Marc Malkin

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I awoke at 4:30 a.m. today. I had to get Downtown to the Staples Center for the Michael Jackson Memorial Service. Despite continuous warnings that the area would be a madhouse, it wasn't. Everything was calm when I arrived at about 6 and continued that way through the service.

My most memorable moment? Yes, Paris' emotional tribute to her Daddy. But I must give a shoutout to Brooke Shields. She did a beautiful job making everyone realize that Michael was a friend who loved to laugh. Who doesn't have a friend like that?

I, of course, was tweeting to give folks up-to-the-second details of what was going down. Read on for some of the highlights…

• Jesse Jackson just told me he doesn't know if body will be at Staples Center....yeah, right. 6:51 a.m.

• Jesse Jackson told me it's shameful that Rep. King would "dance on a dead man's casket. 7 a.m.

• Added, "To try to use his death as a platform for a political career is not right." 7:00 a.m.

• Anderson Cooper just walked by. I think it was him. All that close-cropped silver hair. 8:00 a.m.

• The Hulk—I mean Lou Ferrigno—is here. 8:45 a.m.

• The fans are now cheering for TV cameras like we're at an awards show. It's quite strange. 9:00 a.m.

• I am in the Staples Center. Verne Troyer is here. 9:50 a.m.

• Dionne Warwick walking thru VIP entrance. 9:51 a.m.

• Kobe Bryant. People are cheering. Larry King and his wife, who is shooting video. People screaming, "I love you, Larry." Louis Farrakhan now. 10:15 a.m.

• Jesse Jackson just walked in with people we think are Jackson family....Diddy with mom Janice...Jennifer Hudson, too...Brett Ratner. 10:17 a.m.

• I think Natalie Cole is here wearing a medical mask....but not 100 percent sure, because the mask is covering most of her face. 10:53 a.m.

• Don King is here. I remember seeing him at the 1984 Victory Tour concert at MSG. 11:00 a.m.

• Mickey Rooney is here! 11:18 a.m.

• Someone just shouted, "Michael's leading the choir in heaven." 12:15 p.m.

Amen to that.

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