Fans mark King of Pop's death anniversary today

Fans of Michael Jackson will descend on a Los Angeles cemetery today to mark the first anniversary of the tortured music superstar's death from a prescription drug overdose.

The singer, 50, was found dead in his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25 last year, a seismic celebrity death which triggered a global outpouring of tributes for the eccentric genius known as The King of Pop.

Today, his fans are expected to pay their respects to their idol at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of Glendale, a star-studded cemetery where the singer's golden casket was entombed last September.

Michael Jackson's final resting place is an elaborate neo-classical mausoleum which already houses Hollywood legends including Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.

Fans of the singer will be barred from entering the mausoleum but will be allowed to walk past the building to lay flowers or wreaths, Glendale Police Sergeant Tom Lorenz said.

"A person will be able to go up and walk by the mausoleum," Mr Lorenz said. "But they cannot enter the mausoleum. That is not going to happen."

Authorities are also discouraging fans from flocking to the cemetery en masse, hoping to avoid large crowds, Mr Lorenz added.

"You're not going to be able to camp out over night. You're not going to be the first one in line with a chair parked on the sidewalk," he said.

Today's anniversary will see a Jackson tribute event - Forever Michael - at a Beverly Hills hotel, with tickets priced at between $150 and $500. Members of Mr Jackson's family are expected to attend the event.

"The vision is to bring together Michael Jackson family members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate and honour his legacy," a statement from the organisers said.

Meanwhile, 50 of Michael Jackson's most devoted Japanese fans will mark the first anniversary of his death in a $1,100 a ticket Tokyo slumber party with the pop icon's most treasured possessions.

They will curl up in sleeping bags tonight in the exhibition space that displays Michael Jackson's crystal-studded gloves, concert costumes, awards and some 300 other possessions of the late King of Pop.

The 50 admirers - one for each year of the singer's life - were chosen from some 10,000 applicants who wanted to spend the night in the Neverland Collection at Tokyo Tower, said exhibit producer Matt Taylor.

The proceeds of 100,000 yen (€895) each for the 10.30 p.m. to 8 a.m. sleepover will go to the singer's family estate and his children, Mr Taylor said.

Japan will also kick off the international release of the documentary, Michael Jackson: Inside the Private World, with previously unreleased footage.

Public dance sessions are expected in city parks, shopping malls, baseball stadiums and theme parks, as well as at a number of night clubs and bars, to celebrate the extraordinary life of the entertainment legend.

Michael Jackson's death sent shockwaves rippling around the world last year, while family and fans were outraged after it emerged he had been given a cocktail of powerful prescription drugs including the anesthetic propofol.

Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients undergoing major surgery in hospital. Medical professionals say it should never be used by private individuals at home.

Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray, the last person to see the singer alive, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the case and is expected to stand trial next year. Dr Murray denies the charges.

While the immediate aftermath of the King of Pop's death saw intense speculation about court-room wrangling for control of the singer's affairs, expected legal battles over his children and vast musical empire failed to materialise.

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, was granted custody of the children Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, eight, who are slowly adjusting to life without their father.

Mrs Jackson revealed on Sunday the children, who previously were home-schooled, will enrol in a school for the first time later this year.

"They don't have any friends," Mrs Jackson told Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper. "They don't go to school; they have private lessons at home, but that will change in September when they are due to enrol at private college."

Meanwhile, Billboard magazine reported Michael Jackson's estate has generated more than $1 billion in revenues since the singer's death, through the reissue of his music, films and other commercial spin-offs.

Long-standing debtors have been paid and a kingdom that was on the verge of collapse from more than $500 million debt now looks to be able to support his three children and his mother and donate healthily to children's charities.

The estate has earned more than $250 million in the year since he died. Executors used some of that to pay off $70 million debt, including the $5 million mortgage on the Jackson family compound in Encino, part of Los Angeles. The interest payments on the remaining debt are now covered by a steady flow of cash.

John McClain and John Branca, the veteran entertainment industry executives placed in charge of the estate, have compared the commercial bonanza to the industry built around Elvis Presley.

"To this day there's interest in Elvis. And I think there will be enduring interest in Michael," Mr Branca said earlier this year after signing a deal with Sony worth an estimated $250 million over seven years.

"It's our job to continue to expose Michael to new generations."