Happy Birthday Mr. Smokey Robinson!!!

Today we honor a great man of music, a true icon, a part of Motown and music HIStory and a great friend and supporter of Michael Jackson!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr. Smokey Robinson!!!



Smokey Robinson turns 70 today. Unbelievable! He has blessed the world with so much soul and amazing music that this space is not enough to list his achievements as a singer and a songwriter.

So let's focus on the relationship he had with Michael Jackson...

Most of us have seen his heartfelt speech at the Memorial where he talked about 10 year old Michael singing his song "Who's Loving You" better than himself...

"I wrote that song. I thought I sang it. I wrote that song and 2 years later here comes this little kid and he’s 10 years old. [...] And I heard it. I thought to myself…now they have pulled a fast one on us because this boy cannot possibly be 10 years old. [...] I have young kids coming up to me now; when I do concerts I sing "Who's Loving You" at concerts and young kids who were at the concert come up to me and say hey you’re singing Michael Jackson’s song huh."


And nobody will ever forget his part in the Grammys Tribute to Michael Jackson where Smokey Robinson sang the "Earth Song" along with Michael and supported by Usher, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood. When Smokey entered the stage and started singing "I used to dream..." I felt a strong energy and the love he had for Michael over all of those years. To me it felt almost like a real duet of the two. I know Michael was smiling down that very moment!!!


Another fact of their relationship wasn't recognized by the public eye as much but deserves our attention.

Smokey Robinson recorded a fantastic interpretation of J5's "I Want You Back" for his outstanding album "Time Flies When You're Having Fun" that was released in late 2009. It was recorded before June.

So he decided to keep it on the album as a secret track because he didn't want to be accused of exploiting the death of Michael.

"It's the first record the Jackson 5 made when they came to Motown. I always loved that song and I always wanted to make an adult version. It was for Michael to hear. Then he died."

"I loved Michael very much, Michael was my brother. His death was a tremendous shock, an unbelievable thing to find out. I didn't want people to think I was exploiting the fact that he'd died so it became a hidden track."

I have so much respect for that decision but the song deserves to emerge to the light.

This is where the circle closes. Thank you Mr. Smokey Robinson. I love you.



Edit Febuary, 26 additional information:

The first record Michael Jackson purchased was 1963's MICKEY'S MONKEY by Smokey Robinson's group The Miracles.

But we do know that we had him. And we are the world.

"We Had Him" - A Poem by Dr. Maya Angelou
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou)

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing
Now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace
Sing our songs among the stars and and walk our dances across the face of the moon

In the instant we learn that Michael is gone we know nothing
No clocks can tell our time and no oceans can rush our tides
With the abrupt absence of our treasure

Though we our many, each of us is achingly alone
Piercingly alone
Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him

He came to us from the Creator, trailing creativity in abundance
Despite the anguish of life he was sheathed in mother love and family love and survived and did not more than that

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style
We had him
Whether we knew who he was or did not know, he was our's and we were his
We had him

Beautiful, delighting our eyes
He raked his hat slant over his brow and took a pose on his toes for all of us and we laughed and stomped our feet for him

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing
He gave us all he had been given

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Blackstar Square, in Johannesburg, in Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama and Birmingham England, we are missing Michael Jackson

But we do know that we had him
And we are the world.

The Memorial Booklet

Source: The golden Memorial Booklet, cover.

                               "To the world Michael is an icon.

                                To me Michael is family.

                                He will forever live in all of our hearts.

                                I miss you Mike and I love you.

                                Dunk

Michael, I recall you sitting on a chair in your bedroom staring ar the television watching the 1980 Grammy Awards show, crying to me because you only hab won one Grammy Award and you said, ´Watch La Toya, my next record I´m going to sell more records and win more Grammys than anyone in the history of music... I will be the biggest and greatest entertainer of all time´.

    You began to write that dream all troughout your bedroom, on the walls, on the mirrows, in your books and anywhere else you could find space. You strated working much harder, creating sounds in songs that the world had never heard before, you started dancing until you literally collapse. When most artists were trying to learn how to sing and to do a two-step, you were singing and moonwalking. You took your dream to a much higher level and turned it into a reality, a reality of over 100 million records sold on the next album, ´Thriller`. You thereafter continued to turn every one of your dreams into reality, while inspiring the world and becoming the most recognizable, the most well-known and the most loved person in the entire world.

    You´ve lived your dream, you´ve proven to us all that if you believe, you will achieve; you believed, and oh my, did you achieve! What you´ve accomplished is astounding-no one can ever possibly follow! Your dreams were so incredible that it made the world a much happier place to live, and the world wouldn´t let you rest because they demanded your dreams to transport them to another place!

    You´ve done your work here Michael, you´ve entertained us for decades and there´s nothing else that you can prove or accomplish here on earth. You tought us how to laugh, how to love and how to believe. God has now called for you to come home, collect your wings and to fulfill your demands in Heaven and continue your magic amongst the angels.

Mike I love you deeply and I can´t wait to see you perform again.

              Keep the magic going!!!

               La Toya"

Michael,your legacy will last forever. You are a true genius and you will be missed deeply by all who knew and those who never met you.

I´m so blessed to have known such a wonderful person and I loook forward to

seeing you again in Heaven.

Thank you for the many years of memories!

(Jeffré Philipps)

Source:  The golden Memorial Booklet, page 1. 

     Starting out in Gary, we were brothers who enjoyed music; we had no idea of what was to come. My memories of us as a family? Michael running through the house –no one could catch Michael, he was always on his feet. I watched as we moved from Gary to Los Angeles, from singing in clubs to filling stadiums. My brother Michael was always pushing it to the sky, as far as it could go. Michael put his heart and his soul into his music, his family and into his his work of alway helping others.

      My brother developed a shoe that showed resistance to gravity. What a man! Michael gave so much to the world; people didn´t understand his pain when the world started taking it back. He built a home that would provide a place where children who were ill and paralyzed could come find peace, enjoy the outside air and watch movies.

      My brother is in the Guinness Book of World Records for giving laege portions of donations to numerous charities. He gave and he never thought twice. I watched the light in Michaels eyes fade as he faced trials and tribulations for being misunderstood. Michael kept going with a smile and a grace of simply keeping what he stands for and believes in. Michael hast left me and my brothers a lagacy, a pert of us being part of history. I am proud to be his big brother, I am proud to have watched his talent succeed above all!

I love him. 
Michael is with me always. 
We will carry the light 
and make the light shine again 
for Michael 
and the world. Tito

                                    Source: the golden Memorial Booklet, page 2.

Source: the golden Memorial Booklet, filled with pictures of Michael Jackson with various celebrities and political figures, page 3.

Words on this picture: "My friend is gone and my heart is broken. I will concentrate now on the friendship, the laughter, the practical jokes...and will forever honor his requests and make sure I live up to them.´

Love, Frank

Aka Uncle Tookie

From the deepest part of my heart, dearest Michael, I know that your soul is now resting in Devine love...embrassed by the purity of love eternal. In our hearts as one voice we will strive to honor your memory, support your legacy

and your precious family while we weep with breaking and bleeding hearts.

I love you more...

Evvy"

Uncle Michael ,I can´t even begin to express how important you have been in my life.You will ALWAYS be a huge part of who I am now and what I will become in the future. I love you, Applehead.

Taj

Source: The golden Memorial Booklet, Page 4

We Had Him - Maya Angelous´ Poem About Michael Jackson

We Had Him

Dr.Maya Angelou  dedicated this very beautiful poem to Michael Jackson after his death for the Memorial Service. Queen Latifah was the celebrity to read it to the crowd of people on July, 7th at The Staples Centre, Los Angeles.

´Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing,

now that our bright and shining star

can slip away from our fingertips

like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape

our doting embrace.

Sing our songs among the stars

and walk our dances

across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone,

we know nothing.

No clocks can tell time.

