Michael Jackson will be buried on birthday

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The King of Pop will be buried on what would have been his 51st birthday, a spokesman for Michael Jackson’s family said Tuesday.

Jackson will be buried at a private ceremony at Forest Lawn-Glendale on Aug. 29, spokesman Ken Sunshine said in a statement. Guests will be limited to family and close friends, Sunshine said.

“The Jackson family once again wishes to express its gratitude to Michael’s fans around the world for their support during these difficult times,” the statement said.

Details about the ceremony and the whereabouts of Jackson’s body have been tightly guarded. The announcement came a day after the New York Daily News reported comments by Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, that his son would be buried on what would have been his birthday.

Sunshine said Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the cemetery’s Great Mausoleum. The cemetery’s Web site describes the mausoleum as featuring replicas of works by Michelangelo. It also features a stained-glass re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

The cemetery is in the city of Glendale, which is about eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It is a different location from the Hollywood Hills cemetery where Jackson’s family was seen gathering days after his death June 25.

A Forest Lawn spokesman said the cemetery does not comment on private funeral services.

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