Photo: WENN.com

The final goodbye to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, will take place in Los Angeles today at a public memorial service at the Staples Centre.

Gigwise's Deputy Editor Jason Gregory is on hand to bring you a minute by minute round-up of how the event is being covered by news outlets around the world, as well as all the reaction from Jackson's fans.

Join in by posting a comment at the bottom of the page, where you can also find minute by minute photo highlights.

20.45pm (12.45 PDT) - Michael Jackson’s body has just been wheeled out of the Los Angeles Staples Center. The tribute is over.

Long live the King of Pop.

20.43pm (12.43 PDT) - Rather unexpected words from Paris, Michael Jackson’s daughter.

Read more about that here.

20.40pm (12.40 PDT) - The Jackson family are paying their heartfelt respects and talking about their memories of MJ, led by brother and “backbone” Jermaine.

Jackson’s three children are on stage.

Marlon Jackson is giving a fantastic insight into MJ’s underplayed humourous side. “We will never understand what he endured,” he tells the audience, adding: “Maybe now Michael they will leave you alone.”

20:35pm (12.35 PDT) - We're getting a look at the This Is It concerts now as Jackson's backing singers and band perform 'Heal The World'. Not exactly the same, is it?

20.29pm (12.29 PDT) - All sarcasm aside (i.e. the massive publicity boost), Britain's Got Talent finalist Shaheen Jafargholi delivers a fantastically impassioned Michael Jackson cover. And that’s not an easy task. (Just ask Mariah.)

Ah, no worries about the sarcasm. Paul Gambaccini has done it for me: "Simon Cowell's very happy."

20.23pm (12.23 PDT) - Smokey Robinson is back, talking about the music he wrote with MJ. Apart from the odd good musical tribute, these personal recollections are the undoubted highlight of this service.
 
Smokey says when he first met Michael that he asked to chek his birth certificate because he couldn’t believe he could sing so well at such a young age. He never thought he would be here, the legend says.

He added: "This is not it," which, one can't help is an unfortunate twist of words on MJ's planned This Is It comeback concerts.

20.17pm (12.17 PDT) - After a slight technical hitch I am back. It must have been Uri Gellar.

Usher’s just offered a fantastic tribute to Michael Jackson and broken down in tears at the end. The Jackson family are surrounding him as he stands next to the star’s coffin.

19.53pm (11.52 PDT) - Brooke Shields - wow. Jermaine Jackson - WOW! Performance of the night.



19.33pm (11.33 PDT) - Part sermon, part political protest, the Reverend Al. Sharpton has just delivered a thunderous – if slightly inaccurate – speech about Michael Jackson. It’s the first time Jackson’s family have been visibly moved to emotion - and their feest - since the ceremony began.

Poignantly, the singer’s three children are unmasked and in the front row.

John Meyer followed with a performance of ‘Human Nature’, described a “pleasant” by the BBC’s Trevor Nelson. Err, whatever Trevor.

19.22pm (11.22 PDT) - In a non-ceremony related update, here’s a shot of New Yorkers in Times Square. (It’s not a random holiday snap of mine, it was taken about half-an-hour ago and it shows people watching Michael Jackson's procession to the Staples Center.)

19.19pm (11.19 PDT) - Magic J has just given KFC one hell of a PR boost. Interesting that he totally omitted Michael Jackson’s father, Joe, from his tribute speech.

19.14pm (11.14 PDT) - Has Stevie Wonder just delivered the performance of the night/day/morning? It would seem so going on people’s reaction.

19.02pm (11.02 PDT) - Berry Gordy: “Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer that ever lived.”

Discuss?

18.54pm (10.54 PDT) - Lionel Ritchie has just sung for MJ. He’ll be back later, I understand, for a finale of ‘Heal The World’. (Expect a few other surprises during that one.)

Another touching (word of the day?) and upbeat tribute from Motown Founder Berry Gordy, who described Jackson as “like a son to me”.

18.49pm (10.49 PDT) - Actress Queen Latifah has just shared her thoughts about Michael Jackson. She also read out a rather touching poem from a local poet who bigged up everyone from Birmingham, Alabama to Birmingham, England. For that, we say thank you.

18.42pm (10.33 PDT) - Mariah Carey is singing ‘I’ll Be There’. Quite a fitting start to proceedings. Definitely shaping up to be a proper tribute concert.

18.33pm (10.33 PDT) - Don’t won’t to tempt fate but the whole thing seems to be under way now with a choir.

They've been eclipsed by the arrival of Michael Jackson's body. That's not really surprising, is it?

Michael Jackson's brothers bring coffin into Staples Center.

18:25pm (10.25 PDT) - Smokey Robinson has just read out letters from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. I’ve transcribed the former South African president’s tribute below:

“Dear Jackson family,

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the untimely death of Michael Jackson. Michael became close to use after he started visiting and performing in South Africa regularly.

We became fond of him and he became a close member of our family. We had great admiration for his talent and that he was able to triumph over tragedy on some many occasion in his life.

Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry and we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide. We also mourn with his family and his friends over the loss of a dear friend. He will be missed and memories cherished of him for a long time.

Be strong,

Nelson Mandela”

18.00pm (10.00 PDT) - De Incredible Hulk is ontalking a bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger. For those who think I’ve lost the plot, the Hulk – aka Lou Ferrigno – was training Jackson for his comeback gigs before his death.

He says he saw nothing of Jackson’s alleged drug use and that the star named Diana Ross in his will because she’s a “sweet woman”. He also had a lot of “pain and anger”, the Hulk says.

The interview is actually one of the most fitting tributes I've seen in the last twelve days (even though much of it is inaudible because of helicopters overhead).

