July 7, 2009 18:16

Mariah Carey covers 'I'll Be There' at Michael Jackson memorial

Queen Latifah speaks of pop star's influence on African American community

Photo Gallery: Michael Jackson
Photo: Pa Photos

Mariah Carey covered the Jackson 5's hit song, 'I'll Be There' at Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles today (July 7).

Following an introduction by Smokey Robinson and a performance by a gospel choir, Carey took the stage wearing a low-cut black gown.

Carey's voice cracked with emotion at the beginning of the song, on which she dueted with Trey Lorenz.

Queen Latifah addressed the crowd following Carey's performance, saying that Jackson made a tremendous positive impact on the African American community.

"Michael made you believe in yourself," she said. "I loved him all of my life. Michael was the biggest star on earth. He let me know that as an African American you could travel the world. He was a human being first," she said, and the crowd cheered in response.

Stay tuned to NME.COM for live updates throughout Jackson's memorial service.

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Click to see a gallery of images from the memorial here.

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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