Michael Jackson : did drugs kill the King of Pop?

The personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitated him.

Sir Paul McCartney, who dueted with Jackson in the early 1980s on Say Say Say, said : "It's so sad and shocking. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. His family believed his reliance on painkillers had become "extensive" as he struggled with injuries during rehearsals. "The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him. Brian Oxman, the family's lawyer and long-time friend, said Jackson's family had long been concerned about his use of prescription drugs and blamed "enablers" in his entourage for making the situation worse.

Paramedics were called to Jackson's Los Angeles home just after noon on Thursday. " Another friend of Jackson, the illusionist Uri Geller, said there had been no indication that the singer was in a frail condition. " Britney Spears said: "I was so excited to see his show in London. There were reports that the singer was taking Demerol, a powerful medication similiar to morphine, and the opiate Dilaudid. " Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to Jackson, saying: "This is very sad news for the millions of Michael Jackson fans in Britain and around the world.

He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. I've always admired Michael Jackson � the world has lost one of its greats but his music will live on forever. In recent pictures he looked anything but healthy. He was always someone who seemed to find it difficult to cope with fame. " Paying tribute to the singer's "talent, grace, professionalism and dedication", he added: "I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.

His use of medication had gotten in the way, his injuries which he had sustained performing - where he had broken a vertebrae and had broken his leg from a fall from the stage - had gotten in the way. 26pm. In 1994, he married Lisa Marie Presley, the 26-year-old daughter of Elvis Presley. His lifetime sales tally is estimated at 750? million. He was just fine, the last I heard.

There were reports that the 50-year-old singer had been given a painkilling injection shortly before his death. " Mr Oxman told CNN: "Michael had appeared at rehearsals a couple of time, he was very seriously trying to be able to do this. " Jackson lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges including child molestation and kidnap. His 1982 album Thriller � which included the hits Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller � is still the best-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies sold. In our last conversation a couple of months ago when I was teasing him I was coming to England to see him perform again, he talked about how many people had let him down.

" Drug use can cause cardiac arrest and Jackson had a long-standing reliance on painkillers. We believe he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home, however the cause of his death is unknown until the results of the autopsy are known. I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. God bless. If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it was nothing in comparison to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life.

He repeatedly denied undergoing cosmetic surgery, despite very visible changes to his face and skin tone, and was criticised for forcing his children to wear veils whenever they were in public. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Centre where doctors battled in vain for an hour to save his life. It's amazing to see how many people are now praising him that wouldn't go near him in the last several years, and condemnde him. "I really have no words. "I don't know the cause of all this so I can't tell you what the ultimate result of it is going to be, but I can tell you for sure when you warn people that this is what's going to happen and then it happens, where there is smoke there is fire.

" Quincy Jones, the music producer who worked with Jackson on Thriller, said: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. " There was speculation that the pressure of his forthcoming London dates may have been too much for Jackson. " He added: "Many ridiculed him. Fears for his health emerged after he postponed the earliest dates, and his aides were forced to deny that he was fighting skin cancer. Jackson had custody of the two children and of a third, Prince Michael II, whose mother's name has never been made public.

Michael Jackson's death from a cardiac arrest was probably the result of drug abuse, said a family lawyer who claimed the star was addicted to painkilling medication. They had two children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael Katherine, before divorcing in 1999. His body was flown to the coroner's office by helicopter. "This is not something which had been unexpected. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!" The Rev Al Sharpton, the civil rights campaigner, described Jackson as a "historic figure", saying: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama.

His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones. "I do not know the extent of the medications that he was taking, but the reports that we have been receiving in the family is that it was extensive and this is something which I feared and something which I warned about. He said: "My brother, the legendary King of Pop, passed away on Thursday June 25 at 2. The night before his death he had been in rehearsals for his 50-date London comeback tour. AEG Live, which organised the concerts at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, said Jackson had passed a lengthy physical exam in early 2009, but he last toured 12 years ago and looked markedly frail at the press conference to promote the shows.

Max Clifford, the publicist and friend of Jackson, said: "You wonder if the strain of getting fit for this major tour proved too much. He was a young and terribly fit man and he was getting ready for performances in England. I told him it didn't matter, he had never let the fans down. Born in 1958, Jackson made his musical debut with four of his older brothers in the Jackson Five before embarking on a solo career. "This is a case of abuse of medications," Mr Oxman said.

