Jackson tribute in Vienna set for September 26

VIENNA – A global tribute to Michael Jackson on the grounds of a 17th century palace in Vienna will be held September 26, and Jackson’s brother Jermaine will announce the concert line-up soon, organisers said on Wednesday.

World Awards Media GmbH, the event promoters, said Jermaine Jackson would unveil details at a Vienna news conference later this month.The promoters said in a statement they were working ‘briskly’ to line up major entertainers and a network to broadcast the event live. They said Vienna agreed to be a partner ‘in this singularly worldwide event.’On Tuesday, World Media Awards chief Georg Kindel told The Associated Press the tribute was expected to run three hours and feature about 10 top artists performing 15 to 20 Jackson hits. They would perform on a crown-shaped stage to be built in front of Vienna’s Schoenbrunn Palace.Kindel said Jackson family members and unidentified Hollywood stars also would honour Jackson as images and video clips were screened.Last week, Jermaine Jackson said Vienna was chosen as the venue because his brother ‘loved castles’.Many fans had expected the tribute to be staged in London, where the pop star had been booked to begin performing a marathon of concerts shortly after his June 25 death in Los Angeles.Renate Brauner, Vienna’s deputy mayor, said the city is thrilled to play host to ‘this high-carat, internationally sensational event’.Austrian media have reported that Madonna, U2, Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston might be among the performers. Kindel declined to confirm those reports and stressed that Jermaine Jackson is still assembling the line-up.Tickets are expected to go on sale August 20.Organisers envision standing room for about 85 000 people on the sculpted grounds of Schoenbrunn, a former imperial palace, and grandstands to accommodate 5 000 VIP guests. – Nampa-APNew drug probeLOS ANGELES – Police on Tuesday conducted a new raid of a Las Vegas medical facility in their ongoing probe into the death of Michael Jackson, this time searching a pharmacy for documents and computer records.Officials with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, which is assisting Los Angeles police in their investigation of the pop star’s sudden death on June 25, said agents conducted the raid at a business called Applied Pharmacy Services.DEA spokesman Jose Martinez declined to say if the search was tied to Jackson’s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, whose house and medical offices were raided last month in Houston and in Las Vegas. But Martinez did confirm that Tuesday’s raid involves the probe into Jackson’s death.Jackson suffered cardiac arrest and died at age 50. On Monday, the Los Angeles County Coroner said it had completed its autopsy report on Jackson’s body, but their findings remain under seal while police continue their investigation. – Nampa-AP