i went to graceland. you pay a lot of money to go there and there is legitimate stuff then there are questionable like vaguely elvis-related items. i don't think lisa marie is getting any of it. but it is overall good for michael jackson because of the media coverage and yet he is selling more albums so it overall i think they will benefit and i think that he deserves to. i think it is nice all the critics can see he can earn this much money even not performing because everyone is like he is broke, negative value. it is all wrong. he is really more valuable even with the destruction at the end. terry: john, this is probably the best thing that could have happened to michael jackson inc. and it will probably cover debt. >> he sold more in one 24-hour period on a amazon.com than the previous 11 years. his music was fantastic but he is an alleged pedophile and eccentric. people we you take him out of it, take out the spending ways, they will benefit from him not being around. terry: wane, do you have any pro

. >> reporter: already's fans are comparing neverland to and have nicknamed the home graceland west. >> as far as going to the home, it would be a neat thing. >> reporter: but elsewhere, locals are torn over what should be done with the 2800 acres estate. >> i am mixed's i don't know. i think for him it would be wonderful. for michael to be laid to rest there where he really loved everything. but i don't know what they will do as far as community. >> reporter: elizabeth moved there eight years ago and lies on a ranch down the road from neverland. she says that tourists would be good for the economy. but the idea of another graceland makes her nervous. >> well it is scary, i don't know what it will do for my property value and the crowds. >> reporter: one person says that the town's infrastructure couldn't support thousands of visiting fans. >> it is too small to deal with that. we don't have the highways the roads it would take to work with people to come to and from there. >> reporter: and a decision on what will happen with the neverland estate will be left up to the co-owner, a mu

for starters, graceland is easy to reach, 12 miles from downtown memphis.ith nearby hotels and services, half a million tourists visit every year and leave a few dollars at the souvenir stores. who could resist another doll of the king anyway? >> for many years elvis' estate wasn't worth much. people got ahold of it and knew what they were doing. >> contrast the megaplex that's graceland with this. neverland is set in california cattle country, 150 miles from los angeles. you have to navigate a narrow, two-lane road to get there. the influx of tv trucks and streams of the curious in the last few days are only a preview of the bottlenecks to come if neverland were to become a full-blown michael jackson shrine. >> how do you keep them off my place? how you keep them off parker's place and all the other guys around here? >> i think this is terrible. there's a bunch of people trying to make money over michael's dead body, and i hate it. >> king of pop, $5. >> the nearest community is about five miles from neverland. it has only 1,000 residents, and the communit

. >> larry: could you envision a graceland? >> well, i could, but it's a difficult area. you have to go through this town. as you know, they drove him crazy. you know, the interesting thing is i've known michael from many different standpoints. and michael would spend a lot of time with my kids. i have beautiful kids. and at the time, the kids were very young. michael would come, play with the kids, he just loved children. he was not a child molester. and i am certain of that. he loved children. he'd play with my son eric and my son donald. and he'd just play with them forever. he loved children. he was not a child molester. you know that whole final saga of neverland and the police and what they did was, i think, a very, very -- a very, very bad part of michael's life. >> larry: are you coming out for the service? >> they invited me today and they've called me so many times it i'd love to do it. i just won't be able to be there. i'd love to be there. i'd love to be with the family. but i just won the be able to be there. >> larry: what do you make of this whole thing, th

graceland was not graceland. he did not have a great balance sheet at the time, and then there was the great handling of the estate. >> we think the opportunities could be greater than what was recognized in the elvis presley estate. greta: so that people understand it, whether that could ever be anything like a graceland, those decisions will now be made by the executors. is that correct? >> yes. greta: it has been reported that his mother and his children and -- >> they will designates three beneficiaries. some charities, and we have an idea about what michael would have liked, and in due course, we will implement those opportunities. the children, and his mother. greta: these two colors executors, they step into the shoes of michael jackson -- these two " executors' -- two co-executors. >> they have advisers, much like michael did. because of their expertise, they will not need to hire experts, and there will be a team that will marshall the assets, expand the opportunities, and we think create the legacy not

