Former US president Bill Clinton, comedian Billy Crystal and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are among a number of identities set to speak at the public funeral.
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Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr in Louisville on January 17, 1942, and was known as the “Louisville Lip” early in his boxing career because of his playfully boastful nature. Ali, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, was surrounded by family when he died.
Center in Louisville, Ky., Ali’s birthplace.
Ali will be buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, with only a modest marker, in accordance with Muslim tradition, planned.
The funeral will take place at the KFC YUM!
Ali, who died Friday at age 74, was an active member of Michael J. Fox Foundation, a nonprofit Fox founded to help find a cure for the progressive brain disease that affects millions worldwide.
She posted the image on Twitter with the caption: “My last photo of my handsome father. telling him I love him on May 22, 2016”.
Ali’s body is expected to be transported to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where he will be laid to rest on Friday in a public funeral service.
“He lived his entire life in front of the camera, and his family wanted one final photoshoot, this is it …”
Ramsey said Ali’s wife, Lonnie, called him Friday morning, saying Ali’s health was deteriorating.
Muhammad’s legacy lives on through Laila – and also through her son, Curtis, who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary heavyweight champion.
According to Mr Gunnell, Ali’s official cause of death was septic shock “due to unspecified natural causes”. The service will accommodate up to 15,500 people.
Ali, who was Muslim, developed the plans for his funeral years ago, Gunnell said.
“At a time when blacks who spoke up about injustice were labeled uppity and often arrested under one pretext or another, Muhammad willingly sacrificed the best years of his career to stand tall and fight for what he believed was right”, Abdul-Jabbar wrote on Facebook.
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During his suspension from professional boxing for refusing the USA military draft, Ali lectured on the subject of Islam for about three years starting in 1967.
