Getty Images; Pool Photographer/Getty ImagesAs befitting the King of Pop, Michael Jackson will forever be part of Hollywood's starriest constellation...eventually.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is swarming with media and police, all awaiting the arrival of Jackson's family. Helicopters are hovering overhead. As of 7 a.m., no guests had arrived for the scheduled 8 a.m. service, but a motorcade just departed the family home in nearby Encino.
The heavy police presence at Forest Lawn began last night, as the Jacksons gathered for a wake.
But this morning ceremony will not include a burial. Instead, immediately after the private funeral, Jackson's coffin will be transported 11 miles away to Los Angeles' Staples Center for the public memorial. (E! and E! Online will broadcast the complete event live.)
"It's kind of mind-boggling. An estimated billion people are going to watch this across the world," Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine told CNN this morning. "I don't think there's ever been a world entertainer like Michael Jackson...it's unparalleled."
Meanwhile, with the logistical costs of Jackson's funeral expected to approach $4 million, the cash-strapped City of Los Angeles is now soliciting tax-deductible donations to help cover the tab.
"Donations are being accepted to help defray the costs of providing public safety, traffic control and related costs associated with the Michael Jackson Memorial at the Staples Center. Please submit your donations by check payable to: 'City of Los Angeles,' " per the city's Website.
Jackson's body will ultimately be interred in the picturesque cemetery nestled in the Hollywood Hills, laying near the graves of his idols, Sammy Davis Jr. and Fred Astaire.
Already a necessary stop on any star tour, Forest Lawn is also the final resting place of Betty Davis, Gene Autry, Humphrey Bogart, Jean Harlow and, more recently Ed McMahon and David Carradine, who preceded Jackson by a matter of days.
—Additional reporting by Lindsay Miller