Toxicology tests will be carried out on his body and an autopsy is likely to be undertaken today. " Stars from the world of showbusiness and politics united in tribute to the star who revolutionised pop music with albums such as Thriller, but whose later years were tainted by allegations of child abuse. The couple separated two years later and Jackson later married Debbie Rowe, a 37-year-old nurse he met while undergoing plastic surgery in 1997. He was pronounced dead at 2.

Because of the medication that Michael was taking, his family had been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson. News of Jackson's death was confirmed by his brother, Jermaine, who gave a press conference at the hospital. "My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. Mr Oxman likened Jackson's demise to the drug-related death of Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy model, and said it came as no surprise to those close to the singer. 26pm, with family members at his bedside.

" Madonna said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news.

Has dropped like a bomb the death of Michael Jackson

The death today of the most famous singers in history, Michael Jackson, has come as a surprise to the whole world, for if everyone thought that this was another of the constant rumors about the artists usually arose.

Sing that the U.S. had 50 years of age, was planning a majestic return to the stage in a series of 50 concerts in London, which sold like hotcakes on the first day that the dates were announced.

The singer who has died due to sudden cardiac arrest at his home in the hills of Los Angeles, where he lived in recent months with their two children Prince Michael Jackson Jr and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, was subjected to constant rumors about the conditions health that suffers.

Since the 80s there was talk of changing color on your skin, which was later revealed to be due to an illness. Recently one of us biographers said that Jackson was suffering from a terminal illness, which was denied at the time by the team of the singer.

This time, the rumor became reality and the world of music has been left without one of its main exponents.

Michael Jackson dead, reports say

U.S. - Michael Jackson Died

Several sources confirmed this afternoon the death of someone who was once considered the most important figure of the entertainment of all time: the singer Michael Jackson. The pop star, according to several U.S. media reported, was taken to a hospital in Los Angeles by a group of paramedics who found him not breathing on arrival at their home.

Return to the scene was "very stressful" for Jackson

08:06 PM New York .- The expected return to the stage after years of absence was "very stressful" to perfection as an artist as Michael Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50 of a heart attack, said a former representative of the idol upon learning the death.

"Preparing for a show of this size was very stressful," he told AFP producer Jay Coleman, who represented the artist in the 80s, especially for spots made for Pepsi.

Like other fans of artists, tourists and curious, Coleman learned of Jackson's death at Times Square, the central plaza of New York where a giant screen live on the ad.

Many of her fans can not believe it said, others cried and just looked at the rest of the story without emotions outwardly.

Jackson was preparing his return to the stage in July with a series of concerts in London, a widely publicized return voluntarily after their confinement since he was acquitted in 2005 of charges of abuse of a minor.

According to Coleman, "the expectations of the fans were that Michael Jackson would be so great as in the past." "He was a perfectionist and engages fully in the preparation of a show, each detail was very important."

Jackson "was a very eccentric personality," says Coleman, reminiscent of the artist on their professionalism on stage exacerbated to the extreme.

Michael Jackson dies at 50

Los Angeles, United States / June 25 2009

Source: AFP '

Admired throughout the world and also the Latino, the singer Michael Jackson died Thursday after suffering a heart attack, reported a U.S. site dedicated to celebrities.

According to the page dedicated to the lives of celebrities, Jackson suffered a heart attack after 12:00 local time (19H00 GMT) and paramedics failed to resuscitate.

Michael recorded in October 2001, an altruistic song with several Latin artists like Ricky Martin, Carlos Santana, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Julio Iglesias, John Secada, Alejandro Sanz, Christian Castro, Olga Tañon, Juan Gabriel and Thalía.

Jackson, who was listed as a musical and artistic genius, he recorded only a matter entirely in Spanish throughout his more than 30 years of experience. The song in question is called All my love is you and included in the Bad album, released in 1987.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper, citing sources of the fire department, reported that Jackson, 50, was unconscious when paramedics arrived at his home in Holmby Hills.

