Michael Jackson Dead At 50

I saw this online awhile ago - TMZ.com appears to have gotten the scoop - but I wanted to see a more credible news source report it before posting it. Michael Jackson has died at age 50 of cardiac arrest this afternoon after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times that Mr. Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home, and they were unable to resuscitate him.

The news comes as the King Of Pop was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges. Mr. Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” 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. There were concerns about Mr. Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that he had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

Mr. Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Ind., the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael — first performed together at a talent show when Mr. Jackson was 6. They won and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5. Mr. 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.

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

Mr. Jackson is survived by three children: Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for when his father held him over a hotel balcony railing, to widespread criticism.

Booker Rising response: Dang. This week - and particularly today - ain't been good to celebrities. Ed McMahon died on Tuesday. Then today both Farrah Fawcett and Mr. Jackson die. I was a huge Michael Jackson fan as a kid. What a musical legend. R.I.P., Mr. Jackson.

Bookeristas respond: Coby Dillard, a black conservative Republican in Norfolk, Virginia, writes on Twitter: "RIP, Smooth Criminal...."

James T. Harris, a black conservative Republican, writes on Twitter: "Two [i]cons die on the same day?!? The 70's & 80's were defined by these two souls. R.I.P."

Katrina Simm, a black conservative Republican in New Jersey, writes on Twitter: "My heart is broken. I grew up on that mans music".

Marie Stroughter, a black conservative, writes on Twitter: "Hoping that the family can pull together & not get crazy about the money as so many families do...*sigh*"