find still. >> appreciate you joining us tonight. our coverage will continue, a live special edition of "larry king live." i'm heading off to afghanistan in the morning. i hope you join us for a unique look at what is happening on the ground in afghanistan all week long. that does it for us tonight. larry king joins us now. larry? >> larry: good evening. thiscy aspecial midnight edition of "larry king live." i'm jim moret, sitting in for larry king. guests have been told they can speak if they wish. elizabeth taylor, macaulay culkin and other celebrities have joined the jackson family

to say good-bye. you're looking at tape from earlier this evening, a procession of some 26 cars with family members, drove up. they were about an hour and 30 minutes late, getting under way. we're joined outside forest lawn by carlos diaz, correspondent for "extra." you've been there much of the day. i was there earlier. was extremely hot. any idea why it got off to such a late start? >> well, i mean, it's the exact same thing that happened a few months ago at staples center when that was supposed to start promptly at a certain time before noon and it started at about an hour and a half late and went a lot longer than people expected. this was supposed to -- this funeral service was supposed to last about an hour. it's already lasting longer than that. it got under way an hour late. but when you have so much to coordinate, you have 26 cars coming from across town in a very busy los angeles street.

it's not your normal funeral. obviously, a lot more to this than your normal funeral and a lot more cars to get over here. it seems to be a trend with the jackson family at this point. >> carlos, viewers are watching tape of the services that are under way. give us a sense, if you could, of the media coverage that's outside. i know there's a perimeter right outside the gates and there are cones. you're not allowed to go across that line. give us a sense of how many people are there covering this event. >> you have media from all over the world. it's less media than we saw at the celebration at staples center but it's media from across the globe. the thing that struck me the most was that we really didn't expect to see this much pool footage of michael jackson's funeral. when the pool footage came on the screens, reporters from all over the world that have seen things, that the normal person

has not seen, went running over to the monitors to get a glimpse of this. even reporters who have seen so much were still in awe to see the pictures from inside this funeral. >> and it was a bit of a tease, i know. we were told originally we were not going to get that pool footage. and then, true to form, the audio was cut. we're seeing tape that was shot some time ago. joining us here in studio is gotham chopra, a friend of michael jackson's. you've known michael for nearly 20 years. >> 20 years, yeah. >> what is your sense? you called it earlier on "larry king live." you said you've known michael for a long time. he's never been on time for anything. >> yes. >> you said half jokingly, you wouldn't expect this to begin on time. it did go late. >> his concerts started on time. he never showed up to dinner on time. it was the way he was. it was not a surprise.

it is a dignified ceremony from what we saw here. >> in a way we're eavesdropping, looking in on aerial view, along with our viewers. and this, i have to remind you, this is tape. the service is still ongoing. we were told that the pool footage would be limited. it is limited. gotham, give us a sense, if you could, people tonight in this private ceremony of some 200 plus people, friends, close friends, family, are hearing about michael jackson, the michael jackson you knew. >> sure. >> paint a picture of this man. he's so complex. many people have the wrong view of who he was. >> michael was a contradiction. i mean, he was the greatest superstar that ever lived in some ways, some people would argue he was a scandal-plagued celebrity, certainly in the last few years. but he was also a normal person, somewhere in the middle of that. i think one of the great

normalizing things about him, especially the last decade was his children. he created a family in some ways, people that would not judge him for being one of those two polar opposites but appreciate him for being somebody real, a father. he was a normal father. he knew which kid liked what cereal. he changed diapers, he got worried and stayed up all night when the kids' fever spiked. there was something normalizing about them for him as well. i think, you know, he's actually in some ways all of those things. i mean, he was an agonized person in many ways. and part of that agony is where his amazing creativity came from. it is hard to define him, because he was so many of those things, wrapped up in this iconic personality. >> carlos out on the scene, gotham is describing michael jackson in very human terms but he was also a mega celebrity. we saw a star-studded group of people arriving tonight. can you give us a sense of some of the people who are there?