go to graceland on august 16th.? go to graceland on august 16th.ndkids will know him? perhaps the show isn't over, yet. >> that was cnn's kyra phillips for "showbiz tonight." by the way, in the week after his death, michael outsold both elvis and john lennon in the weeks after their deaths. fascinating. tonight, we've got the amazing story behind the woman who wrote "man in the mirror." ♪ the man in the mirror >> this is one of my favorite michael jackson songs. and tonight i've got the amazing story you haven't heard about "the man in the mirror song writer. >>> welcome back to this special edition of "showbiz tonight." i'm a.j. hammer. one of michael's most popular and meaningful songs was "man in the mirror." spent two weeks at number one in 1998. it also received al record of the year grammy nomination. and i've got an amazing story behind that song. a song about taking a good long look at yourself to make the world a better place. here's cnn's thelma gutierrez with the talented woman behind "the man in the mirror." ♪ to make a change once in m

laying the groundwork for a graceland-like michael jackson burial theme park. we learned sister janet pled with jackson and the family for an intervention to save his life. well, that never happened. after jackson ordered his fleet of bodyguards to keep family away, even refusing calls from his 79-year-old mother. investigators reveal that superstar's veins riddled with track marks. many veins collapsing from i.v. use, confirming an autopsy report surfacing last week, many branded as a fake. jackson's skin, paper white, white as a t-shirt. his head bald. his body, emaciated. all in direct contrast to private video of jackson's full dress rehearsal just hours before his death. multiple vials of drugs found in jackson's home. drugs banned for consumer use. only kept behind locked doors in the o.r. jackson ingesting up to 10,000 prescription pills in just six months. five specific doctors now under suspicion of drugging an addict who happened to be a superstar. as vultures circle jackson's dead body, the fate of his three children, unknown. >> he's not breathing,

laying the groundwork for a graceland-like michael jackson burial theme park. sister janet pleading for a family intervention to save jackson's life. well, that never happened. after jackson ordered a fleet of bodyguards to keep the family out, even refusing calls from his 79-year-old mother. sources reveal needle marks in jackson's neck. that's right. his neck. bearing signs of drug injections. his other veins riddled with track marks. many actually collapsing from iv use. confirming, a report surfacing last week many branded as an autopsy fake. now comes reports needle marks discovered all over his body, including neck, ankles, legs. his skin paper white. white as a t-shirt. his bald head matching. his body emaciated. all in direct contrast to private video of his full dress rehearsal just hours before his death. multiple vials of drugs found in his home. drugs banned for consumer use only found behind locked doors in the o.r. jackson reportedly ingesting up to 10,000 pills in just six months. including a reported 40 xanax a night. 40 xanax pills a night. who

something like elvis' graceland, which rakes in believe it or not $35 million a year. out to natisha lance, our producer joining us from l.a. what can you tell me about abc network paying nearly $250,000 for photos, really for an interview, but they said for photos of michael jackson? what happened? >> right, nancy. this was an interview where joe jackson said he and katherine jackson would be best equipped to raise the children. apparently abc news reportedly paid $200,000 for video of the jackson family to be used on a special that's coming up. $200,000 where joe jackson sat down for this interview. >> to carmen st. george, joining us out of new york. carmen, as a parent, this must strike a chord with you. he specifically did not want his children at the hands of joe jackson. and we see it happening before our very eyes. because of what he said in his will, giving guardianship to his mother, who's married to his father, has he unwittingly engineered this fiasco? >> nancy, i hope that the courts take this into their hands considering the best interests of the child. e

>> to make a modern day graceland, is that what they want, like elvis' home? >> absolutely.ause they want to make money. this is the best way that they can pay down that debt. it would be a constant revenue stream for both the family and the children. >> can't you just imagine all of the tourists abroad flooding neverland to pay respects to jackson's grave? it's all about making money. bethany marshal, will it ever end, making money off of michael jackson's dead body? >> money has such a strange role in michael jackson's life because so many people wanted to make money off of him and, in this case, by building up a graceland of sorts for him. but also michael jackson dangled money in front of people and used it in different ways to bring people to him who supplied things that were very dangerous for them. >> to a jackson family confidant and former family attorney, the host of klaa news radio, thank you for being with us. brian, what can you tell me about an alleged intervention attempt by janet jackson to save his life, an attempt that clearly failed? >> all of the family m

