Jackson Memorial Tickets Turn Golden
The tickets aren't golden, but Michael Jackson fans who've been granted passes to the memorial tribute on Tuesday at Staples Center in Los Angeles are elated that they've gotten the chance to say goodbye to the King of Pop.
Joe Langer and Paul Pagnini, who won them, told "Early Show" weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price they just decided to take their chances, and "never in a million years," according to Pagnini, thought they would be chosen, out of the more than 1.5 million people organziers say sought them online.
But they were.
"We were watching like everybody else when the (Jackson) family decided to open it up to the public with this lottery and went online, like probably millions of people, and just decided to take our chances," Pagnini said, "It just came true."
But many hopefuls didn't receive the free tickets. For those who missed out, the tickets now have a hefty price tag attached: In online marketplaces, such as eBay, tickets now costing as much as $20,000, according to Langer.
"It's not really in the spirit of what Michael Jackson would have liked," Langer said. "He's about love, and, I think, realness. ... Selling these tickets on eBay for thousands of dollars certainly isn't fair."
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Pagnini agreed, adding the event is supposed to be about honoring Jackson's life, not in profiting from his death.
Both Langer and Pagnini are longtime fans of Jackson.
Langer said he saw the "The Jackson 5" perform when he was six years old.
"Michael Jackson and the Jacksons have been a part of my life ever since," he said.
Langer said what drew many people to Jackson was his ability to reach people across the spectrum of life experience.
"He's transcended gender and religion and race," Langer told Price. "That was the magic of Michael Jackson. He was really able to touch anybody, young or old. There was something about his music that really touched people."