Dr. Lakshman Makandura says he will never forget July 7, 2009, the day of the memorial service of legendary musician Michael Jackson. He along with thousands of others were the fortune ones to get a seat at Staples Centre in Los Angeles to witnesses first hand as family, friends and fans of the late singer gathered to bid farewell to the man hailed as the King of Pop.
Having secured four tickets for himself and his family members through an acquaintance who worked at the Staples Centre, Dr.Makandura sat through the two and half hour event witnessing as people went through a roller coaster of emotions as the service proceeded to pay tribute to Michael Jackson.
I think we were all grieving in our own way at the passing of a man whose music had brought us all together to bind us in a special bond irrespective of which part of the world we come from,” he recalled.
Having lived in the USA for more than 25 years, Dr. Makandura who works as a consultant physician at a hospital in Los Angeles is also a great lover of music, be it Sinhala or English. Knowing his love for music, a friend working at the Staples Center offered him four VIP tickets for the memorial service.
“When we arrived at the venue which is about ten miles from where I live, there was a writing wall put up for fans to pen their thoughts. I wrote my words of tribute to Michael Jackson in Sinhala stating “We love you Michael,” he said.
The service began with Mariah Carey singing one of Jackson’s earlier hits “I’ll be there,” which he sang in 1970 as part of the Jackson Five. “There was so many touching moments during the service, his brother Jermaine getting on the stage to sing while fighting to hold back his tears, his friends talking of what Michael meant to each of them and his daughter struggling to say her goodbye to her father. It was a complete and befitting farewell to the man who touched the hearts of so many people around the world using the universal language of music,” he said. For Dr.Makandura personally, his favorite movement of the memorial service was the performance by Lionel Richie where he sang “Jesus is love.”
The service ended with the family members of the late singer getting on the stage to thank all those who had attended the service. “It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to be present at the memorial service in person. Michael Jackson was in pain, both emotionally and physically when he was alive, but he entertained the whole world ignoring his suffering. There will be no one like him again,” Dr. Makandura concluded.
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