14 DAY TRIAL // All major news outlets are reporting the confirmed death of pop superstar Michael Jackson, in the UCLA Medical Center, in Los Angeles. The singer, dubbed the “King of Pop,” was brought in by paramedics from his estate near LA, in a state of deep coma, and in full cardiac arrest, Los Angeles coroner Fred Corral told CNN. After unsuccessfully performing CPR maneuvers on the singer, and despite their best efforts, doctors pronounced him dead at 2:26 pm PST (2126 GMT). He was only 50 years old.
“I can tell you at this time that we were notified by West Los Angeles Police Department detectives that Mr Jackson was transported (...) to the hospital, and upon admitting, he was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at approximately 2:26 this afternoon,” Corral told the media. Many fans, onlookers and reporters gathered at the UCLA hospital, and near his Neverland Ranch, where they took pictures of the estate's gates.
“For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. To this day that music is played in every corner of the world, and the reason is because he had it all – talent, grace, and professionalism. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him,” Quincy Jones, who produced the artist's smashing hit album “Thriller,” shared for MSNBC. The artist is survived by three children, and one of the world's vastest musical legacies ever.
As the news of his death spreads across the world, carried forth mostly by the Internet, his legions of fans refuse to believe the words they're hearing. Many who receive text messages and e-mails say that this is just another hoax, but the Coroner's Office in LA was pretty straightforward. As the final tribute to the singer, all the concert tickets, for the 50 shows, sold out within minutes of the houses opening, and they could be found online at very high prices, the Rolling Stone reports.
The singer was in town rehearsing his vast series of concerts, which were scheduled to run through the early months of 2010, at a London arena. However, his staff repeatedly said that the singer attended less and less rehearsals, showing obvious signs of fatigue. The comeback tour was to be one of the greatest entertainment shows in the world, an AEG Live rep said, and added that the reason why the first four concerts in London were postponed was not because the singer was ill, but because of the “massive and technically complex” nature of the shows.