The website TMZ said that Jackson suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest, but the singer's father, Joe Jackson, was unable to confirm details when contacted by another celebrity portal.

On behalf of the entire Latino community, we join the pain that seizes their fans and the entertainment world in general for the loss of a large. The "King of Pop", rest in peace.

Michael Jackson died, pop icon

He suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles and taken to an emergency hospital. Questioned by his eccentricities, in 2005 he was acquitted in a trial for child abuse.

Pop music mourning its main icon. For 50 years the singer Michael Jackson died after suffering a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles and being rushed to a local hospital, where he could not be revived.

According to local media reports, Jackson came to the hospital with the breath of the University of California (UCLA), after being attended by a paramedic firefighter.

Came to the place immediately familiar, as well as hundreds of fans. Simultaneously, a team of bodyguards and policemen formed a cordon to block access to photographers and fans.

Jackson had a poor health for much of his life, in many cases requiring care. Four of them occurred in 2005 in the trial for child abuse. The "King of Pop", after a strenuous process, ended acquitted.

In 1995 he was admitted to a hospital in New York, after fading into a test in a theater. The "King of Pop" also went through the operating room to undergo numerous operations aesthetic, which dramatically altered his face. However, it was stated that the white color of his skin was due to vitiligo, a disease that causes discoloration.

Jackson was in the trial period, of a new return to the stage. In this regard, their fans had already exhausted the number of tickets for a concert to be held in London. With its battered finances after the scandals, the "King of Pop" and looking back to the early drawings of the music.

Michael Jackson dies

Michael Jackson has died after suffering a suspected heart attack.

Emergency services were called to the 50-year-old singer's Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles and he was taken to the UCLA medical centre.

The King of Pop was pronounced dead at 2.26pm Pacific time (10.26pm BST) and a post-mortem examination is expected to take place later today, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office spokesman Fred Corral has said.

Jackson was about to embark on a comeback tour - This Is It, including 50 dates in London, which aimed to resurrect his fortunes.

Close friend Uri Geller said: "I guess the stress, the anticipation and the passion he was emitting from his heart, wanting to do this comeback so badly, maybe that got to him.

"That is all I can think, that maybe the stress killed him."

He described Jackson, who was best man when Geller renewed his wedding vows, as a "genius".

He said: "I'm shocked and devastated. I am hoping this is a dream I will wake up from, but it is not. Michael is dead.

"For him not to be around, that he's gone, is just surreal. It cannot sink into my psyche. He was a genius.

"I had my rows and up and downs with him because we were friends. I voiced my opinion about what he was doing wrong and found myself shouting at him at certain times, but when this person you were so close to is taken away, is gone, it's just unbelievable."

The Rev Al Sharpton, a leading US civil rights campaigner and friend of Jackson for 35 years, said the star was a "trailblazer" and a "historic figure".

"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," he said.

"Michael did with music what they did in sports, in politics, and in television

"No controversy will erase the historic impact.

"He learned how to sing and dance past unfair criticism, he learned how to sing and dance and be creative against his worst critics, he learned how to create even beyond his own shortcomings.

"He knew he had shortcomings, but he knew how to build his strengths and use his strengths to help people around the world.

"Michael Jackson was a trailblazer, to say an icon would only give these young people in Harlem a fraction of what he was.

"He was a historic figure that people will measure music and the industry by.

"He has sold more single products than any other artist and no one could drag him down for that."

Jackson last toured 12 years ago when he played 82 shows in 58 cities for the HIStory tour.

At the World Music Awards in London in November 2006 he performed just a few lines from We Are The World.

Jackson has three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Junior, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Michael Jackson dead, reports say

American website TMZ is reporting that the King of Pop Michael Jackson has died after suffering a heart attack at his Los Angeles home earlier today.

Pop singer Michael Jackson has died, according to various reports.

US gossip website TMZ.com says the King of Pop passed away after suffering a heart attack at his Los Angeles home earlier today.

The website report reads: “A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.”

Family lawyer Brian Oxman told CNN that the singer collapsed at home while his brother Randy was present. TMZ say the pop singer was taken into an ambulance by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics and moved to the UCLA Medical Centre. TMZ claims paramedics found Jackson unresponsive at his home and were unable to revive him.

