Jackson fans sign up for funeral tickets

By Alan Duke and Saeed Ahmed
CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - As fans continued to register by the thousands to win tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial service next week, conversation turned Saturday to the singer's burial arrangements - which the family has still not announced.

By Saturday afternoon, more than 1.5 million fans had signed up, organizers said. They hoped to be among the 8,750 people who will be randomly picked and given a pair of tickets to attend the service at the Staples Center on Tuesday.

The family has given no indication where the singer will be buried, prompting journalists to stake out several possible locations.

A long line of television satellite trucks remained parked outside the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Cemetery in case it was chosen by the family. Cemetery officials have not said anything.

Police set up metal barricades around the front lawn, creating spaces for media and fans. Two state trooper cruisers idled at the Hall of Liberty inside the grounds. The hall contains a 1,200-seat auditorium.

The Jackson family has only said so far is that it will hold a private ceremony ahead of the massive public memorial service Tuesday.

The family has not yet decided whether Jackson's body will be brought to the Staples Center arena - where the public ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET).

But "there will be no funeral procession," said Tim Leiweke, president of AEG Live, which is putting together the Tuesday event.

At the time of his death, Jackson was working with the concert promotions company on 50 sold-out shows in London, England, beginning in mid-July.

Also Saturday, a handful of fans milled about the Jackson
family home in Encino, California, bringing flowers and taking pictures next to an informal sidewalk shrine to the pop star.

Farzana Payind of Los Angeles snapped a picture of her 6-year-old daughter Enayah.

Payind said Enayah loves to dance to the Jackson songs "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" and cried when she learned of the singer's death.

"Does that mean his music died too?" the girl asked, according to Payind.

Neighbor Michael Singer watched the activities with interest. "This makes Elvis look like nothing," he said.