. >> to make a modern-day graceland, is that what they want, like elvis' home? >> absolutely.ke money. this is the best way that they can use to pay down his debt. despite everything, this will be a constant revenue stream for both the family and his children. >> yes, can't you just imagine all the tourists from abroad, and domestic, flooding them -- flooding neverland to go to pay respects to jackson's grave. there you see it. it's all about making money. bethany marshall, will it ever end? making money off michael jackson's dead body? >> well, money held such a strange role in michael jackson's life. because so many people wanted to make money off of him. and in this case, by building sort of a graceland of sorts, for him, but also michael jackson dangled money in front of people and used it in dangerous ways to bring people to him who supplied things that were very dangerous for him. >> to brian oxman, jackson family confidante. he is a former family attorney. he is the host of insight with klaa news radio. brian, thank you for being with us. brian, what can you tell me abo

. >> it is like going to elvis' graceland. >> but in sole advantage, locals are torn over what shoulde done with the 2800- acre estate. >> i'm mixed. i don't know. i think for him it would be wonderful. for michael and to be laid to rest there where he really loved everything. but i don't know what it will do to our community. >> reporter: elizabeth moved to sole advantage eight years ago and lives on a ranch down the road from neverland. she says tourists would be good for the community's economy but adds the idea of ode another graceland makes her nervous. >> it is scary because i don't know what it will do to my property value and the crowds. >> reporter: paul has lived in sole advantage the past three decades and says the town's infrastructure couldn't support thousands of visiting fans. >> it is too small a community for one thing. we don't have the highway, the roadways that it would take to accommodate people. >> a decision about what to do with neverland will ultimately be left up to the co-owner, a multibillion dollar inhave thor who lives in this area and michael's family. w

: if jackson is buried at neverland, fans see it turning into a popular tourist destination like graceland. >> i think the fans would like it a lot. >> reporter: as the world paid tribute to the king of pop, his death certificate was released without any cause of death. officials say that will not come until a few weeks when toxicology tests are completed. most of the jackson family, including the singer's three children are in seclusion at the family compound in encino after the emotional sendoff. >> daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. >> reporter: in his will, jackson made clear he wanted 11- year-old paris michael and her two siblings to remain with his mother, kathryn. but debbie rowe, the mother of the two older children may seek custody. a guardianship hearing is scheduled for monday. >> you really don't want to traumatize these kids anymore. my guess is they will remain with kathryn jackson. >> reporter: while thundershowerses around los angeles and the world open their hearts to the king of pop, it remains to be subpoena they will open their wallets. l.a. officia

>>is viewing at graceland in august of 1977 uncorked an outburst of affection for his image. >> elvis it deserves protecting. because frankly left in the public domain things tend to sink to the host common denominator. there seems to be something in elvis for everybody. >> not to mention those elvis impersonators like vegas fixture jesse geren. >> we got so busy, we were up to 30 weddings a week. >> and if elvis any example, michael jackson's legacy may follow a similar path as he remains both in their hearts -- ♪ -- and on the charts. i'm chris connelly for "nightline" in los angeles. >> king of pop's posthumous earnings potential. >>> when we come back, one part world leader, one part ladies man. the scandalous life and times of sylvio bluonersci. (announcer) imagine one eye drop so exceptional, it relieves .seven symptoms., new visine totality " multi-symptom. now reducecehe reded bathe the dry .and gritty;, soothe the itch, irritated, .burning and watery. visine totalili. no other drop doesmore. two identical rooms. so why does this one cost so much less on hotwire.com? beuse whe

