NOTE: NBC News will provide LIVE coverage of Michael Jackson's Memorial beginning at NOON today.

UPDATED Tuesday, July 7, 2009 --- 9:20 a.m.

By JESSE WASHINGTON
AP National Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton says Michael Jackson's casket will be taken to the downtown Staples Center for the singer's star-studded memorial service.

The addition of the body adds to the spectacle currently gripping downtown Los Angeles. Police blocked off roads and warned those without tickets to stay away because they would not be able to get close to the Staples Center.

Among the memorial participants will be Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Martin Luther King III.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Tuesday, July 7, 2009 --- 7:55 a.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The world is saying farewell to Michael Jackson.

His family will be holding a private funeral at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. And the public focus will be on Tuesday's memorial service at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

There has been so much interest in what could well be the biggest celebrity send-off of all time that the tickets had to be parceled out by lottery. More than one and a-half million people applied online. Fewer than 20,000 tickets were given out. And there have been extraordinary precautions to prevent ticket scalping, with Internet sites pulling the plug on offers to sell them.

The Jackson family has announced a star-studded roster of participants in the public service, including Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson. Martin Luther King III is also scheduled to take part.

People who won the ticket lottery picked up their passes Monday at Dodger Stadium. One fan screamed out his car window, "I got the golden ticket!" Another, recalling her mother's love for Elvis, declared, "This is my Elvis."

Hoping to avoid a mob scene, Los Angeles police are urging fans without tickets to stay away and watch it on television.

One Jackson friend who won't be there is Elizabeth Taylor. She says she doesn't think Michael would want her to share her grief with millions of others. Says Taylor, "How I feel is between us. Not a public event."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Monday, July 6, 2009 --- 8:25 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — Internet sites eBay and Craigslist are taking down postings that are attempting to sell tickets to Michael Jackson's public memorial service.

On eBay, bids for tickets to the event tomorrow in Los Angeles were reaching as high as $3,000, although it's impossible to be sure how serious those bids are. On Craigslist, asking prices also were in the thousands. Some unable to attend, though, said they simply wanted to give away their tickets, but as one post read: only to "true fans."

Organizers have also made efforts to prevent scalping. A Staples Center spokesman says organizers are checking IDs to make sure those picking up wristbands are the same people who originally applied online.

Demand for the tickets is likely to increase on word that Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant, Brooke Shields, Usher and John Mayer are among those planning to be at the ceremony.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Monday, July 6, 2009 --- 8:25 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Kobe Bryant and Brooke Shields are slated to be part of the all-star tribute at Michael Jackson's memorial.

The representatives for Jackson's family released a list of participants Monday. Also on the list are Motown founder Berry Gordy, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice.

The memorial is set for Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

An attorney for Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe will not be there, saying her attendance would be "an unnecessary distraction."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Monday, July 6, 2009 --- 2:00 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — On the eve of Michael Jackson's public memorial service, a court has weighed in on who will run the pop superstar's estate.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge says Jackson's longtime attorney, John Branca, and family friend John McClain should administer the estate, as specified in Jackson's 2002 will.

Jackson died June 25, deeply in debt. But a court filing estimates that his estate will be worth more than $500 million.

The singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, had applied to oversee her son's estate, but that was before the will surfaced. Her attorney had expressed concerns about the financial leadership of McClain and Branca.

Their authority over the estate will expire Aug. 3, when another hearing on the estate will be held.

Katherine Jackson did not appear at today's hearing. Branca did attend.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 9:00 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A concert promoter says Michael Jackson insisted that the company hire the cardiologist who reportedly was in his Los Angeles mansion when the entertainer collapsed.

AEG Live President and CEO Randy Phillips told The Associated Press on Friday that Dr. Conrad Murray had been Jackson's physician for three years.

Phillips says Jackson wanted Murray to accompany him to London for his comeback series of concerts, so AEG Live advanced Jackson money to pay for Murray's services as part of the production costs.

A police official says detectives spoke to Jackson's physician immediately after the death Thursday and were in contact by telephone Friday. Police expect him to do a more in-depth interview.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 5:40 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death will require further neuropathology and pulmonary tests that will take four to six weeks.

Harvey says there were no signs of foul play or trauma to the body during the three-hour autopsy. He also says Jackson was taking some unspecified prescription medications.

The spokesman says Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter is with Jackson's family.

Harvey says the police department has requested a security hold on the investigation which limits how much the coroner's office can say about the case. He says the death became a coroner's case because there was no doctor to sign the death certificate.

Harvey says the body will be released once the family selects a mortuary.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 2:40 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A newspaper reports the doctor whose car was towed from Michael Jackson's house is a cardiologist who practices in California, Nevada and Texas.

A woman who answered the phone Friday at Dr. Conrad C. Murray's clinic in Houston confirmed to The Associated Press that Murray was Jackson's cardiologist. The woman, who refused to give her name, would not confirm the Los Angeles Times report that Murray was performing CPR on Jackson when paramedics arrived at the entertainer's home Thursday.

The Texas State Board of Medical Examiners Web site shows no complaints filed against Murray in the four years he's been a licensed cardiologist in Texas.