No oceans can rush our tides

with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many,

each of us is achingly alone

piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion

can we remember

that he was a gift to us

and we did have him

He came to us from the creator,

trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish,

his life was sheathed

in mother love,

family love,

and survived and did more than that.
He thrived with passion

and compassion,

humor and style.

We had him

whether we know who he was

or did not know,

he was ours

and we were his.

We had him,

beautiful,

delighting our eyes.

His hat,

aslant over his brow,

and took a pose on his toes

for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion

because he held nothing.

He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo,

beneath the Eiffel Tower,

in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh,

in Birmingham, Alabama,

and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him,

and we are the world.´

~Maya Angelou

Source: http:///mayaangelou.com

Addition: Video added July,3rd:

Thank you so much, Dr.Maya Angelous. We love you...

A Celebration of Michael Jackson´s Life -The Memorial Service

July, on tuesday7th,  family, friends and fans had to say goodbye to Michael Jackson. The Memorial Service took place at the "Staples Centre" - where MJ had spent so many hours of his last months of life with rehearsing for his tour "This Is It". On this day his golden coffin was placed  on front of the stage. More than 1.6 million fans applied via internet to attend the memorial event. About 8750 people were chosen and finally received a pair of tickets.

Millions of fans all over the world watched  the Memorial Service live on TV or the internet and cried an ocean full of tears.

I for mine have never seen anything like this before. The Memorial Service was perfectly organized and all the singers and speakers really payed tribute to MJ.  The Celebration was grand, in parts breathtaking - Michael will/would have liked it. The speakers brought some light as well as many  heartbreaking incedents  in mind and many, many people all around the world were breaking out in tears...  Michael connected people in his lifetime and let them share the same feeling - even after his passing. Getting very emotional and unable to hold back tears during the Memorial Service we will have felt what Michael Jackson once put: "We are all ONE."   Yes, we are - but we use to forget this time and time again and need dunning.

Reading and writing  about the Memorial Service made this event to me very present.

source: http://www.maholo.com/

Michael Jackson Memorial

Performers and Speakers

Smokey Robinson opened the ceremony reading statements from Nelson Mandela and Diana Ross:



"It is with great sadness that we learned of the untimely death of Michael Jackson. Michael became close to us after he started visiting and performing in South Africa regularly. We grew fond of him, and he became close -- a close member of our family. We had great admiration for his talent and that he was able to triumph over tragedy on so many occasions in his life.

Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry. And we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide. We also mourn with his family and his friends over the loss of our dear friend. He will be missed and memories about him cherished for a very long time. My wife and I, our family, our friends, send you our condolences during this time of mourning. Be strong."
~Nelson Mandela



"I'm trying to find closure, I want you to know that even though I am not there at the Staples Center I am there in my heart. I've decided to pause and be silent. This feels right for me. [...] Michael was a personal love of mine, a treasured part of my world, part of the fabric of my life in a way that I can't seem to find words to express."
~Diana Ross


Michael Jackson's golden casket was brought onto the stage


Pastor Lucious Smith spoke

"To millions around the world Michael Jackson was an idol, a hero, even a king. But first and foremost this man before us today was our brother, our son, our father and our friend. Michael Jackson was, and always shall be, a beloved part of the Jackson family and the family of man."
~Pastor Lucious Smith


Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz sang the Jackson 5 song " I'll Be There "


Queen Latifah read  a poem written by Maya Angelou

"I'm here representing millions of fans around the world who grew up listening to Michael, being inspired and loving Michael from a distance. Somehow when Michael Jackson sang and when he danced... we felt he was right there. He made you believe in yourself."
~Queen Latifah



Lionel Richie sang



Berry Gordy spoke of his memories of  MJ

"Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down. Though it ended way too soon, Michael's life was beautiful. [...] Sure there was some sad times and maybe some questionable decisions on his part, but Michael Jackson accomplished everything he dreamed of."
~Berry Gordy, Motown

 A video of clips of Michael Jackson played



 Stevie Wonder sang "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" at a piano

"This is a moment that I wish that I didn't live to see come. [...] But as much as I can say that and mean it, I do know that God is good and I do know that as much as we may feel - and we do - that we need Michael here with us, God must have needed him far more."
~Stevie Wonder



