Usher, Wonder and More Officially Set For Michael Jackson Staples Center Tribute

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Jackson family has released the official list of participants for tomorrow's Public Memorial Service for Michael Jackson. As was announced earlier Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson will attend and perform.

The complete list of all-star attendees also includes, Ron Boyd, Kobe Bryant, Andrae Crouch Choir, Berry Gordy, Shaheen Jafargholi (a finalist on Britain's Got Talent), Magic Johnson, Martin Luther King III, Bernice A. King, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Brooke Shields, Pastor Lucious Smith, Usher Raymond and Stevie Wonder. To read the full article click here.

A large number of television networks have confirmed coverage of the event Tuesday including, NBC, ABC, E! and CNN. 17,500 ticket were handed out randomly for the event. The site set up to handle registrations for the drawing reported a massive 500 million visitors in just the first hour and a half after becoming available. Since then more than 600,000 have registered for a chance to win the coveted tickets. 

Jackson, 50, died Thursday, June 25th, after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles. His memorial will take place on Tuesday, July 7 at 10 a.m. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The program will be simulcast at Los Angeles' nearby Nokia Theatre.

Michael's body is expected to be placed in a closed coffin on a raised plinth during the service. One of his trademark sequined gloves and a black fedora will be placed on top.

In a phenomenal, unparalleled career, Michael Jackson sold more than 750 million records, had 13 number one singles - more than any other male artist - and is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. His numerous other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, including one for "Thriller" as the world's best-selling album of all time - 100 million copies and counting.

Michael Jackson is survived by three children: Michael Jr., Paris, and Prince. He was not currently married, having previously divorced from Lisa Marie Presley and then Deborah Jeanne Rowe.

Photo of Usher Raymond in CHICAGO by Paul Kolnik

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