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American Morning
A Look at Michael Jackson's Early Years; Family and Friends Gather for Michael Jackson's Private Service; Obama Meets With Putin; Questions Still Linger About the Cause of Michael Jackson's Death; LAPD Getting Ready for Jackson Memorial Service; Interview with Sarah Palin
Aired July 07, 2009 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. We are live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Kiran is all morning long, ahead of today's star-studded tribute for Michael Jackson.
And there you see a live picture. Just a beautiful shot there. Millions of people will be watching this around the world. We have correspondents covering all sides of the story this morning, including our own Jason Carroll who is live for us in Gary, Indiana, where Jackson was born.
Jason is at the singer's childhood home looking back at his early rise to superstardom.
Jason, good morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One thing about child prodigies, when it comes to their talent, signs of greatness often show up early.
In Michael Jackson's case, it was way before the "Ed Sullivan Show," it was in kindergarten.
GLADYS JOHNSON, PRINCIPAL, GARNETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: He was brought to my attention because he wanted to sing the Christmas song for his class.
CARROLL: Gladys Johnson, now 93, was Jackson's principal at Garnet Elementary School in Gary, Indiana. To this day, she still remembers the young Michael.
JOHNSON: You didn't even know he was there. If he hadn't raised such a ruckus in kindergarten about singing the kindergarten song, I wouldn't have known Michael was there.
CARROLL: Jackson joined his brother's musical group at age five, practicing at their home in Gary, winning talent contests and catching the eye of Gordon Keith...
GORDON KEITH, STEELTOWN RECORDS: This kid is really super.
CARROLL: ... then-owner of the Steeltown Records, who signed the group to their first record deal.
(on camera): I know throughout your time, you've come across a lot of talents and singers. Why was Michael Jackson special?
KEITH: Because he was special. Better than James Brown.
CARROLL: That's why you signed him?
KEITH: That's right.
CARROLL (voice-over): Under Keith's label, the Jacksons released their first regional hit, "Big Boy."
KEITH: This is a box of records the way it was back in the day.
CARROLL: Keith keeps the first pressing of "Big Boy" and other records he made with the Jacksons in a safe deposit box. The group stayed with them for five years before Motown called. Shelly Berger, their first manager in Motown, saw the two sides of Michael, then nine years old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Offstage, you would think this was just a little boy, doing his coloring, watching his cartoons. And when he got on stage, he -- he was incredible.
CARROLL: In 1969, appearing on the "Ed Sullivan Show," Michael capturing the spotlight with "I Want You Back."
MICHAEL JACKSON, JACKSON FIVE: Won't you please take me back.
CARROLL: Offstage, even then his manager saw signs of what Jackson would become.
SHELLEY BERGER, FORMER MANAGER OF JACKSON 5: You know, when people talk about "Billie Jean" and the moonwalk and "Thriller," he was doing this kind of stuff when he was 10 years old. What he did when he was on Motown 25 is something he had been doing for years. He was -- you cannot -- you cannot put into words, at least I cannot put into words --
CARROLL: That was Jackson. Before he left the group and would go on to show mortals how to moonwalk, before thrilling music television or being the King of Pop, he was the quiet little prince at the playground who wanted his spot on the kindergarten show.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the sweetest things you ever saw. You just wanted to go up and hug him. And I often did.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And, Alina, right now you're looking at a live picture of the Jackson home in Gary, Indiana. This is where it all started. You can see all the cards, the letters, the flowers, everything you can imagine that his fans have left here for him.
The mayor of Gary actually wants to turn this home into a museum. And this Friday, Alina, they'll be holding a memorial service for Jackson here as well. Some 5,000 people expected to attend at a stadium not too far from here. They are definitely not forgetting Jackson right here in his hometown -- Alina.
CHO: Just incredible. If there is something connected to Michael Jackson, the fans will find it.
Jason Carroll live for us in Gary, Indiana.
Jason, thank you.
Hey, Kiran, good morning.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, Alina. You know, it's just after 7:00 for you guys out in New York. And here in L.A., 4:00 a.m. on this July 7, the special edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
I'm outside the Staples Center right now. And that's where Michael Jackson is going to be remembered in just six hours. And, Alina, here's a shot from our camera that can sort of give you a bigger view of what's going on.
About a dozen or so monitors out here just showing still shots, a montage of pictures of Michael Jackson from his early years, his early fame, and continuing through the years some of his performances as well. And all of this is just members of the media, our technical crews, all of our crews set up to broadcast live today outside of the memorial that's taking place in just six hours.
And, of course, as you know, inside, we're also going to be -- they're going to be giving that free feed to every broadcast cable network that's going to be on the Internet and they're expecting, as we said earlier, perhaps the largest viewing audience ever.
