Sudden death of Michael Jackson shocks fans Pop icon Michael Jackson is dead after a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles

Sudden death of Michael Jackson shocks fans

Entertainment icon Michael Jackson is dead after suffering a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles.

The TMZ Web site first reported the 50-year old singer had died. The Los Angeles Times too is now reporting the death, quoting Los Angeles city and law enforcement officials.

LA fire department captain Steve Ruda, earlier told the Times that when paramedics arrived at his rented home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard, Jackson was not breathing. He was given CPR by fire department paramedics as he was taken to UCLA Medical, located about six minutes from his home.

The 50-year-old entertainer's father, Joe, earlier told TMZ he was "not doing well". Another family member said he was "in really bad shape".

The 911 call came in at 12:26pm local time.

The King of Pop was preparing for a comeback which it was hoped would re-launch his career after a series of setbacks. Jackson was planning a three-year world tour and had already booked 50 sold-out concerts in London, which were scheduled to commence in a little over two weeks time.
He is survived by his three children, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.
Michael Jackson was the second-youngest of nine children, and was once part of the family group, The Jackson 5. The family came from Gary, Indiana.
In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.