Michael Jackson's father launched a wrongful death suit Friday against the singer's former personal doctor, a year after the pop superstar died after being given a lethal dose of a powerful sedative.
Joe Jackson filed the suit against Dr. Conrad Murray on Friday in a federal court in Los Angeles. The suit claims professional negligence and is seeking more than US$75,000.
The elder Jackson's filing comes on the one-year anniversary of his son's death at age 50.
The suit also alleges that Murray was reckless when administering drugs to the singer.
The L.A. County coroner's office later determined the cause of death was "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with the use of sedatives.
Murray was charged in February with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death.
Meanwhile, fans around the world marked the one-year anniversary of the death.
In Los Angeles, at least 500 fans came to Forest Lawn Memorial Park on Friday, where the pop star's remains and his golden casket lay entombed in a mausoleum.
Jackson's brothers Randy and Tito attended the memorial.
"My family and I will be in attendance as we mourn the loss of my brother," Randy Jackson said in a statement Thursday. "I would like to thank the fans and friends for their continued love, support and prayers."
Among the fans was Erick Dominguez, 37, who was wearing a black shirt which read: "In Loving Memory."
"He's been my idol all my life since I can remember. I feel like I haven't had closure," he said, as tears streamed down his face.
Park authorities kept a tight grip on the memorial, only allowing visitors to walk past the mausoleum, lay down flowers or other tributes, and then leave.
Japanese fans gather at Tokyo Tower
Across the Pacific in Tokyo, 50 Japanese admirers -- one for each year of Jackson's life – were picked to spend a night at Tokyo Tower among the singer's possessions in the Neverland Collection, the only official Michael Jackson exhibition. They were chosen from among 10,000 applicants who vied for the honour.
Hiroyuki Takamura of the Tokyo Tower says the event may sound a bit odd to Western cultures, but in Japan, the tradition of being with the remains and possessions of passed loved ones on the anniversary of their passing is an important ritual.
In the family's hometown of Gary, Indiana, Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, 80, was planning to hold the only "official" Jackson memorial.
By the afternoon, hundreds of fans had begun to arrive at the event, in which the elder Jackson was planning to unveil a monument outside the humble house where the family lived half a century ago.
A memorial and candlelight vigil were expected to follow, ending with the song "We are the World." Jackson's children -- Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, 8 -- are expected to mark the anniversary privately in Gary.
The Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y., where a young Michael Jackson and his brothers won an amateur night contest decades ago, was also hosting a commemoration Friday of Jackson's life. The venue recently installed a plaque honouring him.
Jackson died from a prescription drug overdose at a rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25 last year, as he was in the midst of rehearsals for a series of London concerts aimed at reviving his career.
One year later, the pop star whose finances were disarray at this death, is enjoying new fortunes -- or at least, his estate is.
Music industry trade paper Billboard recently estimated that Jackson's earnings in the past year have hit US$1 billion. That includes album sales of $383 million. As well, revenue from the film "This Is It" hit nearly $400 million.
With files from The Associated Press
