Payyanur (Kerala), July 8 - Amongst the millions who watched Michael Jackson's funeral in far away Los Angeles was the grief stricken Ramesh family here -- a tearful M.V. Ramesh, who was the pop icon's personal driver, and his eight-year-old son Tanuj who held tightly on to the toys gifted to him by music world's ultimate star.

Ramesh, 38, was one of Jackson's three personal drivers when he lived in Bahrain for a year from 2005 till 2006. He drove Jackson's 2006 model Rolls Royce.

'He was really nice and so friendly with all of us. He told me that I could be free with him and could share our joys and sorrows with him,' Ramesh told IANS from his home in this Kerala town, about 500 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

'Jackson's three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, also lived with him,' he recalled fondly.

Remembering the job interview before he was taken on, Ramesh said he was questioned by Jackson himself as well as his secretary and manager in March 2006. He stayed on in the job till Jackson and his family left Bahrain by the end of the same year.