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Jackson Laid to Rest
Elizabeth Taylor, ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley among invitees
(AP)
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Paris Jackson wept as she stepped into the Forest Lawn mausoleum where her father, Michael, was to be entombed. Katherine Jackson, overcome by sorrow, turned back when she was faced with her son's final resting place. On a sultry evening, amid a sea of white flowers and with a bejeweled crown placed atop his casket by his children, the King of Pop was given an intimate, private version of the lavish public memorial held shortly after his death in June.
Gladys Knight performed the hymn "Our Father" and moved many to tears, according to one guest who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the day. When it was over, many of the the 200 mourners hugged each other. Among them were Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Barry Bonds, and Macaulay Culkin. The mourners followed the casket as Jackson's five brothers carried it into the mausoleum. The 11-year-old Paris cried as the group entered the imposing building and was comforted by her aunt, LaToya. "Gladys Knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him to rest," Sharpton posted on his Twitter account during the service.
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