Jackson Memorial

Tears and Tributes at Jackson Memorial

Jackson's Daughter Gives Tearful Farewell to the King of Pop

Michael Jackson's star-studded memorial at the Staples Center had many moments of emotion, including a tear-filled message from his 11-year-old daughter Paris in the closing moments of the ceremony.

"I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine! I just wanted to say I love him so much," a crying Paris said before diving into Janet Jackson's arms.

Paris was flanked by her two brothers -- 12-year-old Michael Joseph and 7-year-old 'Blanket' Prince Michael -- in a rare public moment. Jackson famously shielded his children from the media, covering their faces with veils or masks.

The show, which included performances from performers across many decades, concluded with Jackson's entire family on stage, leaving the King of Pop with their final words.

"Michael, when you left us, a part of me went with you. ... I will treasure the good times, singing, dancing, laughing. ... We will never understand what he endured ... being judged, ridiculed. How much pain can one take? Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone," brother Marlon said as he fought back tears.

Actress Brooke Shields, who was friends with Jackson since both were children, said that "Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date. ... We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age ... Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. ... M.J.'s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I've known," Shields said.

Jackson's public memorial, watched by millions around the world, struck a tone more spiritual than spectacular Tuesday, opening with a church choir serenading his golden casket and continuing with somber speeches and gospel-themed musical performances.

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Shaheen Jafargholi's Tribute
Brooke's Teary Speech

Mariah Sings
Gordy Speech
Hudson Sings

Stevie Sings
Queen Poem
Mayer Plays

In Tribute: Top 10 Jackson Songs
All MJ Radio

"Those young kids grew up from being teenage, comfortable fans of Michael's to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America. Michael did that. Michael made us love each other. Michael taught us to stand with each other, " Reverend Al Sharpton said during his time on stage.

Millions of fans around the world gathered at odd hours to watch the ceremony, which was broadcast from Tokyo to Paris and streamed everywhere online.

Among those who saluted Jackson were music mogul Barry Gordy, the Rev. Al Sharpton and basketball greats Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Jennifer Hudson sang Jackson's hit "Will You Be There" and John Mayer played guitar on a whisper-light rendition of "Human Nature."

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Notes From the MJ Memorial:
>> Jackson's Daughter, Paris: "I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine! I just wanted to say I love him so much."
>> 'Britain's Got Talent' star Shaheen Jafargholi stole the show. Watch
>> Usher traded in his dancing shoes for the emotional ballad, 'Gone Too Soon.'
>> Jermaine Jackson, wearing a sparkly glove, sang 'Smile' for his little brother.
>> Tearful Brooke Shields on her old friend: "He was a lover of life." Watch
>> Bursting with emotion, Jennifer Hudson sang 'Will You Be There.' Watch
>>Stevie Wonder aired his regrets before singing. Watch
>> Magic Johnson gave an anecdote about eating fried chicken with MJ.
>> Motown's Berry Gordy delivered touching eulogy. "You will live in my heart forever."
>> Queen Latifah read a poem by Maya Angelou, titled 'We Had Him.' Watch
>> Mariah Carey belted out 'I'll Be There' to start the show. Watch
>> The Jackson brothers carried in the amazing, gold-plated casket.

"This is a moment that I wished I didn't live to see," Stevie Wonder said before his performance.

The singer Smokey Robinson began the service by reading statements from Jackson's close friends Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. The South African leader's statement ended with a poignant admonition: "Be strong."

After a long period of silence punctuated only by camera flashes, the tension broke with the organ strains of a black spiritual, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, going to see the King."

Lionel Richie gave a gospel-infused performance in front of a shaft of light evoking a cross.

An estimated 20,000 people were in the Staples Center as Jackson's flower-draped casket was brought to the venue in a motorcade under law enforcement escort. Those who gathered constituted a visual representation of Jackson's life: black, white and everything in between, wearing fedoras and African headdresses, sequins and surgical masks.

"Words really can't explain how I feel," said Dani Harris, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom from Los Angeles. "I'm happy to be here, but the occasion is not so cool. I'm happy to be here and have some closure. It still doesn't seem real."

Fans with a ticket wore gold wristbands and picked up a metallic gold program guide on their way in. Acting as pallbearers, Jackson's brothers each wore a gold necktie, a single spangly white glove and sunglasses.

Members of the Jackson family sat in the front row of the Staples Center, including his brothers and what appeared to be his three children. Brother Jermaine Jackson took the stage and sang the standard "Smile" as he fought back tears.

Jackson's hearse had been part of a motorcade that smoothly whisked his body 10 miles across closed freeways from a private service at a Hollywood Hills cemetery to his public memorial and awaiting fans.

The traffic snarls and logistical nightmares that had been feared by police and city officials had not materialized. The thousands of fans with tickets began filing in early and encountered few problems, and traffic was actually considered by police to be lighter than normal.

"I think people got the message to stay home," said California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Luevano. "When you have people staying home, it clears up those freeways."

