Michael Jackson, Tormented 'King of Pop', dies of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles

Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home.


On the morning of June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson reportedly collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles. After he collapsed, his personal physician, who was with him at the time, attempted to resuscitate him. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a 911 call at 12:21 pm (PST) and arrived nine minutes later. Michael was reportedly not breathing and CPR was quickly performed. Resuscitation efforts continued both en route to the UCLA Medical Center, and after arrival at approximately 1:14 pm (20:14 UTC), for a further hour. He fell into a coma and died shortly after arrival. The cause of death is as yet unknown, but he was noted to be already in cardiac arrest by the paramedics who attended him. Michael Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2:26 pm local time (21:26 UTC).

In his 50 years, virtually all in the public eye, Jackson veered from stardom to tabloid fodder as plastic surgery altered his appearance. He endured allegations of child sexual abuse and, more recently, reports of financial difficulty.

Prior to his death, Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010. During a publicity press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement. Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, had stated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned Michael Jackson approximately £50 million.

Michael Jackson sold more than 750 million records, according to publicists for his planned comeback concerts, and won 13 Grammy Awards. His last series of concerts was the HIStory Tour in 1996- 1997 and his last studio album was “Invincible” in 2001.

Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, in 1994. They divorced within two years. He then married a nurse, Deborah Jeanne Rowe, and they had a son, Michael Jr., and a daughter, Paris. A third child, Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, was born to Jackson and a surrogate mother in 2002.

Michael Jackson and Deborah Jeanne Rowe had met when he received treatment for vitiligo, a rare disorder that discolors the face and body. Michael disclosed he had the condition in 1993 to answer critics who said he was intentionally bleaching his skin. A Beverly Hills, California, dermatologist, Arnold Klein, came forward to confirm the claim and say he was treating the pop star.

Michael Jackson was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. To this day, the music created together on 'Off The Wall,' 'Thriller' and 'Bad' is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all -- talent, grace, professionalism and dedication.

Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)