Michael Jackson memorial recap

The casket, draped in flowers, is brought before  a sombre Staples Center audience and the Michael Jackson memorial begins with Smokey Robinson reading condolence letters from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela.

This opening tribute is followed by a moment of silence, which becomes 15 minutes or more. I wonder if the broadcast is caught in a loop. Maybe the Staples Centre is experiencing audio troubles.

Whatever the case, we eventually return with a tribute from Pastor Lucius Smith, a friend of the Jackson family, followed by Mariah Carey performing I'll be There with Trey Lorenz.

Next is Queen Latifah, representing the fans who "grew up loving Michael from a distance" and talks about trying to dance and "be like Michael" when she was small, something to which many of us can relate. Latifah reads words by Maya Angelou, overly flowery perhaps.

One is reminded at this point that, by the time of his death, Jackson had become the object of quite some ridicule, but these events have restored much of the reverence (not all but a lot), and reminded many who had forgotten about Michael that he was once a force to be reckoned with.
 
Lionel Richie then performs The Commodores' Jesus is Love. The Commodores – of which Richie was once one - came to public attention opening for the Jackson 5 in 1972.

This is followed by a tribute from Motown records founder Berry Gordy, remembering Michael's first audition at the age of ten in 1968.

Cut to a montage. Video footage over which Michael is heard saying, "It feels good to be thought of as a person, not a personality."

Stevie Wonder performs a medley of I Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer, and They Won't Go When I Go, the haunting melody of the latter providing easily the most powerful moment thus far.

Next are speakers Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson -- The latter says the greatest moment of his life was sharing a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken with Michael -- then Jennifer Hudson sings Will You Be There from Dangerous (and the Free Willy soundtrack).

The Reverend Al Sharpton gets a standing ovation when he says to Michael's children "Weren't nothing strange about your Daddy. It was strange what he had to deal with," after which John Mayer performs an instrumental version of Human Nature.

Brooke Shields, a fellow child star who dated Michael in the 80s and has been a close friend ever since, gives the most touching and most normal tribute at this point. "It was the most natural and easiest of friendships," she says. "We would have fun no matter where we were." Shields informs us that Michael's favourites song was Smile from the Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times, written by Nat King Cole. An emotional Jermaine Jackson then comes out to sing it.

"Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, youll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you"
 
Bernice King and Martin Luther King III offer tribute next. This funeral sure has some great orators.

There are many references to Michael Jackson's great humanity, his thoughtfulness and selflessness.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee then addresses what others might rather not, perhaps making a dig at Peter King's recent anti-Jackson comments. "We understand the Constitution. We understand laws," she says. Then points out that, "Everyone is innocent until proven guilty." Bravo.

This speech is followed by Usher with Gone Too Soon after which we get a clip of Michael at the age of ten on the Ed Sullivan show, in 1969, performing Smokey Robinson's Who's Loving You. Smokey returns to say "That's my little brother over there. You just don't think you'll live to see him gone. He will never really be gone. He is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever."

Little Shaheen Jafargholi then performs the same song.
 
Finally the memorial wraps with large renditions of We are the World and Heal the World.

We end with family tributes, including brief words by Michael's tearful little daughter Paris Katherine. And that's enough now. Jackson brother Marlon sums up what many of us are thinking "Maybe now they will leave you alone."