Pop King Jackson no more with us...

Lieutenant Fred Corral, of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, said Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm (0256 IST) local time.

His mother, brothers including Jermaine, Tito and Randy and sisters Janet and LaToya, had raced to be at his bedside.

"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home, however, the cause of his death is unknown until the autopsy results are known. Our family requests that the media please respect our privacy, it is a tough time for us," Jermaine Jackson, brother of the singer, said.

Jackson was dogged with reports of worsening health with rumours of skin cancer and a reported lung failure.

Reports said that the singer had been very frail as he struggled to prepare for his much-hyped 50-date comeback in London[Images], which were due to start on July 13. The singer, who was the seventh of nine children from a well-known musical family, debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of 'The Jackson 5', and began a solo career in 1971.

The Pop singer had converted to Islam last year and changed his name to Mikaeel.

Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback next month in London where he was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows. He was preparing in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic -- show-stopping dance moves and throbbing dance beats.

Jackson was one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. His other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, 13 Grammy awards and the sales of his over 750 million albums worldwide.

However, controversies also kept Jackson in media glare. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse but could not be charged due to lack of evidence. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.

His solo studio albums like Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991) became some of the world's best-selling records.

His 1982 album Thriller sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide.

'For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words,' said Quincy Jones, who produced Thriller. 'He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I have lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.'

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley [Images] and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He was married to Presley's daughter Lisa Marie for a brief period. Jackson's death evoked memories of Presley, who died at the age 42 in 1977.
Sources: www.rediffmail.com
Image: Jackson gestures during a news conference at the O2 Arena in London
Report: George Joseph and Agencies | Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

The King of Pop is dead. Officially. This is, unequivocally, a landmark pop culture moment.

And as if on cue, the abrasive clutter of media voices, Tweets, Status updates and public opinion is almost as conflicted and complex as Michael Jackson was himself. In as much as the noise is already becoming a forensic deconstruction of his dark side, it's lamentable. In the immediate aftermath of his premature passing it might be worth taking a collective global deep breath.

Yes, he was a wildly idiosyncratic figure shrouded in controversy in his later years. But here's a plea: Let not the freakshow that became Michael Jackson and his profile over the last decade or two serve to obscure the more significant truth: This was one of the most important and influential musical figures of the 20th century. His passing is the sad end of a remarkable creative force.

In a sense, Michael Jackson never had the chance to be anything other than enigmatic. He was never allowed to live a normal life -- thrust onto the stage and into the spotlight at an early age. He quickly became the centre of attention as a musical child star and that spotlight never left him. In his 20s he became the most recognizable face in the world. And no amount of alteration of that visage would give him peace.

But somehow the abused child from Gary, Indiana rose beyond his difficult upbringing to become an innovator and global trendsetter. From his radiant presence and remarkable vocal range as a kid singing "Ben," to his infectious rhythms and falsetto of "Off the Wall" to his international domination as a recording artist and video-generation pioneer with "Thriller," Michael Jackson consistently proved himself. Put simply, the kid had it.

The enormity of his success makes it almost easier to gloss over the talent at the heart of the art. It is a cliché to claim Jackson was an icon and a superstar. But the reality is that his music resonated. It continues to do so in the dance clubs around that world that bust out songs from "Off the Wall," 30 years hence. It continues to in the unmistakable groove and syncopated vocals of "Billie Jean." And it continues to in the de facto progeny of his musicality: Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears or Usher.

Add to this the cross-racial and cross-generational appeal of the King and he is hard to overvalue. Jackson broke race barriers on an international level and strangely – given his controversial skin tone transformation – gave essential colour-agnostic music to the world.

Jackson's career and story in recent years is nothing short of tragic. Depending on who you ask he was a criminal child molester or a misunderstood hero. But he was certainly no longer a celebrated musician. The notions that Jackson was poised for a comeback are naïve and misplaced. He was well beyond his years as a musical innovator and a cultural leader. But he was still an artist that changed the world's popular culture. And had the talent to walk on the moon.

[Source:http://www.nationalpost.com]