The Jackson brothers carry their brother's coffin into the Staples Center
Michael Jackson fans have been saying goodbye to the singer at his memorial service in Los Angeles. Thousands of people travelled to the city after winning tickets to see the likes of Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Usher and Stevie Wonder perform at the Staples Center.
Smokey Robinson opened the tribute event by reading comments from Jackson's friends including one from former South African president Nelson Mandela. Mariah Carey, as expected, opened the show by singing one of Michael Jackson's earliest Jackson 5 hits, I'll Be There. Twelve-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi from Swansea, a finalist on Britain's Got Talent, also sang a Jackson 5 hit, Who's Lovin You?
Shaheen Jafargholi from Swansea sang at Jackson's memorial
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Miranda was one of 11,000 people watching the memorial service live inside LA's Staples Center. Another 6,500 watched on a large screen next door at the Nokia Theater. Miranda said it was her chance to say a personal goodbye: "Michael's an icon and just watching the flashbacks on TV the last few days, you can't help but smile." Thousands more people gathered outside the Staples Center, home of the LA Lakers basketball team. Concrete barriers were put up around the building so only people with tickets could get in. Police estimated more than 250,000 people filled pavements near the arena. The memorial lasted more than two hours and went out live around the world on TV and the internet. Earlier in the day, the Jackson family had a private ceremony ahead of the memorial at Forest Lawn cemetery. Police motorbikes then escorted a gold-plated coffin along the highway in Los Angeles carrying the singer's body. The casket was then taken on stage at the memorial ceremony by Michael Jackson's brothers. Michael Jackson died on 25 June at the age of 50 after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented mansion in Los Angeles.
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