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Michael Jackson fans came from near and far
Tuesday to say last goodbyes to their pop music hero, some
traveling from across the U.S. and Europe for his public memorial
in Los Angeles.

      
Near the downtown Staples Center before the service, vendors
sold Jackson memorabilia such as T-shirts, collages, buttons and
bouquets of snapdragons and dahlias.

     
"His music will live forever. That's why I'm here today. It's
like closure. I'm a person who believes in miracles, and I'm
witnessing one today," said Jenee Huitt of Los Angeles, referring
to her gold wristband allowing her to be among the lucky fans to
attend the memorial service.

      
Huitt, an etiquette teacher, said she met the Jackson 5 as a
girl in the early 1970s.

      
"Diana Ross brought the Jacksons in to this event, introduced
them and said, `They're going to be stars,"' Huitt said.

      
Fans drove or flew in from northern California, Colorado and as
far away as Arkansas, Delaware and England, some just to be outside
the event. Some wore trademark Jackson clothing, including sequined
white socks and red leather jackets reminiscent of those the singer
wore in his music videos.

      
The scene was reminiscent of one of Hollywood's many awards
shows, which draw vendors and celebrity gawkers. Police helicopters
flew overhead, and officers patrolled on foot and bicycle. The
crowds were orderly.

      
Fans carried signs such as "Michael Jackson Lives." One turned
himself into a walking music video, strapping a flat-screen TV to
his back that played Jackson numbers.

      
Claudia Hernandez, 29, said she loved Jackson's music as a girl
growing up in Mexico. Now a day-care teaching assistant in Los
Angeles, Hernandez said she has cried watching TV coverage of his
death.

      
"I'm trying to hold in my emotions," said Hernandez, wearing a
wristband to allow her admittance to the service and holding a
framed photograph of Jackson. "I know right now he's teaching the
angels to dance."

      
Half a dozen protesters stood among fans, condemning Jackson
over his child-molestation charges, holding signs that read,
"Jacko in Hell," "You're Going to Hell" and "Mourn for Your
Sins."

      
But Jackson's devotees far outnumbered his critics. Mishelle
Van, 37, drove with her cousin from Hesperia, Calif., arriving in
Los Angeles at 1 a.m. They spent the early morning hours with other
Jackson fans.

      
"They're touching us and saying, can you bring the love in for
us?" said Van, who was among those with a wristband for the
service.

      
Melvin Price, 43, flew in from England on Saturday, even before
he knew he had won a ticket to the Jackson memorial.

      
"I wanted to pay my last respects to Michael Jackson," said
Price, dressed in a red leather jacket. "I've been a fan of his
for 35 years."

      
Beverly J. Ellis, 46, said she drove from Holly Springs, Ark.,
just to be there even though she could not get in. She planned to
go to Jackson's Neverland ranch later in the day to take pictures
and see if she could get a rock or other souvenir to take home.

      
"I'm just a groupie. I'm an old groupie now," said Ellis, who
held an American flag and a sign with a photocopied image of
Jackson. "I'm a die-hard, true fan."

     
 Vernay Lewis, 32, flew in from Wilmington, Del., spent all
Monday night on the streets outside Staples Center, wrapped in a
blanket to stay warm overnight.

      
Lewis said she did not care that she traveled cross-country even
though she did not have a wristband to attend the memorial. She
just wanted to be near the singer and his fans.

      
"I think it was his kind heart, his gentleness, his childlike
ways," said Lewis, who signed a wall for fans to offer farewell
sentiments to Jackson. "For me, he was the whole package as far as
what an entertainer and what a person was supposed to be. I just
think he was wonderful."

Gallery

Arts and Culture

Michael Jackson fans came from near and far
Tuesday to say last goodbyes to their pop music hero, some
traveling from across the U.S. and Europe for his public memorial
in Los Angeles.


Thousands gather in L.A. to say goodbye to Jackson

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