There were three notable absences at the services: Jackson's old friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor said, 'I love him too much to share my grief with millions of others.' Diana Ross said she preferred to mark his death with silence, while his former wife Debbie Rowe, who may launch a legal battle for custody of the two children she had with Jackson, said her attendance 'would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy.'

Thousands of police were deployed in downtown Los Angeles prior to the service as the world's entertainment capital braced for the memorial of one of the greatest entertainers in history.

Police said the operation exceeded all past events in the city's history, including the 1984 Olympics, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials had feared that as many as 700,000 fans would gather around the arena and appealed to them to stay home.

Thousands of fans ignored that appeal and crowded behind the barricades that were erected around much of the downtown area surrounding the Staples Centre. But there were no reports of trouble as only an estimated 50,000 fans turned up.

Over 1.6 million people applied for the 17,500 tickets available through the online lottery.

Jackson, 50, died June 25 from a cardiac arrest. A police investigation into his death is focused on the possible abuse by Jackson of prescription drugs and hospital sedatives.