♪♪ >>> WELCOME, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO HONOR THE PASSING OF
MIRIAM LEWIS.
MIRIAM WAS A DEVOTED MOTHER, A
LOVING GRANDMOTHER, A DEVOUT
CHURCH-GOER, BUT MOST OF ALL A
FREE SPIRIT.
>> SHE SURE WAS.
>> NANA LIVED A LIFE.
>> YOU KNOW, AND MIRIAM'S
FAVORITE THING TO DO IN THE
WHOLE WORLD WAS TAKE THE BUS
DOWN TO ATLANTIC CITY AND PLAY
THOSE PENNY SLOTS.
>> SHE WENT EVERY SINGLE
WEEKEND.
>> I MISS NANA SO MUCH.
>>> MIRIAM WANTED EVERY DETAIL
OF THIS
FUNERAL STARTING WITH HER
ALL-TIME FAVORITE SONG AS SUNG
BY HER ALL-TIME FAVORITE
PERFORMER, PLEASE WELCOME,
BUSSED IN DR. RICK FROM THE
LOOSE NUGGET CASINO.
LEGENDARY ATLANTIC CITY
HEADLINER, LEVAR B. BURTON.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU TO PETER PAN BUS
LINES FOR BRINGING ME TO
NEW YORK CITY VIA SECAUCUS VIA
HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA.
[ LAUGHTER ]
I KNEW MIRIAM VERY WELL.
SHE WOULD ALWAYS SIT FRONT ROW
IN MY SHOW AND SHOUT "SING MY
SONG."
WELL, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, MIMI.
♪ I USED TO THINK
THAT I COULD NOT GO ON ♪
>> SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
♪ AND LIFE WAS NOTHING
BUT AN AWFUL SONG♪
>> I THINK IT'S I BELIEVE I CAN
FLY.
♪ IF I CAN SEE IT
THEN I CAN DO IT ♪
♪ IF I DO BELIEVE IT
>> WE MISS YOU, MIMI.
THERE'S NOTHING TO IT ♪
SING WITH ME!
♪ I BELIEVE I CAN FLY ♪
>> STOP.
NO, NO, STOP.
THIS SONG IS BY R. KELLY.
NO, NO, STOP. THIS SONG IS BY R. KELLY. >> YEAH.
WE WERE ALREADY SAD AND NOW
YOU'RE MAKING US LISTEN TO R.
KELLY.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND, MIRIAM
TOLD ME SHE WANTED THIS SPECIFIC
SONG.
>> BUT R. KELLY IS A HORRIBLE
MAN WHO DID AWFUL THINGS.
>> WELL, MAYBE NANA DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT ALL THAT.
>> MAYBE SHE DIDN'T.
AND IT WAS NANA'S WISH SO I
GUESS IT'S OKAY THIS ONE TIME.
GO AHEAD, LEVAR BURTON.
>> LEVAR B. BURTON.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT LEGALLY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
NOW WHERE WAS I?
♪ I BELIEVE I CAN FLY
I BELIEVE
I CAN TOUCH THE SKY ♪
HEY HANDS UP.
♪ I THINK ABOUT IT
EVERY NIGHT AND DAY ♪
OH, NO.
♪ SPREAD MY WINGS
AND FLY AWAY ♪
>> WOW, SHE SURE MET A LOT OF
CELEBRITIES.
♪ I BELIEVE I CAN FLY
OH I BELIEVE I CAN FLY ♪
>> THAT IS WAY TOO RECENT.
>> NO, NO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING,
LEVAR BURTON.
>> OH, DON'T FORGET THAT "B" IN
THE MIDDLE.
>> THIS MAY BE WHAT NANA WANT,
THE MIDDLE. >> THIS MAY BE WHAT NANA WANT, BUT THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED TO
>> THIS MAY BE WHAT NANA WANT, BUT THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED TO REMEMBER HER.
BUT THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED TO REMEMBER HER. >> LOOK, FOLKS, I DON'T KNOW A
LOT ABOUT CELEBRITIES OR ROCK
AND ROLL, AND I'M SURE NANA
DIDN'T EITHER.
SHE WAS JUST A -- A SWEET OLD
LADY WHO LOVED TO SEE A SHOW,
AND I KNOW SHE WANTED A FUNERAL
THAT REFLECTED THAT.
BECAUSE I'LL NEVER FORGET RIGHT
THAT REFLECTED THAT. BECAUSE I'LL NEVER FORGET RIGHT BEFORE SHE DIED, SHE LOOKED ME
BECAUSE I'LL NEVER FORGET RIGHT BEFORE SHE DIED, SHE LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND SAID,
BEFORE SHE DIED, SHE LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND SAID, "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY," AND THEN
STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND SAID, "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY," AND THEN SHE JUMPED.
"I BELIEVE I CAN FLY," AND THEN SHE JUMPED. [ LAUGHTER ]
SHE JUMPED. [ LAUGHTER ] >> YEAH.
YEAH.
THOSE GAMBLING DEBTS FINALLY
CAUGHT UP TO HER.
>> OH, SO THAT'S WHY SHE CHOSE
THIS SONG.
>> SO, YOU WANT ME TO FINISH IT?
>> NO.
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WHY DON'T YOU PLAY NANA'S
SECOND-FAVORITE SONG INSTEAD.
>> OKAY.
OH, OKAY, YOU GOT IT.
♪♪
>> NOW, USUALLY I DON'T DO THIS
BUT --
GO AHEAD ON AND BREAK THEM OFF
WITH A LITTLE PREVIEW OF THE
REMIX.
♪ IT'S A REMIX TO IGNITION
HOT AND FRESH