Michael Jackson's memorial service is expected to be a truly star-studded spectacular, according to news reports today, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson and r&b songbird Mariah Carey are set to perform at the memorial tribute concert.
Carey will sing her cover of Michael Jackson's classic, "I'll Be There."
Unconfirmed reports reveal that Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Justin Timberlake, Liza Minnelli, and Usher among many other media superstars are all rumored to either appear or perform at the event.
Other online sources are speculating that screen legend, and a close friend of the late King of Pop, ElizaBeth Taylor, will read the eulogy at the service. For more up to date information on the Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service visit Entertainment Tonight Online by clicking here.
Motown legends Ross and Wonder were approached to sing at the event, and memorial planners are considering a stunning finale that would involve all guest performers joining together to sing Jackson's 1992 hit Heal the World.
A large number of television networks have confirmed coverage of the event Tuesday including, NBC, ABC, E! and CNN. 17,500 ticket were handed out randomly for the event. The site set up to handle registrations for the drawing reported a massive 500 million visitors in just the first hour and a half after becoming available. Since then more than 600,000 have registered for a chance to win the coveted tickets. To read a Variety article on the media coverage that is building for the Jackson memorial service, click here.
Jackson, 50, died Thursday, June 25th, after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. His memorial will take place on Tuesday, July 7 at 10 a.m. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The program will be simulcast at Los Angeles' nearby Nokia Theatre.
Michael's body is expected to be placed in a closed coffin on a raised plinth during the service. One of his trademark sequined gloves and a black fedora will be placed on top.
In a phenomenal, unparalleled career, Michael Jackson sold more than 750 million records, had 13 number one singles - more than any other male artist - and is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. His numerous other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, including one for "Thriller" as the world's best-selling album of all time - 100 million copies and counting.
Michael Jackson is survived by three children: Michael Jr., Paris, and Prince. He was not currently married, having previously divorced from Lisa Marie Presley and then Deborah Jeanne Rowe.
Photo Credit: Sarah DeBoer/Retna Ltd.
