Jackson memorial ticket winners line up at Dodger Stadium

Cars and trucks blaring Michael Jackson music were lined up at Dodger Stadium as early as 6 this morning as people arrived to redeem their vouchers for the golden tickets and wristbands to Jackson’s Staples Center memorial service.

Bob and Shaneese Lewis of Palm Springs awoke at 3 a.m. to make the drive to the stadium. Both had registered for tickets online, and it was Bob Lewis' entry that got them through the gates.

“I feel very lucky,” he said. “I grew up on Michael Jackson and I learned to dance watching Michael Jackson.”

The Lewises plan to stay with friends this evening, then pay their respects and pray for Jackson at the memorial service, which will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday. “I feel like I won the lottery,” Bob Lewis said.

About 1.6 million people signed up to receive the free tickets, which will grant entry either to the live event at Staples Center or to neighboring Nokia Theatre, where the memorial will be shown on a live feed.

-- Allen J. Schaben at Dodger Stadium and Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: Michael Jackson fans Shaneese and Bob Lewis, of Palm Springs, show off the vouchers for tickets to the Jackson memorial that they won in an online lottery. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

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Comments

[david]

It must be nice to be able to take 2 days off after a holiday weekend to memorial a guy you dont even know.
With all the economic woes of the world it is really funny.
Who is paying for all of this non sense......

[Bad Planning]

I can't believe what is going on. With all the financial mess, unemployment and middle east turmoil people have the nerve to glamorize MIchael AND idolize him like a god. If this same group of people can gear up and organize as quickly as they are doing like for Michael's vigil we can definitely make some political progress in this country..

[West Valley Dave]

This is going to be a fiasco. Just watch. What a waste of time and city tax dollars.

[j]

Can't believe there's people selling these tickets for $20,000 on ebay when these people should've just not bothered & let the true fans get a better chance of obtaining them. Can't they get apprehended for doing this?

[Joe]

So this is what an idiot looks like....

[the miss]

I loved Michael too grew up his music watched him Moon Walk on TV for the first time. I also loved Farria Faucet too. These icons remind me of my childhood. We must also remember we have our young men fighting for our freedom in Iraq we must pray daily for them.. Much Love and many prayers for there family... The Miss

[a concerned parent looking out for his daughter]

Did anyone with a yahoo.com email ID get a ticket or receive the "sorry" email?

In my circle, it appears anyone who had a yahoo email address did not get any type of acknowledgment while those with other service providers at least got the "sorry" email.

Just wondering if all accounts from the yahoo.com domain were deleted from the drawing as part of the selection process.

[Rhoda Ryder]

Not a good week to be in LA. Michael's death draws lots of fans, and this is good profit for the music and media industries. Not so good for the locals, but what can you do. Will the media and music industry help to pay for all this, or is the tribute to Michael on the backs of LA county taxpayers?

[myfailsafe]

LOSERS!!!!

[Jan H.]

Even in death, Michael still has to prove himself. I guess the O'Jays were right ...... "For the Love of Money"

[Andrew]

Plain stupid.
It took me longer to get to work due to this mess!

[Anne Milstead]

I can't get on line to request three tickets to Michael Jackson's Memorial since I will be in LA 7-7- which happens to be my daughter Andrea's birthday. Please please someone call me if available at 949 4002216. I will be happy to receive them and see Michael Jackson finally! Rest in Peace our King of Pop to the Jackson Family my heartfelt condolence to you and his children. God Bless and may Michael Rest in Peace and Heaven with God. Amen.
Anne Milstead

[Stacey Small]

I WAS A MICHAEL JACKSON FAN EVER SINCE I WAS 11YEARS OLD ! MY MOTHER INTRODUCED ME TO MICHAEL THROUGH HIS MUSIC! SHE ALSO IS A FAN SHE LISTENED TO HIS MUSIC WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG! WE HAD HIS ALBULMS, HIS JACKETS, PINS, HIS DOLL,VIDEO'S T-SHIRTS! MY BEDROOM WALL YOU COULD SEE THE WALL PAPER IT WAS FULL OF MICHAEL JACKSON POSTERS ! I NEVERT WILL FOR GET WHEN I SAW HIM IN CONSERT ON TV ! WHEN HE BURNED HIS FACE, I CRIED OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF ! I CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS REALLY GONE! I READ HIS BOOKS LISTENED TO HIS MUSIC WATCHED HIS VIDEO'S ON MTV ! HE WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE MY FAVORITE SINGER !
I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND SON NOW AND NOW THEY ARE 5 AND 11/2 AND MY DAUGTHER LIKES HIS MUSIC ! I THINK MY SON WILL TOO ! I PRAY FOR MICHAEL AND HIS FAMILY, MAY GOD BLESS THEM IN THEIR MORNING AND FOREVER.

