gt1The touching tragedy of Pop’s very own “boy who never grew up” or in this case, “never aged”, is slotted for a tearful closure today, when ‘Peter Pan’ Michael Jackson leaves Neverland for good, as he embarks on his final journey, to be laid to eternal rest in the Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the cemetery service is to be a private family affair, to be followed by an elaborate public service scheduled to be held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The private affair will have Katherine, Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine, Randy, LaToya, Rebbie and of course, Janet, all gathering to pay their last respects to their most celebrated sibling.

If law enforcement officials are to have their way, it is unlikely that there will be any sort of funeral procession preceding the grand public service at the Staples Center which promises to be a star-studded affair. The surprise element in the list of probable funeral service attendees is the much talked about no-show of Debbie Reynolds, Michael Jackson’s ex-wife and the mother of two of his children. According to a statement issued on her behalf, she has named “media onslaught” to be the primary cause
of her choosing to stay away from the public eye and “celebrate Michael’s memory privately”.

Details of the funeral and the exact burial spot are, of course, being kept under strict confidentiality, with cemetery employees remaining tight-lipped about divulging any kind of specific information. According to sources, the “select few” who do in fact have access to such information, are liable to “face criminal prosecution” if caught giving it out without authorization.