Michael Jackson Dies at age 50.

[Pixe]

Michael Jackson, the record-breaking, sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer, and the tabloid world's most disturbing celebrity, has died. He was 50.

A person with knowledge of the situation says Jackson died Thursday in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

Capt. Steve Ruda said Thursday that Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson's rented home, was roped off Thursday with police tape.

News trucks were gathered, helicopters flew overhead, and orange cones were laid out to redirect traffic.

His 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.

Jackson, 50, hasn't released a studio album since 2001, and his turns in the spotlight have mostly focused on his personal troubles.

Jackson was arrested in 2003 on child-molestation charges and acquitted in 2005 after a trial in California.

The pop singer was scheduled to kick off a series of shows in London.

Source: WLWT.com and TMZ.com

[Catscratch]

D: This makes me sad. And Farrah Fawcett!

[Pixe]

And Ed McMann!

[El Rey]

It happens in 3s.

Strange times as these were all ICONS in our life growing up. Regardless of how you feel about these celebrities, it is like a part of our childhood just died.

[Pixe]

Exactly! My mom has always talked about the 3s, but isn't this one kinda 4s since Carradine passed? I do feel as though a large part of my childhood just went straight out the window.

[Christel Brooks]

Yep it does happen in 3's, so sad... They were ALL awesome, death is a terrible thing but like El Rey said, icons from our childhood =( I loved him as I was growing up, regardless of what he MIGHT of done in his ladder yrs, he was an awesome artist.

[Niki]

Q102 had a tribute and i called and requested his songs all nite cuz i was bored at work . the other girl i was working with and i sung and did the moonwalk all nite... my fave song was billie jean...

[Ignatz]

Michael was six days older than me. His death makes me a little nervous about my own mortality.
His music marked some milestones in my life. I'll Be There was playing when I had my first cheek to cheek slow dance with a girl as an adolescent. Thriller marked the beginning of my first marriage.
Blood OnThe Dancefloor was the soundtrack to the grisly end of that union.
I lost interest in him as he became increasingly bizarre, like trying to look like Dianna Ross and the marriage to Lisa-Marie.
He was a sad clown in his later years.
Now he is just a broken toy in the landfill of pop detruitis.
Like Elvis. he'll attain a quasi-deification that will sell in Vegas.
Rest in peace. Michael.
I outlived you.

[El Rey]

OMG! I was making a sandwich for lunch today and MJ appeared to me. It must be a sign!!!!

[Pixe]

BWAHAHAHA this is amazing

[Niki]

i know right...

[Vega]

Daddy just found his UNOPENED Thriller Vinyl Album....yeah, that's right...I'm gonna use my daddy's little girl charms best I can to get that thing in my hands....

For the record, i loved that man. I will deck someone in the face for nay-sayin....try me!

[Amber Waves]

My own Daddy wouldn't fall for that. He'd say, "Too bad - you should have thought about that shit when you HAD to have it for Christmas in '83"

But I concur, Vega. MJ was a badass.