Got A Ticket? Hopeful Fans Flock To L.A.
Fans all over the world gathered today to mourn Michael Jackson. Diehard fans, determined to mourn Jackson's death and to celebrate his life. "48 Hours" correspondent Troy Roberts caught up with some who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles one by one.
You may think you've seen it all when it comes to Michael Jackson's fans, but you haven't.
Josep Lari flew all the way from Barcelona, Spain, with no guarantee of getting in to Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Fans Line Up for the King of Pop
The magician, who built a whole act around Michael Jackson, just wanted his chance to "say goodbye."
"I love his performances, you know, and when I perform I take a little bit of things from his work and I do the same," Lari said.
Vernay Lewis and her friend, Shantelle, could use a little magic. They arrived late Monday night from Delaware with no transportation, no place to stay, and no tickets to the memorial.
Rita Sehmi is an acting coach with an MBA from Corona, Calif. She seems pretty normal, except when it comes to Michael Jackson.
"This is the Milky Way I got at Neverland," Sehmi said, proudly showing off her souvenir. "I even took a rock. Yeah, I stole it from Neverland. I'm sorry! Maybe I am a little nuts."
Sehmi and her sister, Malisa, were determined to do whatever it took to get a ticket to the memorial. She turned to her friends on Facebook.
"I had at least 100 friends that were trying to get tickets on my behalf," Sehmi said. "I posted the fact that I needed tickets. And if you get the ticket, please take me with you. I have to be there."
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With fingers and toes crossed, she waited for news. "Because I grew up watching him, you really felt like you know him. I felt like we had a connection I felt like I knew him."
Vernay Lewis actually made the connection in 2001, when she met her idol at a CD signing.
And just two months ago, Josep Lari met him, too. He got an autograph - a new addition to his collection of Jackson memorabilia. Lari estimates he has 1,000 items, including hats, jackets and sunglasses.
Now all he needs is that ticket.
By late Monday night, Lewis had given up on getting a ticket. What she really needed was a plan. Hour after hour, she and Chantelle wandered the streets of Los Angeles, looking for a way to get close to Michael Jackson.
"We just want to stay and be a part of it and I know they told us not to come… I just want to go somewhere and pay my respects to him and justbe finished with this. This all hurts too much," Lewis said in tears.
By Tuesday morning, Josep Lari the magician, managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat. He scored a seat - not at the main event - but with the overflow crowd at the Nokia Theater nearby.
"I need to be a part fo the show, of the memorial. It's the final of my history with Michael Jackson," he said.
And there was another big winner today.
"This right here is priceless," said Sehmi, showing off her ticket and wearing a white glove on one hand in tribute to Jackson. "There is no amount of money that can buy this experience. It gives me a chance to say goodbye to Michael."
Lewis and Chantelle weren't so lucky. But Lewis was determined to make the best of this moment in history any way she could… even if it meant sleeping on the sidewalk and watching the memorial from her pink laptop.
"It was stressful.. we are exhausted, we're in pain. But yeah, it was worth it," she said.
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