Michael Jackson, "The King of Pop," Dead at 50
According to the Los Angeles Time's "Southern California--This Just In" blog, Michael Jackson has died.
According to the blog's own reports, at 3:15 Pacific Standard Time--6:15 Eastern Standard Time--Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors at the medical center at the University of California at Los Angeles, the L.A. Times's law enforcement sources confirmed.
The news follows unconfirmed reports of a "full-alarm" response by paramedics and fire personnel at Jackson's home at Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard at 12:26 p.m. According to Captain Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Jackson was not breathing at the time.
Jackson was rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed that he was in a coma. According to the blog, at 2:46 p.m., Jackson family members arrived at his side.
According to Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, Jackson was in "cardiac arrest."
The news comes amid reports that Jackson was working out to prepare for a 50-city farewell tour in London's O2 Arena.
According to the L.A. Times, Jackson envisioned the show as an "audition" that would lead to a boost in his career, which would encompass a three-year world tour, a Graceland-like museum and a "Thriller"-themed casino.
According to Reuters, Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children born to Joe Jackson and wife Katherine Esther. Jackson first performed at a talent show with his siblings when he was 6. They walked away with first prize, going on to become The Jackson Five--and later, The Jackson 5.
During a 17-year-long career, Jackson helped popularize many of the band's hits, including "Rockin' Robin," "Ain't No Sunshine" and "I Wanna Be Where you Are."
Later, Jackson's fame increased as he pursued a solo career in the 1980s and early 1990s, penning a hit album, "Thriller," and helping to popularize a nascent music television network--MTV.
However, as his popularity waned, media focus on his eccentricities--such as reports that he slept in a hyperbaric chamber and owned the Elephant Man's bones--marred his credibility. The bad publicity only grew amid two child molestation trials in 1993 and 2005, one of which ended in an acquittal for Jackson. Afterwards, Jackson relocated to the Gulf of Bahrain, only to resurface in London a year later to receive a Guinness Book of World Records Award.
In 2009, Jackson contracted with AEG Live to perform 50 concerts in London. The tickets quickly sold out. According to President and Chief Executive Randy Phillips, ten of the shows alone would have earned Jackson 50 million British Pounds, or $81 million.
Because of Jackson's death, it is unclear whether tickets will be refunded.