Los Angeles police say they want to speak to the doctor but stressed he was not under criminal investigation.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 11:25 a.m.

By JOHN ROGERS and JAKE COYLE
Associated Press Writers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Police are searching for a doctor who they hope will help in the investigation of Michael Jackson's death.

Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Rayner says that police towed from Jackson's house a BMW owned by one of the superstar's doctors.

Said Rayner: "We have not been able to interview the doctor yet. His car was impounded because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death."

TMZ.com reported that the doctor lived at the home. Rayner said she could not confirm that and did not know the doctor's identity.

She stressed that the doctor was not under criminal investigation but coroner's investigators wanted to contact him.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 10:00 a.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The answer to what caused the death of Michael Jackson could come as early as today, when an autopsy is performed. But officials say it might not come for weeks, after toxicology tests are complete.

One of the things the experts will try to determine is whether whether prescription drugs played a role.

A family friend and former Jackson attorney says he was concerned about Jackson's use of painkillers. Brian Oxman tells NBC's "Today" show that he warned Jackson's family about possible abuse.

Oxman says he doesn't know what killed the singer, but he says, "I feared this day."

Jackson was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken yesterday at his rented home in Los Angeles.

His brother Jermaine said it's believed that Jackson suffered cardiac arrest, which can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 8:00 a.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An autopsy on the body of pop star Michael Jackson is planned for today, though results are not likely to be final until toxicology tests are completed.

The process could take several days and sometimes weeks. However, Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben says if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, they will announce the results.

Jackson died yesterday at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented Los Angeles home. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

His brother Jermaine says "It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home." However, he says "the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known."

Jackson, who was 50, was preparing for what would have been a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 in London.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Friday, June 26, 2009 --- 8:00 a.m.

Jackson lived like king but died awash in debt

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson the singer was also Michael Jackson, the billion-dollar business.

Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. alone and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop" died Thursday at age 50, reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt.

The bombshell hit in 1993 when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy. He settled with the boy's family.

According to Michael Levine, his publicist at the time, "That kind of represents the beginning of the walk down a tragic path, financially, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, legally."

As his financial problems continued, Jackson began to borrow large sums of money, according to a 2002 lawsuit by Union Finance & Investment Corp.

In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges that he molested another 13-year-old boy. The 2005 trial, which ultimately ended in an acquittal, brought to light more details of Jackson's strained finances.

One forensic accountant testified the singer had an "ongoing cash crisis" and was spending $20 million to $30 million more per year than he earned.

Time and again, however, Jackson found a way to wring cash out of high-value assets, borrowing tens of millions at a time or leaning on wealthy friends for advice, if not for money.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 8:55 p.m.

SYDNEY (AP) — Television channels from Sydney to Tokyo have interrupted their Friday programs to report the news of Michael Jackson's death.

Online fan pages dedicated to the King of Pop have become impromptu memorial sites.

In Sydney, where Jackson married second wife Debbie Rowe in 1996, commuters in the business district stopped outside television studios to watch coverage on outdoor monitors. Christos Winter calls it "a terrible day for all of us." He had been using his Facebook fan page as a petition to try to get Jackson to add Australia to his concert tour.

Morning TV shows have devoted full coverage to the Jackson story, alternating live reports from Los Angeles with e-mails from viewers filled with condolences and memories.

A 35-year-old man in Japan, where Jackson was a massive star, says he woke up to the news of the pop star's death and "just couldn't believe it." Tokyo television canceled regular programs for live coverage from the U.S.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 8:00 p.m.

UNDATED (AP) — The man who produced "Thriller" says he's lost his little brother with the death of Michael Jackson.

Quincy Jones says part of his soul "has gone with him."

Jones is one of many celebrities remembering Jackson, who died today in Los Angeles at age 50.

Wyclef Jean calls Jackson his "musical god," while Celine Dion says Jackson was her "idol."

Dick Clark knew Jackson from his childhood when he started in the Jackson 5. Clark says of all the entertainers he's worked with, Jackson was "the most outstanding."

Fans are also taking the death hard. One man says he cried when he heard the news. He says he thought Jackson was "immortal." He says Jackson may have been "a little bit weird," but says "you've got to be weird to be an entertainer."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 7:20 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hundreds of people are converging on the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles as word spreads across radio, television and the Internet that Michael Jackson died.

The crowd, growing minute by minute Thursday, gathered in front of one of the entrances to the hospital where Jackson was rushed after collapsing at his home.

Some people in the group cried, waiting for an official announcement from the hospital as news helicopters whirled overhead and news vans clogged streets leading to the hospital.

Some people called friends by cell phone to pump them for any information they may have heard about Jackson.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 5:50 p.m.

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and DERRIK J. LANG
Associated Press Writers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson, the record-breaking, sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer, and the tabloid world's most disturbing celebrity, has died. He was 50.

A person with knowledge of the situation says Jackson died Thursday in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

His death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Posted Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 5:40 p.m.

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and DERRIK J. LANG
AP Music Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A person with knowledge of the situation says Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles.

The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, says the King of Pop died at age 50 in a Los Angeles hospital.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.