Fans crowded the sidewalk and street outside Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan as the funeral service for Joan Rivers drew a cavalcade of stars from Television, Theatre, fashion and the media worlds.
Howard Stern gave the eulogy at the service which included several hilarious and off-color remarks Rivers had made in her various appearances on the radio hosts uncensored program over the years. "Life isn't fair without Joan Rivers in our world," he concluded.
In her 2012 book I Hate Everyone ... Starting With Me she detailed what she wanted at her funeral, including "a huge showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action," "Meryl Streep crying, in five different accents" and "a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing just like Beyonce's."
She didn't get quite that elaborate of a production, but, as the Associated Press points out, the celebrities certainly showed up in force:
Kathy Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg; Kelly Osbourne; Sarah Jessica Parker. Matthew Broderick, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bernadette Peters, Alan Cumming, Tommy Tune, Barbara Walters, Geraldo Rivera, Diane Sawyer, Kathie Lee, Hoda Kotb and Andy Cohen.
New York Newsday has more details on the proceedings and tributes from Sunday's funeral:
Alan Anderson of Manhattan, a member of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus, which performed at the service, said, "There was nothing censored. It was all Joan Rivers."
Rabbi Joshua Davidson read the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, but earlier promised he wouldn't be the "rambling rabbi" Rivers didn't want at her funeral.
TV personality Deborah Norville -- once a target of Rivers' zingers -- said the two had become such good friends that they traveled together to Europe. "Being with Joan made you a better person," she said.
Rivers' business manager Michael Carlin said she once asked him if she could take all her money out of the bank. Carlin told her she couldn't do that and Rivers responded she didn't mean to spend it but "just to hold it."
Rivers' daughter, Melissa, read from a humorous letter she wrote in which she told her mother not to suggest taking her grandson, Cooper, to a strip club for his birthday.
