Michael Jackson Memorial Service: Quotes

Here are some quotes from the Michael Jackson Memorial public service at the Staples Center today:

(Reuters) -- Pop star Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, was remembered at a public memorial service on Tuesday at the Staples Center sports arena in downtown Los Angeles, featuring performances by Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder.

Here is a sampling of quotes from the service:

* Motown Records founder Berry Gordy:

"Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down. Though it ended way too soon, Michael's life was beautiful. Sure there was some sad times and maybe some questionable decisions on his part, but Michael Jackson accomplished everything he dreamed of."

"The more I think about Michael and talk about Michael the more I think that 'King of Pop' is not good enough. I think he is simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

* Singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson:

"I never thought I'd be here today. This is my little brother over there (in the casket) and you just don't think that you're going to ... live to see him gone. But he will never really be gone. He is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever.

"The world will never, ever forget Michael Jackson. I love you my brother. I celebrate your life. I'm proud I had the chance to know you."

* Actress Brooke Shields, a longtime friend of Jackson:

"Whenever we were out together and a picture was taken there would be caption of some kind, and the caption usually said something like, 'an odd couple' or 'an unlikely pair.' But but to us it was the most natural and easiest of friendships."

"I was 13 when we met and from that day on our friendship grew. Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date, and that we would have fun no matter where we were. We had a bond."

* Martin Luther King III:

"On June 25th, because he was the best, I believe heaven and earth did pause indeed to say of Michael Joseph Jackson, 'Here lived a great entertainer who did his job well."

* Rapper and actress Queen Latifah:

"Somehow when Michael Jackson sang, when he danced, we never felt distant. Michael was the biggest star on Earth."

* Civil rights activist Al Sharpton:

"I want to say to Michael's children, there wasn't nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with. He dealt with it anyway. He dealt with it for us."

* Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder:

"This is a moment I wished I wouldn't live to see ... As much as we may feel that we need Michael here with us, God must have needed him far more."

* Former basketball great Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who spoke alongside Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant:

"I want to thank Michael for opening up so many doors for African Americans, to be on daytime shows, late night shows. He allowed Kobe and I to have our jerseys in peoples homes across world, because he was already there and he opened all those doors for us."