Michael Jackson died Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest, sending shockwaves sweeping across the world and tributes pouring in for the tortured music icon revered as the ‘King of Pop’. Jackson, 50, collapsed at his rented mansion in the exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills and was rushed to hospital by paramedics before being pronounced dead at 2:26 pm.
Jackson’s brother Jermaine, the family’s official spokesman, later revealed physicians had battled for more than an hour to revive the star after his arrival at the UCLA Medical Center before he was pronounced dead. “Our family requests that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time,” Jermaine Jackson said. “May Allah be with you, Michael, always.”
Pop diva Madonna was among dozens of celebrities who struggled to cope. “I can’t stop crying over the sad news,” the singer said in a statement. “The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever!”
Jackson’s breakthrough album as a composer and co-producer, “Thriller,” which became the top-selling album of all time, with sales exceeding 41 million.