National Basketball Association stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson spoke

„I met Jackie Jackson ( Michael’s brother) about 30 years ago and he was a season ticket holder for the Lakers as well as his brother Marlon. Jackie and I became friends and he began to invite me out to their home. Then I got to know the brothers and the sisters and his incredible mother and father. We love to play with fire crackers and just have fun. And Barry just like you lost to the Jackson’s in softball, so did I. And we had some incredible times together. Then Jackie invited me to go on tour with the brothers and then I got to see the genius of Michael Jackson. He was so incredible; he always had command of not only the band, his brothers but also the audience. I truly believe that Michael made me a better point guard and basketball player as I watched him be so great and be the greatest entertainer ever. From there, Michel called me one day and said I want to talk to you about being in a video Remember the Time. But I had to double check with Jackie to make sure it was really Michael because I was scared to death to go over to his house because this was my idol, he was everything to me. So I went over to his house to have dinner. The chef came out and said what would you like, I said some grilled chicken. So as we begin to talk about the video and what he wanted me to do, the chef brought me out the grilled chicken but he brought Michael out a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. And I went crazy like wait a minute Michael you eat Kentucky Fried Chicken? That made my day. That was the greatest moment of my life. We had such a good time sitting on the floor eating that bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and I want to say this. This is a celebration of his life, of his legacy. I want to thank Michael for opening up so many doors for African Americans to be on day time shows, late night shows. He allowed Kobe and I to have our jerseys in people’s homes across the world because he was already there. And he opened all those doors for us. His three children will have the most incredible grandmother that god has put on this earth to take care of them. Michael’s three children will have incredible uncles and aunts to take care of them as well and they will have plenty of cousins to play with. So may God continue to bless this incredible family. We say that we’re praying for you, remain strong. We want to thank the city of Los Angeles for putting this on, AEG for putting it on as well and may God continue to bless you Michael.”~Magic Johnson





Jennifer Hudson sang Jackson's "Will You Be There"

 Reverend Al Sharpton gave a powerful speech

"I first met Michael around 1970. From that day as a cute kid to this moment, he never gave up dreaming. It was that dream that changed culture all over the world. [...] When Michael started, it was a different world. But because Michael kept going, because he didn't accept limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world. [...] He put on one glove, pulled his pants up and broke down the colour curtain. When now our videos are shown and magazines put us on the cover, it was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together. Michael made us love each other. [...]I want his three children to know, there wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. He dealt with it anyway. He dealt with it for us."
~Reverent Al Sharpton



John Mayer played a guitar and performed  M. Jackson's "Human Nature"



Brooke Shields spoke about her friendship with MJ

„Michael was one of a kind. I was thinking back to when we met and the many times that we spent together and whenever we were out together and there would be a picture taken there would be a caption of some kind and the caption usually said something like ‘an odd couple’ or ‘an unlikely pair’ but to us it was the most natural and easiest of friendships. I was 13 when we met and from that day on our friendship grew. Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date and that we would have fun no matter where we were. We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight at a very young age. I used to tease him and I’d say I started when I was11 months old, you’re a slacker. You were what, 5? Both of us needed to be adults very early. But when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. We never collaborated together, we never performed together, or danced on the same stage although he did try in vain one night to unsuccessfully teach me the moonwalk and he just basically just shook his head and crossed his arms at my attempt. We never filmed a video or recorded a song, but what we did do was laugh. It was a competition to see who can make the other one laugh more or be sillier. Michael loved to laugh. His heart would just burst out of him when he was laughing. He adored it when I did silly imitations or told him stories about my life. MJ’s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I had ever known. His sense of humor was delightful and he was very mischievous. I remember it was the night before Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding and he had called me prior and asked if I would join him, he didn’t want to be alone for all the festivities. And it was the night before the big day and Michael and I tried to sneak in to get the first peak of the dress and we were just giggling like crazy and we almost passed out in hysterics when we realized that Elizabeth was actually asleep I the bed. We thought she was in an entirely different room. And we had to laugh and sneak out and then at the point of the wedding when there was the first dance basically we had to joke that we were the mother and father of the bride. Yes it may have seemed very odd to the outside, but we made it fun and we made it real. When he started wearing the glove, I was like what’s up with the glove? I was like look if you’re going to hold my hand it better be the non gloved one because sequence really hurts me…it digs in. He would just shake his head and he would just smile. He loved to be teased. Seeing him smile made you feel like everything was going to be alright. To the outside world, Michael was a genius with unchallenged ability. To the people who were lucky enough to know him personally he was caring and funny, honest, pure, non-jaded and he was a lover of life. He cared so deeply for his family and his friends and his fans. He was often referred to as the King but the Michael I knew always reminded me more of The Little Prince. Thinking of him now I’d like to share a passage from the book:

