Michael Jackson lauded in emotional memorial

LOS ANGELES - In one of the biggest celebrity send-offs in history, Michael Jackson’s family, friends and fans held a memorial service for the late King of Pop Tuesday, as millions of people from around the world tuned in to watch on television and the internet.

The memorial service opened with soul great Smokey Robinson reading letters of condolence from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. Then Jackson’s flower-laden casket was wheeled in, accompanied by pallbearers each wearing a single, sequined glove, as a gospel choir sang.

“In his beautiful and very human heart MJ wanted nothing more than to give to the world and perhaps be loved back in return,” said Jackson family pastor Lucious Smith. “Through his words, his music and his countless good deeds Michael did so much to try to heal our world.” Mariah Carey then sang one of Jackson’s earliest hits, “I’ll Be There.”

Other performers included Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson and John Mayer. But the highlight of the service came when dozens of performers took to the stage for a rendition of Jackson’s 1984 charity hit, “We Are The World”, and his follow up song, “Heal The World”.

Jackson’s daughter Paris, 11, in her first known public statement, paid tribute to her father, breaking down in tears as her aunt Janet Jackson tried to comfort her. “I just want to say that ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could imagine and I wanted to say that I love him very much.”

Tributes were also paid by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, African American activist Reverend Al Sharpton, basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson, the children of civil rights leader Martin Luther King and actress Brooke Shields.

The public ceremony followed a private memorial service at a Hollywood Hills cemetery after which Jackson’s casket was loaded into a hearse for the procession to the Staples Centre, where celebrities and fans entered the arena on a wide black carpet.

There were three notable absences at the services: Jackson’s old friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor said, “I love him too much to share my grief with millions of others.” Diana Ross said she preferred to mark his death with silence, while his former wife Debbie Rowe, who may launch a legal battle for custody of the two children she had with Jackson, said her attendance “would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael’s legacy.”

Thousands of police were deployed in downtown Los Angeles prior to the service as the world’s entertainment capital braced for the memorial of one of the greatest entertainers in history.

Police said the operation exceeded all past events in the city’s history, including the 1984 Olympics, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials had feared that as many as 700,000 fans would gather around the arena and appealed to them to stay home.

Thousands of fans ignored that appeal and crowded behind the barricades that were erected around much of the downtown area surrounding the Staples Centre. But there were no reports of trouble as only an estimated 50,000 fans turned up.

Over 1.6 million people applied for the 17,500 tickets available through the online lottery.

Jackson, 50, died June 25 from a cardiac arrest. A police investigation into his death is focused on the possible abuse by Jackson of prescription drugs and hospital sedatives.