Singer Michael Jackson dead at 50
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.
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. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to the hospital, Ruda told the newspaper.
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Jackson’s death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music’s premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
Michael Jackson had been planning to start a series of comeback concerts in London and had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. Promoters of the shows said in March that he had passed a lengthy physical examination.
His 1982 album “Thriller” — which included the blockbuster hits “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.
The public first knew him in the late 1960s, when as a boy he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the music group he formed with his four older brothers. Among their No. 1 hits were “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “I’ll Be There.”
Ranked with Elvis, Beatles
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
“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.”
Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music’s biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, and Jackson’s death immediately evoked that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.
As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland Ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.
“It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It’s as if he was trying to defy gravity,” said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a “disciple of P.T. Barnum” and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was “much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew.”
Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.
A lifetime of music
In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.
The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he had acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.
Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.
Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate staging and throbbing dance beats.
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.”
Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson’s rented home, was roped off with police tape.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson has just died,” a woman boarding a Manhattan bus called out shortly after the news was announced. Immediately many riders reached for their cell phones.
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.”
Michael Jackson – Highs and lows
1969 – RECORD DEAL
Michael, the seventh of nine children, joins his brothers' pop group in 1964 - initially playing tambourine and bongos.
 | MICHAEL JACKSON - THE FACTS Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson Born: August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, US Also known as: The King of Pop, Wacko Jacko Biggest hits: I Want You Back, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White, Earth Song |
He quickly becomes the centre of attention and takes on lead vocal duties as the band build up a reputation on the live circuit.
Motown acts Gladys Knight and Bobby Taylor recommend the Jackson Five to their boss Berry Gordy. The groups' first release on the legendary Detroit label, I Want You Back, goes straight to number one in 1969 - when Michael is just 11 years old.
Over the next six years, the band churns out a string of hits including ABC, The Love You Save and I’ll Be There.
The Jacksons decide to leave Motown for a more lucrative deal at CBS Records. Motown sues the band for $20 million (£10 million).
 Off The Wall only won one Grammy, spurring Jackson on to greater things |
Jackson meets music producer Quincy Jones on the set of The Wiz - an urban retelling of The Wizard of Oz in which the singer plays the scarecrow.
He asks Jones to produce his new solo record - and the result is disco classic Off The Wall.
It sells 10 million copies, and contains hit singles Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough and Rock With You.
 The video for Thriller was inspired by American Werewolf in London |
Jackson unleashes his pop masterpiece, Thriller, which re-writes the rule book on how pop is marketed, not least because of its ground-breaking video clips.
The record is frequently named the biggest-selling album of all time , shifting 65 million copies, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
As the album spawns hit after hit - seven of its nine tracks make the charts - Jackson appears unstoppable. He causes jaws to drop around the world when he debuts the Moonwalk at a Motown television special in 1983.
Then, against the advice of his managers and record label, he convinces director John Landis to transform him into a zombie and a werecat in the 14-minute video for Thriller - at a cost of $500,000 (£250,000). The scale and ambition of the clip have often been copied, but never bettered.
 Bubbles the chimpanzee was one of Jackson's more famous playmates |
As he films a Pepsi commercial in front of an audience in Los Angeles, Michael’s hair is set on fire by a pyrotechnic explosion. He is carried out of the building on a stretcher, and sales of Thriller jump by 150,000 week on week.
As Jacko-mania reaches fever pitch, tabloid stories about the secretive star begin to circulate. It is claimed that he sleeps in an oxygen tent and wants to buy the remains of Elephant Man Joseph Merrick.
The "Wacko Jacko" name is coined soon after, and the star retreats into his newly-purchased Neverland ranch, complete with zoo and fun fair.
Meanwhile, Jackson continues to prove his business acumen, securing the publishing rights to the Beatles' back catalogue for $47.5 million and beating a bid from his old friend Paul McCartney.
