Jackson funeral is center stage

July 05, 2009 If the interest shown in the memorial service for Michael Jackson is any indication, the pop star's comeback would have been a rip-roaring success. [...] Sinatra died at the ripe age of 82, while Jackson's untimely demise at 50 has sparked an outpouring of testimonials and spontaneous tributes not dissimilar to the collective catharsis in the U.K. after the death of Princess Diana. The logistics of the official memorial Tuesday as well as a full-court press by the Jackson family, celebrity friends and black politicos during the long Fourth of July weekend have combined to take the heat off the unsavory aspects of Jackson's life and the many still-unanswered questions surrounding his death.

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