CHO: Yes. I mean, just an incredible event, a moment in history certainly, Kiran. I know we'll be going live to you throughout the morning.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Alina Cho, 7:00 in the east coast. I'm in for John Roberts today. There's a lot going on this morning from our special coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial.
Also, two other big stories we are following this hour. First, President Barack Obama beginning his second day in Russia with a visit to the man experts say is the country's real leader, not the president but the current prime minister. Obama, as you see there, meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin just a few hours ago. Our Ed Henry is tracking the story live from Moscow.
The other big story we're watching in politics, Sarah Palin speaking out for the first time since announcing that she's resigning from office, saying she's not a quitter. The Alaska governor taking some time-out from a fishing trip and talking to CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: It's not a matter of retreating or quitting, it's a matter of progressing and forwarding a good positive agenda. It is unconventional way, and I think that's what caught people off-guard is wait a minute, this is kind of out of the box and unconventional. Well, that is who we are as Alaskans and certainly how I am.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Is this your unconventional way of announcing you're going to run for president in 2012?
PALIN: As I said I do not need a title.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: You'll get the answer with our special investigations correspondent Drew Griffin. He's going to be live for us in Anchorage with the interview you simply won't want to miss.
But first, at five minutes past, we're going to send it back to you, Kiran, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
CHETRY: Alina, the fans have already started arriving here in downtown Los Angeles. As we said earlier, only 11,000 actually have a ticket to get into the Staples Center. You need a ticket and you need that gold wristband.
But despite the city's pleas for those without one to stay away, police do estimate or, you know, they don't want to give hard and fast numbers right now, but they are prepared for anything. And that includes the possibility that just under a million people will find a way to make their way down here.
Again, as you can see, barricaded off right outside of the Staples Center. You've got to go through a few rings of security as well in the streets surrounding the Staples Center.
Meantime, parents who played Stevie Wonder LPs bringing their kids who were downloading Usher MP3s. Really a cross generational mix of people out here, all of them who count themselves as Michael Jackson fans. Both stars, by the way, are expected to be here to say goodbye to the biggest recording artist in history.
Now, the cash-strapped city of Los Angeles will have 2,500 police officers on hand. Even they don't know what to expect just yet. But as we said, the concrete barriers have been put up.
This is some video that you're looking at from yesterday where people drove up to get those wristbands. You needed to have them. And this morning when we were pulling up here, the police shined the flashlight into our SUV making sure that indeed all of us had those wristbands before allowing us through.
Again, if you have the tickets and the wristbands, you get in. Otherwise, you can't get near this place today. And also some pictures from Forest Lawn Cemetery. This is in the Hollywood Hills. It's believed to be Michael Jackson's final resting place.
There you see La Toya Jackson and some members of the Jackson family arriving there last night. Later a hearse pulled up in front of a few carloads of people and Michael Jackson's sister, La Toya, again, among them. There is the video of the hearse.
Our Ted Rowlands is live there right now. And, Ted, we understand that Michael Jackson's relatives will be gathering there, a private service about four hours from now. What else do we know, though, about whether that will, indeed, be Michael Jackson's final resting place?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, we don't know. The family has been very private with their plans. What we have been told is that there is a family gathering here at Forest Lawn mortuary at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time. And from there, there will be a police escort taking the family to the Staples Center.
There are also reports that there's a possibility that Jackson's body would be transported. Of course, if that happens, it could be quite a spectacle indeed transferring the body. But the bottom line is, we don't know. We don't know because the family has wanted everything to be very private in terms of their time here this morning. One thing we do know is that the investigation into Jackson's death definitely continues.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS (voice-over): The investigation continues into why Jackson who apparently was healthy enough for concert rehearsals died at the age of 50. Monday we learned that three search warrants have been issued in this case which is still being classified as a death investigation.
ALLAN PARACHINI, LA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT SPOKESMAN: There were three warrants signed by a judge. They are sealed.
ROWLANDS: According to "The Associated Press," Diprivan, a sedative typically only used in hospital settings was found at Jackson's home. That's the same drug this nurse claims Jackson asked her for a few months ago. The DEA is helping the Los Angeles Police Department.
JIM MCDONNELL, LAPD CHIEF OF STAFF: We routinely work with each other, you know. For anything that has to do with drugs, the DEA are the experts on that. You know, and if you're looking at the prescription issues, you know, where else would you go?
ROWLANDS: Meanwhile, in court, a judge granted temporary control of the Jackson estate to his former attorney, John Branca (ph), who worked for Jackson when the will was written and the singer's music industry friend, John McClain (ph). Attorneys for Jackson's mother, Katherine, fought the ruling. She still has custody of the three children.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS: And as is the case at the Staples Center, Kiran, here at Forest Lawn security exceedingly tight. The police are outside I.D.-ing everybody. In fact, the road outside here has been closed for public access in anticipation for this morning's events -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Ted Rowlands for us this morning. All right. And we're again outside live in the Staples Center.
