Los Angeles - With tears in her eyes and her voice
breaking, Michael Jackson's daughter on Tuesday told a public memorial service
in Los Angeles that she loves her father.
Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson gave a short but
emotional statement to the audience of thousands in the downtown Staples Centre
arena.
Paris said that "ever since I was born my daddy was
the best" father one could imagine.
Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton told Jackson's
children that "there weren't (sic) nothing strange about your daddy", in a
fiery speech at the memorial service.
"It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but
he dealt with it," Sharpton said, his voice rising in the rich cadence of
a sermon.
Sharpton castigated those who "like to dig
around" and said Jackson's journey to superstardom was more significant
that his occasional stumbles and "mess".
"Michael rose to the top. He outsang and outdanced
and outperformed the pessimists. Every time he got knocked down, he got back
up. Every time you counted him out, he came back in. Michael never
stopped."
Sharpton praised Jackson's message of love, his talent
and his work breaking down "the colour curtain" and eradicating
barriers.
"It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and
whites and Asians and Latinos together," Sharpton said.
"He created a comfort level where people that felt they
were separate became interconnected with his music," Sharpton said.
"Those young kids grew up from being teenage fans of
Michael's to being 40-years-old and being comfortable to vote for a president
of colour to be the president of the United States of America.
"Michael did that. Michael made us love each other.
Michael taught us to stand with each other."
A number of his brothers, each wearing a white glove and
yellow tie, acted as pallbearers, bringing his 14-carat gold-plated coffin on
stage.
Jackson's two sons also wore the same dark suit and
yellow tie. Prince chewed gum and toted the memorial service programme on
stage.
Blanket held his programme and clutched a Michael Jackson
doll. Paris wore a black dress with white trim and carried a small
patent-leather purse.
The memorial opened with a message from Nelson Mandela
who said that "Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry. And
we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide".
Close friend Diana Ross also paid tribute to the King of
Pop saying that he " was a personal love of mine, a treasured part of my
world, part of the fabric of my life".
Ross did not attend the memorial and instead chose to
mourn in private.
The memorial was a star-studded affair with Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson among a host of singer's performing at the
event.
A number of big names such as Brooke Shields, Queen
Latifah, Martin Luther King III spoke at the public service as well.
Shields broke down in tears during her speech and said
that her and Jackson had a "bond" and that he "knew he could
count on me for support".
Meanwhile, millions of fans of the star paid tribute to
him online.
"Rest in peace now Michael...I'm glad you went out a
record breaker, a hero, and a fantastic performer the world will never be the
same without," said a message signed with the name James Cleave on an
official Sony Music website in tribute to Jackson.
Outside the Staples Centre a fan who did not get a ticket
to the show said that the pop star's passing was a signal of the end-times.
"Michael Jackson was like Jesus Christ. Jesus died
for our sins and we killed Michael through what we did," said Selah
Flores.
"There is a spiritual dimension to this. The last days are coming,"
she said, handing out fliers.