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A Farewell Fit for a King: Jackson's fans, friends, family fill arena for a somber service
AP Photo
A crowd of about 20,000 gathered inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a memorial service for Michael Jackson.
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» "We Had Him"
Poem about Michael Jackson, written by Maya Angelou and read at Jackson's memorial service by Queen Latifah
Published: July 8, 2009
LOS ANGELES -- It was not spectacular, extravagant or bizarre. There were songs and tears but little dancing. Instead, Michael Jackson's memorial was a somber, spiritual ceremony that reached back for the essence of the man.
Singer, dancer, superstar, humanitarian: That was how about 20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center arena yesterday, and untold millions watching around the world, remembered Jackson, whose immense talents almost drowned beneath the spectacle of his life and fame.
If there was a shocking moment, it came in the form of Jackson's daughter, Paris-Michael, who made the first public statement of her 11 years.
"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said, dissolving into tears and turning into the embrace of her aunt Janet. "And I just wanted to say I love him -- so much."
Outside the arena, the celebrity-industrial complex that Jackson helped create ground on. More than 3,000 police officers massed downtown to keep the ticketless at bay. Helicopters followed the golden casket as it was driven over blocked-off freeways from Forest Lawn cemetery to Staples Center. A bazaar of T-shirts, buttons, photos and other memorabilia sprouted in the blocks around the memorial. Movie theaters played the service live; people paused around the world to watch.
Inside, however, the atmosphere was churchlike, assisted by the enormous video image of a stained glass window, with red-gold clouds blowing past, that was projected behind the stage.
The ceremony began with Smokey Robinson reading statements from Jackson's close friend Diana Ross -- "Michael was part of the fabric of my life" -- and then Nelson Mandela -- "Be strong."
A lengthy silence of several minutes followed, punctuated only by a steady twinkle of camera flashes. The thousands of mourners spoke softly to those in neighboring seats or contemplated their private thoughts.
Celebrities made their way to their seats in front of the stage: Kobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Lou Ferrigno, Don King, the Kardashian sisters, Brooke Shields, Larry King. Though Jackson was among the most famous faces in the world, today's megastars were largely absent. Those present mostly reflected some connection to Jackson's life or work.
Among those conspicuously elsewhere were Elizabeth Taylor, Ross and Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children.
The fans, clutching tickets that 1.6 million people had sought, were a visual representation of Jackson's life: white, black and everything in between; from Mexico, Japan, Italy or America; wearing fedoras, African headdresses, sequins or surgical masks. Actor Corey Feldman showed up fully costumed as Michael Jackson.
"Words can't express how I feel," said Dani Harris, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom from Los Angeles.
"You think about one person, larger than presidents and kings and queens," she said. "People in countries you can't even see on the map know his face, his music."
The pre-ceremony stillness was broken by the organ strains of "Soon and Very Soon," a gospel hymn by Andrae Crouch. "Hallelujah, hallelujah, we're going to see the King," a choir sang. The crowd cheered and rose to its feet.
The Rev. Lucious W. Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the greeting, standing on the same stage where Jackson had been rehearsing for a comeback concert before his death on June 25 at age 50. Then Mariah Carey sang the opening performance with a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5 ballad "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz.
Queen Latifah read a poem composed by Maya Angelou for Jackson. "Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon," Angelou wrote.
"We had him, whether we knew who he was or did not know. / He was ours, and we were his."
Lionel Richie sang the gospel, "Jesus Is Love." Berry Gordy remembered the prodigy of young Michael, drawing a standing ovation when he said that the title King of Pop would no longer suffice: "He is simply the greatest entertainer who ever lived."
Emotions peaked when the Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a fiery eulogy highlighting all the barriers that Jackson broke and the troubles that he faced. "Every time he got knocked down, he got back up," Sharpton said, and the applauding crowd again jumped to its feet.
Sharpton rode the moment, building to a crescendo. "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy," he said later, addressing Jackson's three children in the front row. "It was strange what your daddy had to deal with!"
Jubilation erupted, with the longest standing ovation of the day. It seemed as if Sharpton broke through some sort of wall, freeing shouts from the crowd of "We love you Michael!" After he left the stage, chants of "Mi-chael! Mi-chael!" filled the arena.
For a performer who smashed the race barrier on MTV and did as much as anyone to make black music mainstream -- not to mention was accused of trying to turn himself white through skin treatments and plastic surgery -- the ceremony had a remarkably black cast. John Mayer and Brooke Shields were the only white celebs with major roles.
Another unexpected aspect was the logistics. The mayhem and traffic snarls that had been feared by city officials never materialized. The thousands of ticket holders began filing in early and encountered few problems.
It was not clear what will happen to Jackson's body. The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills cemetery, where a private service was held, is the final resting place for many stars.
But Jackson's brother Jermaine has expressed a desire to have him buried someday at Neverland, his estate in Southern California.
The ceremony ended with Jackson's family on stage, amid a choir, singing "Heal the World."
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