Michael Jackson Remembered

He was praised and ridiculed. He broke down barriers and built them around himself. He soared to heights unimaginable with his music, and he made the front page of gutter tabloids worldwide. For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed. Even his passing has played out in the spotlight: Thousands are expected to swamp Los Angeles to mourn him today at the Staples Center.

The city of Los Angeles braces for massive spectacle as an army of Michael Jackson fans poured into the city from places far-flung, to collectively mourn their idol in a massive ceremony today. Gates to the Staples Center were opened about 6 a.m. PT. The LAPD has put up concrete barriers around the center, allowing only fans with tickets to the star-studded event to enter. Parking lots in the area raised their prices, some as high as $30. Airports throughout Southern California saw a spike in bookings. And several movie theaters in the area announced special screenings of the event, which will also be carried live by some television networks and Web sites.

Monday night, more than 12 hours before the service, the mood was almost festive, with fans lined up around the block to sign the memorial wall. Police and security officers kept a close watch. Helicopters flew overhead, and sheriff's deputies could be seen strolling through with bomb-sniffing dogs. Media from around the world rolled cameras and took photos. Vendors strolled through the crowd, offering everything from Jackson T-shirts to copies of old magazines featuring the star on the cover to homemade “King of Pop" soda for $5.

The Jackson family remained tight-lipped about where the singer will be buried, but signs pointed to Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn cemetery. Several carloads of people, including family members among them, came and went from the heavily secured cemetery after sunset Monday. Shortly before the cars began arriving, a hearse drove up, with at least five police cars in tow.

Today will begin with a private gathering of Jackson family members at the cemetery at 8 a.m. (PT). The California Highway Patrol will escort Jackson family members from his parents' Encino, California, home to the cemetery and then to the Staples Center. AEG Live, the concert promoter handling the memorial, said there would be no funeral processional. The Staples event is expected to feature singers Mariah Carey, Usher and Stevie Wonder. Also participating will be basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson; singers Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Smokey Robinson; and activists Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

All day Monday, fans who won tickets to the memorial service through a lottery swarmed to Dodger Stadium -- some in smart cars, some on scooters and even one in an airport shuttle. They entered energized with anticipation and exited shaking with excitement, holding two priceless tickets and sporting wristbands that organizers put on them to prevent resale. Organizers used a computer to choose 8,750 names from 1.6 million people who registered online. Each received a pair of tickets, for a total of 17,500 tickets.

Just 11,000 of those are for seats inside the Staples Center. The other 6,500 are for viewing the memorial telecast across the street at the Nokia Theater. AEG Live owns and operates both venues. The Jackson family set aside an additional 9,000 Staples Center seats to give out to people they choose.

Also Monday, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted control of Michael Jackson's assets to the executors of his will. The executors, his longtime personal attorney, and a music industry executive and longtime friend sought immediate control of the entertainer's assets at a hearing before the judge. The men said control of the assets would allow them to tend to Jackson's numerous outstanding debts, legal cases and business obligations (lawyer speak for we’re going to fill our pockets and give you some change too). The media talks about MJ’s debts, but he always had the leverage with half ownership of the various star music catalogs, including the Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone, and until recently Little Richard’s. The Beatles alone is worth more that $500 million.

The judge appointed the men special administrators until another hearing on August 3. He said they will be responsible for protecting the estate from immediate losses. His mother, Katherine Jackson, started administering his assets the day after he died. Lawyers for Katherine Jackson objected to the judge's decision, saying "irreparable damage" could be done to the estate in coming weeks with lawyers in control. Do you think his assets should be controlled by lawyers or his mother?

Third Annual USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award

NBA Legend, entrepreneur and philanthropist Earvin “Magic” Johnson, will receive the annual USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award for his work in entertainment and underserved communities with the Magic Johnson Foundation. A long-time humanitarian and social advocate, Magic founded the Magic Johnson Foundation in 1991 as a single-disease organization that worked to raise funds for community-based organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs. Over the past few years, the Magic Johnson Foundation has awarded more than $1.1 million in funds, established 20 Magic Johnson Community Empowerment Centers, four HIV/AIDS clinics and has co-created the award-winning “I Stand With Magic” campaign to end HIV/AIDS in the Black community.

The USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award is presented annually to an entertainment industry humanitarian who has made remarkable contributions of time and energies with a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life for others. The USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Award recipient is unique in that his or her efforts extend far beyond a charitable contribution or simply lending one’s celebrity to enhance a cause or concern. The ceremony will take place Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Magic Johnson is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises. Through strategic investments, partnerships and endorsements, Magic Johnson Enterprises has bolstered the economy by establishing brand name businesses in underserved communities (the ghetto), training and hiring local residents and employing local contractors. Magic Johnson Enterprises is comprised of a portfolio of companies including Starbucks, Burger King and AMC Magic Johnson Theatres.

In addition to his varied business accomplishments, Magic Johnson is universally known for his 13 year career in the NBA. His honors include: five national championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, three MVP awards, 12 NBA All-Star games, a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. To learn more visit www.magicjohnson.org.
to learn more visit: www.magicjohnson.org

Cookie Joins HIV/AIDS Fight

Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s wife, Cookie, has joined in his effort to cut rising HIV rates among Black Americans. Cookie Johnson, who stood by his side when he called a news conference 16 years ago to announce he had been infected with HIV, has taken an active role in her husband’s “I Stand With Magic” campaign, a five-year, $60 million effort financed by the drug firm Abbott. Their goal is to cut AIDS rates among Black Americans by 50%.

For a woman who has long avoided the spotlight, this marks a major turning point. Mrs. Johnson said that she does not like getting out in front of people, but when she heard that HIV rates among Black women were 20 times those of White women she felt she really needed to get out and speak. As a woman who lives with someone who has the disease, maybe someone will listen to what she has to say or use her as an example. Maybe that will save some lives.

AIDS remains the leading cause of death of Blacks ages 25 to 44, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Blacks make up only 13% of the U.S. population, but account for 49% of all cases of HIV. Black women account for 64% of all women with HIV. The effect of the disease is most evident in Washington, D.C, where about one of every 50 people has HIV. And although Blacks account for 57% of the city’s population, they account for 81% of new HIV cases. More than 37% of the cases were spread through heterosexual sex.

In the past year Magic has traveled to 16 cities around the country with large Black populations. “The number one thing we have to do is change the mind-set and attitude in Black America,” said Magic. “I Stand With Magic” is part on a national Black mobilization by leaders who have made a commitment to end the epidemic in Black America in five years. The NAACP, Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and RainbowPUSH Coalition have been joined by Black mayors, legislators and entertainers such as LL Cool J, Common and Queen Latifah.

Cookie wants to awaken women to the realities of living in communities where a virus is being spread stealthily by people who may not know they’re infected. The way to fight back, she says, is to get an HIV test. Early detection saves lives. Her time as a wife of a celebrity dealing with HIV gives her an opportunity to reach millions of women with a message they don’t often hear: “You can live with someone who has HIV/AIDS and have a normal life.” She says her husband is healthy. He takes his medication every day. They eat healthy and exercise. They have a normal relationship. They keep their date night every Friday night.

Let’s get the word out people. Protect yourself, get tested, Please.