Pop music legend Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after an apparent heart attack on June 25.
The King of Pop was rushed to UCLA Medical Center on Thursday afternoon after he was found unresponsive by paramedics. He arrived at the hospital in a “deep coma” and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards by doctors, law enforcement and city officials reported to the Los Angeles Times.
Jackson had been staying at a rented estate in Bel Air while rehearsing for his 50-show residency at the O2 Arena in London. The residency was set to begin July 13, and production hold-back tickets for the shows were just recently released.
A staff member called 911 to Jackson’s house a little after noon (PT), according to TMZ.com, which broke news of Jackson’s hospitalization. As family rushed to be by his side at the hospital, TMZ reported calls from the family stating that Jackson was in “really bad shape.”
The pop legend is survived by his parents, siblings and three children.
Update, 6:59 p.m.
Crowds have started gathering outside the UCLA Medical Center where Jackson was hospitalized, according to televised media coverage. “People are already showing up in costume, believe it or not,” said Fox News correspondent Trace Gallagher, who was reporting from the scene.
Update, 8:30 p.m.
Patrick Allocco, CEO of AllGood Entertainment, released a statement to the press about Jackson’s death, stating that the company “joins fans and friends the world over in mourning the untimely loss of one of the truly great entertainers of our time.”
Allocco continued, “Especially, our thoughts and prayers go to the entire family and particularly to those two wonderful people, Katherine and Joe Jackson, Michael’s Mom and Dad. Michael, we and everyone else will miss you. Godspeed!”
Allocco and AllGood recently filed suit against Jackson and O2 residency promoter AEG Live for the right to produce a one-off Jackson Family reunion concert. The reunion deal was allegedly signed, complete with a non-competition clause, prior to Jackson’s extended concert agreement with AEG Live.