The Los Angeles Times are also reporting that Jackson has passed away, citing city and law enforcement sources, as are NBC and other press agencies.

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Michael Jackson: a remarkable life

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His father Joe Jackson was quoted as saying he feared for his son’s life, concerns which appear to be vindicated if the reports are true. Apparently his sister La Toya (who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother) ran to the hospital sobbing after hearing her brother was dead. His friend Uri Geller told Sky News he was “shocked” and that he “cannot believe what he is hearing”.

Jackson was married twice (firstly to Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie) and leaves behind three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Jackson is one of the biggest selling artists of all time with favourites such as Thriller and Bad. Throughout his career he had 13 number one hits during his solo career.

However he has perhaps been best known in recent years for allegations of child abuse. In 2005 he was put on trial for sexual abuse against a boy he had befriended though was cleared after a high-profile trial.

Michael Jackson: Glastonbury reacts to his death

The news of Michael Jackson’s death spread throughout the Glastonbury Festival swiftly last night as revellers transmitted the message using the bush telegraph. Such was the resonance of Jackson’s heart attack that by midnight the majority of festival-goers, from the Dance Village to the hippy enclaves in Lost Vagueness, had at least heard a rumour.

Although the singer never performed at the festival in Pilton, Somerset, his standing in the music world meant that his name was chattered by almost everyone as they returned to their tents on the first official night of the event.

Some revellers, learning of Jackson’s death from friends on their mobile telephones, shouted out the news to passers by. Most people reacted with incredulity at first, dismissing it as a “festival rumour”, but those able to check the internet with mobile devices confirmed the story.

Emily Eavis, who helps her father Michael run the festival, posted a message on the official Glastonbury feed on Twitter, the social networking website. “So sad to hear the news about MJ,” she wrote. “There will be tributes all over the site all weekend. A truly great artist. Emily.”

At Silent Disco, the club night at which dancers listen to music on headphones, the crowd were alerted to the news as the disc jockey put on Thriller and “RIP Michael Jackson” was displayed on large screens. Other bars, including one in the backstage area, also played Jackson’s music to commemorate the singer.

Reactions varied from tears to bemusement. Lorraine Deacon, 36, a painter and decorator from Folkestone, Kent, was on the verge of tears as she mourned Jackson’s passing. “I was going to see him at the O2 in July. That is terrible. I’m shell-shocked. I think it’s an awful loss.

“He was fragile, but he was a living legend. He was the king of pop, without a doubt. I think he’ll be remembered greatly. I never believed any of the awful things that were said about him. He has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and he always will be.”

Helen, 22, from Middlesborough, said: "This is awful, but everything about his life was so insane that I kind of think this could all be some huge conspiracy theory, and he's just tired of the publicity and disappeared somewhere."

Russell Grant, the television astrologer, discovered that Jackson was dead when he heard a festival-goer shout the news to passers-by. "It's sad because he was such a massive, massive talent. I have seen him perform,” he said. “I'm surprised that he lasted so long. I reckon he's given up the will to live.”

David Novan, 34, from Chigwell, had also bought tickets to see Jackson for his final “This is It” tour in east London. "I was going to see him in January with my brother, who always wanted to see him, but now he never will. In some ways it's a surprise that he's lived so long. I went to his concert at Wembley in 1997 and I remember he was not popular. I had a spare ticket and I couldn't sell it. I had to give it away."

Rosie, 17, who was in the Silent Disco tent when she heard the news, was one of many people sceptical at the rumour. “It’s just unbelievable. I’m holding out hope that it’s not true because that would be crazy.”

Tears, disbelief in city as news of Michael Jackson's death spreads

A wave of shock and tears washed over the city Thursday night as New Yorkers mourned the sudden death of Michael Jackson with memories of how his music touched their lives.

At the Apollo Theater in Harlem, fans stared in disbelief as the marquee was changed to read "In memory of Michael Jackson, a true Apollo legend."

Spontaneous dancing broke out in the middle of 125th St. when someone began blaring Jackson's 1983 hit "Billie Jean."

Hundreds of young and middle-aged fans started chanting, "Michael! Michael! Michael!"

"I was walking down the street when someone told me," said Denise Blair, 47, of Harlem. "I just started crying."