give us a list of the celebrities that are joining this celebration of michael's life? >> a very unusual list of celebrities. you have elizabeth taylor out here, who was waiting in the heat for michael jackson. she got here on time. michael jackson, of course, late. you have celebrities like barry bonds, macaulay culkin, corey feldman, chris tucker, a fan and friend of michael jackson's, appearing in one of his videos. lisa marie presley here. debbie rowe invited but did not come. diana ross, she did not attend. you do have a mix of a lot of celebrities and also a lot of celebrities that michael jackson will now be buried with here at this cemetery. >> carlos, you named a couple people, lisa marie and elizabeth taylor in particular. neither of them showed up as you mentioned to the memorial service. we're seeing this is a very different type of service,

attracting perhaps a closer group to michael jackson. are you surprised by the people who are attending tonight? >> no. these are people -- there's -- barry bonds is unusual to me. he's the one person you're lake, you didn't hear too much of him having a close relationship with michael jackson. everyone else you can put them at some point in michael jackson's life. but the big thing here is, as we see the footage, we've seen the footage all night, the family members. you see katherine jackson and joe jackson sitting next to each other. they have a very unique and unusual relationship. the two of them sitting so close to one another. when you look at katherine jackson, you're looking tat a mm who's lost her baby boy. joe stoic as usual. you're seeing it from katherine. we've seen pictures of la toya and janet looking somber tonight. a little bit of a difference

from the memorial service where everyone wore the yellow ties. tonight they're wearing all red ties with a black arm band, much as michael did in life. the thing that struck me the most at the memorial service was when they brought michael's casket in, how everyone at staples center, you could hear a pin drop. moments ago, about 45 minutes ago when the hearse carrying michael jackson's body went up this hill behind me, all of the reporters were morbidly quiet. it's one of those things, we can talk all we want about diprivan and propofol and these other drugs. but when you see the hearse, the casket, it's a stark reminder that michael jackson is gone. there he is right there. he's being put in the ground right now. it reminds everyone that we've lost a great entertainer. >> carlos is right. it's an excellent reminder that tonight is michael jackson's

funeral. it started around 8:35 local time, a little over 30 minutes ago. as we go to break, from the night michael died, here's smokey robinson talking about his friend, michael jackson. >> i first met michael when the kids first came to mo-town and they did a show, actually at barry's home in detroit. they did a show for us there. they were so dynamic. to see a little guy like michael was at that time, singing like he had been here forever, you know, singing like an old man, was just an incredible experience. >> did you know he was going to be a hit? >> oh, absolutely. it was obvious. >> this was a no doubter? >> it was a no doubter. it was obvious. like i said, he's like an old soul. he sang like he had before, when he was 10. i knew he was going to be great. s what a lipstick can't.

it's never sticky cuz it's a stain. and it won't leave your lips cuz it's outlast lipstain. bi [ male announcer ] from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl.

welcome back it to a special edition of "larry king live." i'm jim moret. reverend al sharpton is speaking. gladys knight has already sung. lisa marie is quite emotional, we hear. she's sitting in the last row.

elizabeth taylor is in row eight. gotham chopra, elizabeth taylor got there early. many people were surprised she showed up. you were a close friend of michael jackson's. has he ever spoken about his other friendships? >> yeah. he was obviously very close. he had a deep admiration and respect for elizabeth taylor in particular. one of the things that was uniq unique, he separated his relationships and his friendships and his family was in some ways off limits in terms of his brothers and parents. sew w so he was pretty good at separating different parts of his life. a lot of the times when i hung out with him, it was just me and him or in the studio or something like that. >> what do you make of the fact that his mother and father were sitting closely tonight? they live apart. >> sure. >> they're married.

