As I’ve mentioned before, David and I were among the lucky folks who were able to attend the public memorial service for the late Michael Jackson at the Staples Center here in downtown Los Angeles, CA yesterday morning. There is so much to share that the best way I know how to do so is to just start at the beginning and go from there. Both David and I registered for tickets for the event but like so many other people, neither one of us were selected to receive tickets. I cannot explain why but deep down I always knew that we would attend the service somehow. Late Sunday night, after I had already received confirmation that I did NOT win tickets I received an email from Pink reader Heidi in Houston, TX. She entered for tickets never believing that she would actually win … and she won. Because she was unable to just fly to LA for the event, she very graciously gave her tickets to me. Heidi had NO interest in selling the tickets and she did not want them to go unused … so she asked if I would take them off her hands. We weren’t sure if I would be able to redeem the vouchers for tickets (since she had to enter her personal info to get the voucher and photo ID was required to pick up the tickets) but it turned out to be no problem at all. All they did was scan the barcode on the voucher and we were given our tickets and wristbands. Heidi has been insistent on not being repaid for her kindness but I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank her for her generosity. Once we got our tickets and wristbands, David was very relieved. He had been really excited to see Michael Jackson in concert in September … so he really wanted to say goodbye to the King of Pop in person.
We arrived at Staples early yesterday so that we could sign the memorial wall before the service began. On our way into the secure area, we were met with an onslaught of street vendors. One man was selling sparkly gloves for $5 … because I was wearing a Michael Jackson-esque red jacket, I thought it would be apropos to buy one. When I saw that Michael‘s brothers were also wearing white sparkly gloves, I was happy that I wore one too. Here are a few photos of the tribute wall that people were signing in front of Staples Center:
I was able to snap a lot of photos inside the service and those can be seen behind the cut. Because there are so many and the post will get much longer you can see the rest of the photos/text after the jump …
We got inside and took our seats high in the rafters. Altho we were far from the stage, our vantage point was pretty remarkable. Here are some of the many pics I snapped from my vantage point. In order here are pics of: the stage, MJ‘s casket being brought in by his brothers, Stevie Wonder performing Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer, Jennifer Hudson and co. performing Will You Be There, Jermaine Jackson performing Smile, the Jackson family on stage giving their thanks and MJ‘s casket being carried out of the venue:
As I mentioned earlier today, I did not anticipate being so emotional over the death of someone I never knew. I mean, we all “knew” Michael Jackson but, in all honesty, we never really did. Mariah Carey‘s performance of I’ll Be There (with Trey Lorenz) was the first part of the service that made me tear up. I thought she sang beautifully … it reminded me of her homage to MJ when she sang that song on MTV Unplugged in the mid-90′s. When Brooke Shields spoke of her friendship with MJ … I got teary-eyed again. But when Paris Michael Katherine burst out in tears professing her love for her father, I absolutely started crying. All the emotion of the day just came busting out … everyone was crying. It was just so surprisingly emotional for me. At the end of the service, we were asked to hold hands with our neighbors and I held the hands of David and a woman named Natasha. It was just a really special moment for all of us.
After the memorial service, we met up with my friend Ollie and Pink reader Mariam who also contacted me about an extra ticket. Mariam got her tickets from her friend Courtney who lives on the East Coast and could not attend the service with her. Mariam was also uninterested in selling her ticket and asked if I knew of anyone who would like to go with her. I immediately thought of my friend Ollie who is such a big MJ fan and really wanted to attend. We all met up after the service for lunch. Overhead, a skywriter wrote the letters MJ with a heart in tribute over downtown LA:
As for “souvenirs”, I did buy 2 buttons along with my glove from vendors … that was it. It may sound tacky but I did want something to put away from such a very special day.
Here is video that I shot of the performance of We Are the World at yesterday’s memorial service:
After it was all said and done, I was literally emotionally spent. I didn’t want to Twitter, I didn’t want to do anything but reflect. It was quite an honor to attend yesterday’s service. Again, much love goes out to Heidi, Mariam and her friend Courtney. I’m sure there will be much more controversy to come from the life and death of Michael Jackson. But for one day, it was nice to just remember the man for the icon that he was, is and will forever be.