Coming up in just a couple of minutes, we're going to be speaking to L.A. police chief William Bratton about what they expect today, Alina. And, you know, right now it's still up in the air. It's pretty quiet right now. Not any crowd out here.
CHO: Won't seem for long, Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, it won't be for long so we'll see how they're prepping just in case.
CHO: Yes. Well, it's an enormous undertaking to say the least, Kiran. And we'll go back to you live in just a moment from the Staples Center.
First, though, we want to turn to some big political news. President Obama taking his message straight to the Russian people while in Moscow this morning. He said the U.S. and Russia are not "destined to be antagonists" and that progress between Moscow and Washington "must be shared."
Senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president. He sat down with Mr. Obama in Moscow just following his major policy speech. He joins us live there.
Ed, good morning. What did the president tell you?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Alina. It was interesting as well as this interview came shortly after the president had that very first meeting that he's had a chance to set eyes on the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, many people believe is the power -- the real power here in this country, not the Russian President Medvedev.
And the president gave me his read on the prime minister saying he believes Mr. Putin is smart but also in his words unsentimental. An interesting way to describe him. Clearly the relationship not quite as warm as maybe he has with other world leaders.
And I asked about Iran. Very difficult subject, obviously, and specifically zeroed in on the fact that Vice President Biden over the weekend seemed to suggest that the U.S. would not stand in the way if Israel wants to launch a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear sites.
I asked the president if there is a green light for Israel to strike. He made some news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Are you giving Israel a green light?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Absolutely not. And I think it's very important that -- that I'm as clear as I can be and our administration is as consistent as we can be on this issue. I think Vice President Biden stated a categorical fact, which is we can't dictate to other countries what their security interests are.
What is also true is it is the policy of the United States to try to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities and a peaceful way through diplomatic channels. This is a tough job and nobody is under any illusions that it will be easy. And I've always said that we, the United States, preserve the right and I as commander in chief reserve the right to take whatever actions are necessary to protect the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: I also asked about the U.S. effort to have direct diplomatic talks with Iran and whether that's difficult right now given the disputed election results, but also the fact that Iran doesn't appear to want to talk right now. The president acknowledged that is a problem. But as he put it, he's put a door of opportunity out there and he's waiting for the Iranians to open it, Alina.
CHO: Ed Henry traveling with the president live in Moscow for us. Ed, thank you.
Kiran, I'm going to send back to you in Los Angeles.
CHETRY: All right. And, Alina, you know, millions are preparing as we said to remember the music legend, but how Michael Jackson died and why still a mystery this morning.
We bring in our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay has been working this part of the story all week.
And, Sanjay, I know we're still awaiting the results, right, of those toxicology tests. But are they any closer to determining the official cause of Michael Jackson's death?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the interesting thing is that the results of those toxicology tests are probably already back. They don't take that long to test the urine, to test the blood, to try and find what sort of substances were in these bodily fluids.
What they also -- they want to sort of paint a complete picture. And that involves looking at all of the various tissues in the body, looking at the brain, looking at the liver, and looking at those things under a microscope. And then putting it all together, trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. So that, in essence, is what takes some time. I think that they probably already have a pretty good idea. That's how it works in terms of what likely caused the death or something that is sort of zeroing in on in particular. But they're still saying it's in process, the whole thing is in process and it could still take two or three more weeks is what we're hearing, Kiran.
CHETRY: And now over the last few days, this drug, this anesthetic, right, used to knock people out before surgery, Diprivan, is taking center stage in this story. So will the autopsy results be so specific that they can show this anesthetic if it is indeed in his system?
GUPTA: You know, this is a really interesting thing. I've got to tell you, Kiran, I've never heard about something quite like this. And so the answer to this question about whether they can definitively tell whether it's Diprivan, I have not been able to get a clear answer on this.
And we've talked to anesthesiologists, we've talked to medical examiners who focus in on this sort of things particularly, it's not part of a routine toxicology test. That I can say for sure. And part of the problem, Kiran, as we've been taking about is that it has what's known as a very short half-life. It is in the body and then it disappears from the body very quickly.
So how quickly were they able to actually get some of the fluids from Michael Jackson's body to look at, to test for all these various substances, that's going to be important. And also, will they test for it directly or will they test for what are called some of the by- products of this drug? That's something that probably looking into as well.
So, the short answer is, you know, we still don't know for sure whether or not they're going to be able to test for this and know directly whether or not it was in the body and was it at levels high enough to actually be associated with death?
CHETRY: You know, it's interesting because we're going to be talking in just a few minutes, Sanjay, to William Bratton. He is the LAPD police chief. We're going to be talking to him about the investigation. The department executing at least three search warrants possibly determining whether prescription medication played a role in Michael Jackson's death.
Stay with us. We're live outside of the Staples Center for a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Later this morning, members of Michael Jackson's family and their closest friends will be saying their final goodbyes. That will be taking place at a private service at Forest Lawn Cemetery two hours later. Then they'll be heading here just outside the Staples Center going inside for that more public farewell.
And all of this taking place as questions still linger about the cause of Michael Jackson's death. "The Los Angeles Times" is reporting that L.A. police have executed at least three search warrants to that home to determine whether prescription medications may have killed Michael.
Joining us now is William J. Bratton, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. Thanks so much for being with us this morning.
CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.
CHETRY: You've been chief here since 2002. You guys have had to prepare for many huge events. How does this rate today as you guys prepare for what could be hundreds of thousands coming out to try to get close to this memorial service?
BRATTON: This is probably the largest event we've planned for since the 1984 Olympics in terms of a planned event. We really have no idea how many people are going to show up here other than those that have the tickets for the event inside the Staples. So we've ramped up pretty significantly and we'll ramp down very significantly if we don't get the crowds that are anticipated.
CHETRY: The interesting thing, this was put together pretty meticulously given the short time frame. I mean, you guys figured out the venue and working with the organizers. If you don't have one of these bracelets that we're all talking about, you can't get here. I guess you can because you have the uniform.
BRATTON: Don't have the gold one, so I guess you're not going inside.
CHETRY: No. No, not going inside.
BRATTON: You won't be without the gold one.
CHETRY: But -- and in this situation, you guys have also tried to close off some of the areas around here to make sure. But it still is up in the air as to whether or not people despite the fact that this is going to be broadcast live will decide to come out here anyway. What are the biggest concerns if, indeed, a huge crowd do congregate outside of this area?
BRATTON: Well, we have a number of exits off the freeway, the one adjacent to the Staples Center that was closed down by the California Highway Patrol. We have closed a multi-block. Remember around this area that you cannot get in without credentials of some sort. And again, we really have no idea how many people plan to come down here just to be in the area.
They're better off actually staying home because then you'll actually be able to see the event itself. If you're down here, there's not going to be much to see because you're not going to get within several blocks of the area.
CHETRY: You are the police chief of the second largest city and you are the police chief of the largest city. So I imagine not much surprises you in terms of what you've seen. But for the huge outpouring of adoration and people that want to come out here for Michael Jackson, was that surprising?
BRATTON: Well, I don't think it's surprising to anybody at all that he was around for many, many years. Went to several generations with fans. So the fact that you're all here is a reflection of just how much attention his death has generated.
CHETRY: It's no secret that California is struggling right now financially. The city of Los Angeles is struggling financially. This is going to be expensive for the department.
BRATTON: That's right. The estimated cost is anywhere from $2 million to $4 million putting police as well as all the other city services in here. We have a very large contingent of officers. But if the crowds don't materialize, we're not anticipating disorderly crowds. We're just anticipating very large crowds. But if they don't materialize by the time of the funeral service itself, we'll start disassembling very, very quickly.
CHETRY: Yes, in an effort to keep costs...
BRATTON: Exactly.
CHETRY: ... down if you can. You're prepared though, for anything today. Meantime, the investigation again, talk of the search warrants being executed, looking for possible prescription drugs. Can you give us an update on the latest as you guys try to unravel the mystery of Michael Jackson's death?
BRATTON: We have a fairly wide-ranging inquiry under way. We have not been giving any public statements. The reference you had is from sources, not authorized sources. We are waiting on the toxicology reports to come back from the coroner that will assist us greatly in determining was his death caused as a result of a drug use and was that drug use appropriate or legal? So until we get that back, we're doing a lot of preliminary work and we will not be making any public statements as to the specifics of that inquiry.
CHETRY: All right. Well, great to talk to you today. Good luck for all your officers out there today. I know you guys will do a fine job.
BRATTON: Thank you.
CHETRY: Chief Bratton, great to see you.
BRATTON: All the best.
CHETRY: Thanks.
Alina?
CHO: Kiran, thank you. You know, one of the other big stories we are following today is Sarah Palin one-on-one with CNN, the first interview since she stunned the world with her announcement that she's resigning from office.
Our Drew Griffin tracked her down fishing with her family in a remote part of Alaska. You'll see that interview. You definitely don't want to miss it.
Twenty-two minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning." Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wants everyone to know that she's a fighter, not a quitter. This is the first time that she is answering questions about her bombshell resignation.
Special investigations unit correspondent Drew Griffin live for us in Anchorage this morning.
So, Drew, you had an opportunity to talk to the governor while she was on a fishing trip with her family. What did she say?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, fairly remote. Just to set it up, you know, for three days we were trying to track her down and hearing from friends and even acquaintances and her own attorney which said this decision was based on a personal decision, that in the end there's three years of being the lightning rod of the Republican Party from governor to having a Down syndrome baby to dealing with her own daughter's teen pregnancy. All this and on top of it, all these investigations after investigation that she calls unwarranted just became a pressure cooker for her and her family. And she had finally had enough.
So when I met her yesterday when she's stepping off this boat, this fishing boat, looking rugged and strong, I asked her, did all of this just become too tough for Sarah Palin? And is that why you are quitting? Here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: No, I'm not going to take that comfortable path. I'm going to take the right path for the state. I'm going to let the state progress and then I'm going to be able to get out there and help people, help affect change in our state and positive change in our nation. That is my goal, helping to work for other people to do such a thing.
And I don't need a title to do that. And they don't need titles either to affect change but I want to help people who want to fight for the right thing.
GRIFFIN: But, governor, if that is the right road for Alaska...
PALIN: Yes.
GRIFFIN: ... is it a dangerous road for you to be labeled in this land of tough people a quitter?
PALIN: I'm certainly not a quitter, I'm a fighter. And that's why I'm doing this, to go out there and fight for what is right without the constraints that have been surrounding me in these final months. And anybody who is in Alaska will tell you, of course, our administration has been paralyzed.
We spent most of our day sending off frivolous lawsuits. So, no, it's not a matter of retreating or quitting, it's a matter of progressing and forwarding a good positive agenda in an unconventional way. And I think that's what caught people off-guard is, wait a minute, it's kind of out of the box and unconventional. Well, that is who we are as Alaskans and certainly how I am as a public servant, as a person very proud of my state, seeing great potential in my state, unconventional in the way that we're getting things done but we certainly are getting those things done.
GRIFFIN: Is this your unconventional way of announcing you're going to run for president in 2012?
PALIN: As I said, I do not need a title. Nobody does to affect positive change.
GRIFFIN: Are you out of office? Political office?
PALIN: I can't see me being totally out of public service because that is within me. It is the way that I'm wired is the desire to help.
GRIFFIN: Governor, I'm asking you, are you ever going to run for president? Are you ruling it out?
PALIN: All options are going to keep on continuing to be on the table as they have been for me my entire life. I'm not going to close any door that may be opened for me out there. So, all options are on the table.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFIN: Alina, she says she's been planning this, talking about this for months. July 3rd, the date that she made the announcement, she said wasn't just a coincidence. A declaration day -- her own declaration of independence, she said, from politics as usual.
But, again, she's denying this was anything to do with her family pressures or any kind of trouble at home. That really she wanted to step aside because she felt the government of Alaska was paralyzed as long as she was the lightning rod for the Republican Party.
CHO: As for what she's going to do next, the $64,000 question, she says on her own Facebook page, stay tuned. There is more to come. So I know you'll be watching all of it for us.
Drew Griffin live for us in Anchorage this morning. Drew, thank you. Of course, the other big story of the morning is the continuing coverage right here on CNN of the memorial service later this morning for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Kiran is live outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles. She's going to be speaking with the Reverend Al Sharpton next.
It's 29 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. You'll see a lot of famous faces on the stage today to pay tribute to Michael Jackson in just under six hours from now.
And one of them is the Reverend Al Sharpton. He has known the singer for 35 years. He has been with the family constantly since Jackson's death. And Sharpton has also condemned some negative media coverage and instead calling for nationwide love vigils today to honor Jackson. Reverend Sharpton joins me now. Thanks for being with us this morning.
REVEREND AL SHARPTON, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: Good morning. Good morning.
CHETRY: Tell us, first of all, about the event today. What are we going to be seeing as this is broadcast live around the world, as people say this could be the most watched event ever?
SHARPTON: I think you're going to see a diversity of artists, people that knew Michael, that were influenced by Michael. You have some of us that are not in entertainment. Two of the children of Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King and myself giving tribute, showing the message of Michael, which was love, which was crossing all kind of national, religious, and racial barriers. You will see the message.
A lot of what I've been complaining about is we've seen the mess. Today the message of Michael Jackson and how we know him to be and how his legacy, I think, will shine past all of the controversies that others seems to obsess with.
CHETRY: One of the things -- there seems to be two schools of thought in terms of this. One is that Michael Jackson would have loved this outpouring of love from his fans. The tributes, the fact that so many people want to come and remember him. And then the flip side is some of the people who were his closest friends like Elizabeth Taylor said, "I don't want to come. I want to celebrate him privately. And I don't know if he would have liked this." What do you think?
