L.A. Times: Michael Jackson dead at 50
Newspaper reports pop star wasn’t breathing when ambulance arrivedBREAKING NEWS
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
The Los Angeles Times reports that Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the newspaper that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed.
TMZ.com reported that he may have suffered cardiac arrest.
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Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.
The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.
There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
A life in music
Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael — first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.
Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released “Thriller” in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.
The next year, he unveiled his signature “moonwalk” dance move while performing “Billie Jean” during an NBC special.
In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.
Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
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Pop star Michael Jackson has been rushed to hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest.
The singer was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his Bel Air home at about 1230 (1900GMT), media reports say.
Unconfirmed reports on TMZ entertainment website say the 50-year-old star has died.The paramedics performed CPR on Jackson as the ambulance took him to the UCLA medical centre, officials say.
Crowds have begun to gather outside the facility, whose emergency centre has been roped off by police.
The star was due to begin a series of comeback concerts with an appearance at London's O2 arena on 13 July.
He has a history of health problems and has not completed a concert tour in 12 years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8119951.stm