it's been a long marriage and apparently successful but not a traditional marriage. did you get a sense that he was distanced or not very close with his family? >> i think he had, like everything in his life, it was a conflicted relationship. i know with his mother in particular, he had such a deep admiration and respect for her. he worshipped her in a way that was even more than all of us love our mothers. with his father, clearly, it's been well documented, he had a very challenging relationship. there were a lot of things in his childhood that were very hard for him to overcome. i do think when he had kids and he created this new family, it put in perspective some of his relationships with his family. even with his brothers. loved them, respected them, was bonded with them, obviously through a shared experience. there was also no desire, i felt, in some ways to return to that fraternity that made them all so famous. he loved them but had moved on

also. >> based upon your description of his feelings for his mom, it probably doesn't surprise you then that this service, probably more closely follows what she wanted for michael jackson than say his father? >> i think like a lot of funerals, i mean, this is a ritual more for the family. she's the matriarch of the family. >> we have a guest joining us live from new york. he's an american journalist, music critic from 2000 to 2008. he wrote for "the new york times" covering rock 'n' roll, hip-hop and pop culture scenes. now he writes about culture for "the new yorker." this is a merger of music and pop culture. >> right. >> what are your impressions of michael jackson, the man, and what we're seeing tonight with this funeral? >> well, obviously, you know,

his passing gives all of us who are fans in an odd way, it gives us an opportunity to think about what he means and really kind of reconsider what he means. there's a lot of -- there's an incredible body of work, of course, to delve into. rodney jerkins, the producer has talked earlier about how there's a trove of unreleased recordings. i'm sure we'll be hearing those. i think it's also an opportunity to reconsider where he fits. i think in a lot of ways you could argue michael jackson was the last and the greatest star of the disco era, oddly enough. he comes out of the '70s, he arises at this moment of crisis within r & b and he makes music that like a lot of the greatest disco records, draws from all over the place without being rooted in any particular genre or in any particular place. i think for a lot of his life, especially for the '90s and this decade, that was tricky for him when he tried to fit back into

american radio. he crossed over so successfully into pop, but in the '90s and in this decade he was looking at a radio world where people were trying to cross back over from pop into urban jen was, into r & b and hip-hop. that was trickier for him to do. i think that's why in the last ten years you didn't hear his new songs on the radio as much as you did in the '80s. the odd thing, again, the pendulum is swinging back the other way as it always does. in his passing you're hearing not only his songs on the radio but a whole crop of musicians who have so clearly been influenced by him and are clearly working in the traditions that he refined and invented. >> the funeral is still under way. we're told michael's father, joe jackson, is speaking right now. the funeral started 8:35 pacific time. it may continue for a while. all the guests were invited to speak if they wish. as we break, from the night

michael died, here's sean combs talking about the news. >> as i heard the news, i was in shock. you watch television and feel the old videos, this man was the greatest recording artist of our time. this man, through his music, actually like made a change in the world. he was the only artist that you could say people knew of this man in every country. this guy was like my hero. he gave birth to all artists from my generation. and he changed the world. like he made me believe in magic. he made me visualize the music. ? these are hot. we're shipping 'em everywhere. but we can't predict our shipping costs. dallas. detroit. different rates. well with us, it's the same flat rate.

same flat rate. boston. boise? same flat rate. alabama. alaska? with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. dude's good. dude's real good. dudes. priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. there's no way to hide it. sir, have you been drinking tonight? if you ride drunk, you will get caught... and you will get arrested. what, joe, is your favorite michael song? >> the earth song. i like the earth song that he always sang about the animals and all that stuff. he was crazy about animals.

>> how do you think he'll be remembered? >> well, he should be remembered. how he will be remembered? >> yes. >> all over the world. >> yes. >> because he was a fan to everybody. all over the world. and also he was in the "guinness book of world records" selling more records than anybody in show business history. >> that was michael's father, joe, speaking to larry king in july. it's been more than two months since michael jackson died. yet, feelings of sadness are still near the surface for many of his fans. watch. ♪ i'm bad i'm bad >> between "bad" and "i'll be there." ♪ i'll be there ♪ don't you know baby yeah >> "beat it."

♪ beat it beat it >> "the way you make me feel". ♪ the way you make me feel >> my favorite song was "thriller." ♪ you and i must make a pact ♪ we must bring salvation back ♪ where there is love i'll be there ♪ >> millions of people will miss him worldwide. >> michael, you were an icon. you meant a lot to a lot of people around the world. >> his spirit leads him. ♪ i'll be there >> hopefully michael -- the music that he put out. ♪ whenever you need me i'll be there ♪

>> we'll be back with more live updates from michael jackson's funeral. it is still under way. stay with us. carol, when you replaced casual friday with nordic tuesday, was it really for fun, or to save money on heat? why? don't you think nordic tuesday is fun? oh no, it's fun... you know, if you are trying to cut costs, fedex can help. we've got express options, fast ground and freight service-- you can save money and keep the heat on. great idea. that is a great idea. well, if nordic tuesday wasn't so much fun. (announcer) we understand. you need to save money. fedex special interest groups are trying to block progress on health care reform, derailing the debate with myths and scare tactics. desperately trying to stop you from discovering that reform won't force you to give up your current coverage. you'll still be able to choose your doctor and insurance plan. tell congress not to let myths get in the way of fixing what's broken with health care.

learn the facts at healthactionnow.org.

welcome back to this special edition of "larry king live." tonight we're covering michael jackson's funeral, which is still under way. we thought it appropriate to show you where michael jackson will be intered, where he will be laid to rest for eternity. it's known as the great

mausoleumy glendale, the forest lawn there. it is the holly terrace, so named because there are 13 levels of this terrace. what you're looking at is the actual mausoleum itself. it has a marble floor. it's bought full, serene. there's a stained glass replica of the last supper by leonardo da vinci. it seems based upon what his family has said, based upon what michael jackson has said, certainly the fact he never wanted to go to neverland again after the criminal trial ended that this would be an appropriate final resting place. while we're looking at this scene, let's go to carlos diaz, correspondent from "extra" who's at the scene outside right now to get a brief update of the flavor, the mood there. carlos, what is it like outside? >> it's ironic that some of the media members are leaving, because they figured it would be over by now.

not only did it start late, it's running late now. we heard from multiple sources that the jackson family will be going to an italian strahan in the glendale after this is all over. when that's going to happen, we don't know. as you said earlier, everyone who wants to speak is invited to speak. one note about where michael jackson is being buried, when it was all being said about whether he would be buried in neverland or forest lawn, there's another forest lawn cemetery in glendale, which is close to the "extra" studios. i was of the opinion that neverland would be better because of the fact if he was buried at the other forest lawn, among the other plots they'd have to have 24-hour security, making sure nothing happens to his plot. here there's a different level of security. as i was driving up this afternoon, you can see the mausoleum from miles around. it's beautiful with a huge cross basically hanging over the mausoleum. to give you a perspective, it's

about the size of staples center. it's a big area. this is truly a burial at at place fit for the king of pop. >> it's also quite a private area where the public cannot come and visit. that's what you were alluding to. neverland would be private but this will as well, right, carlos? >> i said neverland would be a great place for him to be, because it is a private place. they can watch the body and make sure nothing happens to the body, a la elvis who had to be moved to graceland. when you see where he's being buried now, there is tight security, away from the road. he will be housed as we said earlier, with some of the biggest stars in the world, clark gable, humphrey bogart, w.c. feels, sammie davis jr., all in that area. so michael is in good company up on the top of this hill. >> thanks, carlos. gotham chopra is a friend of

michael jackson's. he knew michael jackson from the time he was 15 years old, nearly 20 years now. gotham, we were talking during the break and i was appropriating you to think of fun stories with you and michael. he incurred so much debt, you'd probably told me he owed you money. you had an interesting story. >> when i went to college in new york in columbia, michael used to live at the four seasons. he was working on an album at the time, "dangerous." 4 i would go with my rhyming dictionaries and would help him write some of the lyrics for his songs, informally. at the end of the night he would retreat into the bathroom and come out with a huge sack full of money. >> he kept it in the bathroom? >> near the toilet. he always liked to have cash around. he would give me $5,000,

$10,000. say this is for your work. i was always kind of unsure whether to take it or what to do with it. i would say, michael, let's go spend this. we're in new york city. >> you're how old at the time? >> about 19 years old. you can imagine. there were definitely things i wanted to spend it on. michael would not be allowed to go. if i was feeling generous i would send cars now, because i was such a rich man. they'd come down and we'd have a good time on his hat. he was that kind of guy. we had a lot of fun. he was neither this big superstar nor this scandal-plagued celebrity then. he was just a normal guy, a friend. >> i suspect someone who is watching right now from the four seasons penthouse, they're checking the bathrooms right now. the guests are moving into the coliseum, as we expected toward

the end of the service. stay with us.

female announcer: from jennifer, while supplies last, this luxurious microfiber sofa and chair, just $399. our most dramatic offer ever: both pieces, $399, from jennifer. welcome back to a special edition of "larry king live." i'm jim moret, sitting in tonight for larry. guests are moving into the mausoleum, following the casket of michael jackson. a lot has happened in the last 70 days as michael jackson died. let's take a look back at the events that led us to tonight. >> what is the emergency? >> yes, sir. i need to -- i need an ambulance

as soon as possible, sir. >> he's pumping the chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please. >> we're getting breaking news coming into "the situation room" right now about michael jackson, the king of pop. >> apparently michael jackson suffered cardiac arrest this afternoon. he was rushed to ucla medical center. >> good evening. details are still coming in about the sudden death of michael jackson earlier today. what's the scene there now? >> detectives are behind these big iron gates here. >> what we're looking at now is a helicopter, we're told, carrying the body of michael jackson. >> the legendary king of pop, michael jackson, passed away on thursday, june 25th, 2009, at 2:24 p.m. >> reminder of what's happened in the past 70 days since michael jackson's passing.

we have with us a music journalist and pop culture journalist in new york. there's a hint of nostalgia as we look back at michael jackson's music. i think this month, as a matter of fact, the beatles music is being re-released in video game form and may be re-released on the itunes. our interest in michael jackson, is it nostalgia and longing for the past or does he have a true legacy that will endure. >> i don't think it's either or. i think a lot of us remember when we first got the "thriller" cassette. >> you're dating yourself to say cassette. >> that's what it was. of course the music lives on and we still hear it. part of what's so remarkable about michael jackson is after 40 years of scrutiny, there's still something elusive about him. it's interesting for me to hear you talk to people who knew him.

i never knew him or got anywhere close to him. i was always just a fan. i always had that sense that i didn't quite know him. i think there's that sense in the music, too. there are currents of alienation and loneliness and sadness in a lot of his songs. i think that's partly why he -- that's partly why people were so crazy for him. there's a sense that he's kind of singing right to me and there's the sense i don't quite know him. if only i can get a little closer or nearer to the guy creating this music, i could get to know him. he wasn't that kind of pop star who you feel like you know every detail of their life and you know how they feel and they're communicating in a plain, spoken way. he always seemed miss toysterio even now. >> i think of the song michael jackson wrote "leave me alone." was there an undercurrent where he felt people wanted too much of him and he wanted to be left

alone? >> i think through it all he loved his fans and felt a connection with his fans. i do think there was a sense of rage. i think that with some of the people who felt abandoned him. there were parts of the media who he thought were persecuting him in some way. i think that was a part of him. there was another song i remember he wrote called "straepger in moscow." which was on the "history" album. he described the scene in moscow. there's a line in there, armageddon of the brain. i thought he felt like there was this huge burden he was carrying around. it was not easy as a friend to watch him go through that. and yet, it again was part of who he was. it's one of the things, now that we celebrate his life, a lot of us are not talking about some of the dark things that were part of his life in the last 10 or 15 years, yet that was so much of who he is and i think ultimately

