Michael Jackson Memorial - Part I: Mourning crowd 'under control'

July 7, 11:55 PMLA Celebrity Headlines ExaminerTiffany Warner

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Michael Jackson Memorial Service July 7, 2009

On Tuesday (July 7) the Los Angeles Police Department received it's wish for the Michael Jackson memorial service at Staples Center - many mourning fans stayed home.

As previously reported, LAPD encouraged non-ticket holders to watch the historic event in the comforts of their own home or with friends versus standing outside in the hot sun. (Boy, was it hot.)

Honestly, when I received the call to cover the event for Examiner.com, I was overjoyed but also hesitant to potentially swim in the anticipated sea of fans. We all saw the massive crowds who flocked to the UCLA Medical Center to show their love and support for the "Thriller" hit maker once he was pronounced dead on Thursday, June 25, 2009.

Thankfully, the city of Los Angeles was "worried" for nothing.

Yes, small clusters of fans trimmed the streets leading to Staples but as one neared the arena, the police presence outnumbered MJ admirers 50 to 1. (Okay, not 50 but there were A LOT of police on site.) However, the police presence didn't seem to phase the somber fans.

Overall, the energy level of the morning was very peaceful and slightly eery. Its as if the surreal news of Michael Jackson's untimely death finally connected with fans- not something expected from MJ enthusiasts, but it was afterall a memorial service for who Berry Gordy called "the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

In fact, the event's producer, Ken Urlich pulled off exactly what he anticipated - 'a tasteful, somber affair'.

"It will be a celebration of Michael's life [but] we're not approaching it as a TV show," Ehrlich told the Daily News of New York. "In the future, there may be a tribute to Michael Jackson," he said. "This is really a memorial service. It's not going to have all the bells and whistles. We want to keep it low-key," said Urlich of the service.

Make sure you continue to check this column as I will recount my entire day at Staples Center as well as post my personal pictures and video from the memorial service.

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Staples Center - Notice the blocked off streets and small, controlled crowds.