson was left out of his son's will.
As Jackson's father went to court in Los Angeles, tributes to
his son unfolded around the world.
One of the more raucous ones took place at Jackson's star in
front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fans blasted his music and danced energetically to the delight of
tourists and passers-by on the crowded sidewalk. Many of the
dancers were dressed as the King of Pop himself, wearing sequined
gloves, black shirts and pants, white sox, black loafers and snappy
looking Fedoras,
"I watched all the videos 50 times," said 5-year-old Kamal
Ali, who wowed the crowd as he performed with nearly two dozen
others as the Jackson hit "Thriller" was played.
The Gary, Ind., memorial also had a strong party vibe, with
people dancing to Jackson music as they waited for live
performances of his songs to begin. Among the performers was the
Triple Dose Band, whose members include Jackson cousin Keith
Jackson.
"It's a great feeling that we can share our talent with the
world and for me to be here for Michael," he said. "It's really
emotional. I'm really happy to be here."
Things were quieter at the Jackson family mansion in Los
Angeles' Encino neighborhood, where a small stream of mourners
dropped off flowers. They included a dozen or so people from
Maryland, New Jersey, Latin America and elsewhere calling
themselves the Sisterhood of Michael Jackson. They planned to spend
the day visiting key sites associated with Jackson, including
Forest Lawn and the entertainer's Neverland home in Santa Barbara
County's wine country.
"We're laying flowers along the way as a memorial and to give
ourselves a sense of closure," said TaRaysha Smith, 31, of
Maryland. "It's cathartic, but still we've met every place with a
high level of apprehension because it just hurts."
Across the country in New York City's Harlem, pictures of
Jackson hung outside the fabled Apollo Theater, where the
entertainer and his brothers rocketed to fame as the Jackson 5,
winning amateur night in the late 1960s. A sidewalk plaque honored
the singer alongside such other Apollo legends as James Brown and
Smokey Robinson.
Earlier, in Japan, hundreds had met at Tokyo Tower to honor
Jackson with a candlelight vigil, a gospel concert and more. Some
got a chance to see some of his possessions, including costumes
from his tours and even a 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom that he used to
drive around Los Angeles.
"I don't know what to say. Seeing all his things makes it all
come back to me," said Yumiko Sasaki, a 48-year-old Tokyo office
worker who said she has been a Jackson fan since she was 12. "It
makes me so sad to think that he is gone. He was wonderful."
In cyberspace, people also paused to remember Jackson. Among
them was Mariah Carey who said via Twitter that she was marking the
day by watching the video "You Are Not Alone."
"Love and prayers to MJ 'King of Pop,"' she tweeted. "You
will be remembered forever. We miss you."