Deputy Police Chief Sergio Diaz, operations chief for the event, said authorities had expected a crowd of 250,000. Besides reporters and those with tickets to the memorial service, the crowd around the Staples Center perimeter numbered only about 1,000, he said.

Outside the Staples Center, Claudia Hernandez, 29, said she loved Jackson's music as a girl growing up in Mexico. Now a day-care teaching assistant in Los Angeles, Hernandez said she cried watching TV coverage of his death.

"I'm trying to hold in my emotions," said Hernandez, wearing a wristband to allow her admittance to the service and holding a framed photograph of Jackson. "I know right now he's teaching the angels to dance."

More than 1.6 million people registered for the lottery for free tickets to Jackson's memorial. A total of 8,750 were chosen to receive two tickets each.

"There are certain people in our popular culture that just capture people's imaginations. And in death, they become even larger," President Barack Obama told CBS while in Moscow. "Now, I have to admit that it's also fed by a 24/7 media that is insatiable."

The city of Los Angeles set up a Web site Tuesday to allow fans to contribute money to help the city pay for his Staples Center memorial service. Mayoral spokesman Matt Szabo estimated the service will cost $1.5 million to $4 million.

It was not clear what will happen to Jackson's body. The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills cemetery is the final resting place for such stars as Bette Davis, Andy Gibb, Freddie Prinze, Liberace and recently deceased David Carradine and Ed McMahon.

But Jackson's brother Jermaine has expressed a desire to have him buried someday at Neverland, his estate in Southern California.

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Michael Jackson funeral procession picture

Michael Jackson’s memorial service held on Tuesday, July is over, and we’ve got the pictures from Michael Jackson’s funeral.

The crowd at Michael Jackson’s funeral was star studded, as expected, including Michael’s family, and many celebrity friends including Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, and Brooke Shields. There were performances at the memorial service by many performers including Richie, Mariah Carey, and Usher. The service ended with Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris taking the microphone and very heartbreakingly telling the world that “He was the best father you could ever imagine.” Janet Jackson was at her side and comforted her following her speech.

We’ll have more Michael Jackson funeral pictures as they come in, so keep checking back for those. Photos will be posted as they become available.

Michael Jackson’s Daughter Paris Speaks At Memorial

"Brooke Shields, La Toya Jackson, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson's children Prince Michael Jackson II and Paris Jackson"
Michael Jackson Memorial "Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA" 7/7/2009
© AP Photo

"Janet Jackson, La Toya Jackson and Michael Jackson's children Prince Michael Jackson II and Paris Jackson"
Michael Jackson Memorial"Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA" 7/7/2009

Jackson brothers
Michael Jackson Memorial "Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA" 7/7/2009

Reverend Al SharptonMartin Luther King III and Bernice King

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton says Michael Jackson's family is carefully considering how to celebrate the legacy of the pop star.

Sharpton and Michael Jackson's father, Joe, spoke Monday outside the family's home in the Encino area of Los Angeles.

Joe Jackson says planning for a funeral will await a finding on what happened to his son.

But Joe Jackson says the funeral will not be closed to the public.

Sharpton says the funeral plan has to be careful and deliberate and cannot be done spontaneously.

Michael Jackson’s Funeral: Millions Will Mourn

The death of Michael Jackson, at only 50-years-old, and so suddenly, has saddened and shocked many. He had millions of fans worldwide and when it’s time to say the final goodbye, those millions will weep and remember a music icon.

Michael Jackson staged one of his most amazing 'appearances' as his remains took center stage at his memorial service in Los Angeles.

As The Andrae Crouch Choir started singing gospel tune We Are Going To See The King, the King of Pop's coffin, covered with red roses, was carried through the Staples Center, where 18,000 people had gathered to pay tribute to the late star. Pallbearers included members of Jackson's family and friends of the Thriller star, who died last month. The choir performed before a simple church setting at the sports arena, with a sunset image of stained glass windows hanging behind the singers.

- Click here for pictures from the Michael Jackson memorial service -



Smokey Robinson began proceedings at the King of Pop's memorial service by reading out a letter from Diana Ross. The soul man, dressed in a grey three-piece suit and black tie, held the official note from Ross, who refused to attend Tuesday's tribute, and read it to the 18,000 fans, celebrities and family members present.

Robinson read, "I am trying to find closure. I want you to know that even though I am not there at the Staples Center, I am there in my heart. I have decided to pause and be silent. This feels right for me. Michael was a personal love of mine, a treasured part of my world, part of the fabric of my life in a way I can't seem to find words to express. Michael wanted me to be there for his children and I will be there if they ever need me. I hope today brings closure for all those who loved him."

Robinson went on to read a written tribute from Nelson Mandela. Ross was named as an alternative guardian for his three children in his 2002 will if his first choice, his mother Katherine Jackson, was unable to care for his kids.

Following a moment's silence, Pastor Lucius Smith took to the stage to begin the live tributes to the King of Pop. He recalled that the late star had been performing at Staples Center in the days leading up to his death. He stated, "As long as we remember him, he will be there forever to comfort us. In his very beautiful and human heart, Michael Jackson wanted nothing more than to give love to the world... and perhaps be loved back in return."

