Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz then sang " I'll Be There", a No. A gospel choir sang Andrae Crouch's "Soon and Very Soon" as Jackson's casket entered (culminating around the line "you will see the King"), followed by statements from Pastor Lucious Smith. The service began with Smokey Robinson reading messages of condolences from Diana Ross and former South African President Nelson Mandela. The official United States viewership was extremely high taking into consideration that the service was unusually held on a workday (Tuesday) and that many people reported watching the service during work (which would not have been tabulated into viewing statistics). The service was broadcast live around the world. The motorcade for Jackson's casket was headed by two police motorcycle outriders, and the LA freeways were closed for the journey of approximately 11 miles (18 km) from Forest Lawn to the Staples Center. Streets and highway exits around the Staples Center were sealed off, and 3,000 officers, the largest security effort planned since the 1984 Olympics, were on duty at a cost of $1.4 million to the city. Up to a million fans were expected to congregate outside Staples Center īut due to Los Angeles' $530 million budget crisis, city and police officials urged fans to stay home. The memorial service was organized by Jackson's concert promoter, AEG Live, and AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC ( Kenneth Ehrlich, executive producer), who gave away 17,500 free tickets to fans worldwide through an online lottery that attracted over 1.2 million applicants in 24 hours, and over a half-billion hits to the webpage. so much." Additionally, an emotional Marlon Jackson said, "Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone," and requested that Michael give their brother Brandon (Marlon's twin, who died shortly after birth) a hug for him. Jackson's then-11-year-old daughter, Paris, while unable to give her speech without crying, told the crowd, "I just want to say, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just want to say I love him. Toward the end, the family gathered on stage to offer the final eulogies. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with." The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation when he told Jackson's children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. Berry Gordy, Brooke Shields, and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read " We Had Him", a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou. Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi sang Jackson's songs, and John Mayer played guitar. Jackson's brothers, sitting in the front row, each wore a single white sequined glove in tribute to their brother. Music and video montages traced his life from the beginning of his career to the end. The stage was filled with floral arrangements, with photographs and film of Jackson and the Jackson 5 projected onto screens at the back. with music and a eulogy from Pastor Lucious Smith. The memorial began a few minutes after 10:30 a.m. local time when it was placed in front of the stage. Jackson's closed, solid-bronze casket, plated with 14-karat gold and lined with blue velvet, which was not originally expected to be at the memorial service, arrived just before 10:00 a.m.
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