 The Bad tour gave Sheryl Crow her big break - as Jackson's backing singer |
Martin Scorsese’s video for Bad sees Michael with distinctly lighter skin, leading to rumours of plastic surgery and skin bleaching. But the press coverage does nothing to hurt the megastar's popularity and the Bad album sells more than 30 million copies.
The success of the album kick-starts Jackson's first solo tour. The critically-acclaimed Bad concerts feature magic tricks, lasers, and a section where the star "flies" above the audience on a crane. Prince Charles and Princess Diana attend one of the seven sell-out shows in Wembley.
As the tour draws to a close, Jackson pens his autobiography, revealing: "I'm one of the loneliest people in the world'' and releases the Moonwalker film – a mixed bag of music videos and child-like fantasy sequences.
 Dangerous went straight to number one on its release |
With hip-hop in the ascendancy, Jackson employs urban producer Teddy Riley to give a rougher edge to his new album, Dangerous. Fans and critics alike are put off by the harsh rhythms and sparse arrangements, but it contains several hits - including Black and White, Remember The Time and the tabloid-baiting In The Closet.
While promoting the album, Jackson invites Oprah Winfrey to his Neverland Ranch for a special edition of her TV show. Beamed live around the world, the star addresses several of the stories about his private life.
He reveals that he was bullied by his father, had plastic surgery twice, and that his changing skin tones were the result of a "disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin".
The family of 11-year-old Jordy Chandler accuse Jackson of molesting their son. The star categorically denies the charges, but Los Angeles police raid his home while he is on tour in the Far East.
He later comes to an out-of-court settlement with the family for an estimated $20m.
The following year, Michael marries Lisa Marie Presley in what many assume is an attempt to repair his tarnished public image. The couple divorce 19 months later.
 Jackson's performance at the Brit awards was magnificently over-the-top |
His crown having slipped somewhat, the King of Pop positions several giant statues of himself around Europe to promote a new album, HIStory, which combines a CD of greatest hits with a disc of new material, much of which is a vitriolic response to the star's recent woes.
The following year, he appears at the Brit Awards to perform number one single Earth Song. The show sees Jackson surrounded by children, adopting a messianic pose which prompts Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker to storm the stage.
Jackson declares himself "sickened, saddened, shocked, upset, cheated and angry" by the incident.
In 1997, Jackson is inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, in a surprise move, marries nurse Debbie Rowe, who is pregnant with his child, Prince Michael.
The couple have a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, the following year before divorcing in 1999. The singer retains custody of the children.
 Rolling Stone said the Invincible was "full of grandiose desperation" |
Six years in the making, Jackson’s next album, Invincible, barely lasts six weeks on the charts.
Only one single, Rock My World, gets a full global release. Jackson blames the lack of promotion on the fact he had decided not to renew his contract with Sony – and launches an attack on label boss Tommy Mottola, calling him "devilish" and accusing him of racism.
Meanwhile, the singer's personal life continues to cause controversy. He draws scathing criticism when he dangles the 11-month-old Prince Michael II (or Blanket) from the window of a German hotel.
On a TV documentary he admits sharing his bed with children. "Why can't you share your bed?” he protests. "That's the most loving thing to do, to share your bed with someone."
 Police denied claims that Jackson was "roughly manhandled" on his arrest |
Police raid Jackson's Neverland ranch and, shortly afterwards, a warrant is issued for his arrest on charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy, Gavin Arvizo.
The star surrenders himself to police and is arrested and handcuffed. A five-month trial in 2005 ends with Jackson found not guilty on all charges.
Following the trial and amid rumours of bankruptcy, the elusive pop star moves to Dubai.
At a dramatic news conference in March, Jackson announced a series of 50 comeback - and farewell - concerts in London.
He told a dramatic news conference: "This is it. I just want to say that these will be my final show performances in London."
His visit to the UK followed an "amicable settlement" reached at London's High Court in November 2008 with the King of Bahrain's son, who was suing him for £4.7m, claiming he reneged on a music contract.
The 750,000 tickets for the shows sold out within days but in May, promoters said the first few dates would be postponed to allow more time for rehearsals.
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