Today, July 7, 2009, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was laid to rest. It was a somber day for family, friends and fans alike. It has been reported that live coverage of the memorial service was viewed by millions. The service was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Eight thousand seven hundred and fifty fans acquired a pair of tickets allowing a whopping seventeen thousand five hundred fans to be among the estimated 19,500 mourners to attend the service. Among the celebrities that took part in the service were Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Lionel Richie to name just a few. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III were in attendance as well as basketball greats Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.
Several thousand fans crowded around the outside of the building to pay their final respects to this legend. Coverage of the memorial services was carried by virtually all major networks and was simultaneously shown in 85 theaters across the United States. Jackson’s rose covered casket was carried into the Staples center by his brothers Tito, Jackie, Randy and Jermaine. All of the pall bearers wore gold ties and a single sequined white glove, a trademark of the King of Pop. The Jackson family received a standing ovation as they walked into the center. Michael’s three children, Paris 11, Prince Michael I, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7, sat surrounded and sheltered by the family.
The Jackson family along with all of those who took part in the service gathered on the stage for a final tribute and sang We Are the World which Jackson and Lionel Richie co-wrote. The service was packed with music and tributes to Jackson lasted more than two hours.
The service this afternoon was brought to a tearful conclusion when Paris, Michael’s eleven year old daughter who has never spoken in public said her final good bye to her dad. She said, “I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And, I just wanted to say I love him so much.” Having said this, she burst into tears and was consoled by her aunt, Janet.
Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop, is finally at rest.
