Michael Jackson fans remember music legend’s death five years later

Five years after Michael Jackson died from an overdose of a powerful anesthetic, his legacy endures among legions of fans, some of whom continue to travel from across the globe to honor the pop legend’s memory at his final resting place in Glendale.

Thousands of red roses, purchased by Jackson fans through an online campaign, had been piled up around the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale early Wednesday as fans began setting up their own memorials — bouquets, signs, concert memorabilia and other mementos, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“5 years without you, we love you more Michael Jackson,” one sign read.

Television footage showed fans from as far away as Germany dressed in Jackson-esque apparel mourning as they left their own memorials.

Jackson was 50 when he died on June 25, 2009 of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol administered at his home by Dr. Conrad Murray, as the singer was about to embark on a comeback series of concerts in London.

Jackson’s mother and children sued concert promoter and producer AEG Live, saying the company had negligently hired and supervised Murray. But following a five-month trial, a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found AEG Live not liable in the singer’s death.

But even in death, Jackson has drawn a crowd, particularly at Forest Lawn in Glendale, where in years past hundreds of fans have gathered to honor his memory with not just mementos and flowers, but with impersonations and even impromptu dancing.

Staff at the cemetery had already started erecting barricades Wednesday morning to control the steady stream of visitors to the famed mausoleum, which is closed to the public.

Fans were also expected to gather at Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where candles, flowers and other memorials had already started accumulating Wednesday morning.

-- Jason Wells, Los Angeles Times

ALSO: