Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the “King of Pop” and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50.
“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.” “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.”
Singer Dionne Warwick said: “Michael was a friend and undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest entertainers that I fortunately had the pleasure of working with. … We have lost an icon in our industry.”
Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, confirmed his office had been notified of the death and would handle the investigation.
The circumstances of Jackson’s death were not immediately clear. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times that paramedics responded to a 911 call from the Bel Air home at about 12:30 p.m.. Jackson rented the Bel-Air home, described as a French chateau built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater, for $100,000 a month. The home is about a six-minute drive from UCLA Medical Center. When they arrived, Jackson was not breathing.
The paramedics performed CPR and took Jackson to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda said. Hundreds of reporters gathered at the hospital awaiting word on his condition. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said family members rushed to Jackson’s bedside, where he was in a deep coma. Immediately following news of Jackson’s hospitalization, an unnamed member of the Jackson family told TMZ that the singer was in “really bad shape,” with Jackson’s father Joe adding that his son was “not doing so well.” In recent years, rumors of ill health have dogged Jackson, though neither the singer nor his reps ever confirmed any reports.
As reported in the new issue of Rolling Stone, sources say that Jackson was frequently absent from the show’s rehearsals, and the run’s opening four shows were postponed for what an AEG Live rep called the “massive and technically complex” nature of the show.
So many people wanted to verify the early reports of Jackson’s death that the computers running Google’s news section interpreted the fusillade of “Michael Jackson” requests as an automated attack for about half an hour Thursday evening.
In New York’s Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
“No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow,” Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. “It’s like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died.”
Law enforcement sources said that Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the death, though they stressed that there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
The detectives plan to interview relatives, friends and Jackson’s doctors to try to figure out what happened. The L.A. County coroner’s office will determine a cause of death.
Jackson is survived by his three children (sons Prince Michael 7, and Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11) and an immeasurable musical legacy.
source Msnbc.msn.com; Rollingstone.com
January 30th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
je t’aime trop for
October 21st, 2010 at 7:53 am
How do you think Michael Jackson died?
Ok. I know Michael Jackson died a while ago but I’m just asking the people that won’t put I hate mj anyway idc in here so how do you think michael died?