SINCERELY, MRS. STACEY SMALL

[Kristy]

@David comment is right. The City of LA and Police Fund is paying for this Memorial? There goes more mone wasted. We are highest Unemployment, Many People have loss there jobs, Many people loss there Retirement and Califiornia will be out of Money soon! and now we will be spending money for MJ memorial? I heard this memorial will cost 5 Milion. Give me a break.... Why is Mayor Villarosa put a stop on this paying memorial.

Why don't we use the our tax payers money for good use like our Millary US Troops who loss many lives fighting the war? Also use money to help bring jobs in LA back. All these people winning to go to memorial probably don't even work shows how we the people don't know what we should use money for good use. Not for some Musician who was a Child Molestor, 400 million in financial debt, 50 times plastic surgery in his face, 3 kids are not really his. He paid surogate mother money.

So for all this??? has this person is no God, President. I think we have over did it using media make this person so popular in spotlight. What tick me off is when news said North Korea was going to launch a nuclear missle going to Hawaii. The news was posted below MJ Big Memorial News. WOW! this shows you how news media just do not care what happens if we get bomb by Nuclear bomb.

I hope that Nuclear bomb hits Staples center so we can have this event cancelled and teach everyone this should not be so important to think about MJ memorial. Has many people die every day so why not Move on.

[PDR; town without pity]

I won a ticket to a funeral!!! OMG!!! Will there be an after party?
The dignity of this is overwhelming.

[DEEDUB67]

I got the Sorry E-mail around 3:00 A.M. this morning. I was hoping for a chance to go to a once in a lifetime event. Please peeps be good out there please don't cause any problems. Let the guy have a day of peace he has been through enough. I

[ivy]

Dear MJ - fans,

Only this morning I got the information that I've won an admission
ticket for Michaels remembrance vigil. I'm living in Germany, and so
it's no more possible for me to be with him in time.

Is there anybody else who might be interested in this ticket? I would
love to give it away for free or for whatever a real fan would give me
in return.

[Mongo]

WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSERS ! ! ! ! ! GET A JOB

[Ian]

I wouldn't call any of these people winners.

[Tony]

My confirmation was in my spam folder. I would not have known if my wife didn't ask me to check it. I gave the ticket to her since she registered me. She is going to take sister. I'll be there in spirit.

[Debbie]

I didn't even try to get tickets to his memorial (live too far away to attend), and I never saw him perform live in concert - only on television. I love his music. Growing up, all of my neighborhood friends would watch the J5 on television and listen to their or MJ's albums, records, cds, etc. Then, we would go into someone's basement, listen to his music or the J5 music and practice those dance moves. We were pathetic! We knew every word to every song that either the group or MJ sang. When he did the Moonwalk for the first time, I was mesmerized. Of course, we tried that move too. When Elvis Presley passed away in 1977, my mother kept the local newspaper reporting his death; she was an Elvis fan; he meant something to her. I too have kept the local newspaper reporting MJ's death because he means something to me.

[Danny]

Couldn't help but think--when I saw the L.A. Times picture just now of the two guys smiling and waving their Michael Jackson memorial event tickets like they just won the lottery--isn't this a bit unseemly? After all these are tickets to a memorial service, not a concert. Shouldn't people be looking more sad and mournful? I'm just saying is all...

[michelle]

I got a ticket and i am on yahoo...i cant get there in time though. Im in texas

[Beth]

I understand the desire to honor the memory of Michael Jackson because he is probably the most amazing artist of our time. However, I dont think the city of LA should be footing the bill for the memorial. This is ridiculous. This state is in enough of a financial crisis as it is and this just seems like a really bad way to spend tax payer dollars.

[Victor]

The two guys on the front page is two of norwegians most known commedians. Watch on youtube Espen Eckbos "Twelve year old woman":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UZ1oPt2FVk&feature=related

from his movie Boyzvoiced

And Steinjo's "Been there done that":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yka1D3DOr6Q&feature=related

Those guys have more funny things, but most of it is in norwegian.