Family Spokesman: Michael Jackson Will Be Buried On What Would Have Been 51st Birthday

 
 
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  • Michael Jackson rehearses for his planned shows in London at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 23, 2009
  • Blanket, Paris and Prince Michael Jackson I wave from the stage at the public memorial for their father, Los Angeles, July 2009
  • Katherine Jackson with her grandchildren at Michael Jackson’s public memorial at Staples Center in LA on July 7, 2009

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  • Getty Images

    Michael Jackson rehearses for his planned shows in London at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 23, 2009

  • AFP/Getty Images

    Blanket, Paris and Prince Michael Jackson I wave from the stage at the public memorial for their father, Los Angeles, July 2009

  • Getty Images

    Katherine Jackson with her grandchildren at Michael Jackson’s public memorial at Staples Center in LA on July 7, 2009

 
 

FIRST PUBLISHED: August 18, 2009 11:40 AM EDT
LAST UPDATED: August 18, 2009 12:16 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

The King of Pop will be buried on what would have been his 51st birthday, a spokesman for Michael Jackson’s family said Tuesday.

Jackson will be buried at a private ceremony at Forest Lawn-Glendale on August 29, spokesman Ken Sunshine said in a statement. Guests will be limited to family and close friends, Sunshine said.

“The Jackson family once again wishes to express its gratitude to Michael’s fans around the world for their support during these difficult times,” the statement said.

Details about the ceremony and the whereabouts of Jackson’s body have been tightly guarded. The announcement came a day after the New York Daily News reported comments by Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, that his son would be buried on what would have been his birthday.

Sunshine said Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the cemetery’s Great Mausoleum. The cemetery’s Web site describes the mausoleum as featuring replicas of works by Michelangelo. It also features a stained glass recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

The cemetery is located in the city of Glendale, which is about 8 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It is a different location from the Hollywood Hills cemetery where Jackson’s family was seen gathering days after his death on June 25.

Copyright 2009 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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