In a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, on Thursday, family and friends gathered to say their final goodbyes to pop superstar Michael Jackson, 10 weeks after his death.
Although the service was initially scheduled for sunset, the late arrival of Jackson’s family made it a nighttime affair with Quincy Jones, Elizabeth Taylor, Berry Gordy, Lisa Marie Presley and Chris Tucker in attendance, among others.
Shortly before 10 p.m., Jackson’s brothers carried his casket in for the ceremony upon which his children placed a crown, marking their father’s status as the King of Pop. They also wrote letters to him that will lie with him alongside one of his signature white gloves saying: “Daddy, we love you, we miss you.” Gladys Knight sang “His Eye is on the Sparrow”, and Clifton Davis sang the Jackson 5 hit he wrote, “Never Can Say Goodbye.”
The Jackson family issued the following statement to the public:
“Once again thank all of Michael Jackson’s fans around the world for their generous outpouring of support during this terribly difficult time. Their expressions of love for Michael and his music have sustained the Jackson Family.”
According to a search warrant affidavit unsealed today in Houston, Michael Jacksondied of “lethal levels” of the anesthetic Propofol. Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, told police that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks, giving Jackson 50 milligrams of Propofol every night through an IV.
Murray said he feared Jackson was becoming addicted and began weaning him off the drugs by lowering the dosage to 25 milligrams and mixing it with two other sedatives, Lorazepam and Midazolam.
Read on for the timeline of the day Michael Jackson died. Continue Reading »
According to published reports, Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, will be charged with manslaughter within the next two weeks following a search warrant to be executed next week in order to gather more evidence against him.
Jackson’s longtime dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, will also be hit with charges related to medical malpractice. A law enforcement source said investigators are still building their case against Klein, and he will not be arrested for at least another two weeks.
In an online video recorded last Wednesday and posted yesterday, Murray released his first public comment since Jackson’s death. In it, the doctor thanked his supporters and said, “I told the truth, and I have faith the truth will prevail.”
Check out a preview of The Michael Jackson Story, a special documentary compiled by TV One as part of Michael Jackson week, which airs Sunday, July 26, at 8 p.m.
The documentary opens with clips from the King of Pop’s music videos and follows with testimonies from friends and family, including new interviews with his mother, Katherine Jackson, and friend, Gladys Knight, that will talk about Michael’s life in an “incredible, revealing” way.
Visual artist/ performance painter David Garibaldi hit me up earlier this week and shared his new paintings of legendary entertainer Michael Jackson. I was blown away by them and had to show him some love on the blog.
In what he calls the Pop Trilogy, here is what he sent me:
I am a Performance Painter from Sacramento, CA and I read Concrete Loop everyday, and it keeps me up to date on my Urban Pop Culture. It influences my art subjects in a huge way, and just wanted to share with you these paintings I just completed in honor of the king.
Prints aren’t available for purchase, but if you want more info on them check out David’s official site. Peep larger versions below - sooooo dope!
The Jackson Family stands on stage at the closing of the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on Tuesday, July 7th in Los Angeles, California. Jackson, the iconic pop star, died at the age of 50 less than two weeks ago.
At the end of the service, Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson said this:
“Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” the 11-year-old said. “And I just wanted to say I love him so much.”
Usher sings a touching rendition of “Gone Too Soon” next to the casket of legendary entertainer Michael Jackson at the public memorial service for the star held at Staples Center on Tuesday, July 7th in Los Angeles, California.
The whole service was a very touching and very well put together. Berry Gordy said it best, “To say he’s the king of pop is an understatement, he was the greatest performer that ever lived!”
Other performers and celebrities that attended the public service were: , John Mayer, Queen Latifah, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Brooke Shields, Al Sharpton, Jennifer Hudson and more. Check out all the photos below.
If you missed the full program, make sure to check out the CBS stream video we posted or CNN & YOUTUBE through out the upcoming hours. I’m pretty sure they will have it available somewhere.