What moves me so deeply about this sleeping little prince is his loyalty to a flower--the image of a rose shining within him like a flame within a lamp, even when he's asleep... And I realized he was even more fragile than I thought. Lamps must be protected. A gust of wind can blow them out.

Michael’s sensitivity was even more extraordinary than his talent. And his true truth resided in his heart. As The Little Prince also said… Eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart. What’s most important is invisible. Michael saw everything with his heart. To his family, his brothers and sisters, Katherine, Joe and to his children, Prince, Paris, Blanket, my prayers are with you. Michael’s favorite song was not one of the countless masterpieces that he gave us but it was a song that Charlie Chaplin wrote for the movie Modern Times. It’s called Smile. There’s a line in the song that says ‘smile though your heart is aching.’ Today, although our hearts are aching we need to look up where he is undoubtedly perched in a crescent moon and we need to smile.”
~Brooke Shields




Jermaine Jackson sang "Smile" wearing Michael's signature one white glove

 Martin Luther King III and Bernice King spoke

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee spoke about how the U.S. Constitution deemed people innocent until proven guilty, introduced a bill to recognize M.Jackson as a humanitarian

„I’m Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and I hale from Houston Texas but I come to you on behalf of the many members of the United State’s House of Representatives. I come to you on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Barbara Lee, a Californian. And I come to you as every man and every woman for I cannot write music, or dance or sing but I do know an American story. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and his wonderful families of brothers and sisters and cousins, to Michael, Joseph, to Katherine and Paris, Prince, all of these wonderful, beautiful symbols of America. And I can tell you as a member of the United States Congress. We understand the Constitution. We understand Laws and we know that people are innocent until proven otherwise. That is what the Constitution stands for. So I mourn today, I come too to thank you. For many people don’t understand the heats of entertainers. They don’t know how big their hearts are. They don’t know how they heal the world on behalf of America. When we’re at war our icons like Michael sing about healing the world and so he called us into public service. It did not matter whether we were black or white. He even told us to beat it, beat the violence. He told us to look at yourself in the mirror because it meant that if you were going to make a difference look at the man or woman in the mirror. I come to you today to say thank you. Some of you come from all faiths and we respect that here in America. But there is a story whose theme is so symbolic of this young and beautiful man. I love the story of the Good Samaritan because it talks about those who walk by the diminished, the devastated and the poor. This was a broken and beaten man lying along the road. No one stopped except someone called the Samaritan. It could be in any faith. It’ all about charity and love and I call Michael Jackson the Good Samaritan. I call him Michael Jackson who cared and loved for the world. It bothered me, I grew up with him as all of us and so many did. And so what an honor and a privilege to see him up close. When he came to the United States Congress in my office and looked some 15 African ambassadors, representatives of heads of states. Sitting in an office listening to Michael Jackson talk about caring and fighting HIV Aids. They looked at him, he had a twinkle, they listened, he listened. What a miraculous experience to be able to listen and see Michael in action. You know there were words cast about but I wonder if anybody was on his shoulder when he walked into Walter Reed Hospital and he walked along the aisles and the rows in the hospital rooms. This was in the mist of the Iraq War, doctors stopped, nurses stopped, and individual solders who had lost limbs stopped and were in essence moved and touched as Michael was by his desire to come and thank them for their sacrifices. So don’t tell me what an American story is all about; it is assault of the earth. With this family took the talent that God had given them and made it into a miraculous and wonderful story for America. I come today for you to recognize that the flag flies and the people who have spoken have spoken to the people’s house. They recognize and they speak and those of us who serve in elected office we respond to the people. Michael fought for the tolerance of all people. In fact I am reminded although I speak in the tongues of all faith that Michael fought the good fight. He was someone who understood and I hope Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and the family will know that the lord is our shepherd and we shall not want. Michael Jackson you got to know his story and it has not been told by all of what you’ve heard. He was someone who understood if he was burned, he built a burn unit. If a hospital needed beds, he built those beds. If they needed money for developing countries, Michael gave. If he was in…he went to orphanages. Michael never stopped giving and he touched those whose lives could be reconstructed, because the king, yes the king, the king stopped and said I care about you. That is why on the House floor on January 25, 2009 congressional black caucus and members of the House of Representatives stopped, stopped, stopped and had a moment of silence for this wonderful legend and icon. And so to the family let me simply come and someone that wishes she was long lost Sheila Jackson Lee but I’ll keep looking and seeing by coming to say to you that America appreciates and thanks you for Michael Jackson’s life. For that reason we have introduced into the House of Representatives this resolution 600 that will debate on the floor of the house that claims Michael Jackson as an American Legend and musical icon a world humanitarian. Someone who will be honored forever and forever and forever and forever and forever. We are the world and we are better because Michael Joseph Jackson lived. On behalf of myself and the people who have spoken, Michael Jackson, I salute you.”
~Sheila Jackson

