U.S. pop star Michael Jackson will be laid to rest Aug. 29, his father Joe Jackson told a New York newspaper, seemingly putting an end to the widespread talk about when and where the late singer will be buried, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
Joe Jackson said his son will be buried Aug. 29, what would have been his 51st birthday, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Joe Jackson said the burial plans were finalized in the last few days.
However, there was no confirmation from the Jackson family over the burial plans, which have been kept a secret. Jackson was estranged from his son for years, and it's unclear what role he's playing in the process.
Two weeks ago, Jackson said he supported building a Neverland Ranch-style venue in Las Vegas and having Michael Jackson buried there.
In the Daily News interview, Jackson also said he's closely monitoring the police investigation into his son's death, which appears to be focusing on the entertainer's doctor Conrad Murray. Jackson told the Daily News he worried Murray would become "the fall guy for a whole lot of people."
There was a private memorial for Michael Jackson at Forest Lawn last month after he died on June 25.
(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2009)
