Jackson "Super Fans" Remember Their Idol

The Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., has quickly transitioned from a sports and event venue to a mecca for Michael Jackson fans from around the world.

"Early Show" weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price reported on "The Early Show" Monday, some fans have won free tickets in a lottery to Tuesday's tribute, while many others are finding makeshift memorial sites, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, to remember their idol.

"Since we may not be able to attend the memorial," one woman told Price, "this is all that we could do."

Rolando Chretien, a lifelong fan and Jackson impersonator, traveled three days from French Guiana to celebrate the pop star at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"Love this man forever," he said. "Don't forget him, don't forget him."

Others said they were coping with his death.

"When Michael passed, it just surprised how it hit me the same way as with a family member," fan Liz Stafford said.

Deborah Dannelly, founder and president of the largest Michael Jackson fan club in the world with 260,000 members, said on "The Early Show" Monday, her members have been having a hard time with Jackson's death.

"It's an emotional time," Dannelly told Price outside the Staples Center. "Most of us have followed him for most of our lives. And now to come here, it's hard."

The Staples Center is the last place Jackson rehearsed for a comeback tour the night before he died.

Dannelly said she didn't think Jackson's life would come to this kind of end. She had met the King of Pop before on several occasions, but told Price she didn't think his personal problems were getting too much for him.

But Dannelly won't get the chance to attend the memorial because her name didn't come up in the free ticket lottery that only permitted 17,500 passes to the event. Event organizers said they received more than 1.5 million online requests to attend.

Some 11,000 of those tickets will allow entry to the Staples Center, while the remaining 6,500 ticket holders will watch a simulcast of the ceremony in the neighboring Nokia Theater.

"It really worked out bad for a lot of fans," she said, referring to the memorial at Staples Center. "I think it was bad management."

But Dannelly has her memories of meeting the pop star. Dannelly said Jackson was compassionate and cared more about people around him than he did about himself. She said Jackson was funny, too, and enjoyed playing jokes.

She said when asked by Price if Jackson was fragile that she wished she had his strength.

But as for his personal issues, Dannelly said Jackson was in the public eye for the wrong reasons.

"I felt like (his personal issues) were overtaking the press," she said. "I felt like they were becoming the spotlight rather than his career and his music. But I never felt like he was out of control."