Pop music’s biggest and most influential artist has died. Michael Jackson, 50, passed away from apparent cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home. According to a Los Angeles city official who confirmed he passed away at 1:07 pm PST, paramedics arrived at the Thriller singer’s home after receiving a 911 call. A source says that Jackson was dead when medical officials arrived. He is survived by his three children, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, and Prince Michael Jackson II.
The tragic news comes just days before the King of Pop was to perform at his sold-out 50-date residency at United Kingdom’s new premiere arena, O2. Despite his recent troubles—the singer was exonerated on child-molestation charges in 2005—more than 750,000 tickets were sold. And Jackson, even as his appearance became a joke and his mysterious personal life became confounding, was still an in-demand performer.
Jackson, who rocketed to fame in the late ’60s and early ’70s as a member of the legendary group the Jackson 5, was already a star at the age of 12, singing lead on a string of hits that included “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” and “I’ll Be There.” But it was his success as a solo act that made Jackson a global icon. Off The Wall (Epic, 1978) saw a more mature artist on the cusp of greatness, selling over 7 million copies worldwide. But nothing could prepare music fans for the cultural explosion of his 1982 album, Thriller (Epic). The work went on to become the biggest selling album of all-time, pushing an astounding 51 million copies. Over the years other multi-platinum albums, like 1987’s Bad (Epic) and 1991’s Dangerous (Epic) followed, pushing Jackson’s remarkable total to 750 million albums. He also won 13 Grammy Awards.
Jackson’s impact is immeasurable. Everyone from Bobby Brown and Chris Brown to Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo have emulated the musical giant. He will be deeply missed.
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