Standing in front of the theater where Jackson last performed in 2002, Cobar Craton, 54, reminisced on first seeing The Jackson 5 in the late 1960s.

"When we were kids we went to see Michael Jackson right here before he was big," Craton said. "It was amazing. You could see the talent then. I really feel down, really sad."

In Times Square, a teary-eyed Francis Ayalla held up Jackson's most popular CD, "Thriller." Ayalla, 50, of the Bronx noted that she is the same age as the 13-time Grammy winner and that his songs provided the sound track to her life.

"All you can do is just keep crying. There's nothing else you can do," said Ayalla, who heard he was dead when a subway conductor announced it over the loud speakers of an uptown No. 2 train.

Pedro Broges, 17, of Queens said Jackson's timeless music has a universal appeal that spanned generations.

"I'm broken, just broken on the inside because I love his music, I loved his dancing and I'm so sad to hear that he's gone," Broges said. "He's the King of Pop and even though he's gone, he'll always be the King of Pop."

Dena Barnes, 21, of Brooklyn couldn't believe his eyes as he and hundreds of others stared up at the JumboTron in Times Square showing the stunning news.

"He's amazing," Barnes said of Jackson, adding that he had been planning to catch the moon-walking icon's comeback tour this summer. "You see Chris Brown and Usher and you see where they got it from; they got it from Michael Jackson."

At the Atlantic Ave. subway stop in Brooklyn, Yudelka Albuquerque, 36, paused to take in the breathtaking news. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Albuquerque, of Crown Heights recalled Jackson's music playing in homes and on street corners.

"In my country, everybody loves his music," said Albuquerque.

Brooklyn cop Tyreon Cook, 48, smiled as he remembered how he and his brothers would dance around their home pretending to be The Jackson 5.

Greta Costa, 23, of Fort Greene, remained a fan even through Jackson's down years, when he was tried for child molestation: "We were around to see his rise and fall," Costa said. "I feel disappointed."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/06/25/2009-06-25_tears_disbelief_in_city_as_news_of_michael_jacksons_death_spreads_.html#ixzz0JV7vtiS8&C

Michael Jackson, Pop Icon, Is Dead at 50

LOS ANGELES — For his legions of fans, he was the Peter Pan of pop music: the little boy who refused to grow up. But on the verge of another attempted comeback, he is suddenly gone, this time for good.

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Michael Jackson, whose quintessentially American tale of celebrity and excess took him from musical boy wonder to global pop superstar to sad figure haunted by lawsuits and failed plastic surgery, was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon at U.C.L.A. Medical Center after arriving in a coma, a city official said. Mr. Jackson was just 50 years old, having spent 39 of those years in the public eye he loved.

The singer was rushed to the hospital, a six-minute drive from the rented Bel-Air home in which he was living, shortly after noon by paramedics for the Los Angeles Fire Department. A hospital spokesman would not confirm reports of cardiac arrest.

As with Elvis Presley or the Beatles, it is impossible to calculate the full effect he had on the world of music. At the height of his career, he was indisputably the biggest star in the world; he has sold more than 750 million albums. Radio stations across the country reacted to his death with marathon sessions of his songs. MTV, which was born in part as a result of Mr. Jackson’s groundbreaking videos, reprised its early days as a music channel by showing his biggest hits.

From his days as the youngest brother in the Jackson 5 to his solo career in the 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Jackson was responsible for a string of hits like “I Want You Back,” “I’ll Be There,” “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean” and “Black and White” that exploited his high voice, infectious energy and ear for irresistible hooks.

As a solo performer, Mr. Jackson ushered in the age of pop as a global product — not to mention an age of spectacle and pop culture celebrity. He became more character than singer, his sequined glove, his whitened face, his moonwalk dance move embedded in the cultural firmament.

But not long after his entertainment career hit high-water marks — “Thriller,” from 1982, has been certified 28 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America — it started a bizarre disintegration. His darkest moment undoubtedly came in 2003, when he was indicted on child molesting charges. A young cancer patient claimed the singer had befriended him and then fondled him at his Neverland estate near Santa Barbara, Calif., but Mr. Jackson was acquitted on all charges.

