Doc: Jackson danced in
office days before death
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY Associated
Press Writer
Jul 8th, 2009 | LOS ANGELES -- Michael
Jackson's dermatologist says the entertainer did not
appear in poor health -- and even danced in his office --
three days before he died.
Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's longtime
doctor, made his comments in an interview that aired
Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Klein says he saw Jackson three days
before the King of Pop died at age 50.
Says Klein: "He was not in terrible
pain. He danced in the office. He danced for my patients.
He was very muscular and he was very, very happy and
dancing."
Klein says he saw nothing that would
make him worry.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check
back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is
below.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The public mourning
of Michael Jackson may be done, but the saga that was his
personal life is far from over.
Nothing made that more clear than the
one surprise of Tuesday's memorial service, watched by
millions around the world: the emotional speech by
Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been
the best father I could imagine," she said, dissolving
into tears and turning into the arms of her aunt Janet. "I
just want to say I love him so much."
Custody of Jackson's three children is
one of the biggest legal issues still unresolved. In his
2002 will, Jackson made his wishes clear -- his three
children should remain under the care of his mother,
Katherine.
Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of
Paris and her 12-year-old brother, Prince Michael, has
indicated she may seek custody. The surrogate mother of
Jackson's youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, is
unknown. A custody hearing was scheduled for Monday.
As the world paused to remember
Jackson, authorities released his death certificate, which
did not list a cause of death. The official determination
will likely wait until toxicology results are completed,
which could be weeks away.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said
Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being
held by investigators and would be returned to the family
for interment once neuropathology tests were completed.
Investigators have honed in on drugs
that were administered to the insomniac Jackson. The
powerful sedative Diprivan, which is usually administered
by anesthesiologists in hospitals, was found in his home,
according to a law enforcement official.
Jackson's final resting place was
another unknown. Permission is needed to bury him at his
former home, Neverland Ranch.
A private memorial was held at a
cemetery in the Hollywood Hills that is the resting place
of many stars, but it does not appear Jackson will be
buried among them.
No plans have been announced for
Neverland, but it's already drawn comparisons as a
potential West Coast version of Graceland.
Then there's Jackson's money. He died
deeply in debt, but left an estate potentially worth $500
million and his enduring star power with its tremendous
earning potential.
Former Sony Music chairman and CEO
Tommy Mottola has said Jackson left dozens of songs that
included newer material and leftover works from some of
his biggest albums. Mottola predicted the potential
playlist was bigger than the one left behind by Elvis.
The singer also left behind an
elaborate production dubbed "The Dome Project," which
could be Jackson's last complete video piece. Little is
publicly known about the production, but its existence has
been confirmed by two knowledgeable sources who spoke to
The Associated Press on condition they not be identified
because they signed confidentiality agreements.
There also is more than 100 hours of
footage of preparations for his London concerts, which
were canceled because of his death. Randy Phillips,
president and CEO of concert promoter AEG Live, said last
week that the company also has enough material for two
live albums.
On Tuesday, about 20,000 people
gathered inside the Staples Center on Tuesday for a
somber, spiritual ceremony, watched by millions more
around the world.
Crowds gathered outside Harlem's Apollo
Theater in New York to soak it in. In Santiago, Chile,
national police band played "We Are the World" during the
traditional guard change at the presidential palace. About
50 fans lit candles and laid flowers in the main square in
Stockholm, as "Billie Jean" and "Earth Song" poured out of
a small stereo.
In London, dozens of fans sheltered
under umbrellas against the rain as they watched the event
on a big screen outside the 02 Arena, where Jackson was to
have performed 50 comeback shows starting next week. Many
more stayed dry at home after the BBC announced it would
cancel scheduled programming and show the ceremony live.
"His whole life was a global broadcast
in a way, so I suppose it's fitting that his death also
is," said barista Robert Anderson, 26, in London.
Calculating just how many people in
total watched the ceremony -- around the world and across
all platforms -- will take several days and even then will
likely have to resort to an approximation, given the huge
variety of outlets.
At the ceremony, a star-studded lineup
of performers closely linked to Jackson's life and music
remembered Jackson as an unparalleled singer, dancer and
humanitarian whose music united people of all backgrounds.
"Don't focus on the scars, focus on the
journey," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose fiery eulogy
was one emotional high point of the service.
"There wasn't nothing strange about
your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal
with!" he said to Jackson's three children in the front
row, drawing the longest ovation of the service.
Outside, More than 3,000 police
officers massed downtown to keep the ticketless at bay.
Helicopters followed the golden casket as it was driven
over blocked-off freeways from Forest Lawn cemetery to the
Staples Center. A bazaar of T-shirts, buttons, photos and
other memorabilia sprouted in the blocks around the
memorial. Movie theaters played the service live.
Inside, however, the atmosphere was
churchlike, assisted by an enormous video image of a
stained-glass window with red-gold clouds blowing past
that was projected behind the stage.
The Rev. Lucious W. Smith of the
Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the greeting,
standing on the same stage where Jackson had been
rehearsing for a comeback concert before his death on June
25 at age 50.
The ceremony ended with Jackson's
family on stage, amid a choir singing "Heal the World."
"All around us are people of different
cultures, different religions, different nationalities,"
Rev. Smith said as he closed the service. "And yet the
music of Michael Jackson brings us together."
Deficit-ridden Los Angeles asked
Jackson fans to help pay the bill for police and other
public servants needed for the entertainer's memorial
service.
A Web site was posted Tuesday seeking
donations to cover the costs, estimated at between $1.5
million and $4 million, according to Matt Szabo, a
spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
But Jack Kyser, founding economist of
the Kyser Center for Economic Research of the Los Angeles
Economic Development Corporation, estimates the city could
rake in $4 million from the event, thanks to the throng of
media and other visitors who stayed at hotels, ate at
restaurants and shopped in Los Angeles.
Kyser believes the city also got a
major image boost because the memorial service went off
without any major problems. "This thing went off very
smoothly," Kyser said. "I think you had some good exposure
for downtown and for the entire city."