Live Blog From the Michael Jackson Memorial

The Daily Voice is live blogging the Michael Jackson Memorial Service, taking place today in Los Angeles.

3:45 p.m. The closing benediction is delivered by Rev. Lucious Smith.

3:40 p.m. Michael's daughter Paris speaks. "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much."

3:32 p.m. Jermaine and Marlon Jackson pay their final respects to their brother. "We will never understand what he endured," Marlon says. "Not being able to walk across the street without a crowd....Being judged, ridiculed...Maybe now Michael they will leave you alone."

3:26 p.m. Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, the Jackson singers and others walk on stage to sing "We Are The World." Afterwards, they sing "Heal the World." Usher, Stevie Wonder, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Hudson, Berry Gordy, Magic Johnson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King III, and lots of adorable kids have all come onto the stage.

3:23 p.m. Producer Kenny Ortega explains why they chose the Staples Center for the memorial service. He presents a performance from the new "This Is It" concert.

3:19 p.m. Twelve-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi performs "Who's Loivng You."

3:13 p.m. Smokey Robinson appears on stage again and talks about writing the song "Who's Loving You."

3:12 p.m. A video of young Michael is shown singing "Who's Loving You."

3:08 p.m. Usher performs, cries at the end, and is embraced by Janet Jackson and the Jackson brothers next to their brother's casket.

2:56 p.m. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee speaks on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. No Maxine Waters?

"I can tell you as a member of the United States Congress, we understand the Constitution, we understand laws and we know that people are innocent until proven otherwise. That is what the Constitution stands for," the congresswoman said, apparently a response to Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who released a YouTube video this week calling Jackson a "pervert."

2:51 p.m. Martin Luther King III speaks. "On June 25, because he was the best, I believe heaven and earth did pause, to say of Michael Jackson, here lived a great entertainer who did his job well." Bernice King says "it is only God's love that will anchor you and sustain you and move you to a higher ground." She tells a story of how 

2:47 p.m. Michael's brother Jermaine Jackson sings "Smile." He almost cries as he finishes the song. "I love you Michael," he says as he finishes.

2:39 p.m. A tearful Brooke Shields remembers Michael Jackson. "Michael was one of a kind." Shields said she was 13 when she met Jackson. She says Jackson's favorite song was "Smile."

2:33 p.m. After a minute of stage setup, John Mayer performs "Human Nature."

2:25 p.m. The Rev. Al Sharpton appears on stage. "I first met Michael around 1970," Sharpton says. "He never gave up dreaming," he says. "Because he didn't accept limitations...he opened up the whole world."  In a rousing speech, Sharpton says:: "It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together." 

"Every time he got knocked down he got back up...Michael never stopped," Sharpton says. Sharpton receives a standing ovation when he says: "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with." 

2:20 p.m. Jennifer Hudson appears on stage in a white dress and sings "Will You Be There."

Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson speak. Kobe says Michael made the Guinness Book of World Records for most charities supported by a pop star. Magic says he lost to the Jackson brothers in childhood softball games. "I truly believe that Michael made me a better point guard and basketball player as I watched him." Magic tells a story of Michael asking him to appear in the "Remember The Time" video. Magic was surprised to find that Michael ate Kentucky Fried Chicken. Magic thanks Michael for opening up doors for African Americans.

2:08 p.m. Stevie Wonder performs "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer."

2:07 p.m. Stevie Wonder is escorted on stage. "This is a moment that I wish that I didn't live to see come," Wonder says, but adds "God must have needed him far more" than we needed him here. Wonder says he told Jackson many times that he loved him and is "at peace."

2:03 p.m. A video tribute to Michael Jackson airs from AEG Live Production. It features clips from Jackson's performances, videos and even speeches. Even former President Ronald Reagan is shown speaking of Jackson.  

1:54 p.m. Motown founder Berry Gordy says Jackson "was like a son to me." His "talent thrust him and entertainment into another stratosphere...Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down." Gordon acknowledges that "there were some sad times and questionable decisions." Gordy receives a standing ovation when he calls Jackson "the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

1:50 p.m. Lionel Richie sings "Jesus Is Love."

1:45 p.m. Queen Latifah appears on stage. Latifah describes Michael Jackson as the "biggest star on Earth." She then reads a poem called "We Had Him" from Maya Angelou about Jackson:

We had him. Now we know that we know nothing. Now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our finger tips like a puff of summer wind...walk our dances across the face of the moon. in the instant we learn that michael is gone we know nothing...Though we are many each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone. Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us, and we did have him. He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him. Whether we knew who he was or did not know. He was ours and we were his. We had him. Beautiful, delighting our eyes...took a pose on his toes for all of us...He gave us all he had been given. Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square, in Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, England and Birmingham, Alabama, we are missing Michael Jackson. But we do know we had him and we are the world.

1:40 p.m. A diamond-studded Mariah Carey struggles to sing "I'll Be There." She introduces Trey Lorenz to complete the duet. She finishes with "We never will say goodbye. Even through the pain and heartache, we will be right there. Thank you Jesus. We miss you."

1:36 p.m. Rev. Lucious Smith appears on stage. Echoing one of Jackson's songs, Smith says: "We come together and we remember the time."

1:32 p.m. A gospel choir appears on stage and sings "Soon And Very Soon." As the choir sings the verse, "Soon and very soon, we are going to see the king," Jackson's body is rolled into the stadium in a casket. Michael's brother Jermaine is among the pall bearers.

1:31 p.m. Twenty minutes have passed since Smokey Robinson showed up on stage. The TV shows are talking about Jackson's life now. The networks have pulled out all the stops for this service. All the major networks have pre-empted their regular coverage to show the service live today. NBC deploys anchor Brian Williams. ABC uses anchor Charlie Gibson. ABC brings out anchor Katie Couric. CNN features anchor Anderson Cooper.

1:11 p.m. Smokey Robinson appears on stage at the Staples Center and reads letters from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela.