Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop
who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was
overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died on
Thursday. He was 50.

Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2:26 p.m. PDT (2126 GMT)
after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest,
said Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office.
The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely
take place on Friday, he said.

Jackson's sudden death had been reported earlier by U.S. media,
which said he was taken ill at his home and rushed to the hospital
by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived.

Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean,"
Jackson's dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance
moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.

He transformed music videos and his lifetime record sales tally is
believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards
he received, made him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

But Jackson's belief that "I am Peter Pan in my heart",
his preference for the company of children, his friendship with a
chimp, his high-pitched voice and numerous plastic surgeries also
earned him critics and the nickname "Wacko Jacko."

Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005
on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback
tour from London next month.

Quincy Jones, who helped arrange the music on the album "Thriller" and
produced the "Off the Wall" album, told MSNBC: "I am absolutely devastated
at this tragic and unexpected news."

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age,
I just don't have the words. I've lost my little brother today, and part of
my soul has gone with him."

Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in
London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been
rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.
The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of
going on sale in March.

"Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry,
talent, and vision as Michael Jackson," said Neil Portnow, president and
CEO of The Recording Academy in a statement.

"He was a true musical icon whose identifiable voice, innovative
dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and sheer star power
carried him from childhood to worldwide acclaim."

There were concerns about Jackson's health in recent years but the
promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson
had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

Outside the hospital in Los Angeles about 200 fans and reporters
gathered on Thursday, waiting for confirmation of Jackson's death or condition.

Some fans were crying and hugging each other, and others were
climbing atop fences to get a better look at a microphone stand
where a news conference was supposed to take place.

"I hope he's gone to God, and I hope that he's free of all the troubles
he's been plagued with," Tonya Blazer, 50, who said she had been a
fan going back more than four decades to his days as a child star.

"I just feel like I'm paying tribute to him," said Dawn Burgess, 42, a
fan who said she had posters of Michael pinned to her bedroom
wall when she was a child.

Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana,
the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito,
Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent
show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and
went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.

Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released "Thriller" in 1982,
which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles.
The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move
while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.

In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie,
but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married
Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting
in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael
and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father
held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

New Yorkers and tourists in the city's Times Square were shocked
at the news of Jackson's death.

"I don't know what to say. It's sad, it's really, really sad," said Nicole Smith,
an 18-year-old student from Brooklyn, New York, in Times Square.
"My mother was a fan. I listened to his music."

"I'm shocked. I thought someone was lying to me when I first heard it.
I was a fan from when he was a little boy and then he got weird," said Sue Sheider,
51, a teacher from Long Island.

(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles and Michelle Nichols in New York)

When John Leak, 52, an ambulance driver from Jamaica,
Queens, heard the news that Michael Jackson died Thursday,
he took a train to Harlem to see if it was true.

There he saw a sign on the marquee of the Apollo Theater:
"In memory of Michael Jackson, a true Apollo legend. 1958-2009."

"You had Elvis, you had James Brown, but he was in a class all by himself," said Leak,
who recalled seeing Jackson at the Apollo in the 1970s. "He was an icon."