@Trent – I had commented on one of your previous posts about your MJ opinions and I just wanted to say that while I still stick to some of my comments, your post today completely clarified why you decided to go to the service. Obviously, you didn’t have to answer to me or anyone else, but its nice to have that clarification as to why you wanted to pay your respects just like millions of other people. This past week, I’ve noticed that there were people whom were fans for a period of time and then there were people that were fans until the end. The basic fact is that regardless, these people were fans and your post today clarified that you were one of them regardless of how long. I just wanted to say that as a loyal fan, I appreciate the respectful way you commented on his memorial. Take care!
By the way, totally agree that the service was beautiful. I think most people can agree that it was a heartfelt and wonderful send-off.
RIP MJ!
Trent, we must have sat pretty close to each other b/c I had the exact same view (although maybe a little closer). It was a pretty good view.
oh jeez, people get crazy up on this board don’t they? Thanks for sharing Trent. I am a little jealous. I don’t think anyone could be human and not get a little choked up at that service, especially Brooke Shields speech and when his daughter spoke. It was like we broke through the fourth wall and felt their pain. Everyone made fun of him at one point or another, we are all hypocrites but MJ did make a lot of bad choices in life. He should have seen himself as beautiful and been proud of who he was instead he got all those surgeries and deformed himself. It was just sad but being under the public eye since you were a child can do strange things to some people and make them incredibly self conscious and think they need to become something they are not. I think this was the case with MJ, watch his video “Ghosts” which I think says a lot about his state of mind. He didn’t want to be called a freak but he made himself ‘freakish’ in appearance. He hated the press but he was fodder for it. Ultimately though like when any person dies, its best to focus on the good and he did a lot of amazing and entertaining stuff over his career. As for the child molestation thing. I think people just need to shut up about it b/c it was never proven and no one but God knows and whatever michael did or did not do he answers to God like we all do so I don’t believe in people throwing stones.
Thanks for being there on behalf of all of us Trent.I’m from India and it did really feel as if someone I knew was there :).Some of you need to chill,because regardless of who was a fan or wasnt and who praised Michael or did’nt,the fact stays that everyone was deeply affected by his passing.And everyone has a right to do what they can to deal with it.I wasnt a big Michael Jackson fan(His peak came way before my time),but its been a couple of weeks or more since he died and I still havent stopped crying.
Keep up the good work Trent!
Swan
Thanks to Jackson’s family to share this moment with us !
Mariah performance was very touching !
Paris speech was so sincere !
Michael rocks our world forever !
@ Trent – I feel so bad for you that there are loads of people attacking you…….I think you did a great job covering the memorial service – well done!
Emma, I 100% agree!! I see what Jake, Jada, & BDF are saying. On the other hand, I see what Trent is saying. I agree with “the haters” as they are called. If you weren’t a fan, you should have been respectful and stayed away. But, I know you said David was a huge fan, and being as that is your love, you want to support him. :) I respect that. The buying of the memorabilia would be cool if you would have just bought it and not wore it, because like you said, you weren’t really a fan. That would be like me saying I was a fan of Britney’s up until she shaved her head, but then go to her funeral dressed sorta like her. A little creepy. :) I don’t think these people are hating, at all. They’re fans who never doubted the man in the first place. They stuck by him when his behavior “turned weird.” What was the quote used, “Your daddy wasn’t strange. It was strange what your daddy had to go through.” Who was the first standing up after he said that? Paris! I think SHE knew him better than WE who MJ REALLY was. Anyway, treasure those memories, Trent! You ARE a part of history. You will always be able to tell everyone you went to Michael Jackson’s funeral. That is HUGE.
I just wanted to said thank you Trent for the updates. Also to everyone who is being rude to you get a life!!!
Look, the same way that everyone feels they are entitled to an opinion here, Trent is entitled to his. Just because someone felt that Michael’s life/behavior in recent years was strange/disturbing/questionable does not mean that that person could not have been impacted by his music, his talent, his message and ultimately, his tragic death the same way a die hard fan was. ALL should be able to pay their respects to his memory as they so choose.
Heidi, thank you for being so generous to someone truly deserving of the amazing experience I am sure it was. Trent, thank you for the updates throughout the service.
trent,
could you scan stills of the memorial program in? i (and I’m sure many others), would love to see the program, if it is possible….
i think everyone cried when paris spoke. some people are saying it was scripted; i think that was a heartbroken girl speaking to us. poor baby.
@Jojo — you can see full page scans of the official Michael Jackson Memorial Service program here: http://community.livejournal.c.....51386.html
Trent-
Thanks for sharing your experience!! Thanks to Heidi for sharing her tickets with you, that was a huge act of kindness!!
I didn’t realize how affected I would be by the death of MJ and the memorial, but like you I was overwhelmed with emotion.
I was on vacation with my family when he died and had to explain to my 6 and 4 yo sons who MJ was and why I was sad. Then we watched the memorial together and talked more about MJ and his music.
Thanks again for your experience and allowing each of us to see it through your eyes.
Trent…can you post the program from the memorial so those of us that could not attend can see what it included. I know that there were messages in it from his family and friends. Is there a way to post a link to a PDF file?
@Nicole — you can see full page scans of the official Michael Jackson Memorial Service program here: http://community.livejournal.c.....51386.html
Hi Trent – thank you for sharing your experience. I’ve been (oddly, to me) overwhelmed with emotion, too. I felt the memorial was beautiful, and the outpouring of love from around the world is something I hope (wish) we could sustain.
Dear Trent,
You make my day extra fun by sharing your words with us, and reading your experience aat the MJ Memorial made me feel like I was there too. I’m very thankful to ‘know’ you and I hope you keep writing for us always. You rock!! I would have totally bought a glove and a button or two. Rock on, Trent and keep being the great person you are!!
peace out,
Jenne!
Meh poor MJ
I miss seeing downtown Los Angeles it brings back memories.
I still think tickets should have gone to REAL fans. As in people in his fanclubs and suff. People who actually showed support the last years of his life. Michael loved his fans for their unconditional love and support and for never judging him or ridiculing him, and I’m sure he would have wanted those kind of people to be the first to get tickets. I find it sad that many people registered and went just so they could be part of history and say they were there… this wasn’t the Superbowl or some special concert. This was a MEMORIAL for not only the greatest entertainer of our time, but for a truly kind and beautiful humanbeing. People forget that he was a person just like the rest of us, not someone to gawk at and treat the way he was treated. For people to now come out and say they were fans and believed him all along, seems so fake and fickle to me. But I guess that’s human nature.
You’re so disrespectful to the family that has asked people to NOT bring cameras.
Seriously Trent we’ve all seen it on TV – we don’t WANT you wh*ring out this “exclusive” just for the sake of you getting more clicks=$$$$.
@U can’t deny … — no professional cameras were allowed inside, personal small cameras were allowed. Not everyone saw it on TV. Clearly you want something to keep coming back with your colorful commentary :) You’re welcome!
i think the michael jackson memorial service was sad it bought back memories about michael jackson and to this day on i still miss him i wish i was there at the staples center so i could probably, meet the family and show them some support that i loved there whole entire, family with all my heart.
My name is Dont’e Zierway and I had the lucky opportunity to travel from buffalo without a ticket and then win the ticket when I arrived to L.A. I was interviewed by the world media stations all who covered the M.J.Memorial 7.6.2009.7.7.2009. My Mother was 50 also born in 1958 she passed 3.30.1958-10.21.2008. I am a musician so I feel thankful to win a ticket. My music can be heard on myspace.com/BlackDiamondDonte. I also posted the realest video in the world that represents love for Michael Jackson. Go to Youtube type(Michael Jackson From The Hood pt.1 and pt.2)by Dont’e Zierway. I am seeking an opportunity in the entertainment industry as an singer/writer/producer/actor/model.
From another perspective I know everyone has their own personal sharing with Mr. Jackson and it’s not my right to determine how sincere one may be. My truth is that everybody likes and dislikes all styles of musicians but the truth is Michael Jackson is the musician that we all accept openly or quietly. It’s the same people that make negative statements that sing his music the most and if not they concentrate too much on him acting rude. Who cares what people think know that “Love Carries All Things “. One should also have respect for funerals and memorials because we all have to stop when you see that Funeral “sticker” on the car or risk the chance of being destroyed by family and friends who love him dearly. We are all smart, but we say dumb shit too, I love Mike because he brought all of us together to chat over his story from all over the world here on this website.
I Love my Mother Shirley Dean 3.30.1958-10.21.2008 and if just for a moment think about someone that touched you brittle heart and made it heal again. Think of your love for those in your life that may have passed on and take time out to feel for that connection and know that others have deep feeling’s for Michael Jackson….Show Love your passed loved one’s…
@J — I never once “cussed” him, stop being silly. As I said many times, I was honest in my commentary of his very odd behavior but in death can take stock in his overall contribution to pop culture.
@J — I think you mean “their annoyance”. You’re welcome.