Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans came together in Raleigh to celebrate the life of the late pop star.

A local memorial service held at the Raleigh Convention Center featured music performances, a video tribute, and a watch party of the national Staples Center memorial.

The attendance fell short of organizers' hopes, with the majority of the 5,000 seats in the hall empty, but about 400 enthusiastic fans were grateful for the chance to remember the King of Pop together.

People got out of their seats to dance to some of Jackson's many hits.

One wore a red leather jacket like the one Michael Jackson made popular in the 1980s. Another person sported his signature one glove look.

Frances Lippette wore a t-shirt she got when she saw Jackson perform on the Bad Tour in 1988. She said she saw him in concert at least five times over the years.

"I think he deserves all the attention he got," she said. "I think he was a master performer and a master musician, and that's what we should focus on."

Robert McCants brought his 12-year-old daughter to the service. He said she just started to learn Michael Jackson's songs in the last year.

"I came up with Michael Jackson, and I'm glad that she discovered a singer that stood for a lot of great justice and brought people together," he said.