Michael Jackson "was an idol, a hero and even a king. We come together and we remember the time," Pastor Lucious Smith said in his opening remarks of the Michael Jackson Memorial. In a sweet, somber and incredibly thrilling spectacle, fans, family, friends and fellow musicians gathered at Los Angeles' Staples Center to honor the late King of Pop. Here are some of our favorite moments from the service. Tell us about your favorites, too.12. Tearjerker: Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz open the service with a performance of "I'll Be There." Carey was quivering and near tears as she sang. 11. MJ Is Love: Clearly overcome with emotion as well, Lionel Richie delivers an equally touching rendition of The Commodores' "Jesus Is Love."10. Queen Hails the King: Representing "fans all around the world" and touting Jackson as "the biggest star on Earth," Queen Latifah, who said her first Jackson record was 1973's Dancing Machine, recites poetic words written by Maya Angelou: "We had him. Beautiful, delighting our eyes... . He gave us all he had been given... . We are missing Michael Jackson. But we do know, we had him — and we are the world."
9. From Little Prince to King of Pop: Fighting back tears, Brooke Shields recounts how she and Michael — who were oft labeled an "odd couple" when photographed out together as kids — enjoyed "the most natural and easiest of friendships." Having grown up in the spotlight, she says, "[We] needed to be adults very early. But when we were together, we were two little kids having fun." Shields' speech offers an illuminating glimpse inside the lives of two rising stars who helped each other embrace their inner child and all their fun and weird times, and Jackson's eccentric fashion sense. "If you're going to hold my hand it had better be the non-gloved one because sequins really hurt me," she says.
8. King of Montages: A pulsating, rousing and incredibly poignant montage encapsulates the plethora of iconic MJ images. It ends, appropriately, with the soft ballad "You Are Not Alone," the last No. 1 single of Jackson's career.
7. Remember the Time We Ate KFC?: Magic Johnson provides a moment of levity when he recounts a dinner at Jackson's house. The former Los Angeles Laker visited Jackson to discuss appearing in the "Remember the Time" video and ordered grilled chicken from Jackson's personal chef, only to learn that Jackson had ordered Kentucky Fried Chicken to be served as they sat on the floor. Johnson calls it the "greatest moment of my life."
6. One Glove, One Love: Pallbearers pay tribute to Jackson in one very distinct and unified way — each donning one silver-sequined glove — which was part of an ensemble commemorating the Jackson 5's look during the 1984 Victory tour. It also reminds us that Jackson was not only an entertainment icon, but a style one as well.
4. Summer Goodbye: Stevie Wonder performs the eerily appropriate "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" from his 1971 album Where I'm Coming From album. The song, which was also featured in Janet Jackson's movie Poetic Justice, includes the lyrics: "I never dreamed you'd leave in summer/I thought you would go then come back home/I thought the cold would leave by summer/But my quiet nights will be spent alone." Wonder then asks: "Michael, why didn't you stay?"
3. Come Together: Harkening back to Jackson's video for "Heal the World," which features children suffering from unrest, groups of children came together on stage to perform the tune and to honor, as Kobe Bryant pointed out, the entertainer who holds the most charities supported by a pop star record in the Guinness Book of World Records.
2. No Truer Words Were Ever Spoken: Following a stirring performance of "Will You Be There" from a very pregnant Jennifer Hudson, who herself has endured loss in the past year, the performance concludes with a chilling Jackson voiceover of the spoken portion of the song.
In our darkest hour, in my deepest despair, will you still care? Will you be there?In my trials, and my tribulations, through our doubts, and frustrations, In my violence, in my turbulence, through my fear, and my confessionsIn my anguish and my pain, through my joy and my sorrow, in the promise of another tomorrowI'll never let you part, for you're always in my heart
1. Father First: As Janet Jackson said at the BET Awards last week, to us, Jackson is an icon, but to them, he is family — and to his three children, he is their father. Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris, surprisingly steps up to the mic to remember her father. "I just want 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," she says before bursting into tears.
9. From Little Prince to King of Pop: Fighting back tears, Brooke Shields recounts how she and Michael — who were oft labeled an "odd couple" when photographed out together as kids — enjoyed "the most natural and easiest of friendships." Having grown up in the spotlight, she says, "[We] needed to be adults very early. But when we were together, we were two little kids having fun." Shields' speech offers an illuminating glimpse inside the lives of two rising stars who helped each other embrace their inner child and all their fun and weird times, and Jackson's eccentric fashion sense. "If you're going to hold my hand it had better be the non-gloved one because sequins really hurt me," she says.
8. King of Montages: A pulsating, rousing and incredibly poignant montage encapsulates the plethora of iconic MJ images. It ends, appropriately, with the soft ballad "You Are Not Alone," the last No. 1 single of Jackson's career.
7. Remember the Time We Ate KFC?: Magic Johnson provides a moment of levity when he recounts a dinner at Jackson's house. The former Los Angeles Laker visited Jackson to discuss appearing in the "Remember the Time" video and ordered grilled chicken from Jackson's personal chef, only to learn that Jackson had ordered Kentucky Fried Chicken to be served as they sat on the floor. Johnson calls it the "greatest moment of my life."
6. One Glove, One Love: Pallbearers pay tribute to Jackson in one very distinct and unified way — each donning one silver-sequined glove — which was part of an ensemble commemorating the Jackson 5's look during the 1984 Victory tour. It also reminds us that Jackson was not only an entertainment icon, but a style one as well.
4. Summer Goodbye: Stevie Wonder performs the eerily appropriate "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" from his 1971 album Where I'm Coming From album. The song, which was also featured in Janet Jackson's movie Poetic Justice, includes the lyrics: "I never dreamed you'd leave in summer/I thought you would go then come back home/I thought the cold would leave by summer/But my quiet nights will be spent alone." Wonder then asks: "Michael, why didn't you stay?"
3. Come Together: Harkening back to Jackson's video for "Heal the World," which features children suffering from unrest, groups of children came together on stage to perform the tune and to honor, as Kobe Bryant pointed out, the entertainer who holds the most charities supported by a pop star record in the Guinness Book of World Records.
2. No Truer Words Were Ever Spoken: Following a stirring performance of "Will You Be There" from a very pregnant Jennifer Hudson, who herself has endured loss in the past year, the performance concludes with a chilling Jackson voiceover of the spoken portion of the song.
In our darkest hour, in my deepest despair, will you still care? Will you be there?In my trials, and my tribulations, through our doubts, and frustrations, In my violence, in my turbulence, through my fear, and my confessionsIn my anguish and my pain, through my joy and my sorrow, in the promise of another tomorrowI'll never let you part, for you're always in my heart
1. Father First: As Janet Jackson said at the BET Awards last week, to us, Jackson is an icon, but to them, he is family — and to his three children, he is their father. Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris, surprisingly steps up to the mic to remember her father. "I just want 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," she says before bursting into tears.
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