Crowd at Memorial Brought to Tears

July 7, 2009 -- 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 the some
20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center arena on Tuesday,
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
to lean on 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 and 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, Magic Johnson, Brooke Shields, Larry King.
While 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 not in attendance were Elizabeth
Taylor, Ross and Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of
Jackson's two oldest children.
Many vehicles left Staples in a long motorcade that ended up in
a Beverly Hills hotel. Record producer Jimmy Jam told AP Television
that he was headed for a gathering for friends and family, but he
won't give details.
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, Itabout 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.
The parade of famous names continued: Jennifer Hudson, Stevie
Wonder, Usher, Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice, U.S.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Kobe Bryant.
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 Sheields 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 ticketholders began filing in early
and encountered few problems, and traffic was actually considered
by police to be lighter than normal. An estimate of up to 700,000
gawkers turned out to be about 1,000.
The city of Los Angeles set up a Web site to allow fans to
contribute money to help the city pay for the memorial, which was
estimated to cost $1.5 million to $4 million. AEG, the event
promoter behind the memorial, has not addressed whether it will
give money for the effort, but did contribute $1 million to the
city after it staged a victory parade for the Los Angeles Lakers
last month.
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 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.
The ceremony ended with Jackson's family on stage, amid a choir,
singing "Heal the