Jackson salutes the audience after receiving the Artist of the Century Award during the 29th Annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 2002. -- PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES - MICHAEL Jackson's family looked on Monday to put on an elaborate 'celebration' of the King of Pop's life but said the funeral would await an investigation into his death.
FAMILY patriarch Joe Jackson, appearing with Rev Sharpton, said that a funeral would wait for the results of a second autopsy.
'We're not ready for that yet because we're trying to wait on something else. We're searching to see what happened to Michael,' the 79-year-old father said.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, the civil rights leader, met with the musical clan at their compound in Los Angeles to discuss holding an official event to mourn the music superstar who died last week aged 50.
Amid frenzied speculation about a possible global memorial service, Rev Sharpton said the family wanted to honour both Jackson's superstar impact and his humble roots as the son of a steelworker in Gary, Indiana.
'It is the determination of the family to be careful and deliberate on how they plan his celebration of life because we're talking about a historic figure that really changed pop culture around the world,' Rev Sharpton told reporters.
'This is not something you do carelessly and spontaneously. You must also remember they are still grieving and in their grief determined to uphold his legacy,' Rev Sharpton said.
Rev Sharpton said the family wanted the memorial to be dignified.
The Jackson family 'gave the world a whole new glow, and they must be careful to protect that glow and not rush into something that may feed the media frenzy but not uphold the legacy of Michael Jackson,' he said. -- AFP