After the pastor's solemn words, Mariah Carey hit the stage to begin the celebrity performance tributes with her rendition of Jackson 5 hit I'll Be There, as images of Jackson appeared on a big screen behind her. She was joined onstage by Trey Lorenz, who recorded a 1992 duet of the song, which became Carey's first worldwide number one. Carey finished her tribute by stating, "We miss you."

Michael Jackson's sister La Toya has paid a heartfelt final tribute to her late brother. In among the letters and notes recalling the King of Pop's life and career, La Toya remembered a conversation she had with the pop star after he won his first Grammy Award in 1980. She writes, "He said, 'I want to be the biggest and greatest entertainer of all time.'"

The grieving sister then states, "You began to write that dream all throughout your bedroom; on walls, on the mirrors, in your books and everywhere else you could find space. You started working harder creating sounds and songs the world had never heard before. You started dancing until you literally collapsed. When most artists were trying to learn how to sing... you were singing and moonwalking."

La Toya concludes her moving note by adding, "God has called you to come home, collect your wings and fulfill your demands in heaven, and continue your magic amongst the angels. I love you deeply... Keep the magic going."

The tribute pamphlet also featured a small note honoring Jackson's mother Katherine. Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson are slated to perform. In a post on his Twitter.com blog, Mayer writes, "I'm honored to have been asked to play at MJ's memorial service."

TV stars Jaleel White and Elizabeth Berkley joined news woman Barbara Walters and moviemaker Tyler Perry on the black carpet outside the Staples Center.

Queen Latifah delivered a poem penned by Maya Angelou in tributeto the late pop star, Latifah told the gathered 18,000 friends, family members, fans and celebrities, "Michael was the biggest star on earth." She added, "He let me know that, as an African-American, you could travel the world."

The singer/actress then read out Angelou's touching tribute, We Had Him, in which the poet called Jackson "a bright and shining star."

Motown boss Berry Gordy brought laughter to Michael Jackson's memorial in Los Angeles by recalling his first meeting with the future King of Pop. The music mogul took the stage to remember the late star, who lay in a golden coffin yards away from him.

Gordy recalled hearing Jackson sing a Smokey Robinson tune in July 1968, stating it was a better rendition than the Motown stalwart's. Seeking out a smiling Robinson in the audience, Gordy explained the soul great agreed with him.

But Gordy's comments turned somber as he referred to Jackson as "the consummate student," adding, "He studied the greats and became greater. He raised the bar and then broke the bar... The Motown family mourns the death of our friend and brother Michael Jackson, who was like a son to me. When he did his iconic moonwalk I was shocked, it was magic. Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down."

Gordy brought the crowd to their feet by insisting Jackson was more than the King of Pop, calling him "simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

Michael Jackson's longtime friend Brooke Shields fought back tears at the late star's memorial as she recalled magical moments with the King of Pop when they were just kids.

The actress insisted her pal was "one of a kind" and revealed the pair could never quite understand why the media was so mean about their friendship.

She told the audience, "The (photo) caption usually said something like 'an odd couple' or 'an unlikely pair', but, to us, it was the most natural and easiest of friendships. I was 13 when we met and from that day on, our friendship grew. Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date, and that we would have fun no matter where we were... We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a young age."

She brought humor to the tribute by adding, "I used to tease him and I'd say, 'I started when I was 11 months old; you're a slacker. You were what, five?'" Shields then recalled the night Jackson tried to teach her how to moonwalk, adding she and her late friend loved to laugh at her "silly imitations".

She said, "MJ's laugh was the sweetest and purest laugh of anyone's I had ever known, his sense of humor was delightful."

Recalling the night she joined Jackson on the eve of Elizabeth Taylor's wedding, the actress revealed she and Jackson were left giggling hysterically when they sneaked into Taylor's bedroom to catch a glimpse of the gown - only to discover the movie great asleep just feet away from them.

She also remembered the time Jackson "started wearing the glove," adding, "I was like, 'Look, if you're gonna hold my hand, it better be the non-gloved one.'"

Shields then brought the audience to tears by reading a passage from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince and then introducing Jackson's brother Jermaine, who performed the late star's favorite song, Charlie Chaplin's Smile, sobbing, "Today, although our hearts are aching, we need to look up, where he (Jackson) is undoubtedly perched in a crescent moon - and we need to smile."

Michael Jackson’s three children were given a standing ovation at the late
King of Pop's memorial service as civil rights leader and Jackson family friend Rev. Al Sharpton assured them their father wasn't "strange."

Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II were sitting among the family in the front row - yards from their father's coffin as Sharpton addressed them directly during a stirring speech.

He stated, "I want his three children to know (there) wasn't nothing strange about your dad; it was strange what your daddy had to deal with."

Sharpton had to pause as the gathered 18,000 family members, friends and fans stood to applaud the kids. Jackson's youngest son, also known as Blanket, had many in tears as he also stood, clutching a copy of the memorial's program.

Sharpton continued, "He dealt with it anyway."