Click here For more pictures from Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service at the Staples Center
I’m not the first one or the last one that is going to write about the amazing Memorial Service that was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles 7/7/2009 to remember and celebrate the life of the King Of Pop Michael Jackson. People from all around the world sat infront of their TV sets to watch this event, some of them are fans, some of them are haters, but they all watched it. I logged in online to the cnn.com live and facebook to see what people are saying, the service was broadcasted live online with a section on the browser connected to facebook, people from all over the world were sending messages saying goodbye to the King of Pop. I saw messages from Japan, China , Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Spain, Britain, Sweden, Syria, Lebanon, USA, Canada.. i can go on and on.. This man gathered people together, and they shared their feelings together , something that you don’t see everyday in a world filled with hate, wars, crimes, and terror.
How it began:
Dozens of black Range Rovers, Cadillac Escalades, and Rolls Royse vehicles started moving from Forest Lawn Memorial Park’s Hall of Liberty in Hollywood Hills were the Jackson family and close friends were having a private a family service before the public memorial service. The Body of the King of Pop was in a solid-bronze plated with 14-karat gold and lined with blue velvet casket. It took them about 10 minutes to arrive to the Staples center where thousands of Michael Jackson fans gathered to say good bye to their hero, and idol.
The service starts:
you can feel the confusion of people inside the Staples center, it’s really quiet in there, fans really don’t know what to do, they just can’t believe that this is not one of Michael’s great concerts, it sure feels the same but it’s not. Something is really different, the stage was filled with flowers, with a space right in front of the stage that people believed the casket of the King of Pop will be placed, people inside the Staples center were wondering if the casket will be an open or closed one!! everybody is just confused but in a really silent way, behind the stage was a huge screen showing pictures of Michael Jackson and you could hear his voice as a young Michael Jackson singing in the background . A few minutes after 10:30 am local time Smokey Robinson took the stage, people started clapping, it’s really happening, the memorial is starting, Smokey started reading messages of condolence from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela
Diana said to Michael Jackson in a message that Smokey 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 that 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 they need me. I hope, today brings closure for all those who loved him. Thank you Katherine and Joe for sharing your son with the world and with me. I send my love and condolences to the Jackson family.”
Nelson Mandela’s message was also read by Smokey Robinson also and it said:
“Dear Jackson family, it is with great sadness that we learned of the untimely death of Michael Jackson.
“Michael became close to us after he started visiting and performing in South Africa regularly. We grew fond of him, and he became close — a close member of our family.
“We had great admiration for his talent and that he was able to triumph over tragedy on so many occasions in his life. Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry.
“And we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide. We also mourn with his family and his friends over the loss of our dear friend.
“He will be missed, and memories about him cherished for a very long time. My wife and I, our family, our friends, send you our condolences during this time of mourning. Be strong, Nelson Mandela.”
After that in few minutes A gospel choir sang Andrae Crouch’s “Soon and Very Soon” as The King of Pop’s casket entered with all Michael’s brothers around him taking his casket in the center of a floral arrangement. Michael’s brothers were wearing black suits and yellow ties and they were wearing the Michael Jackson trade mark, the White glove.
After that Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz took the stage and sang “I’ll Be There” a song that reminds everybody all around the world of the young kid from Gary Indiana that took the hearts of people as a young artist when a black performer was no where to be seen and respected at that time. Mariah was so emotional while singing trying not to look at the casket and trying to hide a tear that was struggeling to get out. Her voice was shakey but she did a wonderful job and a very nice tribute to the King of Pop.
Following Mariah and Trey’s performance was Queen Latifah, who read “We Had Him”, a poem written by Maya Angelou and it said:
Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.
Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.
In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.
Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.
Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.
He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.
Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.
He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.
We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.
His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.
And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.
We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.
Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana’s Black Star Square.
In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England
We are missing Michael.
But we do know we had him, and we are the world.
Michael Jackson’s dear friend and the co-writer on “We Are the World” Lionel Richie took the stage and said his last goodbye to his dear friend Michael Jackson in the best way he can, by performing the song “Jesus Is Love” by The Commodores.
After a touching video was shown on the big screen of Michael Jackson Stevie Wonder took the stage and performed a his songs “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer” and “They Won’t Go When I Go”
Then NBA Legends Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson took the stage, Kobey Bryant talked about Michael Jackson’s humanitarian work and Magic Johnson who was in the unforgettable music Video Remember the time talked about his experience with the King Of Pop.
Jennifer Hudson paid her respect to Michael Jackson by performing the song “Will You Be There” from Michael Jackson’s album Dangerous. at the end of the song you could hear the voice of Michael Jackson saying the message we always heard at the end of Will you Be There.
“In My Trials, And My Tripulations, Through Our Doubts, And Frustrations, In My Violence, In My Turbulence, Through My Fear, And My Confessions, In My Anguish, And My Pain, Through My Joy, And My Sorrow, In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow, I’ll Never Let You Part, For You’re Always In My Heart.”
John Mayer also was part of the Memorial Service, he performed an instrumental version of Michael Jackson’s famous song Human Nature on his guitar.
Brooke Shields then spoke about the personal time she spent with Michael Jackson, her eyes were filled with tears while she was speaking, she also read excerpts from The Little Prince, she said that she understood Michael Jackson and when they were together they were like little kids playing laughing and doing what kids do Brooke also said that Michael’s favorite song was Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”, Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s older brother took the stage after that and sang Michael’s favorite song.
Followed Jermaine Jackson’s performance was a speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s children, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, Then a speech by Sheila Jackson-Lee.
After those three amazing speeches, Usher took the stage and paid his respect to the artist that influenced him since he was a little boy, and we can see that influence through his music and outstanding Michael Jackson influenced dance moves.. Usher walked to the casket while singing Gone Too Soon, and then he cried for losing such an amazing person.
Smokey Robinson took the stage again, and he spoke about the Jackson 5 covering his song, and continued with a speech. Shaheen Jafargholi an amazing young boy who was chosen by the King Of Pop to be part of the This is it shows that was supposed to take place later this month in England and a competitor from Britain’s Got Talent performed the song that the Jackson 5 covered. Here’s 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi singing “Who’s Loving You” at the Michael Jackson Memorial.
The final performances “We are the World” and “Heal the World” in the Memorial Service was introduced by Michael Jackson choreographer Kenny Ortega , some of the guests and Members of the Jackson family were also on stage including Michael Jackson’ three children, Prince, Paris and Michael Jackson Junior aka blanket.
The show ended with words from the Jackson Family, Jermaine Jackson and Marlon Jackson spoke and thanked the fans and the guest for joining them in honoring their brother Michael Jackson.
The thing that shocked everyone, the daughter of Michael Jackson Paris gave an un-expected goodbye to her father, the final minutes of the memorial service was open for the family members to speak, but no one not even the organizers of the memorial service expected Paris to be that brave and to stand in front of thousands, actually 1 billion people all around the world to say these touching words:
“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,I just want to say I love him so much.” then she started crying breaking the hearts of all the people inside the Staples center and all the people that were watching the memorial service.
After these words from this little girl missing her father, i realized that this perosn that we saw as an artist and nothing more but an outstanding artist that can do magic on and off stage, was also a father, a son, a brother and a very loved person. So we said our last goodbyes to the King Of Pop, to Michael Jackson, May he Rest in Peace, and i want to say that he will live forever through his music, and unforgettable talent. Rest In Peace MJ.
