The World Says Goodbye to Michael Jackson: The Memorial

I write this as I stare at my program (which some say is now worth $500 on eBay), my wristband (which I don't want to remove), my camera (loaded with pictures, some great, some very poor) and my FlipCam (with a capacity far too low and a hand too unsteady to capture the best video) and I'm thinking about how this morning, I watched the legendary Jackson 5, become the Jackson 4 as Randy, Marlon, Jackie and Tito wheeled their brother Michael out of Los Angeles' Staples Center, encased in a mirrored casket. There went my childhood soundtrack and that of others as we bid the King of Pop one last goodbye.

What started with a gospel choir singing "We're Going To See The King" and ended with an emotional and poignant statement from Paris Katherine, whom at 11 years old, we have never heard from before. This was her public debut.

This was a hell of a tribute for the man that launched a Pepsi generation, taught us how to moonwalk, showed us who's "Bad" and who needs to "Beat It." He also graciously wanted to "Heal The World" encouraging all of us to deal with the "Man In The Mirror."

The crowd inside was unlike any crowd I'd witnessed in my life in such a large venue. I breathed a sigh of relief that it was set up so modestly, no fireworks, no spectacles, nothing that was rumored. The last time I experienced this sort of serenity in such a sea of people was at Barack Obama's speech at Invesco during his campaign in 2008. As an entertainment journalist, I've found it rare to experience this kind of thoughtfulness in a crowd, where everyone is taking pause and — more importantly — soaking it in.

Fans were light on the milling about and mindful of the point of today's events. Stars gathered and arrived — some with moments to spare — like Tatum O'Neal, who lost both her step-mother Farrah Fawcett and Jackson, a childhood friend, on the same day. I witnessed Al Sharpton arriving in Sharpton-style about an hour before the memorial began; he led several SUVs marked discreetly with "Jackson Limousine" and numbers following. Wade Robeson, a young choreographer who trained under Michael, arrived with friends whose eyes were brimmed red, presumably for what was to come.

Lets talk about the celeb factor: This was not a "wow" moment, it was also not an opportunity to promote your album, divorce or new haircut, despite the questionable appearance of a remorseful Chris Brown and the head-spinning, jaw-dropping Corey Feldman, who came dressed in a Balmain jacket, M.J.-style sunglasses and gelled hair. The star wattage was high, but the spirits were low. I spotted Smokey Robinson, Debbie Allen and Berry Gordy hugging and beaming, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant arriving to the Staples floor to the sound of cheers and sparkle of camera flashes. Once the voice-over came on at around a quarter past ten this morning, we all knew what to expect: We were going to say good-bye to the King of Pop. One. Last. Time.

You know the rest ... Mariah gave an emotional performance of "I'll Be There," Queen Latifah read a poem written by Maya Angelou especially for M.J., Lionel Richie invoked the power of his Commodore past with a soulful rendition of "Jesus Is Love." Next, Berry Gordy, the father of Motown and the man who discovered The Jackson 5, reminded us of what we already knew: that the man-child was once a child-man who rendered Smokey Robinson speechless singing his hit "Who's Loving You?" Gordy said the title of King of Pop was not big enough for Jackson. Gordy called Jackson “simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived." The applause was not loud enough, it brought everyone in the arena to their feet for the first time that morning.

Stevie Wonder was next, and it was at this point I noticed that both myself and practically the entire Section 102 were in tears. Stevie does that to you on a good day — on a day like today, you are simply inconsolable. Kobe came to the stage, joined by Magic Johnson. Johnson shared a touching story about meeting Jackson on the set of his video "Remember The Time" and how they demolished a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. That, I wish I could have seen. Appropriately, the crowd erupted in laughter. John Mayer, visibly nervous, took to the stage to perform a tender rendition of "Human Nature" on guitar, no singing.

