Jackson memorial gifts fill centre - 07/07/09

Thousands of Michael Jackson fans will be taking their memorial gifts to Los Angeles for what is expected to be one of the most spectacular celebrity send-offs of all time.

The lucky 17,500 fans who won the draw for seats at the Staples Centre will be joining such illustrious participants in the event as Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Martin Luther King III.

The winners from the 1.6 million who registered for free tickets picked up their passes and spangly wristbands at Dodger Stadium amid heavy police presence, while the rest of the world will be able to see the memorial through a live broadcast at 10am local time (6pm BST).

Meanwhile, the controversy and intrigue which for so long dogged Jackson's extraordinary career has yet to abate, with his mother losing a bid to control his enormous estate, and a New York congressman branding the King of Pop a "pervert" undeserving of so much attention.

British Airways reported a surge of bookings as soon as the memorial arrangements were announced. Virgin's trans-Atlantic flights to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles were all packed with fans and VIPs, spokesman Paul Charles said.

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