Jackson's Last Dance The Biggest Star on Ear

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The public memorial for Michael Jackson was poignant, joyous, tearful and surprising, as family members and celebrities shared deep emotions forthe King of Popwith the entire world. The wake even ended with tear-inducing comments from Jackson's 11-year-old daughter Paris, whom very few people have ever heard speak. "I just wanted to say, ever since Iwas born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just wanted to say Ilove him so much," said little Paris Katherine Jackson,crying as she was comforted by aunt Janet Jackson.People who were in the arena said there was not a dry eye in the house afterward. The short speech -- her first ever publicly -- came after the lastgoodbyes by Jermaine and Marlon Jackson, who like all of their otherbrothers and male family members were wearing black suits, yellow ties and one sequined glove, in honor of Michael. Photos and Videosdiv.vidc {width:576px;height:324px;}Paris: "The Best Father You Could Ever Imagine"Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Katherine says her father was "the best father you could ever imagine." WATCH Paris: "The Best Father You Could... A Look Back: Loved Ones and Fans Mourn King of Pop LOOK PHOTOSA Look Back: Loved Ones and Fans Mourn... More Photos and VideosMusic legend Smokey Robinsonbegan theceremony, which wasbroadcast around the world on all three major cablenews networks,at about 10:10 a.m.PT, by reading condolences to the familyfromDiana Ross -- "Michael was part of the fabric of my life"-- and then Nelson Mandela -- "Be strong" -- and then calling for a moment of silence. TheStaples Center stage was bathed in blue light and a spray of yellow and orange flowers was placed in front of a podium. The backdrop featured a photo of a smiling Jackson looking up toward the sky and the words: "In loving memory of Michael Jackson King of Pop. 1958-2009." Celebrities in attendanceincludedKobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Lou Ferrigno, Don King, the Kardashian sisters, Magic Johnson, Brooke Shields and Larry King. Among those conspicuously not in attendance were Elizabeth Taylor, Ross and Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children. After the pause, thememorial then took a decidedly religious turnasa gospel choir sangwhile Jackson's golden casket was wheeled to the front of the stage. Pastor Lucious W. Smith, of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena, Calif., then spoke, saying "to millions around the world, Michael Jackson was an idol, a hero and even a king, but first and foremost, this man before us was our brother, our father, our son and our friend." Emotions climbed higher as Mariah Carey thensang the Jackson 5 song "I'll Be There," with Trey Larenz, and they received a rousing applause. She finished with a simple "We miss you." Queen Latifah was up next, saying that she represented millions of fans around the world who were inspired by Michael and loved him from a distance. "You believed in Michael and he believed in you, he made you believe in yourself supra tk," said Latifah. "Michael was the biggest star on Earth," she said. "He let me know that as an African-American, you could travel the world." Latifah also shared a poemfrom Maya Angelou called "We had him," written forthe occasion. Following the Queen, Lionel Richie sang the song "Father, Help Your Children," from his Commodores days. Motown founder Berry Gordy, who first discovered took the stage after,andsaidJackson "was driven by his hunger, to learn, to constantly top himself -- to be the best. "He raised the bar, and then he broke the bar," said Gordy, who recounted the early days of Michael and the Jackson 5. "The more Italk about him, the more Ithink that 'The King of Pop' is not big enough," said Gordy. "He was simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived." Gordy was followed by a stirringmontage of Jackson's videos through the decades, then Stevie Wonder took the stage with his piano. But before he played, just tinkling the ebony and ivory, he commented, "This is a moment that Iwished Ihadn't lived to experience." Wonderthen sang a beautiful medley of "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" and "They Won't Go When IGo," with Michael's name peppered throughout the lyrics. He was followed by Laker greatsMagic Johnson and Kobe Bryant,who spoke of Jackson's humanitarian work, including that Jackson made the GuinnessBook of World Records for most charitable contributions by an entertainer. Johnson talked about how he met the Jackson family over 30 years ago, even saying that Michael "made me a better point guard and basketball player as Iwatched him be so great." They were followed by Jennifer Hudson, who decreased the ratio of dry eyes in the arena as she sang Jackson's song "Will You Be There." A fieryRev. Al Sharpton, then took the stage and said, "All over the world today people are gathered in love vigils to celebrate the life of a man that taught the world how to love." Speakingof Jackson's trip-ups with the media, the legal system and other naysayers, Sharpton said "He out-sang his cynics, he out- danced his doubters and he out-performed his pessimists." Addressing Jackson's children, Sharpton said, "Wasn't nothing strange about your Daddy, it was strange what your Daddy had to deal with!" and received a thunderous round of applause. John Mayer then took to the stage with his guitar and played a veryjazzy version of "Human Nature," as the audience clapped along. Brooke Shields, a longtime friend, gave one of the most poignant speeches, weeping as she recounted moments with Michael, whom she had known since she was 13. "He had the sweetest and purest laugh of anyone Ihave ever known," she said. She noted that they both tried to out-silly each other, and when he started wearing his one sequined glove she asked, "'What's up with the glove? Sequins hurt my hands.' "Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date," she said. "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. I used to tease him and say, 'I started when I was 11 months old. You're a slacker. You were like 5?' Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. "He was also referred to as the King, but the Michael Iknew was more like the Little Prince." She ended by reminding family and friends to "Smile though your heart is aching" -- and Jermaine Jackson took the stage next to sing that song. They were followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s children, andTexas congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,who called Michael Jackson "the good Samaritan." Jackson Lee said she would introduce resolution 600 on the House of Representatives floor to recognize Michael Jackson as "an American icon and a world humanitarian." Usher followed that with a tearyrendition of Jackson's "Gone Too Soon." After, Jackson family members came to hug him on stage, and he went down to speak to Katherine Jackson. Avideo of a very young Michael Jackson singing "Who's Lovin' You" then played, and afterward Smokey Robinson took the stage to speak again and began: "Iwrote that song! Ithought Isang that song!" Robinson was followed by Shaheen Jafargholi 12-year-oldWelsh-Iranian winner of "Britain's Got Talent supra canada," who sang the song one more time. Kenny Ortega, one of Jackson's longtime tour managers then came on and introduced the "We Are the World"performance that the singer had been working on for his upcoming "This Is It" concerts in England. Jackson's casket came all the way up on to the stage during the finale, whichended with an emotionalrendition of "Healthe World," with all of the previous speakers and singers. After the funeral the Jackson family went to the Beverly Wilshire to have lunch. It was unclear where the casket went. So Michael Jackson's last showproved to be as big a public spectacle as promised, but it began Tuesday morning with a subdued private funeral for his family members only. On Tuesday morning, California Highway Patrol and the LAPDfirst escorted members of the Jackson family to Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles forthe private servicejust before 8 a.m. local time. Amid the morning rush hours, officials completely shut down the 101 Freeway for the long procession ofprivate cars andpolicevehiclesfromJackson's parents'Encino home. The motorcade included five Rolls-Royces, three Cadillac Escalades and 10 identical black Range Rovers. They arrivedjust after 8:15 a.m. Pacific. Despite being billed as family and friendsonly, dozens of people could be seen entering the cemetery's Hall of Liberty, a circular building that contains a 1,200 seat auditorium, led by Jackson's parents Joe and Katherine. The 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. Jackson's hearse left the cemetery at about 9:25 a.m. and arrived atStaples at about10 a.m. L.A. time. In contrast to the quiet private services, the public memorialat the downtown Staples Center,included a circus surrounding the show -- literally and figuratively -- as legal drama, screaming fans, star power, live worldwide broadcast, unsavory accusations andeven a parade of Ringling Bros. elephants all co-mingled. Outside the arena, video billboards showed a montage of pictures from Jackson's life, including those of the singer as a child, with celebrities such as Luciano Pavarotti and Marcel Marceau, and with members of his family. Some fans were allowed past street barriers into the immediate area around the Center early Tuesday. Dozens of street vendors sold T-shirts, photos, buttons and other Jackson memorabilia. More than 1.6 million people hadregistered for free tickets to Jackson's downtown memorial. A total of 8,750 people were chosen to receive two tickets each. "I got the golden ticket!" one fan screamed out of his car window in a Willy Wonka moment as he drove out of the parking lot. And the legal maneuvering that marked Jackson's extraordinary life also continuedthis with his mother losing a bid to control his enormous but tangled estate. And in one of the few reminders of Jackson's darkest hours, a New York congressman branded Jackson a "pervert" undeserving of so much attention. British Airways reported a surge of bookings as soon as the memorial arrangements were announced. Virgin's trans-Atlantic flights to San Francisco supra skytop, Las Vegas and Los Angeles were all packed with fans and VIPs, spokesman Paul Charles said. About 50 theaters across the country, from Los Angeles to Topeka, Kan., to Washington, D.C.,are broadcast the memorial live, for free. Meanwhile, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey starts a run at Staples Center on Wednesday, a booking long planned in advance. In the pre-dawn hours before Jackson's memorial, the elephants started walking from the train station to the arena. They were set to arrive some five hours before the memorial.

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