To his fans he was their hero, but to his children he was simply ‘the best daddy ever’.
And last night Michael Jackson’s children stepped into the limelight to pay tribute to their father.
His tearful daughter Paris’s voice broke as she told the millions watching the Los Angeles memorial concert: ‘I just want to say… ever since I was born…. daddy has been the best father you can imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much.’
Breaking down: Paris cries after paying tribute to her father Michael Jackson at his memorial concert, surrounded by his family; (L to R) Marlon, Tito, Jermaine, Randy, Paris, Rebbie, Janet and Prince Michael
The 11-year-old paused as she spoke, struggling to get the words out through her tears.
Her genuine emotion filled the
silent Staples Center, which had earlier shook with laughter, sobs and
applause as some of the world’s biggest artists lined up to perform and
pay tribute to Jackson.
Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson,
Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer and even Britain’s Got Talent
runner up Shaheen Jafargholi took it in turns to perform.
Close: Paris and Blanket are comforted by their aunts Janet (L) and LaToya (R)
Missing daddy: Paris (L) and Prince Michael Jackson I (R) watch the crowd while Their brother Prince Michael Jackson II hides between them
But after all the showmanship and glitz, it was unscripted Paris who summed up the man behind the headlines as she ended the memorial.
She and her brothers, shielded from
public view at Jackson’s insistence, shed their masks to commemorate
their late father, who died aged 50 on June 25.
Throughout the event Paris sat
in the front-row with her brothers, 12-year-old Prince Michael I, and Prince Michael II alongside
her. She rested her head on her grandmother Katherine’s shoulder as
celebrities spoke about her father.
Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, clutched a doll in his father’s image. At seven he is two years older than Jackson was when he started his singing career.
Tribute: Mariah Carey sang I’ll Be There with Trey Lorenz at the Michael Jackson tribute concert
Paying their respects: Queen Latifah shared her memories of Jackson, before Lionel Richie sang Jesus Is Love
Jackson’s brothers, each wearing one
white glove, began the concert by wheeling his flower-covered
gold-trimmed casket onto the stage at the Staples Center, where days
before his death he was rehearsing for his O2 concerts.
The coffin sat under a spotlight throughout, in front of the thousands of fans.
Smokey Robinson opened the memorial
with tributes from Nelson Mandela and Diana Ross, before Pastor Lucious
Smith spoke on behalf of the Jackson family.
We Are Going To See The King: A spotlight highlights Michael Jackson’s casket on stage at the memorial
The Jackson Five: Michael’s coffin is wheeled onto the stage by his brothers
Brotherly love: Marlon Jackson gave a speech about his brother Michael as the memorial ended
‘We come to this space where only
days ago Michael Jackson sang,’ he said. ‘First and foremost, this man
was our brother, our son, our father and our friend.
‘In his very beautiful and very human heart, Michael Jackson wanted nothing more than to give love to the world.’
Mariah Carey was the first artist to
appear on stage. Her voice quivered as she launched into a rendition of
I’ll Be There, accompanied by Trey Lorenz.
Emotion: Fans in the concert hall express their grief as the watch the concert
In a moving tribute actress Queen
Latifah then shared her memories of Jackson, saying she was there to
represent the fans who ‘grew up loving Michael from a distance’.
‘Somehow, when Michael Jackson sang, when he danced, he never felt distance,’ she said. ‘He felt like he was right there.’
She laughed as she remembered purchasing the Jackson 5 single Dancing Machine, before reading a poem by author Maya Angelou.
It was Jackson’s skills on stage
which were remembered next by Berry Gordy Jr, the founder of Motown
Records, the label that signed the Jackson 5.
<img src=”http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/07/article-1198105-05A170E6000005DC-750_634×425.jpg” width=”634″ height=”425″ alt=”His last performance: The Jackson brothers escort their brother’s coffin into the memorial service” class=”blkBorder” …
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