Celebrity News: More Stars Speak Out About Michael Jackson

Alicia Keys: “I did meet him one time, and it was amazing. “He was just an awesome dad, great with his kids. His kids were so smart and attentive. They were there in the conversation as well. We had a great time. We threw around paper airplanes his son was making – like these really cool ones that were just brilliant. It was just beautiful to meet him. I’m glad I got the chance.”

Wyclef Jean: “He came to see me at the studio and he spent a whole hour with me,” Wyclef Jean said. “We talked Haiti, we talked about Jamaica and we talked about music, and that was one of the greatest times ever in my life”

Smokey Robinson: “He was 10 years old, and he had just come to Motown, and [Motown artist and Jackson 5 mentor] Bobby Taylor and I used to take Michael to the golf course with us. He would ride around in the cart with us and critique our golf game, and when we’d hit a bad shot, he’d laugh. I was absolutely flabbergasted when I saw how talented he was when he was 10 years old. He was 10, but he was 30! He sang like he was 30, he danced like he was 30. He was awesome.”

Berry Gordy: “At home last night, I was looking at some of my old pictures with him, from the early rehearsals to ones with he and my son on the baseball field as we played our weekly Gordy-Jackson baseball games,” he said. “For the world, Michael’s legacy will always be his music and his artistry. But for me it will be so much more. The memories of watching of watching him grow from a mere 9-year-old kid with boundless determination and talent to become perhaps the greatest entertainer of all time – it is a bittersweet moment.”

Celebrity News: Spike Lee Speaks Out About Paris Jackson’s Final Goodbye To Her Father Michael Jackson

Spike Lee, who attended Michael Jackson‘s memorial service Tuesday, says watching the late pop star’s 11-year-old daughter Paris take to the stage and talk about her father was brutal.

“How can you even comprehend a young daughter bemoaning the loss of their dear father, their daddy,” says the celebrated film director, 52, who knew Jackson for more than a decade. “We know Michael the entertainer, but to her, that’s just Daddy.”

In 1996, Lee traveled to Brazil to direct Jackson in his music video, They Don’t Care About Us. Lee says he has never known another entertainer with Jackson‘s global appeal.

“I’m not trying to disrespect anybody, Elvis or Frank Sinatra, but what Michael did globally – there wasn’t anybody in the world who did not love Michael Jackson,” says Lee.

At the tribute, Jennifer Hudson might have sung and Smokey Robinson might have praised Jackson‘s talents, but it was Paris‘s tearful moment that held everyone riveted.

“That was raw. Raw emotion,” lauds Lee. “Nobody had a dry eye. That was a killer.”

Source: PEOPLE

Wire Talk: Paris Jackson’s Memorial Comments Wasn’t Planned, It Came From The Heart

As the star-studded tribute to the King of Pop concluded, Michael Jackson’s own children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, took the stage during a group performance of “Heal the World.”

The climactic moment of Tuesday’s Michael Jackson memorial service came when after the song, 11-year-old Paris Jackson gave an impromptu speech from the stage surrounded by the Jackson family. Paris stepped to the mic and spoke through tears: “Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” she said. “And I just want to say that I love him so much.”

Her aunt Janet Jackson then took her into her arms for a hug before the entire Jackson family left the stage, closing the service that lasted more than two hours. The moving tribute was especially startling because it marked one of the first times Michael’s daughter has ever been heard publicly.

Ken Erlich, the producer of the memorial, has told EW that the moment was in no way planned. “A lot of the show was not scripted,” he says. “A lot of the speakers spoke from their heart. We told them we’d be happy to work with them, but a lot of them — the Smokeys, the Berry Gordys, the people who knew Michael all his life — wanted to speak from the heart, on their own. When [the Paris moment] happened, I had asked the family to come up if they wanted to and say something. I thought, frankly, that we were going to get the brothers and the sisters. This went way beyond that, obviously.”

Erlich also reports that the moment when Usher left the stage to sing “Gone Too Soon” next to Jackson‘s casket was similarly impromptu. “He did that on his own and it was wonderful,” says the producer. “All we had time to do with this show is create the sense of it. The rest of it happened because we allowed it to happen. We didn’t want to get in the way.”

