Pop Legend Michael Jackson Dead at 50

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Music icon Michael Jackson, whose fame spanned from his childhood with the legendary Jackson 5 to a superstar solo career that earned him the nickname 'King of Pop,' died Thursday afternoon at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 50.
His brother Jermaine Jackson confirmed Jackson 's death from suspected cardiac arrest at a press conference Thursday evening.
Jermaine Jackson said his brother's physician was with him at his home at the time of his suspected cardiac arrest, and both the physician and the paramedics who transported Jackson to the UCLA Medical Center attempted to resuscitate him.
"Upon arriving at the hospital at approximately 1:14 p.m. a team of doctors, including emergency physicians and cardiologists, attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour, but they were unsuccessful," he said.
"My family request that the media please respect our privacy during this time, and may all love be with you Michael, always. We love you."

The L.A. County Coroner's Office has taken possession of Jackson's body and an autopsy is expected Friday.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Lt. Greg Strenk said the department's robbery-homicide department was investigating Jackson's death because of the high-profile nature of the pop star.
Multiple reports said he had gone into cardiac arrest, though the official cause of death wasn't immediately known. A news conference is expected later Thursday at the hospital, where fans have gathered to pay tribute to the singer.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.