Pick a Day

Stars Pay Tribute At Michael Jackson's Funeral

After a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, Michael Jackson's public funeral is held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Most TV networks cover the event, where Kobe Bryant, Mariah Carey, Andrae Crouch Choir, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jennifer Hudson, Magic Johnson, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Brooke Shields, Usher and Stevie Wonder all participate.

The Jackson family sits in the front row, sisters in black and each brother wearing a single white sequined glove in honor of their late sibling. Fellow Motown alum Smokey Robinson opens the service by reading letters of condolence from luminaries who couldn't be present, like Diana Ross and former South African President Nelson Mandela. Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's longtime friend, is also absent, having tweeted she didn't want to get caught up in the "public hoopla." But plenty of Jackson's pals and admirers show up to honor the King of Pop. Mariah Carey is the first performer, singing her hit rendition of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" with Trey Lorenz. Although she isn't present, Maya Angelou writes a special poem for the occasion. Read by Queen Latifah, the elegy "We Had Him" celebrates Jackson's rare talent, noting, "He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance." Latifah, who grew up listening to the pop star and his brothers, also speaks of the special connection fans shared with the singer. "Somehow, when Michael Jackson sang, when he danced, he never felt distance," she said. "He felt like he was right there." Others who knew Jackson both personally and professionally share their memories. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records who signed the Jackson 5 in 1969, elicits a standing ovation with his comments on the superstar. "He raised the bar, and then he broke the bar," he said. "The more I talk about Michael Jackson, the more I feel the King Of Pop is not big enough for him… I think he is simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived." After performances from Stevie Wonder, singing "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer," and Jennifer Hudson, singing a gospel rendition of "Will You Be There," actress Brooke Shields remembers when she and Jackson were inseparable during their teen years. "We had a bond," the former child star explains. "And maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very young age." She likens Jackson's sensitivity to the title character from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and reads excerpts from the novella. Jermaine Jackson follows by singing his brother's favorite song, "Smile," written by silent film star Charlie Chaplin. As he looks upon the 50-year-old singer's gold-plated casket, R&B singer Usher struggles to finish an emotional rendition of "Gone Too Soon," and is embraced by the Jackson clan after the performance. Lionel Richie, who got his big break when he opened for the Jackson 5 nearly four decades earlier, also takes the stage, singing "Jesus Is Love" by The Commodores. After the moving performances from entertainers and comments from sports stars like Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson and political figures like Sheila Jackson-Lee (representing the US House of Representatives), the Jackson family gathers on stage, including the late singer's three children, whom he shielded from the media. Eleven-year-old daughter Paris gives a spontaneous and emotional statement: "I just want to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you can imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much." As the service closes with an instrumental version of "Man In The Mirror," a single spotlight shines on the empty stage, highlighting the King of Pop's absence.

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• Funerals