CHRIS ROCK - STARS PAY LAST RESPECTS TO MAC AT FUNERAL

STARS PAY LAST RESPECTS TO MAC AT FUNERAL

Thousands of mourners, including actor SAMUEL L. JACKSON and comic CHRIS ROCK, gathered for the funeral of U.S. funnyman BERNIE MAC on Saturday (16Aug08).
Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and Reverend Jesse Jackson were among those who attended the service at the House of Hope church in Chicago, Illinois, where more than 6,000 fans and locals crowded outside to bid their final farewells.
Jackson, who recently filmed the movie Soul Men with MAC, remembered him as "that kid from Chicago who wanted to make everybody laugh".
He added: "He never turned down that kid for an autograph."
A slideshow of photos from the star's life was played on video screens and letters of condolence from children, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama were read aloud.
The Chicago White Sox organisation, MAC's beloved baseball team, presented his widow Rhonda with a jersey bearing his name and the number one.
MAC died on Saturday (09Aug08) aged 50 after losing his battle with pneumonia.