SHARPTON: I mean, I think that there's probably validity to both schools of thought. There was the side of Michael Jackson as I knew him and dealt with him from time to time for 35 years that liked all of the crowds and the masses and the galvanizing of people. And then there was the very private Michael Jackson, the one that would close the door and just be in his own space. So I think there's validity to both sides of it. But I think that it is very important for someone who really changed culture, who really helped create the pop culture that we are in now that he does have this tremendous public tribute and that we do underscore what his message what this is all about.
Because 50 years from now, 100 years from now, Michael Jackson will be remembered. It won't be his wardrobe or his hair. He will be remembered for the music. He will be remembered for how he changed what we entertain ourselves as, and how he made people relax in some old biases, and I think that's going to be more important than some of the contemporary things that we get caught up in terms of style rather than substance. Today will be about the substance of Michael Jackson.
CHETRY: I know that you were critical and you did say that there were people who wanted to bring up some of the negative things about Michael Jackson, the molestation trial, some of the other pitfalls that he's faced throughout his life. But largely, many people say that he's gotten glowing praise and that he's mostly being remembered for his music and the impact that he had on music. Do you think that for the most part, Michael Jackson really has in death seemed to bring people together?
SHARPTON: He has definitely brought people together. I think there have been some in the media, not all, that have been, to me, just over the top. And I don't think reporters should not cover both sides. They cover both sides, the good and what we may question. And in -- when you even deal with the bad, you have to admit, there was none of these things ever found to be true that Michael Jackson was accused of. So let's just deal with the facts.
But with all of that, I think that the overwhelming majority of people have responded very positively to them. They know how Michael touched them.
CHETRY: Right.
SHARPTON: They know how they felt. And I don't care what anyone says, what any journalist writes, people cannot tell you what matters to you. And I think people all over the world are saying "He hit something in me." I don't care about the rest of that stuff. I want to thank him for what he did for me.
CHETRY: Perhaps one of the most outspoken critics have been Congressman Peter King, who called Michael Jackson -- he said what is happening is that society is, "glorifying a low life" and also called him a pervert in saying that we're focusing too much and we should be ashamed of ourselves when so much else is going on. What do you make of his comments?
SHARPTON: You know, I think that the congressman wanted to get some publicity. And I'm not going to feed into it. The Michael Jackson name calling -- Michael Jackson is at best irresponsible. And the world is paying attention to someone who helped to change the culture of the world. This man has the most high-selling record album in history. So if you outsold everybody else in the history of the recording business, if you literally transformed the music world, how can anyone in their right mind say we're paying too much attention to you when we bought more of your stuff than we bought anybody else?
Isn't that a little strange to tell the millions of people that bought his stuff, more than anybody else, you're paying too much attention to what you already bought and shared for all your life? I think the congressman needs to take a deep breath, have some coffee. Because the world has already answered that criticism.
CHETRY: Well, it's great to have you with us this morning. I know you have a busy day ahead of you. Thanks for stopping by.
SHARPTON: Thank you.
CHETRY: And as we said before, there are going to be millions upon millions, perhaps this will be the most viewed televised event in the history of the world. Reverend Al Sharpton, thanks again.
SHARPTON: Thank you. God bless.
CHETRY: Also, stay with CNN. By the way, we're going to be having full coverage from Los Angeles all morning long. Special coverage of the memorial itself which will be starting -- our special coverage will be starting at noon Eastern, 9:00 Pacific.
And no matter where you are today, we want you to know that you can pay tribute as well and you can join the conversation. You can give your opinion about what you're seeing going on today. You can join us on our Facebook page. You can also go to facebook.com/cnn. And here at AMERICAN MORNING, we're at cnn.com/amfix. We'd love to hear from you. We'll be right back.
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CHETRY: Live look outside at the Staples Center here in Los Angeles. A special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us today. In just over three hours, Michael Jackson's family and friends are going to be heading to Forest Lawn Cemetery. They're going to be saying their goodbyes in a private memorial service.
Right now, the Jackson clan is gathered at the family compound in Encino, and our Thelma Gutierrez is there for us this morning with more details about whether or not that is where Michael Jackson is going to be buried and also some questions as well about where Michael Jackson's casket may be later today. Hi there, Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kiran. Well, I can tell you that the Jackson family home is behind these very heavy iron gates and the road that actually leads to the home has been closed down. Lots of police presence out here this morning. You can see the memorial right behind us. Fans have been allowed to filter in to this area. We've seen a steady stream all morning long.
And a short time ago, we saw a limo and an SUV pull in to the Jackson home here in Encino. We're told that the plan is for the family to be escorted by the California Highway Patrol. They will leave Encino. They will head to Forest Lawn Cemetery, which is about 11 miles away from where they will have a private gathering. But the family has not said exactly where the singer will be buried. But last night, several carloads of people including Michael Jackson's sister Latoya were seen entering Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills after sunset.