More photos of the kids below…

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Singing to “We Are The World”Above: You notice that Blanket dresses like Michael used to dress, with the high-water pants, white tube socks and penny loafer shoes. Check out the photo I put below to compare.

Prince Michael:

Paris:

Blanket:

Just In: Michael Jackson Memorial Photos

The Michael Jackson Memorial Photos: The Coffin, The Brochure, The Kids, The Hearse & More…

It’s over. The funeral and the memorial service for the King of Pop have occurred and the Jackson family had their own private luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

It was beautiful, moving, well coordinated and produced. Wonderful performances and eloquent speeches echoed the sentiments of most of the world. Somber but still warm and loving, it was a respectable and fitting tribute.

You’ll be able to see broadcasts and videos of Mariah Carey, Trey, Usher, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer and the other performers and speakers, along with his daughter’s heartbreaking comments, played over and over again online, on YouTube, on tv, etc.

But let’s face it, what you really want to see is that coffin, his kids, the brochure and other little incidentals. I’ve got those here for you, thanks to the AP and Getty images.

The Tickets:

The Memorial Brochure Cover:

The back of the memorial brochure:

A sad, Joe Jackson leaving his Encino home, heading for Forest Lawn Cemetery early yesterday morning:

The Motorcade consisted of black Cadillac Escalades, black Ford Explorers and black Rolls Royces:

The Hearse:

The motorcade leaving Forest Lawn cemetery on their way to the Staples Center:

On the freeway:

A good look at that gold-plated Casket (Coffin):

Above and below: The Promethean velvet-lined model by the Batesville Casket Company. Rumor has it that, Michael Jackson ordered it for himself, after seeing that James Brown was buried in the same years ago. It’s a $25,000, solid bronze, 14-karat gold-plated, custom casket.

The pallbearers, those of whom were the Jackson Brothers, each wore a single white sequined glove:

Above: From left: Randy, Tito, Marlon, Jackie and Jermaine

Above: a tender moment as brother Jermaine tosses a rose onto Michael’s casket while singing “Smile”.

The Children: Paris, Prince and Blanket:

Above: Michael Jackson’s children, Paris Michael Katherine, Prince Michael II (aka Blanket) and Michael Joseph Jr. (aka Prince Michael).

Above: Janet (L) and La Toya (R) with Prince Michael Jackson II (Blanket) and Paris Jackson

Above: the heartbreaking and unexpected speech from Paris Jackson

Rev. Al Sharpton (nice eulogy, by the way):

Yes, it’s true, Corey Feldman donned his “Michael Jackson” costume:

Above: A Michael Jackson mural with fan’s signatures stands in front of the Staples Center.

Above: A Michael Jackson impersonator poses outside at the public memorial service at the Staples Center.

See a video of the memorial in its entirety here.

Breaking News: Michael Jackson’s Body Will Be At Staples Center!

Michael Jackson‘s body will be brought to the memorial service at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, sources involved in the planning said.

A motorcade leaves the Jackson family home in Encino, California, early Tuesday.Jackson‘s family and closest friends attended a gathering at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills on Tuesday morning before going to the public memorial.

Teddy Riley, a singer who worked closely with Jackson on several albums, said Jackson family members told him the casket will be driven in a procession from Forest Lawn to the arena.

A second source familiar with the planning also said the King of Pop‘s body would be delivered to the arena.

“It wouldn’t be fair for the fans who are going to appear and be here at the Staples Center not to see his casket,” Riley said.

An army of fans poured in to Los Angeles from places far-flung, hoping to collectively mourn their idol in a massive ceremony.

Parking lots in the area raised their prices, some as high as $30. Airports in Southern California saw a spike in bookings. And several movie theaters in the area announced special screenings of the event, which also will be carried live by some television networks and Web sites.

Police put up concrete barriers around the center, allowing only fans with tickets to the star-studded event to enter.

The first fans — those holding the best seats — began entering the arena at 7:30 a.m. The service is set to start at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET).

