Michael Jackson: A Goodbye For The Ages

“I was like, ‘What’s up with the glove? If you’re gonna hold up my hand, it better be with the nongloved one.' He’d just shake his head and smile.”

She said the Michael Jackson she knew had the “purest, sweetest laugh I’ve ever known.” 

Some of the speakers elevated Jackson to a status that would have been unheard of before his death. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., praised him as a humanitarian. “He epitomized that an individual hasn’t started living until he can rise above (and address) the broader concerns of humanity -- Michael was always concerned with humanity.”

Referring to the accusations of  child molestation, King hailed Jackson for being a humanitarian “despite accusations and persecution.” 

And Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex), left, said she would be introducing a resolution into Congress to recognize Jackson as “an American legend, music icon, world humantiarian, someone who will be honored forever and forever and forever.” 

LIVE-BLOGGING THROUGH  THE CEREMONY: 

12:30 p.m.

The memorial ended with a live performance from what was to be MJ's upcoming London tour "This Is It." A group of singers came together to sing "We Are the World" and Janet Jackson clutched the shoulder of MJ's daughter, Paris.

12:00 p.m.

The tone became more reflective when Martin Luther King III and his sister Bernice talked about MJ's impact on diversity. They were followed by Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who, referring to MJ's child molestation charges, said that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

11:10 a.m.

As Stevie Wonder was led to the stage, he drew the loudest applause of the morning. He spoke about MJ in a quiet, shaky voice and said that God must have needed MJ more than society did. His performance was also the most emotional of the morning, as the audience was silent except for the sound of sniffles from those who let tears stream down their face without hesitation.

10:35 a.m.

Dozens of people were still being seated nearly 30 minutes after the ceremony was scheduled to begin. The Staples Center appeared to be full, however -- from the floor to nosebleed seats, fans whispered quietly, wondering of who was walking past and when the proceedings would begin.

10:25 a.m.

Smokey Robinson was the first to take the stage to read a statement from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela, neither of whom were in attendance. Meanwhile, friends and family walked in on a red carpet, and the event had the strange hybrid aura of a Hollywood premiere, mixed with the sadness of a funeral. Among those seen arriving were Jesse Jackson, Brett Ratner and Lou Ferrigno all came in late, joining Magic Johnson, Usher and Brooke Shields.

10:20 a.m.

With police blockades keeping fans away from Michael Jackson's private burial at Forest Lawn, a small but devoted group gathered to mourn from a distance. On a bank of grass facing the cemetery from across the L.A.

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