. >> fans see it turning in to a popular tourist destination like graceland. >> fans would like it a. >> his death certificate was released without any cause of death. officials say that will not come until a few weeks when toxicology tests are completed. most of the jackson family including the sing ers three children are in seclusion at the tamm pi compound after the emotional sendoff. >> daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. >> reporter: in his will jackson made clear he wanted 11- year-old paris michael and her two siblings to remain with his mother. but deb bee roe may seek custody. a guardianship hearing is scheduled for mobbed. >> you don't want to traumatize them any more. my guess is they wouldry main with catherine jackson. it remains to be seen if they will open their wallet. l.a. officials have asked for donations to cover the $4 million cost for tuesday's public memorial. teri okita, cbs news, los angeles. you can see much more from the michael jackson memorial service by going to our website, wusa9.com. click the banner at the top for a photo and video ga

and unlike people make the comparison to graceland in memphis, graceland is actually in downtown memphisland and be out. neverland is a good two, three hours from here, in a very secluded part of the state. >> we're watching the hearse carrying the body of michael jackson as it makes its way down the freeway coming here to the staples center, where there are, you know, the crowd is now thinning out. people beginning to really go inside and take their seats. they opened the doors probably an hour ago for what you saw were crowds of people milling around really waiting for this moment to see if they can catch -- those that stayed outside, catch a glimpse of the hearse that's now probably just a few minutes away. that casket will be front and center as performers pay their tributes to michael jackson here this morning on the west coast. >> we're going to get in one more quick break, because we want to be live, of course, as michael jackson arrives at the staples center. our coverage continues and continues onlibe ne, stay tuned. ♪ thriller nights fighting for your life and try to get up get

we learn, it will be a burial theme park, something like elvis' graceland, which rakes in, believe itnot, $35 million a year. out to our producer joining us from l.a. what can you tell us about abc network paying nearly $250,000 for photos or interview, but they said for photos of michael jackson. what happened? >> reporter: right. this was an interview where joe jackson said he and kathrine would be best to take care of the children. abc news paid $200,000 for video of the jackson family to be used on a special coming up. $200,000 for joe jackson. >> to carman st. george joining us out of new york. carman, as a parent, this must strike a chord with you. because of what he said in his will, giving guardianship to his mather, who is married to his father, has he unwittingly engineered this fiasco? >> i hope the courts take this in their hands considering the safety of the children. they are married. he can be in the home and have influence over the children. it's going to be important for the courts to assess how much contact a prior abuser and somebody michael jackson, himself, didn't

years of his often dysfunctional life but in death, the mass of humanity surged at the gates of gracelandwhere, spontaneous memorials just materialized. >> imagine all of the people of course, all of this paled in comparison to princess diana, whose troubled life was uncontrol nlable and personal. all of those celebrities suffered through public humiliations but in death, all is forgiven. they were human, after all. >> at moment's death you focus on the positive things and there's so much positive about michael. ten years down the road, they start to say, there's more to the story. >> michael in death has traveled up a steep road from recovering pa rye yeah to back to prince to, once again, the king of pop. >> when we return, how some of his most famous fans will remember michael jackson. when you have your period, you guard your own movements. it's so difficult to sleep. that's why there's stayfree® overnight. the only one with night-guard zone™... and 18 anti-leak channels... for maximum protection-- no matter how you move. wake-up to a beautiful morning with stayfree®. wait wait, one m

what do you make of their plans to go forward with a jackson burial theme park, like graceland?will they stick with forest lawn? what are their plans, do you know? >> well, nancy, from what i understand, the plans for neverland have officially died. they never got permission to do it there. and it was never unanimous that the family wanted him there. there were members of the family who did want him at neverland. and there were others who wanted him at forest lawn. there are security guards as your producer said there at forest lawn because there have been threats as i understand, against his body. and it doesn't surprise me. with michael, nothing surprises us anymore. >> let's unleash the lawyers again. i never thought, as i was attending law school and practicing in court all those years, that i would be discussing grave robbers. body snatchers. but here with a music icon. and, no. i am not negating the child molestation charges, the trial and the many other charges against him. but those are over now. the time to discuss that is done. to susan moss, renee rockwell, and alan r

