Michael Jackson King of Pop Dead at 50

The King of Pop Michael Jackson Died of an Apparent Cardiac Arrest on June 25, 2009

Superstar and king of pop Michael Jackson, known around the world for his music and his scandals, died today at age 50. Michael Jackson suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles this afternoon and was rushed by an ambulance staffed by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics to the UCLA Medical Centre. According to a Nashville radio news report, Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home.

Michael Jackson had been scheduled to play 50 sell-out shows at London's O2 Arena starting in July but Jackson had already had to postpone the first few nights of the tour. There is speculation now that the singer was already ailing causing the cancellations.

Michael Jackson - The Jackson 5

I grew up with the fresh-faced boy with the unbelievable vocals - when I say "grew up with," I mean of course like every kid growing up in the 1970s, I grew up hearing Michael Jackson on the radio day after day as part of the legendary The Jackson 5. Songs like "Rockin' Robin," "Ben," and "Got to Be There" were as much a part of my growing up years as school lessons and family trips.

The seventh child of the Jackson family, Michael made his debut on the professional music scene at age 11 as the youngest member of The Jackson 5 although he had performed background vocals with his older brothers since 1964. He quickly became the lead singer of the group. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson)

Michael Jackson - Abusive Childhood

The Jackson home life was apparently quite terrible. In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson revealed how from a young age he was abused both physically and mentally by his working-class father who saw his children as his meal ticket to a better life. Some of his siblings corroborated the stories. The incessant rehearsals, whippings and name-callings at his father's hand left innumerable scars on Jackson and warped him from the fresh-faced boy into a very strange, damaged man who tried for the rest of his life to reclaim his lost childhood.

Michael Jackson - Strange Life