The stage is set up on one end of the Staples Center’s converted basketball court.

Michael Jackson: The Memorial
On Tuesday, join CNN, HLN and CNN.com Live for all-day coverage as the world celebrates the life of a worldwide pop icon, and don’t miss our prime time coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET.

see full schedule »Wide steps lead up from both sides and two transparent podiums are posed on either side. Drums sit in the background and small floral arrangements rest against the front of the stage, where three rows of chairs form a semicircle.

Police would not say what kind of security measures they have put in place. The cash-strapped city has said it will foot the bill for law enforcement. 

Until the last minute, the Jackson family remained tight-lipped about where the singer will be buried, but signs pointed to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills after several carloads of people, La Toya Jackson among them, visited the cemetery Monday.

Tuesday began with a private gathering at the cemetery. A motorcade of mostly sports-utility vehicles was seen departing Jackson‘s parents’ Encino, California, home early Tuesday. California Highway Patrol officers then closed down ramps to the 101 Freeway leading from Encino toward Hollywood.

The procession pulled into Forest Lawn about 15 minutes later. Jackson’s family and his friends began entering the chapel, which can hold about 1,000 people.

The Staples event is expected to feature singers Mariah Carey, Usher and Stevie Wonder.

Also participating will be basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson; singers Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Smokey Robinson; and activists Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton, according to an announcement released on behalf of the Jackson family.

Two notable absences will be actress Elizabeth Taylor, a longtime Jackson friend, and Debbie Rowe, Jackson‘s former wife and the mother of his two older children.

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Taylor, in a message posted on Twitter and verified by CNN, said she declined an invitation to speak because she “cannot be part of the public whoopla.”

“I just don’t believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others,” Taylor tweeted. “How I feel is between us. Not a public event.”

Rowe planned on attending but decided against it, said lawyer Marta Almli.

“The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael’s legacy,” Almli said.

Fans congregated in downtown Los Angeles, outside the Staples Center regardless of whether they had tickets.

On Monday, organizers used a computer to choose 8,750 names from 1.6 million people who registered for tickets online. Each received a pair of tickets, for a total of 17,500 tickets.

Just 11,000 of those are for seats inside the arena. The other 6,500 are for viewing the memorial telecast across the street at the Nokia Theater. The Jackson family set aside an additional 9,000 Staples Center seats to give out, organizers said.

Two fans waiting to get in to the service Tuesday were surprised at their good fortune.

Michelle Mann and Basra Arte, both 18, flew in from Vancouver, British Columbia, to honor Jackson. They stood outside the Staples Center, brimming with excitement and celebrating the generosity of a complete stranger.

“It’s overwhelming,” Mann said. “We can’t believe that we’re here.”

The two had appeared on Canadian television and said they planned to fly to Los Angeles for the memorial service even though they didn’t have tickets. Six hours before their flight, 15-year-old Karlo Karanan, who’d seen them on TV, tracked them down and gave them his.

“I’m looking forward to being in the presence of other fans,” Arte said. “The energy is going to be amazing.”

Source: CNN

Just In: Celebrities Participate in Michael Jackson’s Memorial

Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson & More To Participate In Michael Jackson Memorial…

Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Magic Johnson, Smokey Robinson and John Mayer are among the superstar guests set to participate in Tuesday’s public Michael Jackson Memorial, the Jackson family announced in a statement to Access Hollywood.

Michael‘s former girlfriend, actress Brooke Shields, will appear at the event, as will R&B star Usher, legend Stevie Wonder, Motown’s Berry Gordy and Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

Around 17,500 fans have been given tickets to the late King of Pop‘s memorial, which will take place at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.

More than 1.6 million fans registered to try and obtain tickets to the event.

Lionel Richie, “Britain’s Got Talent” finalist Shaheen Jafargholi, Martin Luther King III, Bernice A. King, the Andrae Crouch Choir, the Reverend Al Sharpton and family friend Pastor Lucious Smith are also scheduled to participate at the memorial, according to the family’s statement.

Source: Yahoo!