Joe Jackson On Michael: ‘I Wish He Could Have Been Here’ 

First Published: June 28, 2009 10:15 PM EDT Credit: Getty Premium

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Joe Jackson arrives at the 2009 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in LA on June 28, 2009Just three days after the death of Michael Jackson, the star’s father, Joe Jackson, hit the red carpet at the BET Awards, where he spoke about the death of his son.

“I wish he could have been here to enjoy all of this,” Joe told Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson at the BET Awards, which shifted direction to honor Michael’s memory after the star’s death. “That’s what important.”

Asked if it was a hard decision to come to the awards show, Joe told Shaun he was “a tough guy.”

“The family is fine,” he added.

And as for what Michael would say if he could see the outpouring of support for him at the show?

“He would say the same thing he always [did],” Joe said. “‘I love everybody.’”

While walking the carpet, Joe had a publicist read a statement on CNN that said attorney L. Londell McMillan is the family’s only spokesman and which took responsibility for his son’s affairs with “personal and legal authority to act, and solely .. [and] have authority for our son and his children.”

Inside the show, Joe was spotted next to the Rev. Al Sharpton, clapping to the music as Bell Biv Devoe performed “Poison.”

BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee told Shaun that she had spoken with Tito Jackson on Sunday morning and extended an invitation to the family to attend the show, which announced on Friday that it would honor Michael.

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