Michael Jackson, the onetime child star turned King of Pop, died in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon after he stopped breathing in his home and was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center. He was 50 years old.
Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office confirmed live on CNN that Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. An autopsy is set for Friday.
Representatives for the singer did not immediately comment.
Jackson had been busy rehearsing for a high-stakes comeback tour, set to start within weeks in England, with dozens of dates scheduled and tickets selling out quickly. To prepare for the rigors of performing, he was training with Lou Ferrigno, the star of the TV show The Incredible Hulk.
On Thursday afternoon, Jackson collapsed in his home and was unresponsive when paramedics arrived, according to reports. Paramedics performed CPR, and Jackson was seen with an oxygen mask over his face being hauled on a stretcher to an ambulance, which took him to the hospital just minutes away.
The tragic turn of events was just the latest twist in a life that will be remembered for career highs and personal lows. In his 50 years, Michael Jackson went from the cute little singer in his family's group to dazzling headliner and unquestionably the reigning pop star of the '80s to – amid accusations of child molestation – social outcast.
Early Career
The seventh of nine children of Joseph and Katherine Jackson, Michael was born in Gary, Ind., on Aug. 29, 1958, and began his career performing with his brothers. His professional debut with the Jackson 5 came at age 11.
The group set chart records with its first four singles, including "I Want You Back" and "ABC." As a solo artist, Jackson also recorded four studio albums for Motown Records before moving, with his brothers, to Epic Records, where they continued to record as the Jacksons until 1984.
Forming a partnership with producer Quincy Jones after working together on the 1978 movie musical The Wiz – in which Jackson played a rather sheepish Scarecrow to Diana Ross's Dorothy in this urban adaptation of The Wizard of Oz – Jackson released his solo album Off the Wall, which he co-produced with Jones. The disc spawned enduring hits including "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You." His second Epic solo album, 1982's Thriller, is often cited as the best-selling album of all time.
King of Pop
Photo by: Toru Hanai / Reuters / Landov
The video for Thriller all but defined the music video genre and sent the album to the top of the sales charts for 37 weeks. (All told, it remained on the list 80 weeks.) It was also nominated for 12 Grammys and won eight.
On March 25, 1983, Jackson performed his single "Billie Jean" live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever TV special, where he debuted the moonwalk, which was to become his signature dance move. The following year, the singer was filming a Pepsi-Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where he suffered second-degree burns after pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire before a full house. The singer settled out of court and established the Michael Jackson Burn Center with the $1.5 million he won after settling out of court.
In 1984, Jackson did his final tour with the Jacksons to the support the album Victory. The one major hit from the recording was Michael's duet with Mick Jagger, "State of Shock." The next year, Jackson began to put charity first and co-wrote and sang (along with Willie Nelson, Tina Turner and nearly every pop star known at the time) "We Are the World," on behalf of USA for Africa.
Then came the 1987 album Bad, which was when some slippage in his popularity was beginning to show. But still, the album contained many hits.
Also at this time, the reclusive Jackson, who was raised a Jehovah's Witness, started construction on a mini-Disneyland as his residence, which he called Neverland, to make up for the childhood he claims he never had.
In 1993, Jackson addressed some personal rumors telling Oprah Winfrey on her TV show that, contrary to reports that he was bleaching his skin a lighter shade, he in fact suffered from a condition called vitiligo. He also said that his father physically abused him as a child.
Not long after, Michael himself was accused of abusing a 13-yerar-old boy who slept over at Neverland, though police found no evidence to support the claim when they searched the ranch. The case was settled by Jackson for an undisclosed sum. When other allegations of a similar nature emerged, Jackson maintained his innocence.
In August 1994, Jackson and the daughter of the late rock icon Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, were married – and very soon split up. After their 1996 divorce, Jackson married Debbie Rowe, a nurse in the office of one of his doctors. Two children were born to the couple through artificial insemination: son Prince Michael Jackson, in 1997, and daughter Paris Michael Jackson, in 1998. Jackson later had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket").