green topiaries . His three children , led by daughter , Paris , 11 , placed a crown atop their father 's coffin , which a family spokesman said it was `` to signify the final resting place of the King of Pop . '' Jackson 's children , parents and siblings took their seats in the front row , while his nieces and nephews filled several rows of white chairs behind them . After an opening prayer by Pastor Lucius Smith , soul music legend Gladys Knight sang the gospel hymn `` His Eye Is on the Sparrow . '' Clifton Davis sang `` Never Can Say Goodbye , '' a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5 -- the group that featured a young Michael and his brothers . What was said by Jackson 's father , Joe Jackson , and others who took the lectern is not publicly known , because the family barred news cameras from the ceremony . A family statement issued afterward said close friends and family , including the Rev. Al Sharpton , spoke `` spontaneously to celebrate Michael 's life . '' News helicopters hovering above captured video from a distance ,
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's family and about 200 of their closest friends gathered on a hill Thursday evening for their final farewell to the pop singer , who died 10 weeks ago . Thursday 's service for singer Michael Jackson began 90 minutes past the announced start time . Jackson 's burial may lay to rest some of the mystery and controversy that erupted with his sudden death on June 25 . His large family was divided over where the superstar 's final resting place should be , but matriarch Katherine Jackson settled on a crypt inside the well-guarded and ornate Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale , California . Thursday 's service began 90 minutes past the announced start time , leaving dozens of celebrities -- including Elizabeth Taylor -- waiting in their seats for the 26 cars carrying the Jackson clan to arrive . Gallery : Invitation for Jackson 's service '' It began with Jackson 's five brothers -- each wearing a single sequined glove -- carrying his flower-covered bronze casket onto the outdoor stage among six large bouquets of white lilies and white roses , along with