Michael Jackson Dies at 50

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Jun 25, 2009

According to various media reports, Michael Jackson is dead. He was 50.

The King of Pop was rushed to UCLA Medical Center this afternoon (June 25) after going into cardiac arrest, reports the L.A. Times. When paramedics arrived at his home, Jackson was not breathing and doctors were unable to later revive him.

Early reports said the pop star's "current condition is unknown," but according to L.A. Times, doctors have now pronounced Jackson dead. A source speaking on the terms of anonymity also told the Associated Press that Jackson had indeed died in hospital.

All the circumstances leading up to the pop star's death are not yet entirely clear. According to the Times, the paramedics arrived at Jackson's home at 12:26 p.m. local time. They performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Capt. Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics told the newspaper. Jackson's family was soon called and joined the star by his bedside at the hospital.

As the news broke, Joe Jackson, his father, told multiple news sources that his son was "not doing well."

At the time of his death, Jackson was in Los Angeles doing rehearsals for his run of concerts at the O2 Arena in London. Those were scheduled to begin on July 13 and run into early 2010.

According to Rolling Stone, sources had said that Jackson was frequently absent for rehearsals and the opening four shows were postponed due to what an AEG Live rep called the "massive and technically complex" nature of the show.

Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958. During his life, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, named as "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by Guinness World Records, won 13 Grammy Awards, had 13 number one singles and sold over 750 million album worldwide.

Jackson is survived by his three children and a musical legacy like no other.

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