17.51pm (09.51 PDT) - Michael Jackson’s body has arrived at the Staples Center. Have just taken receipt of the official memorial programme (see below).

Memorial progamme for Michael Jackson tribute.

17.36pm (09.36 PDT) - Shepard Smith on Fox News is puzzled – not by the confusion around Jackson’s memorial service but the traffic situation surrounding the star’s journey to the Staples Center.

“If I was trying to make my way to work now I’d be pretty upset – but I guess the King of Pop has to get to the Staples Center.”

17.33pm (09.33 PDT) - Michael Jackson – or his casket, at least – is on the move to the Staples Center. All roads in between the arena and the Forest Lawn Cemetery have been shut. You can read the latest on that here.

17.19pm (09.19 PDT) - As predicted earlier (see below), the memorial service/concert at the Staples Center has been pushed back by half-an-house to 18.30pm (10.30 PDT).

17.14pm (09.14 PDT) - Aforementioned Welsh ladies from post below. (Turns out Sky News gave them a pair of tickets.)

Jackson's welsh fans - they're just too "sad" to speak.

17.10pm (09.10 PDT)  - It’s all gone a little Gavin and Stacey on Sky News as Kay Burley interviews a couple of Michael Jackson’s welsh fans. Remarkably, they’ve only just become “sad” about the star’s death. Burley doesn’t dwell on them for too long – they’re just too “sad, very sad”, to speak.

17.00pm (09.00 PDT) - BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jackson’s body is being moved by hearse from Forest Lawn Cemetery to the Staples Center.

Michael Jackson's hearse outside the Forest Lawn Cemetery.

16.56pm (08.56 PDT) - First shots from inside the Staples Centre. It looks like a very lavish stage set – similar to what Jackson was rehearsing on for his O2 shows.

16.37pm (08.37 PDT) - Lots of speculation in the media as to where the huge Jackson family entourage that have arrived at the star’s funeral were when the King of Pop was actually alive.

16.13pm (08.13 PDT) - Michael Jackson’s family have just arrived at Forest Lawn cemetery followed by a huge police entourage. They are already running late, so don’t expect a 6pm start at the Staples Centre.

Michael Jackson's family make the journey to Forest Lawn cemetery.

15.58pm (07.58 PDT) - TWEET TWEET: Gigwise Twitter follower Tom Valentine has just given his response to the decision to take Michael Jackson’s body to the Staples Center.

"RT urgh gross @Gigwise: Michael Jackson's Body Will Be Taken To Staples Centre: For memorial service... http://tinyurl.com/n76dmq"

15.50pm (07.50 PDT) - The judicial overlord of all custodial battles, Megyn Kelly, has just given her summation of Jackson’s ex-wife’s custody chances on Fox News’ aptly entitled feature, Kelly’s Court.

There you have it folks, straight from Kelly’s mouth.

15.24pm (07.24 PDT) - A little more on the breaking news. Michael Jackson’s casket will be taken to the Staples Centre and put on display onstage at the arena. Lots of speculation now over whether it will be flown by helicopter or driven by motorcade.

The casket will have to be moved from the Forest Lawn Cemetry.

15.08pm (07.08 PDT) - BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jackson’s body will be taken from cemetery in LA to the Staples Center for memorial service.

14.54pm (06.54 PDT) - Lots of talk about Britain’s Got Talent ‘star’ Shaheen Jarfargohli’s appearance at the Staples Center today. Every news outlet is bigging the 12-year-old up. A fitting tribute or simply the PR scoop of the century?

14.40pm (06.40 PDT) - Michael Jackson’s family are moving from their home in Encino to the Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood.

14.04pm (06.04 PDT) - Michael Jackson fan on Sky News has just compared receiving a ticket to today’s memorial service at the Staples Centre to the finding the Golden Ticket. (Lets ignore the obvious Charlie and Chocolate Factory pun here…)

14.00pm (06.00 PDT) - In case you’ve just joined, you may have missed today’s big Michael Jackson revelation (behind Dame Liz’s “whoopla”) – his face has been found on a tree stump. Read Gigwise Editor Scott Colothan’s story – and see the stump – here.

13.47pm (05.38 PDT) - An ‘Expert’ – who, I think, is also a friend of Michael Jackson (isn’t everyone?) – is on Fox News calling for the singer's “enablers” to be given criminal retribution. Jackson’s friend is also questioning where said enablers, who have suddenly appeared since his death, were during his life.

13.38pm (05.38 PDT) - BBC News is saying a small funeral will be held for Michael Jackson this morning (LA Time) before the public memorial. Not exactly a revelation. Still not clear if this will include a burial, either.

13.34pm (05.34 PDT) - Just received the latest guest list for the memorial service.

Ron Boyd (family friend); Kobe Bryant; Mariah Carey; Andrae Crouch Choir; Berry Gordy; Jennifer Hudson; Shaheen Jafargholi (finalist on Britain’s Got Talent); Magic Johnson; Martin Luther King III; Bernice A. King; John Mayer; Lionel Richie; Smokey Robinson; Rev. Al Sharpton; Brooke Shield; Pastor Lucious Smith (family friend); Usher; and Stevie Wonder.

13.09pm (05.09 PDT) - Right folks, it's all kicking off now. Lots of talk about Dame Elizabeth Taylor's Twitter comments...well, it’s all they're talking about on Fox any way.  As Gigwise reported earlier, she’s not coming to the Staples Centre because of the “public woophla”. It’s certainly the biggest bombshell of the day so far…Liz is on Twitter!

Michael Jackson Memorial In Pictures