Three days after the death of the King of Pop, celebrities descended on Los Angeles for what promised to be a spectacular celebration of Jackson's life at the annual BET awards show.

Media requests for the Sunday night show doubled following the death, and the red carpet was lengthened. Joe Jackson, Michael's father, was briefly spotted on the red carpet wearing a black hat. He planned make an onstage appearance, show publicist Bobbi Marcus said.

Previously announced performers including Beyonce and Ne-Yo, were working to overhaul performances they had planned for weeks so they could honor Jackson. Other stars tried to catch last-minute flights.

A private pathologist hired by the Jackson family completed a second, private autopsy Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the case.

A second autopsy can allow the family to get some information about a death almost immediately, including signs of heart, brain or lung disease or fresh needle punctures, said Dr. Michael Baden, a medical examiner not involved in the Jackson case.

"Usually if it looks normal with the naked eye, it looks normal under the microscope," said Baden, who recently performed a second autopsy on actor David Carradine.

Los Angeles County coroner's officials said their autopsy found no indication of trauma or foul play. But because of additional tests, an official cause of death could take weeks to determine.

There was no word from the Jackson family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.

Al Sharpton, who arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, said he was heading to the Jackson compound and would talk with the family about how to memorialize the late pop star. Sharpton said they want to hold memorials in key cities around the globe and also planned a memorial service Tuesday at the Apollo Theater in New York.

On Saturday, three of Jackson's brothers — Jackie, Jermaine and Tito — visited Jackson's Neverland Ranch where they walked the manicured grounds and reminisced about his life. It is not clear what will become of the ranch, which has been under renovations.

Owen Blicksilver, a spokesman for Colony Capital LLC, the Los Angeles-based firm where investor Thomas Barrack is chairman and CEO, said it was premature to discuss the future of Neverland. Barrack previously set up the joint venture with Michael Jackson after the singer nearly lost the ranch to foreclosure.

Barrack feels close to family members and wants to hear their thoughts on how best to honor Jackson's memory, Blicksilver said. The investor joined Jackie, Jermaine and Tito Jackson for lunch Saturday at the sprawling Santa Barbara County property.

A White House adviser said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that President Barack Obama had written to the Jackson family to express his condolences.

In an interview that aired earlier Sunday, Jackson's father said he does not believe stress over the intense series of concerts the King of Pop planned for his comeback led to his death.

Joe Jackson also said he believes his son will be larger in death than he was in life. The patriarch of the Jackson 5 said he wished Michael Jackson were around to see the outpouring of affection since his death.

"Michael was the biggest superstar in the world and in history," Joe Jackson told Fox News Channel's "Geraldo at Large." "He was loved by everybody, whether poor or wealthy or whatever may be."

Source: China Daily/Agencies
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