Now, five police cars were also accompanying the hearse (INAUDIBLE) the halls of Liberty, that would be a way for any casket that was loaded or unloaded not to be seen by the helicopters above. But, again, we're told that right after they had that private gathering at Forest Lawn, they will head via escort by California Highway Patrol to the Staples Center for that very, very massive ceremony. Kiran?
CHETRY: Thelma Gutierrez for us this morning. Thank you so much. We're live outside the Staples Center. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to speak with Brian Monroe, a CNN contributor. He was the former editor of both "Ebony" and "Jet" magazines and had the last sit-down interview with Michael Jackson before he died. He's going to weigh in on his state of mind, what he looked like, and also some last wishes and possibly foreshadowing to his mortality, still ahead.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to a special edition of AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Kiran Chetry live outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In just about a little more than five hours now, a memorial service for Michael Jackson is scheduled to get under way here in Los Angeles. Here is a live look at the Staples Center. Around us about -- well, several large screens showing various pictures, a big montage of Michael Jackson throughout the last years.
Joining me now is CNN contributor Bryan Monroe. And Bryan conducted the last interview with Michael Jackson back in 2007. He had a chance to spend two days with Michael at a New York hotel room. He had a chance to talk to him. What are your memories of what he was like? This was back in 2007...
BRYAN MONROE, FORMER EDITOR OF "EBONY" MAGAZINE: Right.
CHETRY: But really pretty much the last interview that he gave before his passing.
MONROE: Well, he talked a lot about his creative process. And essentially looking around this amazing facility today, I think about how Michael, who loved to control every single bit, would be talking about the camera angles and the lighting and the sound and, if you remember, the Motown 25 event, he walked me through -- he walked me through how he controlled, this was in past -- every camera angle, every lighting cue, every dance move. He was a perfectionist.
CHETRY: Well, do you -- would he have been proud of how this thing has shaped up? I mean, Michael Jackson -- sadly, he passed away the 25th of June. You know, after recovering from the shock, people close to him organized what has turned out to be perhaps the most viewed television event ever.
MONROE: This is going to be an amazing day today. Looking at the list of celebrities coming from Stevie Wonder, Usher, Mariah Carey. Just found out that Little Richard will be here. And in fact, got a connection with Little Richard. Most people don't realize as we reported yesterday on CNN that after Michael Jackson bought the ATV catalog that had the Beatles music in it...
CHETRY: Right.
MONROE: Deep inside that catalog -- Eminem and some other current artists, but deep inside that catalog were Little Richard songs, "Tooty Fruity." After he bought it back in the late 80s, he and his lawyer John Branca went to Little Richard and said "You are so important in our lives, so important to all of music, we would like to give you your catalog back." At that time, it was worth $4 million to $5 million of revenue each year. Ultimately, it didn't work out. Sony had some issues with the deal.
But just the effort, we talk to Little Richard yesterday who will be here at the services today and he confirmed that indeed happened. He was so grateful to Michael who made that reach out.
CHETRY: And it shows you a little bit of what he was like privately. Also, you said Mohammed Ali possibly coming today?
MONROE: Yes, possibly Mohammed Ali may be coming here. Maybe here, I've heard other celebrities are coming in. Dick Gregory, who is his close health advisor, Shaquille O'Neal may be here. So there's going to be a lot of people we're going to see behind us streaming to the service today.
CHETRY: And the interesting thing before we leave again and we'll be back to the future of the show, is that it really seems to be these two different schools of thought. People say wait a minute, this is a concert-like atmosphere. People are sitting here cheering. Someone died and someone left three young children behind. Where do you think Michael himself would fall?
MONROE: Well, you know, I think he would actually be appreciative of this effort, knowing how so much of the show businesses was part of who he was. But there were many Michael Jacksons. There was the Michael Jackson, the one we all know as fans. There was Mike, the friend. There was Dad. There was Michael the brother, and the son. There was Mr. Jackson, the businessman.
CHETRY: Right.
MONROE: Remember, he's leaving an estate worth easily $1 billion to $2 billion.
CHETRY: But leaving a lot of debt as well.
MONROE: There's debt.
CHETRY: So, and that is to be hammered out by people who are now in charge of his estate. We'll see how that shakes out as well for years to come. Bryan Monroe joining us. We'll be back with you throughout the show. Thanks so much.
MONROE: Thanks.
CHETRY: Right now, we're coming up about 10 minutes before the top of the hour right now. We'll be back in a moment.
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CHO: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Fifty-one minutes after the hour.
Much to the dismay of Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, a judge in Los Angeles has given temporary control of Jackson's assets to the hand-picked executors of his will. They are Jackson's longtime attorney, John Branca, and music executive and long-time friend John McClain. The next step will be another hearing, which will be held on August 3.