what he'll be remembered for as this massive, mythic figure. >> i think tonight especially with the funeral, there is certainly attention boeing paid -- being paid to the positives in his life. we will discuss michael's children next, stay with us. the good guys ? spt you know, the guys who do a super job. introducing the superguarantee. go to superpages.com to find a business with the superguarantee. we're so confident in these super businesses we stand behind their services. you'll get the job done right or we'll step in and help to make it right. sign up for free at superpages.com the new superguarantee making the good guys easy to find.

more details from michael

jackson's funeral. gladys knight is singing the lord's prayer. elizabeth taylor's wheelchair had to be lifted up a series of steps for her to go up to the mausoleum. mikko brando, we're told, helped her. this is a pass we were given to cover it. the xurt was very tight. the area around a three-block area around the cemetery was closed off to all traffic. no fans were allowed in and the media were lined up. it was very much a media event, although we couldn't see anything. gotham chopra, we're kept at arm's length, even more so tonight. you got a very close glimpse into the life of michael jackson and especially his children. you were talking earlier about what kind of dad he was. how would you describe those kids? >> they're great kids.

and michael was really the only parent they ever knew. so i think he had a very intense relationship with them. that others don't. he used to take them with him around the world, literally he lived in dubai, ireland, new jersey, las vegas, those kids were always with him. >> it seemed they were sequestered behind masks. >> sure. >> was your perception of them that they were normal kids? >> yes, they were normal kids. i think that was more a product of michael's aversion to the world and distrust of the world and less about theirs. they were normal kids. they liked to play the normal games. michael surrounded them with toys and games and video games and candy. i mean, he loved to create that ultimate playground, especially for his own children. >> michael jackson's long-term dermatologist and friend dr. arnie klein was on larry's show july 8th and he talked

about michael jackson, the father. listen. >> the most important person to these children is how michael loved them and how he loved his children and how they loved him. they would never pass without saying, i love you, daddy. he would say i love you. i spent christmas eve with them and his kids only wanted to meet princess lea. he played with her and the kids on the floor. he was their father and he loved them dearly. >> briefly before we go to break, does that ring true? >> absolutely. he loved to literally be on the ground playing with him. he was a very involved father that way. >> back in 60 seconds. stay with us. so i'm packing my own lunch now-- for less than $3. thanks to walmart. just two times a week saves my family over $500 a year. save money. live better. walmart.

- oh, come on. - enough! you get half and you get half. ( chirp ) team three, boathouse? ( chirp ) oh yeah-- his and hers. - ( crowd gasping ) - ( chirp ) van gogh? ( chirp ) even steven. - ( chirp ) mansion. - ( chirp ) good to go. ( grunts ) timber! ( chirp ) boss? what do we do with the shih-tzu? - ( crowd gasps ) - ( chirp ) joint custody. - phew! - announcer: get work done now. communicate in less than a second with nextel direct connect. only on the now network. deaf, hard of hearing and people with speech disabilities access www.sprintrelay.com. what are your memories of him as a guest? >> we laughed all the time. i didn't know how to do the

dancing. i said let's do it one more time for the old woman so i cannot look like i don't know what i'm doing out here. he said, come on, cher, you're going to get this, let's do it. i thought, my god, i'm going to dance with this boy that's like the best dancer in the world. but then i remember one night, we were at a party, i think it was on the "queen mary" and we danced all night long. i never thought about that i wasn't his equal as a dancer. we were just having a blast. >> that was larry king reminiscing with cher about michael jackson. i'm jim moret from "inside edition" sitting in tonight for larry. let's go back to carlos diaz, a correspondent for "extra." we're getting a sense that the funeral itself is wrapping up. are you seeing any activity at all? >> major activity right now. you're seeing a lot of police officers mobilizing right now on motorcycles.