Jennifer Hudson, gorgeous in white and with child, sang "Will You Be There" and was joined onstage by the dancers who would have been M.J.'s touring group. I was a blathering mess, at which the Daily Mail reporter in front of me, who plied me with tissues throughout the service, finally laughed: "Who knew reporters of your kind had a heart?" Said in jest, I know what she meant; my compassion has killed many an opportunity to get "dirt."

Hudson was followed by Reverend Al Sharpton, who brought down the house, Brooke Shields who joked about making M.J. either add a glove or take off the one he wore all the time, Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III spoke of how M.J. called their mother weeks before her death, her face paralyzed by stroke, broke into a smile. Usher later nearly broke down near Jackson's mirrored silver casket singing "Gone Too Soon," and Jermaine Jackson sang "Smile," one of Michael's favorite songs.

The crowd swayed to montages of the icon, reminding us just how mesmerizing he can be on screen and on stage. But it was the moment that the family, together for the first time in years, took center stage and it was the moment that Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, his 11-year-old daughter uttering her first words into the Aunt-Janet-adjusted microphone, that the crowd felt the connection pulsate throughout the arena. Never heard nor seen publicly, the young girl spoke of how much she loved her Dad calling him "the best father you could ever imagine."

Everyone was reminded that there was another side of Michael Joseph Jackson we did not know. He was a father. As we filed out of the arena I watched parents clutching their children. A mother from Inglewood who won tickets this morning at El Rey Theatre in L.A.'s Wilshire District wept "That little girl, those little boys. We forget! We forget that he was a father, he wanted the best for those children."

Sandra Navarette of Orange County couldn't sleep all night. "I just simply could not sleep or breathe. I went to the Victory tour when [her husband, David] and I were just barely married. We took 38 friends and danced all night" she said, clutching her original Thriller LP, in mint condition.

Helen Miller and Tonya Dennis, mother and daughter, came excitedly from the Nokia Theater; the daughter came as a guest of a friend and the mother won the ticket lottery — they couldn't believe their luck. "I grew up on his music, " Miller said, "... and all my life I knew his music, knew every word. I couldn't not be here." I noticed Helen's hat she was holding. A white fedora, a black ribbon above the brim and on the inside there it was in gold: "MICHAEL JACKSON." "This is the hat he wore in Smooth Criminal," Miller offered. "I spent eight grand on it, I had to have it. I had no choice and didn't think twice about it."

I spoke briefly with Kenny Ortega, a renowned choreographer and Emmy-winning director who told me "I'm speechless, what can you say about this day?" He went on to share that the children "are in great hands, look at the love up there on that stage — they're fine." Rick Hilton, father of Paris and Nikki, and close friends of the family said of Paris Michael's emotional appearance, "That just gutted the entire room, what a tribute."

A young mother with her husband and 3-month-old daughter was overcome with emotion, "I couldn't miss this," she said, as her precious daughter slept amidst the hoopla "... and she was perfect, not a peep, it was the least hyper she's been in days ... power of Michael! Thank the Lord!"

You can't wrap up the emotion in a nice little package. Michael Jackson's contribution was perhaps not on the scale of a political official, war veteran, or a surgeon. He simply moved us: When his music came on, aged 2, 20 or 80, you were moved to tap a foot, snap a finger and bob your head. He encouraged us to give, to reach across racial barriers, help those in need and, in challenging himself to be a better artist, he gifted us with music so timeless we may never come across another artist such as he.

The stirring tributes, the heartache and the energy of a day like this, a day we knew would surely come ... What you can take away is that he would have wanted it this way. He would have wanted the dancing in the street, his songs blasting from stereo speakers, his hard work appreciated and generosity paid off. In the midst of the past allegations and some nasty comments in his passing, if the last two weeks have taught us anything, it is that his biggest, kindest gift to us all was his legacy, which will last for generations to come.

I am humbled to have been part of this experience today. I offer my condolences to The Jackson Family and my genuine appreciation for their contributions to the world.