Singer Michael Jackson dies at 50
Paramedics
were called to the singer's Beverly
Hills home at about midday on Thursday after he
stopped breathing.
He
was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre. Jackson's brother, Jermaine, said he was believed to have suffered a cardiac
arrest.
Jackson,
who had a history of health problems, had been due to stage a series of
comeback concerts in the UK
on 13 July.
Speaking
on behalf of the Jackson
family, Jermaine said doctors had tried to
resuscitate the star for more than an hour without success.
He
added: "The family request that the media please
respect our privacy during this tough time."
"And
Allah be with you Michael always. I love you."
TV
footage showed the star's body flown from UCLA to the LA County Coroner's
office where a post-mortem is expected to take place on Friday.
Concerns
were raised last month when four of Jackson's
planned comeback concerts were postponed, but organisers
insisted the dates had been moved due to the complexity of staging the show.
A
spokeswoman for The Outside Organisation,
which was organising the publicity for the shows,
said she had no comment at this time.
Broadcaster
Paul Gambaccini said: "I always doubted that he
would have been able to go through that schedule, those concerts. It seemed to
be too much of a demand on the unhealthy body of a 50 year old.
"I'm
wondering that, as we find out details of his death, if perhaps the stress of
preparing for those dates was a factor in his collapse.
"It
was wishful thinking that at this stage of his life he could be Michael Jackson
again."
Uri
Geller, a close friend of the star, told BBC News it was "very, very sad".
Speaking
outside New York's
historic Apollo theatre, civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton
paid tribute to his friend.
"I
knew him 35 years. When he had problems he would call me," he said.
"I
feel like he was not treated fairly. I hope history will be more kind to him
than some of the contemporary media."
Melanie
Bromley, west coast bureau chief of Us Weekly magazine, told the BBC the scene
in Los Angeles
was one of "pandemonium".
"At
the moment there is a period of disbelief. He was buying a home in the Holmby Hills area of Los
Angeles and the scene outside the house is one of
fans, reporters and TV cameras - it's absolute
craziness.
"I
feel this is the biggest celebrity story in a long time and has the potential
to be the Princess Diana of popular culture."
Musical icon
Tributes
from the world of music and film have already flooded in from celebrities
including Madonna, Arnold Schwarzenegger and ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley.
Large
numbers of fans have also gathered outside Jackson's home and at the UCLA medical centre
with lit candles to mourn the star while playing his greatest hits. Facebook groups have also been set up for fans to share
their memories.
Paramedics
were called to the singer's house in Bel Air at 1221
(1921GMT) following an emergency phone call.
They
performed CPR on Jackson
and rushed him to the UCLA medical centre.
A
spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said the robbery and homicide
team was investigating Jackson's
death because of its "high profile", but
there was no suggestion of foul play.
Jackson began his career as a child
in family group The Jackson 5.
He
then went on to achieve global fame as a solo artist with smash hits such as
Billie Jean and Bad.
Thriller,
released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time, shifting 65m
copies, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
He
scored seven UK
number ones as a solo artist and won a total of 13 Grammy awards.
"For
Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't
have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced Thriller, Bad and Off The
Wall.
"He
was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt
upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul
has gone with him."
The
singer had been dogged by controversy and money trouble in recent years,
becoming a virtual recluse.
He
was arrested in 2003 on charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy, but was found
not guilty following a five-month trial.
The
star had three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr,
Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II.
He
is survived by his mother, Katherine, father, Joseph and eight siblings -
including Janet, Randy, Jermaine and La Toya Jackson.
Source:
BBC World