Author E. Lynn Harris’s personal assistant Laura Gilmore spoke with Essence.com and gave the details of Harris’s last day leading up to his death. Essence.com reports,

Last Tuesday, the former IBM executive boarded a train from Alburquerque, New Mexico, to Los Angeles for a meeting with CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Tracey Edmonds, allegedly to sell the rights to his books. During his travel, he fainted but medics aboard the train said his vital signs were okay.

Two days later while meeting with one of his students from his alma mater, University of Arkansas, where he served as an adjunct professor of English and sponsor and coach of the cheerleading squad, Harris took his final breath.

Lynn and his student were about to order some food when the student got up to turn on the TV and heard a loud thud, Harris’s Read the rest of this entry »

Thousands of fans and admirers arrived at the Staples Center in Los Angeles yesterday to pay their final respects to Michael Jackson at his memorial service. The service was televised live worldwide. Performers, friends, and family took the stage to pay tribute to the deceased King of Pop. It included performances by Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, a funny trip down memory lane from Brooke Shields, Queen Latifah reading a poem from Maya Angelou and a touching, tearful goodbye from Paris Jackson.

Check out video footage of these memorable moments after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »

Jackson’s three children – Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II (a.k.a. Blanket) – attended the memorial service for Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Check out more photos after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »