The climactic moment of Tuesday’s Michael Jackson memorial service came when 11-year-old Paris Jackson 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.”
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.”
You can read more about Jackson’s memorial in this week’s issue of EW, on stands Friday. (Reporting by Archana Ram)
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Look. For all intents and purposes, Paris was hid kid. Doesn’t matter what was planned. She had more right than anyone to say something.
You bet your tail it was planned. How does one cry with no tears? They don’t.
I am in no way skeptical in regards to Paris Jackson. I am , however, bothered by the fact that Ken Erlich keeps referring to it all as a “show”. Any emotional impact is now questionable because what had been thought of as a (memorial)service is now being called a show. It gives it a very different feel.
I, too, am a little skeeved out by Erlich’s constant referrals to it as a “show,” but considering that this is a guy in show business, it might be the way he operates. He may not even realize how creepy it sounds himself. At least, I hope he doesn’t. I definitely think Paris was just moved to say something, and given the opportunity simply took it. My grandmother died when I was 23, and I was asked to speak at the funeral. I didn’t accept, but when the time came, it took every fiber of my being not to get up there anyway. Now that I’m older, I regret not telling the priest to shove his schedule and just jumping up because that’s something that you can never get back. Bravo, Paris, for having the guts to speak your mind in front of that huge crowd. You won’t regret it.
HERE COMES THE TABLOIDS – starting with this ONE!!!!
That’s why MJ shielded his children from the media/people when they were with him, the children’s faces were covered so the media/people would not do to the children what they did to Jackson.
The veils and masks were there so that the people will not remember their face. Without Jackson around, the children can actually go out, walk around and play with their nannies like normal children without being recognized. NOW, their lives have changed forever. The media knows who they are and the media and tabloids are going to psychologically kill the children as they did Jackson.
I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT MICHAEL JACKSON WENT TO GREAT LENGHTS TO SHIELD THE IDENTITY OF HIS CHILDREN FROM THE PUBLIC. IN FACT, EVEN WHEN HE DANGLED A BABY FROM A WINDOW, THE BABY’S FACE WAS COVERED.
IS IT POSSIBLE WITH ALL THE LOVE FROM WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE NOW THAT ONE OF HIS DEEPEST WISHES ARE BEING IGNORED
Michael Jackson is Michael Jackson…..
Let him rest, leave his kids and the whole Jackson family out of the media.Oh “one can cry without tears”
Rest Michael…………………
That MJ’s memorial video:
http://www.nowgoal.com/21.shtml
Are you serious? Are people actually questioning the sincerity of his daughter? These kids need to go to school in Europe until they are old enough to fight back, America will destroy them. Leave them alone!
A child shows feelings for her dead father (wow! Imagine that!) and some dissing the dead pinheads feel it’s “planned” because they weren’t convinced enough. Frankly, people like that sicken me–they are totally without class of any kind. No wonder Michael Jackson distanced himself from the public–who needs grief like that? Try and show some respect for a child whose father died–or just shut the hell up.
Ken Erlich is class all the way and I believe that he is largely responsible for the “service” or “show” or whatever you want to call it being in such good taste, for the most part. Why pick on the guy for his choice of words? Let’s face it, it was a show of sorts, at least from the point of view of the guy who had to produce it.
i love michael nd if you talk abot him i’ll kill you
it’s so sad now that michael has left us
i really miss michael jackson because he has made a difference in my life
That was really sad. That part made me cry. I teared up during the show but that part really made me cry. and the show was relli in great taste, it was way better than the b.e.t. awards. And the crowd was very patient and working with wat was going on. how could people even think for a second that he didnt love his kids, just go on youtube and watch some of michael jacksons home videos and you will see how much his kids loved him and how much he loved them. how could you even doubt that. I swear people make me sick, and I dont think they should go to skool in america either, either private skool or skool in a different country cause america is relli harsh and may tear his kids apart especially the media and that is something that michael jackson did not want his kids to have to go through!