Reaction started trickling in from the entertainment community late Thursday.

“I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news,” the music producer Quincy Jones said in a statement. Mr. Jones, who produced “Thriller,” said Mr. Jackson “had it all — talent, grace, professionalism and dedication.” He added, “I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”

The Apollo Theater, where Mr. Jackson and his brothers first performed in 1969 (they won amateur night), said, “We will always remember Michael in our hearts as a true Apollo legend, known for his professionalism and grace.”

Kenny Ortega, the director and choreographer who was working with Mr. Jackson to create the London concert series, called “This Is It,” said, “This is all too much to comprehend.”

Impromptu vigils broke out around the world, from Portland, Ore., where fans organized a one-gloved bike ride (“glittery costumes strongly encouraged”) to Hong Kong, where fans gathered with candles and sang his songs.

Mr. Jackson was an object of fascination for the news media since the Jackson 5’s hit, “I Want You Back,” in 1969. His public image wavered between that of the musical naif, who wanted only to recapture his youth by riding on roller-coasters and having sleepovers with his friends, to the calculated mogul who carefully constructed his persona around his often-baffling public behavior.

A Tour Canceled

Mr. Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 concerts at the O2 arena in London beginning next month and continuing into 2010. The shows were positioned as a comeback, with the potential to earn him up to $50 million, according to some reports.

But there has also been worry and speculation that Mr. Jackson was not physically ready for such an arduous run of concerts, and his postponement of the first of those shows to July 13 from July 8 fueled new rounds of gossip about his health.

“The primary reason for the concerts wasn’t so much that he was wanting to generate money as much as it was that he wanted to perform for his kids,” said J. Randy Taraborrelli, whose biography, “Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness,” was first published by Citadel in 1991. “They had never seen him perform before.”

Michael Jackson Feared Dead

King of Pop Michael Jackson has been rushed to hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest, leading to unconfirmed reports of his death.

The 50 year old star had reportedly stopped breathing by the time paramedics arrived at his Bel Air home at about 1230 (1900GMT) today (Thursday), and was in a coma by the time he arrived at hospital.

A member of the Jackson family told celebrity website TMZ that the singer was in "really bad shape", and the site has since reported that the star has died – although there has yet to be an official statement from either the hospital or Jackson’s camp confirming or denying this.

The paramedics performed CPR on Jackson as the ambulance took him to the UCLA medical centre according to hospital officials - but other than that no further facts have been confirmed at the time of writing.

Michael Jackson Quotes

Here is a selection of Michael Jackson's quotes from over the years:

"Our parents taught us to always be respectful and, no matter what you do, to give it everything you have. Be the best, not the second best."

USA Today interview 2001

"My father was a management genius. But what I really wanted was a dad."

Speech at Oxford Union

"They used to call me a 45-year-old midget wherever I went."

Oprah Winfrey interview 1993

"I love ET 'cos it reminds me of me. Someone from another world coming down and you becoming friends with them and this person is, like, 800 years old and he's filling you with all kinds of wisdom and he can teach you to fly. That whole fantasy thing which I think is great. I mean, who don't wanna fly?"

Interview in Smash Hits, January 20, 1983

"I see God in the face of children. If there were no children on this Earth, if somebody announced that all kids are dead, I would jump off the balcony immediately. I'm done."

TV documentary by Martin Bashir, February 2003

"Why can't you share your bed? That's the most loving thing to do, to share your bed with someone. You say, 'You can have my bed if you want it. Sleep in it. I'll sleep on the floor. It's yours.' I always give the beds to the company.

Admitting he shared his bed with children, in documentary by Martin Bashir, February 2003

"Everyone who knows me will know the truth which is that my children come first in my life and that I would never harm any child."

TV documentary by Martin Bashir was shown on February 3, 2003

"Wacko Jacko - where'd that come from? Some English tabloid. I have a heart and I have feelings. I feel that when you do that to me. It's not nice. Don't do it. I'm not a 'wacko'."

Speaking to TV journalist Barbara Walters in Paris, 1997

"When you just look out over the stage, as far as the naked eye could see, you see people. And it's a wonderful feeling, but it came with a lot of pain, a lot of pain."

Speaking to Ebony magazine in 2008