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Family to invite 17,500 fans to Michael Jackson memorial
Family, friends, and 17,500 fans will attend Tuesday morning’s memorial for pop singer Michael Jackson.
The Jackson family and Staples Center today outlined plans to distribute free tickets to fans for the event. AEG, which had been the promoter for Jackson’s concert series in London, has set up a computer program to choose which fans get to attend the memorial in person.
Staples Center manager Michael Roth says fans that want to attend the Jackson memorial can go online now at StaplesCenter.com.
Michael Roth: "They will have a registration period that will go until 6 o’clock, Saturday night, July 4th. After that, the program will randomly select the names who will then be contacted by e-mail on Sunday."
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Those people will get instructions on how to pick up a pair of tickets and a wristband at Staples Center on Monday. About 6,500 fans will get tickets to watch a closed-circuit TV feed of the memorial at the Nokia Theater.
Security will be tight for several blocks around Staples Center before and during the memorial service. The LAPD won't let anyone without a ticket come near the Staples Center and L.A. Live area in downtown Los Angeles. City councilwoman Jan Perry says if you don't have a ticket, stay home.
Jan Perry: "Without a ticket, your very best option will be for viewing and experiencing the service of the life of this extraordinary individual from your home.'
Tickets are available at StaplesCenter.com. You have until 6 p.m. tomorrow to register your luck on two tickets and two wristbands for the event. The memorial will be aired live on radio, TV, and on the Internet. KPCC will broadcast the event live.
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This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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