Jul 10, 2009, 5:00 GMT
Spike Lee says every person in the world loved Michael Jackson.
The iconic film director - who was friends with the late pop superstar and directed the video for his 1996 hit 'They Don't Care About Us' - claims Michael's fame eclipsed that of every other entertainer there has ever been.
He said: "I'm not trying to disrespect anybody, Elvis or Frank Sinatra, but what Michael did globally - there wasn't anybody in the world who did not love Michael Jackson."
Spike paid his respects to Michael - who died of a suspected cardiac arrest last month - at the Los Angeles memorial service held in the Staples Center on Tuesday (07.07.09).
He admits he found the whole service emotional, but was particularly touched by the tribute Michael's 11-year-old daughter Paris made.
He explained: "How can you even comprehend a young daughter bemoaning the loss of their dear father, their daddy? We know Michael the entertainer, but to her, that's just daddy. That was raw - raw emotion. Nobody had a dry eye. That was a killer."
Meanwhile, it has been claimed concert promoters AEG - who were behind the 50 comeback shows Michael was due to play in London starting this month - are to release a DVD of the memorial.
A source said: "The DVD of the memorial service at the Staples Center will feature some behind-the-scenes footage of the various artists backstage - like Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder - stuff that wasn't seen during the live broadcast."
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