More than 7,000 attend Bernie Mac’s public memorial service

August 20, 2008 by Roland
Filed under News

Salem Baptist Church’s The House of Hope was one of only two places in Chicago that could hold all the folks who wanted to attend the public memorial service for comedian Bernie Mac.

So it was fitting that the funeral for the Chicago icon, who often spoke of his love for the South Side of the city, would be held on that part of town, as opposed to the United Center.

Family, friends, and fans were in abundance at the 10,000-seat venue, and many of his Hollywood friends and fellow comics were in attendance.

Among them: Mac’s family from The Bernie Mac Show, Kellita Smith (Wanda); Jeremy Suarez (Jordan); Camille Winbush (Vanessa); Dee Dee Davis (Bryana); Chris Rock and his wife, Malaak; Tom Joyner and his wife, Donna Richarson Joyner; Bruce Bruce; George Wallace; Salli Richardson and her husband, actor Dondre Whitfield; Myra J; Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, actress LaTanya Richardson; Michael Collier; and Don Cheadle.

Letters were read to the audience from Oprah Winfrey; Sen. Barack Obama; actor Andy Garcia; and Congressman Maxine Waters.

Mac’s favorite singer, Rachelle Ferrell, tore the house down with a 10-minute musical tribute to him.
Mac’s family has asked that donations be made to the Bernie Mac Foundation, which focuses on educating people on sarcoidosis, which he suffered from for several years.

Cedric the Entertainer