Jackson's will names Diana Ross as backup guardian (1st Lead)

Los Angeles - The late singer Michael Jackson named fellow music great Diana Ross as the backup guardian of his three children in the event that his mother Katherine, 79, was unable to fulfill that role, according to his 2002 will revealed on Wednesday. According to the will, all of Jackson's assets have been left to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. It was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court with a separate petition that estimates the value of his estate at more than 500 million dollars, primarily comprised of his half share of a music publishing catalog that holds the rights to more than 250 Beatles' songs, as well as other music. The revelation came amidst feverish preparations at Jackson's Neverland ranch some 200 kilometres to the north, where television cameras already occupied prime positions along the country road leading to his home. Although a public viewing had been slated at Neverland for Friday, logistical problems were mounting for the remote location to handle the throng of thousands of fans expected to seek a last glimpse at the remains of the King of Pop, the Los Angeles Times reported. Media crews and hundreds of fans were already lining the narrow road leading to the remote, but extravagant, hideaway, as dozens of service trucks kept rolling through the estate's gates to prepare for the events. But family and officials were reevaluating the plan and could re- locate the public viewing to downtown Los Angeles, possibly to a large venue such as the Staples Centre, the Times reported. A private memorial service has been slated for Sunday at Neverland. Jackson died Thursday, aged 50, of cardiac arrest. Amid widespread speculation about the cause of his death, a nurse who had worked for Jackson told CNN that several days before his death the pop star had called her and begged her to administer the drug Diprivan, a substance usually used to start or maintain anesthesia during surgery. The nurse, Cherilyn Lee, said that Jackson was complaining of insomnia but she warned him that 'the medication is not safe,' she told CNN. 'I told him - and it is so painful that I actually felt it in my whole spirit - 'If you take this you might not wake up',' she said. Her interview coincided with a report on celebrity website TMZ.com that police had found quantities of Diprivan in Jackson's home, further adding to the speculation that it was the drug that caused his death.