Michael Jackson's daughter Paris took centre stage at her father's memorial service on Tuesday that featured superstars Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder.
The moment that may be best remembered came when the 11-year-old made a short, moving tribute to her famous father.
Paris was quietly ushered onstage with her brothers as the nearly two-hour event wound down to the strains of Jackson's charity single "We Are the World," then appeared to catch even members of her family off guard by addressing the hushed crowd at Staples Center.
Embraced by her aunt, Janet Jackson, who held back her long brown hair and urged her to "speak up," Paris stepped to the microphone, tears streaming down her face, as some in the audience were already filtering out of the sports arena.
"I just want to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine, and I just wanted to say I love him so much," Paris said, sobbing as she stood near his gold coffin.
To gasps from the throng of about 18,000 people, she then turned and buried her face in Janet Jackson's arms and was hugged by other family members.
Coming at the end of a largely scripted tribute to Jackson that included such fiery orators as civil rights activist Al Sharpton, observers quickly predicted that Paris' simple, impromptu eulogy to her father would be long remembered.
"Nobody was prepared for that. That will be one of the iconic moments from today's service," said media historian Ron Simon, who compared it to the salute to slain President John F. Kennedy by his son John during his 1963 funeral.
Paris and her brothers, Prince Michael Jr. and Prince Michael II, have rarely been seen in public, their faces typically shielded from photographers by masks or veils when they accompanied their famous father. Jackson, who felt hounded by paparazzi, closely guarded his children's privacy.
"This kid in an odd sort of way has been liberated," Syracuse University media scholar Robert Thompson said. "Literally, the veil has been dropped from her, and one gets the sense that this liberation will be a good thing. But then she opens her mouth and reminds us that she's lost her daddy."
A Gospel choir singing "We're going to see the king" launched the emotional public memorial.
Jackson's brothers carried the singer's gold-trimmed casket into the Staples Center sports arena in downtown Los Angeles for the memorial, the same place where Jackson rehearsed the day before his death for a highly-anticipated comeback tour.
Mariah Carey performed Jackson's 1970 hit "I'll Be There" and singer Smokey Robinson read out written tributes from former South African president Nelson Mandela and Diana Ross. Singer Stevie Wonder also sang and a glossy memorial program was filled with pictures of Jackson and testimonials from friends and family.
"Michael was the biggest star on earth," said actress Queen Latifah, to huge applause.
Some 18,000 fans and friends got tickets in the arena or at a nearby, overflow theater for the ceremony, which took place against a large backdrop and picture of Jackson that read "In Loving Memory of Michael Jackson King of Pop 1958 - 2009."
Jackson's sudden death from cardiac arrest in Los Angeles on June 25 at the age of 50 prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief and sent sales of his biggest hits back to the top of the music charts.
Jackson's family and close friends held a brief private ceremony earlier on Tuesday at a Los Angeles cemetery.
Dozens of fans watched from bridges as the funeral procession made its way along freeways cleared of traffic for one of the biggest celebrity events ever seen in a city accustomed to living with superstar citizens.
CROWDS SMALLER THAN EXPECTED
Police had estimated that more than 250,000 people would gather outside the arena to say farewell to the "Thriller" singer and one-time member of The Jackson 5.
But the orderly crowds were much smaller than expected and many fans and downtown office workers appeared to have stayed at home. The ceremony was carried live on most television networks.
Los Angeles resident Parisa Ebraihimi, 28, who said she has been a Jackson fan since she was five years old, came "to pay her final respects. "For me, his dance moves and his music -- all his songs were about a better world. He'll live on for generations," she said.
"This is certainly a momentous occasion that is probably as big, if not bigger than, when Elvis (Presley) passed away," said Steve Howard, a resident of Glendale, California, who won a ticket in an online lottery.
The memorial focused on Jackson's musical achievements, overshadowed in the last 10 years by the darker side of the singer's life, including his humiliating 2005 trial and acquittal on charges of child sex abuse.
Questions persist over the cause of his death, which is being investigated by coroners, police and drug police amid reports of possible prescription medication abuse.
Police, security, escorts and sanitation for the memorial ceremony are expected to cost cash-strapped Los Angeles city council nearly $4 million. The city council launched a web site asking for fans to make donations towards the cost of hosting today's events.
The memorial was being shown live on U.S. television networks, in some 37 U.S. movie theaters, and was streamed on the Internet.