One year after Michael Jackson’s death, the family is moving ahead.

FANATICAL Michael Jackson's fans everywhere are preparing to mark the one-year anniversary of his death from a drug overdose.

Jackson, 50, was found dead in his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25 last year, a seismic celebrity death which triggered a global outpouring of tributes for the eccentric genius.

On Friday, Jackson fans are expected to pay their respects to their idol at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of Glendale, a star-studded cemetery where the singer's golden casket was entombed last September.

Jackson's final resting place is an elaborate neo-classical mausoleum which already houses Hollywood legends including Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.

In Japan, 50 hard-core fans plan to hold a slumber party on Friday, curling up in sleeping bags in an exhibition space that displays Jackson's crystal-studded gloves, concert costumes, awards and some 300 other possessions.

The 50 admirers - one for each year of Jackson's life - were chosen from some 10,000 applicants who wanted to spend the night in the Neverland Collection at Tokyo Tower, said exhibit producer Matt Taylor.

The proceeds of 100,000 yen ($A1,263) each for the 10.30 pm to 8am sleepover will go to Jackson's family estate and his children, he said.

"It's going to be a wonderful night for the 50 people who get to stay with Michael's most cherished possessions, the things that were closest to him,'' Taylor said, adding that several non-Japanese are among the chosen ones.

More than half a million visitors have filed through the exhibit since it opened on May 1, and Jackson look-a-likes and Moonwalk-dancers have turned up at what has turned into a pilgrimage spot for diehard fans.

Back in LA, fans of Jackson will be barred from entering the mausoleum but will be allowed to walk past the building to lay flowers or wreaths, Glendale Police Sergeant Tom Lorenz said.

"A person will be able to go up and walk by the mausoleum," Lorenz said. "But they cannot enter the mausoleum. That is not going to happen."

Authorities are also discouraging fans from flocking to the cemetery en masse, hoping to avoid large crowds, Lorenz added.

"You're not going to be able to camp out over night. You're not going to be the first one in line with a chair parked on the sidewalk," he said.

Friday's anniversary will see a Jackson tribute event - Forever Michael - at a Beverly Hills hotel, with tickets priced at between $US150 ($A172.30) and $US500 ($A574.30). Members of Jackson's family are expected to attend the event.

"The vision is to bring together Michael Jackson family members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate and honour his legacy," a statement from the organisers said.

Jackson's death sent shockwaves rippling around the world last year, while family and fans were outraged after it emerged he had been given a cocktail of powerful prescription drugs including the anaesthetic, Propofol.

Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients undergoing major surgery in hospital. Medical professionals say it should never be used by private individuals at home.

Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray, the last person to see the singer alive, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the case and is expected to stand trial next year. Murray denies the charges.

While the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death saw intense speculation about court-room wrangling for control of the singer's affairs, expected legal battles over his children and vast musical empire failed to materialise.

Jackson's mother, Katherine, was granted custody of the children Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, 8, who are slowly adjusting to life without their father.

Katherine Jackson revealed on Sunday the children, who previously were home-schooled, will enrol in a school for the first time later this year.

"They don't have any friends," Jackson told Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper. "They don't go to school; they have private lessons at home, but that will change in September when they are due to enrol at private college."

Meanwhile, Billboard magazine reported Jackson estate has generated more than $US1 billion ($A1.2 billion) dollars in revenues since the singer's death, through the re-issue of his music, films and other commercial spin-offs.

John McClain and John Branca, the veteran entertainment industry executives placed in charge of Jackson's estate, have compared the commercial bonanza to the industry built around Elvis Presley.

"To this day there's interest in Elvis. And I think there will be enduring interest in Michael," Branca said earlier this year after signing a deal with Sony worth an estimated $US250 million ($A287.2 million) over seven years.

"It's our job to continue to expose Michael to new generations."
They are show business royalty, heirs of the King of Pop. Someday, they will be very rich.

But a year after the death of their father, Michael Jackson, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson are normal kids full of fun and pranks, devoted to one another and to their grandmother, who is their guardian, according to a lawyer who sees them frequently.

They talk about their father, and his presence is everywhere in their ranch-style house in the San Fernando Valley. Pictures and memorabilia adorn the walls. The gated compound has additional residences where other members of the family have lived over the years.

“The children are seemingly as normal as normal can be under pretty extraordinary circumstances,” says Adam Streisand, the lawyer who represents Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, and a frequent visitor to the compound where she lives with the children.

On the anniversary of Michael’s death, sibling Jackie Jackson said, the family will gather for a quiet, private memorial.

As for Katherine Jackson, who recently turned 80, life has become a whirlwind. She is busy overseeing the children’s activities but is also involved in the administration of Michael’s estate. She is also putting out a book, “Never Can Say Goodbye: The Katherine Jackson Archives,” filled with photos of her son.

Streisand says Katherine Jackson has made it clear that she does not want Neverland to be sold, but the 3,000-acre spread costs millions to maintain, and a decision to sell could be reconsidered.

Katherine’s husband, Joe, lives in Las Vegas but stays at the family home when he is in California.

Here’s a rundown on the family’s activities since Michael’s death on June 25, 2009:

•Joe Jackson: He has criticized prosecutors for not filing stronger charges against Conrad Murray, facing manslaughter charges over improperly administering a mixture of sedatives, including the anesthetic propofol, in an attempt to get the chronic insomniac to sleep. He is battling Michael’s estate, seeking more than $15,000 a month, even though Michael Jackson omitted his father from his will and trust.

Michael’s brothers and sisters also were omitted from his will.

•Janet Jackson: The highest-profile living member of the Jacksons continued to balance acting and singing over the past year. She put out a greatest hits album with a couple of new tracks to lackluster sales but had success with her starring role in the movie “Why Did I Get Married Too?”

•Tito Jackson: Tito participated in the short-lived reality show “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty.” He has been touring with a blues band — he plays guitar — with planned stops in Japan, China and New York.

•Jermaine Jackson: Jermaine spent the first few months after his brother’s death trying to plan an all-star tribute. One was to be held in Vienna, but was later canceled. He appeared on the Jackson’s reality show and accepted awards for Michael at the American Music Awards.

•Randy Jackson: Randy was the only brother who declined to be on the Jackson reality series; he said on Twitter that he was a private person. But the youngest Jackson brother, who was recently hospitalized for chest pains, has been vocal on Twitter about various matters, ranging from Murray’s prosecution to unauthorized tributes to his brother.

•Marlon and Jackie Jackson: Along with Tito and Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie participated in the Jackson brothers reality show and were executive producers. Jackie said the show continues to play in Europe, but there are no plans for a second season. He and Marlon have been in a recording studio with estate executor John McClain preparing Michael’s unreleased music for a new album. Jackie is also a producer of the planned Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show.

•Rebbie Jackson: The oldest Jackson sibling has stayed out of the spotlight but started performing again this year, a comeback she had planned last year but halted when her brother died.

•LaToya Jackson: LaToya was among the most vocal family members after her brother died. With Jermaine and Joe, she said she believed Michael was “murdered.” She also put out a song, “Home,” in tribute to Michael; the song had previously been released before his death.

“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much.”Eleven-year-old Paris Jackson, at her father’s memorial service last July in Los Angeles. She got a hug from her aunt Janet Jackson, while Blanket Jackson and LaToya Jackson stood close by.