Usher sang "Gone Too Soon"


Smokey Robinson returned to the stage to speak again


Shaheen Jafargholi sang "Who's Lovin' You" and thanked M. Jackson for blessing him with wonderful music



Kenny Ortega spoke and introduced the many artists who joined to sing "We Are The World" and "Heal The World"

My name is Kenny Ortega…thank you and I was Michael’s partner in the creating and directing of many of his tours including This Is It. And Shaheen was invited by Michael to join him in London for the show so I just wanted to introduce him to everybody and to say thank you for coming all the way here to join us Shaheen. We were here, we were right here a little less than a week ago and Michael was with us. And the band, and Michael Bearden, and the singers and the dancers and our choreographer and our crew, we were all here and we were a family. This was our house. So when the Jackson family and Randy Philips asked Ken and I to help put together this memorial we knew we had to do it here. We knew w had to invite the world to join us here in Michael’s house. We were immediately surrounded by countless family, artists and friends and dear hearts that unconditionally made this day possible. As we came together as a team we knew we had to celebrate Michael’s life through his music as well as commemorate his passing."
~Kenny Ortega



 Members of the Jackson family thanked fans for their support and reflected on his life


„Fans, friends, nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, I would like to thank everyone for coming out. As you know, I'm lost for words. I was his voice and his back bone. I had his back, so did the family. But we thank you, that's all I can say, we thank you very much.”
~Jermain Jackson



"I will treasure the good times, the fun we had, singing, dancing, laughing. I remember when we used to come home from school and grab a quick bite to eat and try to watch The Three Stooges - as much of it as possible before mother would come in and say it's time to go to the recording studio. [...] I also remember a time when I went into the record store. There was this man purchasing a lot of CDs. He was an older gentleman, he had a short afro, bucked, crooked teeth and his clothes were rumpled. [...] I walked up behind him and said 'Michael, what are you doing in this store?' I told him 'Michael, you're my brother, I can spot you anywhere regardless of your make-up.'"
~Marlon Jackson


Paris Jackson tearfully described her father


"I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much."
~Paris Jackson



Pastor Lucious Smith closed the ceremony with a prayer


 (sources: http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/, http://www.entertonement.com/, http://www.examiner.com/  and  http://www.maholo.com/ , where you also will find all the videos and brilliant photos from this very special event. Alas, because of copyrights currently the video library can only be streamed within the United States. )

quotes from the Memorial Service added on 11/30/09

                          further quotes added on 12/04/09