Michael Jackson Has Died

Michael Jackson Has Died

Michael Jackson

Updating our story from earlier (below), we have confirmation from multiple news sources that Michael Jackson did indeed pass away today, Thursday June 25, apparently from cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old. Jackson was not breathing when EMTs arrived at his Los Angeles home and they were not able to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the UCLA Medical Center where he was transferred.

Jackson was in L.A. rehearsing for his 50-show “This Is It!” residency at London’s 02 Arena. All 50 of the shows sold out immediately. Jackson had missed a number of these rehearsals and the first four shows of the run were postponed, according to a report from Rolling Stone citing an AEG Live rep, due to the “technically complex” nature of the show.

Despite his sordid past, including the 2005 acquittal for child molestation, Michael Jackson will always be known as the King of Pop. He received 13 Grammy Awards and his lifetime record sales are somewhere around 750 million.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary Indiana. Jackson was the seventh of nine children and the fifth son of steelworker Joe Jackson. Jackson’s music career began at age 6 when he first performed with his brothers, eventually becoming the leader of the Jackson 5. The group signed to Motown in 1968 and went on to record five number one hits in 1970: “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “Ill Be There,” making them the first act in pop history to have their first four singles all chart.

Jackson launched his legendary solo career in 1971 with the single “Got To Be There,” but things slowed down after his first number one solo single, “Ben,” in 1972. The turning point would come after leaving Motown and working with Quincy Jones on 1979’s Off The Wall, his first solo album as an adult. 1982’s follow up, Thriller, produced seven top-10 singles and sold over 27 million copies.

In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie. The two were divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Debbie Rowe and had two children before divorcing in 1999.

Jackson leaves behind three children: Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II.

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Michael Jackson Hospitalized, Many Fear His Death

Multiple news sources (CNN etc.) have reported that Michael Jackson was rushed to a hospital in L.A. after suffering cardiac arrest earlier today.

This story is still developing and there seems to be no definitive word, but both TMZ and Brisbane Times are reporting that Jackson has died.

We will continue to update this story as we learn more.