Jackson family planning funeral

Michael Jackson’s relatives were today gathering at the family home contemplating funeral arrangements and caring for his three children.

They are feeling confused, upset and angry by the lack of information about those who were around the pop superstar in his final days, said a person close to the family.

They want to know more specifics about what role AEG, the concert promoter that was staging his 50-date concert series at London’s 02 Arena, was playing in his life.

They also want to know more about the role of his advisers and representatives, who they believe were put in place by the promoter.

Jackson never communicated to his family who he had in place to handle his business affairs, a source close to the family said, adding that they were told by the singer’s phalanx of advisers that the singer likely had a will, but it may be many years old.

The family is distrustful of what they are being told – but they are determined to find out more, the person said.

“There are decisions going down without the family being in the loop; it’s becoming an issue,” the person said.

Randy Phillips, AEG Live president and chief executive, said yesterday that it was Jackson who insisted that Dr Conrad Murray, a financially troubled cardiologist who was with the entertainer when he collapsed on Thursday, be put on the tour payroll.

“As a company, we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired,” Phillips said.

“Michael said he had a rapport with him.”

Jackson collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles. Police seized Murray’s car in search of evidence, but have insisted that the doctor has been co-operative and do not consider him a criminal suspect.

Records reveal years of financial troubles for Murray, who practices medicine in California, Nevada and Texas; his Nevada medical practice, Global Cardiovascular Associates, was slapped with more than $400,000 (€290,000) in court judgments, and he faces at least two other pending cases and several tax liens.

The person close to the family said that while there were reports that the singer was distant from his family, Jackson spoke with his mother Katherine quite regularly and his father, Joe, had seen his son shortly before his death.

His other eight siblings, including fellow superstar Janet, may not have talked to him recently but were not estranged.

Much of the family was holed up inside the Jackson family’s Encino compound, including his three children, according to the person, who described them as doing “pretty good.”

“I don’t think it’s fully set in yet,” the person said.

No family members were present in the mansion when Jackson died, the source said. In the 911 call released by fire officials, an unidentified caller tells a dispatcher that Jackson’s doctor is performing CPR.

Asked by the dispatcher whether anyone saw what happened, the caller answers: “No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor has been the only one there.”

Coroner’s officials said they released Jackson’s body to his family late last night. The family is still trying to determine what kind of memorial to have for Jackson and when, and are debating between the idea of having a private ceremony or a grand celebration open to the public, the person close to the family said.

Jackson appeared to have suffered a heart attack.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said there were no signs of foul play or trauma, but determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

Phillips said AEG Live held multiple insurance policies covering cancellation of the shows, and that some time in February Jackson submitted to several hours of physicals that the insurance underwriter insisted upon, and that Jackson passed them all.

“We had pretty good coverage, but a lot of it is going to depend on the toxicology results,” he said. “We need to know what the cause of death was.”