This Article is From Jul 07, 2009

Jackson to be buried in Los Angeles today

Jackson to be buried in Los Angeles today

AP image

Los Angeles: Michael Jackson will be buried at a Los Angeles cemetery on Tuesday shortly before a gala tribute to the pop icon at an arena, the city's acting mayor said.

The funeral will take place at Forest Lawn Cemetery at 1500 GMT, two hours before the memorial service at the downtown Staples Center, Jan Perry said.

The funeral would end speculation that the family may wait to clear legal hurdles to bury the King of Pop at his Neverland Ranch, his fantasy estate north of Los Angeles that some fans wanted to turn into a memorial.

Perry, a city councilwoman, is in charge of Los Angeles as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is on vacation in South Africa.

Forest Lawn, located near some Hollywood studios, is one of Los Angeles' best-known cemeteries and is no stranger to celebrities.

Screen legends Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow are buried at Forest Lawn.

The cemetery also tries to preserve pre-Hollywood aspects of US history. It features a monument to the country's first president, George Washington.
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