“We had one of our elders who pretty much knew all of his fights by heart,” said the 54-year-old. “At that time there was not much entertainment in the community, so people who gather and ask him: ‘Come on, narrate the fights’.”
On Friday morning, a funeral procession will wind through the city of 600,000, passing sites that were important to Ali: his childhood home, the Ali Center, the Center for African American Heritage — which focuses on the lives of blacks in Kentucky — and, of course, along Muhammad Ali Boulevard before arriving at the cemetery for a private burial.
Actor Will Smith — who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ali on the silver screen — and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will be among the pallbearers.
An anonymous individual has pledged to cover the path to the grave with red rose petals.
Friday afternoon, Ali will be honored at an interfaith memorial service at a large sports arena that will bring together heads of state, VIPs and fans alike.
More than 15,000 people are expected to attend — with free tickets to the memorial service given out in a half-hour and a black market for the coveted tickets sprouting online.
Former president Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal will eulogize Ali, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be in attendance.
Barack Obama will not be attending the funeral of the man he calls a “personal hero” since it coincides with his daughter Malia’s graduation.
But the president Thursday published a video message in which he displayed two mementoes gifted to him by “The Champ” — a book of photographs and a set of gloves — and which have accompanied him through his time in the White House.
“This week we lost an icon,” Obama said in the Facebook message. “A person who for African Americans, I think, liberated their minds in recognizing that they could be proud of who they were.”
“I grew up watching him. I grew up having my identity shaped by what he accomplished,” he said.
“The incredible gestures of love and support that he showed me, was one of the great blessings of my life.”
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