Michael Jackson the "King of Pop" dies at 50

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home in LA and paramedics were unable to revive him. TMZ is reporting that when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never managed to get a pulse back.

We are told that Jackson was already dead when paramedics arrived.


Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.

Jackson's mother was said to be at the hospital to meet her son with other family members either present or en route to the hospital.

According to TMZ, La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.

We're told one of the staff members at Jackson's home called 911 at 12.21pm PST.

Jackson was seen being taken into an ambulance by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics and was then reportedly moved to the UCLA Medical Centre.

Captain Steve Ruda told the LA Times that paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home around 12.26pm PST.

The paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Jackson and took him to UCLA Medical Center.

At the medical center, every entrance to the emergency room was blocked by security guards. Even hospital staffers were not permitted to enter. A few people stood inside the waiting area, some of them crying.

Crowds have begun to gather outside the facility, whose emergency centre has been roped off by police.

A member of the Jackson family had stated earlier that 'Michael is in really bad shape'.

An update on his website says, 'We just got off the phone with Joe Jackson, Michael's dad, who says "he is not doing well".'

The singer was due to play 50 sell-out shows at London's O2 Arena starting in July. Michael Jackson has not been on tour for over a decade, but the concerts at the O2 were seen as his final comeback before the superstar finally retired from music.

Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.