CHICAGO – Cedric the Entertainer surveyed the crowd of about 6,500 and declared Bernard Jeffery McCullough, a.k.a. Bernie Mac, “still the hottest ticket in town.”

Mac, one of the “Original Kings of Comedy” died from complications with pneumonia on Aug. 9. His public memorial service one week later drew a legion of fans, friends and relatives to the South Side’s House of Hope Church, where they shared tears and laughter while remembering the sharp-witted comedian.

The tribute to the 50-year-old Mac was a four-hour affair that included song, pictures and an audio montage of Mac's jokes and hits by the legendary Isaac Hayes, who died from a stroke Aug. 10.

A letter by Mac's daughter, who was described as his "heartthrob," was read to the crowd by a family friend. In part, it read: “I had you for 30 years. I really now know what I'll be missing in my life. You are the first man I have ever loved. The very large shoes you left behind will never be filled by another. If the world never knew you as Bernie Mac, I would still be proud. I'm proud I was able to make you a grandfather.”

Mayor Richard M. Daley said he met with Mac a few weeks prior to the celebrated entertainer’s death. Daley recalled Mac’s passion for the city and its children.

“He wanted to help get the children away from a life of crime and violence. That's why he's the king of comedy. He never lost his soul in Chicago,” Daley said.

Throughout the tribute Mac repeatedly was referred to as a “family man.”

“All he talked about was his family and Chicago. He loved this city. Milt Trainer's, Harold's Chicken, stepping. He loved Chicago,” comedian D.L. Hughley said before breaking down in tears.

Hughley was joined on stage by Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey. Those three, along with Mac, appeared in the 2000 film “The Original Kings of Comedy.”

Hughley said Mac was never afraid to speak his mind.

“He stood on his own terms. He always said, ‘I don't care if you like me. I like me.’ I have never been more influenced by another comedian,” said Hughley. “I never got a chance to tell him I loved him.”
Harvey, his voice trembling, said he didn't want to speak at the service, but Rhonda, Mac's wife, requested that all the “Kings” say a few words.

“It's tough when you tell jokes for a living, but sometimes it just ain't funny,” Harvey said after pausing a few times to regain composure. Mac was the driving force behind the “Kings” praying each night before they hit the stage even though, “It seemed like we didn't know God at all,” Harvey quipped.

Mac's television nephew Jeremy Suarez said the comedian was a great mentor and teacher.
“He never missed a birthday, even after the show was over. We were not his co-stars, but part of his family. That's how he treated us,” Suarez said.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson recalled talking with Mac about each of them achieving their goals and always making sure that they gave back to their communities.

“He was so open and happy about his celebrity. He always wanted to make his fans comfortable. He never lost being that kid from Chicago,” said Jackson, who stars in the upcoming movie, “Soul Man,” with Mac and Hayes.
Jackson said it was a “real joy” to have worked with Mac on the film.

“I knew he had some health issues, and I would look at him. He would say, ‘I'm good, let's go, let's hit it,’” said Jackson.
Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for president, sent written condolences, as Oprah Winfrey, Mac’s “Ocean's 11” star Andy Garcia, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, the O'Jays and the Chicago White Sox, Mac's favorite team.
The team delivered a personalized uniform, with a No. 1 jersey, to Mac's wife.
Singers Theresa Griffin and Rachelle Farrell brought the crowd to its feet during separate performances.
Others in attendance included: the cast of “The Bernie Mac Show,” comedians Michael Colyar, Chris Rock, George Wallace and Bruce Bruce, NBA player Juwan Howard, actors Don Cheadle, Salli Richardson and Dondre' Whitfield, radio host Tom Joyner, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and producer and writer Ali LeRoi.

Mac had been diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a disease that can agitate tissue, particularly in the lungs. It had been in remission for the last three years. His bout with pneumonia was not related to the disease, his publicist said.
The family asked that all donations be made at www.berniemacfoundation.org.

(Kathy Chaney reports for the Chicago Defender.)