Dionne Clarke outside the Staples Centre with her ticket at the memorialOur LA reporter was one of the lucky few to attend Michael Jackson's memorial.

Here Dionne Clarke reflects on what she says was the experience of a lifetime.

Dionne said: "From the day that news broke on 25th June that pop icon Michael Jackson had passed away I’ve been in shock but also knew that his send-off would be like no other.
 
"As details trickled out that a public memorial service was being planned I thought that it would be an amazing event and looked forward to watching it on TV.
 
"It was announced on Friday that the fairest way for fans to get the opportunity to attend would be to have a lottery system.
 
"On the allotted day, I applied online for tickets – and the website was jammed. It took a persistent 45-60 minutes repeatedly putting in my details only for error messages to come up.

"But I kept going as I knew thousands – later to find out – millions of people were doing the same thing I was – trying to get tickets to one of the most extraordinary events of our time.
 
"My application obviously went through a couple of times as I received a couple of emails around midnight on Sunday, one saying "sorry, you’ve been unsuccessful in your attempt to attend the Michael Jackson Memorial" and a few minutes later one saying "congratulations, you will be attending.

"I could not believe it.
 
"The very next day I had to go down to Dodgers Stadium to collect my tickets and wristbands – which they put directly on my hand – I presume to limit the chances of them being sold on Ebay and other auction sites. Some reports are that people were bidding tens of thousands of pounds to buy the tickets from people who had won them.
 
"Even waiting to get the tickets in the car park of Dodgers Stadium – fans were screaming and singing – so excited to have been part of the lucky few to get entry into Michael Jackson’s memorial where his family and friends and celebrity performers were going to be.
 
"Arriving at the Staples Center on Tuesday morning – it was chaos – roads were blocked, trying to find an entry point into the arena was near impossible. I had to park a 25 minute walk away – in someone’s front yard – who was selling parking spots at their home for £15 a pop. Time was ticking and there didn’t seem to be a parking space for what seemed like miles away so had no choice but to pay up and start the sprint to Staples.
 
"I got there just in time to see the beginning of the ceremony – a rousing Gospel choir accompanying Michael Jackson’s coffin and his family and friends into the arena. It set the scene as to the type of event it was going to be – spiritual, emotional, filled with music and love, tears and joy.
 
"Star after star came on stage, Mariah Carey singing I’ll Be There, Queen Latifah reading a poem by Maya Angelou, Lionel Richie giving a rousing rendition of Jesus Is Love. There were also eulogies from Berry Gordy, Brooke Shields, Smokey Robinson and his brother Marlon.
 Michael Jackson funeral cars
"Highlights for me were Jennifer Hudson’s soul-renching performance that gave me chills, Britain’s Got Talent star Shaheen Jafargholi showing why Michael Jackson was a fan of his and Jermaine Jackson singing his brother’s favourite song – Smile.
 
"Michael’s daughter Paris at the end of the ceremony saying how much she will miss her Dad brought everyone to tears.
 
"There wasn’t a dry eye in the house for much of the 2hr 45 minutes ceremony. I saw grown men and women, children, people of all races and backgrounds bonded over their love for Michael Jackson and their shared loss but all feeling that his legacy and his music will certainly live on.
 
"It was a once in a lifetime experience that I shall never forget."