father joe and is jackson brothers pushing ahead with burial in the backyard of neverland for a graceland like burial theme park. a second autopsy discovered four fresh needle tracks in jackson's neck. that's right, his neck. other veins riddled with track marks, many actually collapsing from i.v. use. jackson's skin, paper white. white as a t-shirt. his bald head matching. all in direct contrast to private video of a full dress rehearsal, hours before the death. drugs found in the home. drugs banned for consumer use. only found behind locked doors in the operating room. jackson ingesting up to 10,000 pills in six months include iin reported 40 xanax a night. the lapd chief mulling criminal charges, who drugged an addict who happened to be a superstar? vultures circle jackson's dead body. the fate of his thi children, unknown. >> we have a gentleman who that needs help. he's not breathing. >>> alarming new accusations from michael jackson's sister saying he was murdered and his death a conspiracy. two british newspapers quoting latoya saying an on tronlg gave her brother drugs. >> promine

those that are vying to have his body or his remains buried at neverland want to create another gracelande where elvis' estate is, to make money off of it. everyone that knows anything about jackson even from 2,000 miles away has heard him say that after the police raid following child molestation charges he felt he never wanted to return to neverland. end of story. so why? why else would they insist on burying him there? >> well, nancy, i think so much of it is about money. that's what the family wants. it looks like those members of the family, yes, they are definitely interested in money. and when you think about his addiction, nancy, where did that come from? that's also from people who, he has money, he has power, they want to be around him. and so people do what they want. it doesn't have anything to do with michael jackson anymore. >> what about the fact that these doctors that were feeding him these drugs were making money off of him. look at the stars that have died because people enabled them. it goes all of the way back to marilyn monroe. you've got heath ledger. the list goes

and set it up as a visitation area somewhat like graceland.y in the backyard. it doesn't work that way. so what are they thinking of? forest lawn? what are they considering now as to where to bury michael jackson? >> i think your reporter said it best. i don't know that they know. it stands to reason that michael would have wanted to be buried at neverland. that's complicated. apparently too complicated. neverland. i would imagine, nancy, that would have been his choice. >> take a look at this carriage. explain to me, susan roesgen, is this going to be part of the funeral? >> you know, we just don't know. what we are waiting for right now, nancy, someone from the family to come tell us, we are all here. they know we are all here. fans are still here. come out and tell us what your decision is. it could be, nancy not only that they haven't decided maybe they're getting a sense from the lapd, from california highway patrol, law enforcement agencies that the logistics of this thing could just be a nightmare. maybe that is what they're waiting for

just like elvis with graceland. >> reporter: the death certificate is now public, with no cause specified. they are hoping the autopsy will shed light on what medications he was taking when he passed away. >> reporter: one month after the private memorial, the family is keeping quiet. >> reporter: jackson's grandparents are also here with his kids. jackson said in hisle that-- his will that he wants his mom to raise his children. ex-wife debbie rowe says she might seek custody of her two children. >> i just want to say, i love him. >> reporter: family pastor liewshes smith hopes the family will keep the children out of the public eye. >> i have to pray that they will be taken care of and out of the limelight as much as possible. >> reporter: a guardianship is scheduled for monday. and jackson's toxicology reports are due back by the end of the month. >> teri okita, wjz eyewitness news. >> jackson came into the office of a dermatologist and appeared to be? great health, even dancing for some other patients. >>> sally is live in the newsroom with the latest. >> reporter: the wicomico county

jermaine is one of the members of the family that says, look, we should turn neverland into not just graceland but disneyland, turn this into a shrine for michael and bury him there. the neighbors have banded together to form an organization called never to allow this to happen. then if they decide to bury him at forest lawn, you have another problem, nancy. where at forest lawn? there's a public section. there's a private section. bette davis, humphrey bogart are in the public section. that's where fans can go to michael's grave. they're worried about the body being stolen. remember, charlie chaplin's body abraham lincoln's bodies were stolen from their graves. does that mean they have to put him in the private section where fans can't go? the family's torn over there. >> tom o'neil, when you say it's at forest lawn, which forest lawn? >> the one in glendale. >> how far away is that, about ten miles? >> yeah, from encino, the family compound, you mean? >> yes. >> yes, about ten miles. right next to warner brothers studios. >> now, how did it end up there? we thought it was in berry gordy's fa

just like elvis with graceland. >> reporter: the death certificate is now public, with no cause specified. investigators hope toxicology reports will help shed light on what medications jackson was taking when he passed away. >> reporter: one day after a private memorial, the family is keeping quiet. >> reporter: jackson's children are also here with their grandmother. jackson said in a will that he wanted his mom to raise his kids. but ex-wife debbie rowe said she might seek custody of her two children. >> i just want to say i love him. >> reporter: lushus smith wants to keep the family out of the public eye. >> a guardianship hearing is scheduled for monday. and jackson's toxicology report is due back at the end of the month. >>> the los angeles city attorney's office is investigating how the city is legally force a third party to pake up -- pick up at least some of the costs for his $4 million memorial service at the staples center. >>> for the first time, we put a face to the name of a 5-year- old girl shot to the head. this is raven wyatt. her mother tells our media partner, the balt

there's even talk his former home neverland may be turned into a permanent shrine like elvis' graceland icons? here's claire shipman. >> reporter: every so often it's something we want to do even need to do as a community. grieve together. the spontaneous crowds that gathered for michael jackson, the scene at neverland reminiscent of the public mourning in 1977 at graceland for the original king. ♪ you ain't nothing but a hound dog." >> reporter: elvis presley dead at age 42. thousands lining the treats of memphis, tennessee, hoping to see a glimpse as the pristine white hearse took him home for the time. john lennon, thousands gathered to celebrate the man who asked the world to imagine ♪ imagine all the people >> it becomes almost like a substitute for a religious event in our secular society. >> reporte part of it is the shock of unexpected premanure end of such brilliance, think janis joplin, jimi hendrix, jim morrison, bob marley, kurt cobain. ♪ yeah yeah >> reporter: but their deaths usually represent something bigger, the end of an innocence or an era. in the case of singer buddy

the jackson brothers pushing ahead with burial in the back yard of neverland for a graceland-like michael jackson burial theme park. a second autopsy discovers four fresh needle tracks in jackson's neck. that's right. his neck. other vains riddled with track marks, many collapsing from iv use. his skin paper white, his body emashated, all in contrast to private video of a full dress he rehersal hours before his death. drugs, banned for consumer use, only find behind lcd dooocked dn an operating room, found in the home. jackson reportedly ingesting up to 10,000 pills in just six months, including 40 xanax a night. this amid reports jackson wanted to be put under with an iv drip for days on end. essentially lying there like a living corps for up to 72 hours at a time. the lapds chief mulling criminal charges over who drugged an addict who happened to be a super star, as the vultures circling jackson's dead body, the fate of his three children unknown. >> are you ready to fight for your children. >> don't touch me. >> nobody touched you here. >> you just did. don't. >> source close to the fa

there was speculation neverland could be jackson's final resting place and become a new sort of graceland the death of michael jackson and his memorial service today are making headlines across the u.s. and around the world. here's a look at the "l.a. times" website. the paper focused a lot of its website today on the funeral and traffic impact it was having on the roads and freeways around l.a. to london now and the daily telegraph. providing live minute by minute coverage of the memorial service and events leading up to it. that service happened in the early evening in england. most people were at home watching. and now all of the way over to australia where the memorial service took place in the middle of the night. the sydney mourning herald gave those who were up at that hour complete coverage of today's events. we broadcasted the memorial service on our website. nbcwashington.com. and many who visited our site posted comments and remembrances of michael jackson. here are a few of them. sheldon said -- gwen wrote -- another viewer wrote in to say his soul is at rest now and hopefully

just like elvis with graceland. >> reporter: the death certificate has no cause specified. they hope it will shed light on what medications jackson was taking when he passed away. >> reporter: one day after a very public memorial, the family is keeping private at their home here in encino. >> jackson's children are also here with their grandmother. jackson said in his will, he wanted his mom to raise prince michael, paris, and blanket. but jackson's ex-wife, debbie rowe said she might seek custody of her two children. jackson kept his children out of the spotlight most of their lives. but his daughter took center stage at tuesday's public memorial. >> i just want to say that i love him. [ rying ] >> reporter: [ crying ] >> i have to pray that they'll be able to just be taken care of and keep kept out of that limelight as much as possible. >> reporter: a guardianship hearing is scheduled for monday. and jackson's toxicology reports are due back by the end of the month. teri okita, wjz eyewitness news. >> the los angeles city attorney's office is investigating how the city ca