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Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, Is Dead
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Michael Jackson, the charismatic musician who came to be known as The "King of Pop,' has died at the age of 50.
TMZ was the first to report the news, which has now been confirmed by Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. According to reports, the pop legend suffered a cardiac arrest this afternoon and medics were unable to revive him. A TMZ source said Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived, while the Times says he was in a deep coma upon arrival.Skip over this content
Remembering the King of Pop
Ron Galella, WireImage17 photos
According to the Los Angeles Times and TMZ, Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Look at a Retrospective His Life
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A Michael Jackson Retrospective
Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital suffering from cardiac arrest. According to reports, he has died at the age of 50. A Retrospective of His Life
X17online
Known as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson began his life as a child sensation who blossomed into one of the greatest pop stars of all time.
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
He was the lead singer for the very popular Jackson 5 that included the his brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon. He then morphed into a highly successful recording artist, making his first solo album in 1972.
Ron Galella, WireImage
Jackson appears in the 1982 music video for 'Thriller,' one of the best-selling albums of all time with at least 27 million copies sold worldwide.
Everett Collection
Over the course of his storied career, Jackson won 13 Grammy awards -- eight of them for 'Thriller' alone.
Liason
His stage presence captured the hearts of millions -- including his signature "moonwalk" dance which he unveiled in 1983 while performing 'Billie Jean.' At 50 years old, he was attempting to make a comeback with several dates scheduled in London.
Dave Hogan, Getty Images
Jackson's successes were also marred by personal strife and controversy. In later years, the singer was twice accused of molesting children. In the first, he settled out of court with the accuser, and in the second he was found not guilty.
Roslan Rahman, AFP / Getty Images
Jackson is seen being escorted into court in January of 2004 -- the second time he was charged with child molestation. The first, in 1993, resulted in a settlement reported to be worth about $23 million.
Hector Mata, AFP / Getty Images
Jackson is shown here in his 2003 mug shot where he was booked on child molestation charges. The singer was later acquitted.
Robyn Beck. AFP / Getty Images
The 'Dangerous' star caused a stir when he held his youngest child, Prince Michael II, over the balcony of his Berlin hotel in 2002. His son was later dubbed 'Blanket' due to this incident.
Olaf Selchow, Getty Images
NBC News got word from a family friend that Jackson has in fact passed away.
The 50-year-old singer was picked up this afternoon at his rented home in Bel Air around 12:26 p.m. where medics had to administer CPR before transporting him to UCLA hospital.
Capt. Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire Dept. told the LA Times that Jackson was not breathing when help arrived at the house, which is about a two minute drive from the hospital.
Earlier, a Jackson family member told TMZ Michael is in "really bad shape." Joseph Jackson, the patriarch of the musical clan, also told media outlets his son was "not doing well."
The 'Thriller' superstar has long been addled by health problems and has had addictions to painkillers in the past.
Jackson had three children, Michael Jr., Paris and Prince.
This year, Jackson mounted an effort to revive his career after several setbacks in the past decade. He announced he would perform 50 concerts at London's O2 Arena. Those sold out concerts were set to begin on July 13.Skip over this content
'Thriller'
'Billie Jean'
Classic Michael Jackson Videos
Jackson had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the London shows.
Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize.
Their group later became The Jackson Five, and when it was signed by Motown Records in the late 1960s it underwent its final metamorphosis to become The Jackson 5. Jackson made his first solo album in 1972.
In 1982, Jackson released the 27 million-selling album 'Thriller.' It was monumental moment in music history that yielded seven 10-ten singles. His albums include 'Off the Wall,' 'Bad,' 'Dangerous' and 'Invincible.'
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2009-06-25 16:44:39