Michael Jackson, 50, died Thursday in Los Angeles as sensationally as he lived, as famous as a human being can get.
He was a child Motown sensation who grew into a moonwalking megastar, the self-anointed King of Pop who sold 750 million records throughout his career and enjoyed worldwide adoration.
But with that came the world’s relentless curiosity, and Jackson came to be regarded as one of show business’s legendary oddities, hopping from one public relations crisis to another.
Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills, Calif. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.
“It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known,” his brother Jermaine said. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.
