Celebrities speak, sing in tribute to Michael Jackson

In a strange turn of events the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke and actually made sense.  

Rev. Al Sharpton addressed the crowd and spoke of Jackson's contribution to the music world.

"When Michael started, it was a different world, but because Michael kept going, because he didn't accept limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world in the music world," Sharpton said. "He put on one glove, pulled his pants up and broke down the color curtain."

Sharpton then addressed Jackson's children.

"There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy," he said. "It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it."

Singer John Mayer then took out his guitar and performed Jackson's "Human Nature."

An emotional Brooke Shields, who was 13 when she became close friends with Jackson, said they bonded "because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age."

The service turned to tears, though, as Jackson's brother Jermaine sang "Smile," a favorite song of Michael's. After struggling not to cry through the song, Jermaine was hugged by his surviving brothers as he left the stage.

Martin Luther King III, Bernice King and Congresswoman Shiela Jackson Lee also addressed the crowd.

Source: CNN