9:12 AM PDT – Michael Jackson's Casket En Route To Public Service

A hearse containing Michael Jackson's golden casket began the short drive to Staples Center on Tuesday following a private service at a Hollywood Hills cemetery.

Jackson's family members and dozens of friends, led by his parents, Joe and Katherine, were seen entering a building at the cemetery. News reports estimated as many as 20 helicopters circled overhead.

MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Michael Jackson - Deaths - Memorials - Funerals - TV One

Police said that after the private ceremony, Jackson's body would be taken to the singer's public memorial at the Staples Center, which was to be televised live around the world.

Among the celebrities expected to attend the memorial were Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Richie, Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Martin Luther King III.

Copyright NBCAH - Access Hollywood
Contact Us