driving back and forth. you're seeing police cars, some police officers getting into police cars as we speak. so there's a sense that the funeral is finally wrapping up. as we told you, it started late, over an hour late and it's running late now. it was supposed to start at 7:00 local time, which is 10:00 east coast time. and then be done by around 8:00 local time, 11:00 east coast time. we're well beyond that. right now we do have police mobilizing. i do want to say one thing by the way, as was evident at staples center a month ago. the police in both situations have done an amazing job. the planning of this was absolutely amazing. they have been both kind and courteous. the police in both occasions, both the memorial service and with this funeral deserve kudos for their professionalism and their courtesy. >> thank you, carlos. attached to the invitation to the funeral, there were only about 200 given out, was a reminder to all of the guests

that they can go afterwards to a local restaurant where they can celebrate the life of michael jackson together. we will, of course, be bringing you that information as it becomes available to us. right now we'll ta [ female announcer ] trying to be smart with the family budget? here goes the good old steam. [ pfffft! ] whooa!!!! [ female announcer ] let bounty help... because it cleans the mess with less than the bargain brands. it's thick and absorbent. and really durable. in lab tests bounty absorbs twice as much as the bargain brand. [ steam hisses ] why use more when you can use less? bring it. with bounty. the thick quicker picker-upper. and try bounty napkins. now with new prints. need a lift? hey buddy, i appreciate the ride, you know. no problem. ♪ mind if i take a shortcut? yeah, sure. ♪ i knew the subaru legacy was the smart choice...

what i didn't expect... was the fun. the all-new subaru legacy. feel the love.

his greatness was perfection. when you meet people like that, then it makes you up your game. michael was one of those people who wouldn't stop until he was perfect. he kept going even after that. i will personally miss him. i will miss his light, i will miss his star. i will miss who he has caused other people to become because of his greatness. he upped the standard. >> i think he's one of the greatest performers, if not the greatest performer ever. when you look at how many people he inspired and how the music inspired people. i'm saying, this guy lit up the stage like no one else. >> you're listening to some

memories of michael jackson from the night he died, june 25th. that from donna summer and randy jackson. tonight is the night of michael jackson's funeral. it started late and it is wrapping up now. and the guests are being told they may go to a nearby restaurant and continue to celebrate the life of michael jackson. i spoke earlier with a friend of the family who suggested that in their fate they see michael jackson as sleeping now and they want to celebrate his life and join in a joyous environment rather than to do so at the funal grounds. gotham chopra, what is your fondest memory of your friend that will still make you smile today? >> you know, my memories are anecdotes of sharing these moments of him. he was an isolated person, despite the fact that he was a huge mega star. >> he sounds lock a prankster, too. >> oh, my god.

when we were in europe, he used to have hundreds of people, thousands of people chanting his name and he used to stand behind and throw water balloons or spit into his socks and throw them out. he was so isolated in a way that he created games all the time. he loved so watch documentaries and he just created a life for himself, because he had to. >> you're listening to this in new york and you're hearing gotham talk about the man that you only knew through his music. >> right. >> you really did, though, know a lot about this man through his music, don't you think? >> yeah. one of the things with someone who's achieved what he has achieved, it's sometimes hard to remember how radical it was and how many boundaries he broke. we thought r & b singers were supposed to sing about love before michael jackson came along. somehow michael jackson succeeded often by singing about other things. he seemed most comfortable

within he was singing about his own fears or hopes for the world. he didn't seem particularly interested in love songs. he could do a lot of things to a crowd, he could amaze, inspire and dazzle. he didn't seduce the crowd the way a lot of other r & b singers would. in that sense, he opened up a lot of new ground. we broke a rule we didn't know existed. that's what someone like him does. they expand the territory that's available for a singer. and changes slightly the way we see the music. >> somebody who follows music and follows pop culture, how do you feel about so much of his older music that was never released finally being released? are you looking forward to that? >> i'm excited about anything that gets released from the vaults. rodney jerkins was saying there's an album's worth of outtakes from the "invincible" record.