Now here to walk us through all the legal implications, nobody does it better than New York civil trial attorney Paul Callan. Paul, good morning. Good to see you. You now, there's so much legal stuff going on and it's going to be a long time before the dust settles. Having said that, I want to talk about this latest decision by the judge in Los Angeles, to grant temporary control to the executors of the will. You know, what do you make of this ruling? Is it going to stick?
PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think it will stick. And it's really - there's nothing unusual about it. Michael Jackson selected these two individuals, one was his lawyer, one was a top record executive who had worked with him for many years, and said he wanted these two individuals to administer his empire. Now, he could have picked his mother, but he didn't. He selected these two individuals, and there's no reason to expect that a judge would counter those wishes.
CHO: Well, it's interesting because Branca is somebody -- who people, who knew Michael Jackson, I mean, they've been associated since Michael Jackson was 21 years old, really. And Jackson, I understand, just in the last month of his life designated Branca again to be his lawyer again, which is a little eerie and interesting, as well.
But I want to talk about his will. Because we've all been wanting to know what's inside that will, that 2002 will. And CNN has learned that it's estimated to be worth at least $500 million. Even though he's $400 million in debt, that 40 percent of the assets will go to Katherine Jackson, his mother, 40 percent to his children, another 20 percent to charities. When the dust does finally settle, is this going to hold?
CALLAN: Well, I think it will hold. I mean, there's really nothing unusual about that sort of a split in terms of a will. He's taking care of his children, he's taking care of his mother, and he's being generous to charities. So there's no reason that the court would step in and try to set that aside. And by the way, the court wouldn't have the right to. If Jackson even made odd requests, the court would be likely to uphold those requests.
CHO: OK. All right. Paul Callan, I wish we had more time. I could talk to you all day about this -- civil trial attorney, thank you so much for joining us.
CALLAN: Thank you, Alina.
CHETRY: President Obama gave a major speech in Russia today. He also made some news with a one-on-one interview with our own Ed Henry. Ed is going to join us live from Moscow in just a moment. Fifty-three minutes after the hour.
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CHO: Just about five minutes before the top of the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
President Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met for the first time this morning. And the president calling their talks "an excellent opportunity to put U.S.-Russian relations on a strong footing." They're pushing the reset button and our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry traveling with the president, live in Moscow for us.
Ed, you got the chance to interview the president just about an hour ago. The president, of course, making some news with you on Israel, but he also paused to remember Michael Jackson today. What did he say?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Alina. Obviously, while the president is here and these high level diplomatic negotiations on arms control, other important topics like you said, Israel, Iran, North Korea, as well. All these big subjects, he does realize that back in the United States Michael Jackson's funeral is getting a lot of attention. And I asked him what he believes the entertainer's legacy will be.
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think there's any doubt he was one of the greatest entertainers of our generation, perhaps any generation. I think like Elvis, like Sinatra, like the Beatles, he became a core part of our culture. You know, his extraordinary talent and his music was matched with I think a big dose of tragedy and difficulty in his private life. And I don't think we can ignore that, but it's important for us to affirm what was best in him.
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HENRY: You hear the president there trying to focus on what was best in Michael Jackson's life despite that dose of tragedy, a sentiment shared obviously by millions around the world. After wrapping up negotiations here today in Russia, the president is then heading on to Italy for the G-8 summit. Alina.
CHO: Ed Henry, traveling with the president, live in Moscow for us. Ed, thank you, as always.
And as always, CNN equals politics. We are tracking the big political headlines this morning. You won't want to miss this one. Coming up at 8:25 Eastern time, Sarah Palin speaks out. Our special investigations correspondent Drew Griffin has caught up with the Alaskan governor who is finally talking about her stunning decision to resign. We're going to find out what Palin says. She also says, "I'm not a quitter, I'm a fighter." So stay tuned for that interview.
Also, want to get to the big story here in the United States and around the world, which is the memorial for Michael Jackson, which will take place later today. Kiran, you've been outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles all morning long. I know you've been talking to people who know Michael Jackson.
I spoke to somebody yesterday who said when they drove around Neverland Ranch, he actually used to listen to classical music, which I found interesting. This was a man who not only understood music really intrinsically but he also understood acoustics. You know, he'd be in a hotel room with a small cassette player, you'd put it in the middle of the room and it would sound like a concert hall. Just incredible hearing all the tributes pouring in today -- Kiran.
CHETRY: That's true. And regardless of your opinions about Michael Jackson, the man, or Michael Jackson, the father, there's really no denying the musical genius of Michael Jackson, the inspiration that he served to artists that have come after him. And we're going to see some of that in the tribute today. So many people, young artists who were really inspired by Michael Jackson, who emulated Michael Jackson. Usher among them and many others, as well.
