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"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." Those were the tearful words of Michael Jackson's 11 year old daughter, Paris at her father's memorial service today.
When I first saw Paris Jackson about to take the microphone at the very end of the two hour service, my head said, "No, no, don't put that little girl up there!"
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But ultimately I was wrong. Ultimately it was the right thing to do to let her speak. She was surrounded by her family and this little girl, whose face we've seen for the first time only since Michael's death, wanted to tell the world what her father meant to her. In those two tearful sentences, she turned Michael "the freak" into Michael "the human being."
He wasn't just a celebrity, he was someone's brother, son, uncle and most importantly to Paris Jackson and her siblings, someone's father.
It was a daughter's grief for a father who was gone too soon, as Usher had sung earlier in the ceremony.
His gold plated coffin was carried into the Los Angeles Staples Center to the voices of a gospel choir singing "We are going to see the King." His brothers who performed with him for all those years on stage as part of the Jackson 5 were pallbearers.
They wore matching yellow ties, red roses in their lapels and then later in the ceremony, single, matching sequined gloves.
For all the anticipation of a spectacle and a circus-like atmosphere since his death nearly two weeks ago, this memorial service was really quite dignified, well orchestrated and the right balance of public spectacle and private grief. It's what his family wanted and his fans needed.
There were words from Michael, via his songs. One nicely edited
montage of Jackson performance highlights was accompanied by Michael singing "You Are Not Alone."
Mariah Carey sang the Jackson 5 standard, "I'll Be There," and though her passion was stronger than her voice, that was okay. She was joined by Trey Lorenz. Lionel Richie belted out "Jesus Is Love," while Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson came out in all her pregnant glory and sang "Will You Be There."
Stevie Wonder, before performing said, "This is a moment that I wished that I didn't live to see come." He then performed the soulfully sad, "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer." John Mayer performed an instrumental version of "Human Nature" on the guitar.
After a clip of a ten year old Michael singing "Who's Loving You," with all the emotion of an adult, Smoky Robinson joked, "I wrote that song. I thought I sang it." He then referred to Michael as his little brother.
Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, the Jackson 5's first record label spoke about how Michael was like a son to him:
He was the consummate student. He studied the greats and became greater. He raised the bar and then broke the bar.
Gordy then set up a roar in the auditorium when he proclaimed Michael the "greatest entertainer that ever lived."
Rev Al Sharpton and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas defended Jackson and extolled his charitable works.
Sharpton roused the crowd with these words:
He out sang his cynics, he out out danced his doubters, he out performed the pessimists. Michael never stopped, Michael never stopped, Michael never stopped.
Then Sharpton was interrupted by a standing ovation when he said to Michael's children:
Wasn't nothin' strange about your Daddy. It was strange what your Daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway.
Today was also a day for all kinds of Michael Jackson stories in the blogosphere. Writer Alice Walker's daughter, Rebecca Walker writes about meeting Michael Jackson in a beautiful post for The Root, "The Untouchable Michael Jackson":
I remember his body language. He moved slowly, like a very cool cat, hesitant, but smooth. And then, in the softest of voices, he asked how I was able to do the impromptu bit of comical business. He could never do something like that on the spot, he said. He'd be too nervous. I remember laughing and chiding him. You'd be great, Michael! I said. He shook his head and out crept a smile so open and vulnerable that I wanted to hug him, and probably would have, if he weren't Michael Jackson.
But he was, and I had no way to reach
