Brooke Shields´ eulogy of Michael Jackson

Here´s the tribute Brooke Shield delivered on 07 July to her best friend Michael Jackson, which I transcribed from the video uploaded by MSNBC (´Michael Jackson Memorial Service – Brooke Shields,´ youtube.com), with minimal editing. I watched and listened about 20 times – Frank A Hilario, 12 July 2009

MICHAEL (pause) WAS one of a kind. I was thinking back to the times we met and the many times we spent together. Whenever we went out together and there would be a picture taken, there would be a caption of some kind, the caption usually said something like ´an odd couple´ or ´an unlikely pair.´ 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 that he could count on me to support him, or be his date (smiles), and that we would have fun, no matter where we were.

We had a bond. Maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be on the spotlight from a very, very young age. (She laughs.) I used to tease him, and I´d say, ´You know, I started when I was 11 months old. You´re a slacker. (Laughter) You were what, five? (Laughter)

Both of us needed to be adults very early. But when we were together, we were two little kids having fun.

We never collaborated together, we never performed together, or danced on the same stage, although he did try in vain one night to unsuccessfully teach me the Moonwalk. (Laughter) And he just basically shook his head, and crossed his arms that might have (been). We never filmed a video, or recorded a song – but what we did do was laugh!

It was always a competition, to see who could make the other one laugh more, or be sillier. Michael loved to laugh. His heart would just burst out of him when he was laughing. He adored it when I did send him silly invitations, or told him stories about my life.

MJ´s laugh was the sweetest and purest laugh of anyone I had ever known. His sense of humor was delightful, and he was very mischievous!

I remember, it was the night before Elizabeth Taylor´s wedding, and he had called me prior and asked if I would join him, he didn´t want to be alone for all the festivities. It was the night before the big day. Michael and I tried to sneak in, to get a first peek of the dress. We were just giggling like crazy, and we almost passed out in hysterics when we realized that Elizabeth was actually asleep on the bed. We thought she was in an entirely different room. We had the laugh and sneaked out. Then, at the point of the wedding when there was the first dance, basically we had the joke that we were the mother and father of the bride.

Yes, it may have seemed very odd to the outside, but we made it fun, and we made it real.

When he started wearing the gloves, I was like, ´What´s up with the gloves?´ (Laughter) I´m like, if you gonna hold my hand, it better be the non-glove one, because sequins really hurt me. (Laughter) He´d just shake his head and he would just smile.

He loved to be teased. Seeing him smile made you feel like everything was going to be alright.

To the outside world, Michael was a genius, with unchallenged ability. To the people who were lucky enough to know him personally, he was caring, and funny, honest, pure, non-jaded, and he was a lover of life.

He cared so deeply for his family, and his friends – and his fans. (Applause & cheering)

He was often referred to as ´The King.´ But the Michael that I knew always reminded me more of The Little Prince. Thinking of him now, I´d like to share a passage from the book:

What moves me so deeply about the sleeping prince is his loyalty to a flower. The image of a rose shining within him like the flame within a lamp, even when he is asleep. And I realize he was even more fragile than I had thought. Lamps must be protected. A gust of wind can blow them out.

Michael´s sensitivity was even more extraordinary than his talent. And his true truth resided in his heart. As the Little Prince also said, ´Eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart. What´s most important is invisible.´ Michael saw everything with his heart.

To his family, his brothers and sisters, Katherine, Joe, and to his children, Prince, Paris, Blanca, my prayers are with you.

Michael´s favorite song was not one of the countless masterpieces that he gave us, but it was a song that Charlie Chaplin wrote for the movie Modern Times. It´s called ´Smile.´ And there´s a line in the song that says, ´Smile, though your heart is aching.´ Today, although our hearts are aching (her voice begins to break), we need to look up, where he is undoubtedly perched on a crescent moon (she points up) ... and we need to smile. (She is crying even as she smiles. She nods that she is finished. Applause.)