There’s a private memorial service set for Michael Jackson for tomorrow morning, Friday, June 25th, at Forest Lawn Glendale.
Michael’s brother, Randy, sent out the invites. The guests will include his brothers and sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Joe Jackson will be there. Katherine Jackson will not. As I reported before, she and Michael’s kids are out of town to escape the circus like atmosphere already growing around the anniversary of Michael’s death.
Other guests will be similar to last year’s final funeral, including Jackson’s executors, his former lawyers like Tom Mesereau, and perhaps a few celebs like Macaulay Culkin. Otherwise, there will be no press this time. Last year, the first speaker was ex-con and Joe Jackson intimate Leonard Rowe. One can only hope there’s no repeat of that episode.
Rowe is not the only Joe Jackson crony lurking about these days. TMZ printed a picture today of Katherine Jackson with her business partner, Howard Mann. They failed to recognize the man on her left. It’s Lowell Henry, a one time “assistant” to Berry Gordy in the Motown days. Henry has somehow re-inveigled his way into the Jackson family. When I met him the other day at the Beverly Hilton–where he’s working on Saturday’s event–he tried to pretend he was someone else.
Hilarious. The cast of Joe Jackson supporting players never ceases to amaze me. Last year it was Marshall Thompson of the Chi Lites, wearing a wide brim white hat and a zoot suit, carrying Joe’s water.