if it got to the point of being demoed, michael jackson was such a perfectist, it will be interesting. his songs sounded -- they never sounded easy. they always sounded like he worked really hard and the songs were him in the process of figuring out what his music should sound like and what he should be like. there's the sense any time you're listening to a michael jackson song, you're catching someone in the process of self-creation. i think the thought that we'll have more windows into that process is exciting. >> you're looking at a shot of villa sorico. that's a restaurant where folks will gather. stay with us. we'll be right back on "larry king live."

now the colors of life can last a lifetime. valspar -- the beauty goes on. there's no way to hide it. sir, have you been drinking tonight? if you ride drunk, you will get caught... and you will get arrested.

you're watching a special edisof "larry king live." i'm jim moret, filling in for larry. carlos, are people leaving yet? >> we saw the first car come down and leave, a mercedes that was filled with people that were there. no one of note we saw in the car. they did escort the car out to the left. we saw the pool truck that had been giving the pool feed for the video we'd been seeing. that has already pulled down. i would imagine the procession has ended, the funeral has ended up the hill and it's now time for people to start coming down. they will be heading to a strahan in the pasadena where they'll be celebrating the life of michael jackson. it's ironic how we've been talking about speculation over the last two months about what

could have killed michael jackson, who was involved, who was there. what's going to happen to the children and the estate. now, tonight, it's the ultimate finality, putting michael jackson into the ground, the funeral of michael jackson now ending. >> and the funeral started about an hour and a half late. it ended two hours later than expected. gotham chopra, you thought this would run late. when you hear them talk about the cultural impact of this man, you must feel privileged of having known him as a friend. >> just to hear him so eloquently talking about what an iconic symbol michael represented over his career, i knew it but clearly, you're reminded, yes, what a privilege it was to be part of that life and know this person as a normal person. i think a lot of people lose sight when they think of all these mythic types of things he

was involved. >> he knew he was huge in life. do you think this would surprise him 70 days after his death, at his funeral, that so many people would be so interested? >> i don't think so. again, i think he knew people still loved and appreciated him. i think the intensity of it and even to michael, the fact that some of the same people who were chasing him and were all over the scandals are celebrating him. i think he would find that ironic. >> you're looking at a procession now of police officers leading out those who were mourning the passing of michael jackson. do you have a sense that michael jackson knew his place in musical history? >> i think he obviously knew he had an important place in musical history. but it's obvious that his music lives on as long as we listen to it. what's less obvious is that his music keeps changing in a sense

as long as we listen to it. what i mean by that, you hear his music now. as long as people keep taking inspiration from michael jackson's music, the way his music sounds will keep changing in light of what comes afterwards. >> do you think that the funeral really brings any closure? there's still so many questions about how michael jackson died, what's going to happen from a criminal standpoint, if anything. but do you think for the family, if not for his fans, that there's at least now some sense of close wrur? >> i hope so. i think a lot of people, people grieve in different ways. 2 1/2 months have passed already. i think a lot of people close to him have gone through a bit of a process. certainly something like this, hopefully brings some closure to his family, in particular, who really put this together. >> how do you feel as a friend

watching this from afar? you're with us tonight, we appreciate that. how do you feel looking at these images of your friend being laid to rest? >> when i thought about it, even in anticipation of tonight, i mean, i went through my own process weeks ago, months ago. in our tradition, you know, that's not michael anymore. he left a long time ago. so i think what's nice is, this is a celebration of his life. i think for his family in particular, this is part of their tradition and hopefully it gives them some sense that they can move on now. >> carlos diaz, we're seeing more police activity as cars leave the cemetery. have many members of the media already left? >> as i said earlier, a lot of members of the media figured this would be over by now. it started so late and ran so late, so a lot of people have cleared out. you're starting to see several cars now, you're starting to see one of