Today is a day of mourning for Michael Jackson's fans. It marks the first anniversary of Jackson's death.
From the Associated Press:
As the first anniversary of Michael Jackson's death drew near, Julia Thomas clutched her "Thriller" liner notes and stood outside the Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, Calif., the final resting place for the King of Pop, with about two dozen other fans.
"Michael has just always been a part of my life," the 40-year-old Thomas, who has a tattoo of Jackson's dancing feet on her left wrist, said Thursday night. "I'm just hoping to embrace the fans from everywhere."
Barricades were already set up at the Los Angeles-area cemetery for the huge throng of fans and some of Jackson's family members expected to arrive on Friday, which marks a year since Jackson died at age 50. Five large wreaths of flowers and dozens of bouquets, drawings and photos of Jackson had been placed outside his private mausoleum.
Evdokia Sofianou, 46, and her 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, traveled from Athens, Greece, to pay their respects.
"I came because I love Michael very much," Sofianou said. "I came to grieve."
Forest Lawn was to be just one of the many places around the world where Jackson's fans would gather to remember their fallen legend on Friday. But not everyone planned to be grieving.
On Friday, DJ Jon Quick was to spin Jackson tunes at the club Taj in Manhattan for a festive affair.
"They wanna celebrate his life and music," Quick said of the expected partygoers. "His albums are like timelines in your life. You can remember what you were doing ... when 'Thriller' came out."
Some anniversary events began even before Friday. In London, a memorial was unveiled Thursday to a gaggle of press who packed the foyer of the Lyric Theatre, the site of an impromptu wake following the pop superstar's death last year.
...In Hong Kong, Jackson imitators performed to the late singer's classics at a suburban mall Thursday. Four-year-old Wang Yiming danced to "Dangerous" wearing Jackson's trademark black fedora hat, a black suit with a silver armband and white socks.
In Gary, Ind., Jackson's hometown, there was to be a tribute at the family home; city officials said they expected Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and his niece Genevieve Jackson to show up, along with thousands of others.
But his brother Randy Jackson was hoping to make the official family commemoration at Forest Lawn on Friday morning.
"My family and I will be in attendance as we mourn the loss of my brother," he said in a statement Thursday. "I would like to thank the fans and friends for their continued love, support and prayers."
Katherine Jackson has thrown her support behind a "Forever Michael" fan event to be held Saturday at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. Tickets range from $150 to $500.
The Apollo Theater in Harlem, where a young Michael Jackson and his brothers won amateur night, on Friday was to host a commemoration of Jackson's life in front of the recently installed plaque honoring him in the legendary theater's new hall of fame.
More, from the Los Angeles Times:
Law enforcement officials said they will follow an "event action plan" Friday intended to ensure peace and safety as fans mark the first anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.
Increased security will be deployed at the Jackson family residence in Encino, and fans expecting to visit Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, where the music icon is entombed, will have limited access and face strict rules.
"We hope that anyone who decides to go to either venue does so safely and pays attention to what security officers tell them, and hopefully it will be a fun weekend for everyone," said Capt. John Egan, commanding officer for the West Valley Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Egan said law enforcement officials met with the Jackson family two months ago to devise a plan, and family members were scheduled to be out of town Friday.
..."Our philosophy is: We plan for the worst-case scenario of thousands of people and for the best-case scenario of a smaller number," Egan said.
Beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, police resources, including motorcycle officers, will be deployed in the vicinity of the family compound. A mobile command center will be set up across the street from the residence, Egan said.
Temporary "no parking" signs have already been installed, and police are prepared to close off streets in the event of an extraordinarily large influx of fans, vehicles and "looky-loos," Egan said. There will be a "zero-tolerance approach" toward unruly behavior and activities such as street vendors selling souvenirs.
...According to Glendale police, visitors to Forest Lawn on Friday should expect a significant increase in guests. Fans will be allowed to walk by the front of the Holly Terrace area of the Great Mausoleum, where Jackson is interred. They can leave tributes, such as flowers, in a designated area and then must leave the park, authorities said.
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