Michael Jackson

[DADOCTOR]

The 1980s brought fame and fortune to the "King of Pop"

Michael Jackson, but with stardom came a barrage of tabloid rumors mixed with Jackson’s own bizarre behavior. British tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko" and Jackson began to look the part, in what appeared to be an obsession to alter his face through plastic surgery. Loyal fans stuck by his side until multiple charges of pedophilia were reported and the King of Pop faced with doing real jail time.

Early Childhood:
Michael Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was seventh of nine brothers and sisters born to Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Joseph Jackson was a strict disciplinarian and had the reputation for bullying his children into the music business. In 1962 Joseph organized a family band made up of his children, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, and Marlon. Michael joined the group at age five when it was discovered that he could imitate the dance steps of James Brown and had a distinct singing voice.

The Jackson 5 Sign with Motown:
Joseph scheduled a strict regimentation for Michael and his brothers. Relentless hours of practice left very little time to do normal kid activities. By the age of 10 Michael was the lead vocalist for the now dubbed, Jackson 5, and the group signed up with Motown Records. Their fame was growing quickly and by 1969 the Jackson 5 were a success, with their first four singles "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" hitting number one by 1970, a first in pop history.

The 70s:
Toward the end of 1972, Jackson did a solo for the movie, Ben, and it became a number-one hit. But the next few years for the Jackson 5 were stagnant and by 1975 the group left Motown, changed the group name to the Jacksons, and signed to Epic.

The 80s:
In 1977 Michael starred in The Wiz, an all black version of the Wizard of Oz, starring Diana Ross. Rumors circulated that Jackson enjoyed playing the roll of the Strawman so much that he wore his costume home. Although the movie was a flop, it allowed Jackson to work with Quincy Jones, and eventually led to Jones producing Jackson's first solo album "Off the Wall." The album went platinum and eventually sold over seven-million copies, and launched Jackson's career into stardom.

Eight Grammys in One Night:
In 1982 Quincy Jones produced another Jackson album, Thriller, which became the biggest hit in history with sales reaching 53 million copies and spawned many hit singles. Along with the music, Jackson produced a 14-minute video with a start, middle, and an ending and included professional dance routines, revolutionizing music videos. Songs from Thriller and for his narrative for the 'ET Storybook' resulted in Jackson winning eight Grammy awards in a single night, another industry record.

Moonwalk and White Sequined Gloves:
In May 1982, during the televised 25th anniversary of Motown, Michael Jackson performed his version of the "moonwalk" dance which quickly became his signature along side his one white-sequined glove. By now, the popular music television station MTV was showing Michael Jackson's videos continuously. Previous to that time MTV was reluctant to give any televised time to black entertainers.

Pepsi Hires Jackson:
By 1983 Michael Jackson was the hottest pop star around. He was hired as a spokesman by Pepsi and did a sequence of elaborate commercials. During 1984 he went on tour with his brothers to promote the Jackson album, Victory. During the tour he suffered an accident on stage that resulted in third degree burns. Plastic surgery was required to help restore his appearance.

Tabloid Rumors Run Rampant:
Tabloid rumors became rampant as Jackson's fame grew. It was rumored that Jackson had paid top dollar for the bones of John Merrick, the Elephant Man; that to maintain his high-pitched voice he was taking hormone treatments; and to keep his youthful appearance he slept in a hyperbaric chamber. When rumors came out that he bleached his skin to make him look whiter and altered his nose for the album "Thriller" some felt Jackson was denying his ancestral past. Jackson later said he suffered from vitiligo, a skin disorder which effects the skin's pigmentation, causing large white blotches to appear.

Michael Jackson's Looks Change:
In 1987 the album "Bad" was released and along with came a significantly different looking Michael Jackson. Soon to turn 30, Michael appeared to have gone through dramatic facial surgeries, changing not just his facial features, but his jaw line and skin color which by now was almost a pale white. His nose seemed to vanish into the paleness of his skin, and his eyes looked almost one-dimensional, and void of the normal surrounding skin.


His Autobiography:
In 1988 Michael wrote his first autobiography and disclosed episodes during his childhood and in his relationship with his unyielding father that was abusive in nature. By the end of the 1980s, Michael was crowned, "Artist of the Decade," for his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' albums.

Jackson Goes On Hiatus:
During this time, Jackson was taking a hiatus between albums and living at his 2,600 acre ranch in Santa Ynez, California, named "Neverland" after the magical kingdom featured in the story Peter Pan. Neverland contained a small zoo and amusement park and children (especially sick children) would be invited to spend a day at the park. His extraordinary behavior was becoming more bizarre, so much so that the British tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."

The 90s:
Jackson continued to work on new albums and in a big move Jackson left Quincy Jones and went with Sony to produce his 1991 album, Dangerous, which sold close to 28 million copies. Rumors about Jackson and his unusual relationship with children began to surface.

The Oprah Winfrey Interview:
In 1993 Jackson was interviewed inside his home by Oprah Winfrey. Michael Jackson described his child fame as lonely and sad. He told Oprah, "Well, you don't get to do things that other children get to do, you know, having friends and slumber parties and buddies. There was none of that for me. I didn't have any friends when I was little. My brothers were my friends."

Molestation Charges and Marriage:
It was during this same year that official allegations were made against Michael for the molestation of a 13-year-old boy. Although Michael went public with his denial of any unlawful relationships with any child, he also decided to settle with the family for close to $20 million. It was also during this time that Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, married but were divorced less than two years later.

Jackson's Fortune Grows:
By 1995 Michael Jackson had a fortune of an estimated $750 million. Within his financial portfolio was a catalog of 300,000 songs including songs of Elvis Presley and the Beatles that he bought at auction, ultimately outbidding Paul McCartney, an act that severed their friendship.
Wife or Baby Maker?: In 1996 Debbie Rowe and Jackson married and they had a son, Prince Michael, and daughter Paris Katherine. The marriage lasted until 1999, when they divorced and custody of the children went to Jackson.

The New Millennium:
In 2001 Jackson invested $30 million into his next album, "Invincible" which was a financial loser. Sony failed to renew its contract with Jackson and the self-named "King of Pop" was losing popularity. His appearance was becoming more outlandish than before with what appeared to be extreme surgeries trying to fix other extreme surgeries, making this once attractive vibrant entertainer look like an aged vampire.

Dangling Baby Prince Over a Balcony:
In February 2002 Jackson and a surrogate mother parented another son, Prince Michael II. In 2002 pictures of Michael dangling the baby over the railing of a balcony at a hotel in Berlin circulated around the world causing much criticism and skeptism toward Michael being a responsible parent. This event mixed with photographs of Michael walking with his other children covered in veils drew questions about his eccentric behavior and the welfare of his children.

The Martin Bashir Documentary:
Martin Bashir, a UK journalist did a rare, up-close documentary on Michael Jackson which was aired in February 2003. In the documentary, Jackson talked about his traumatic childhood. He also shared his thoughts about children and of Neverland Ranch and defended his practice of sharing his bed with children.

Jackson Proclaims Betrayal:
In the film 12-year-old Gavin Atvizo sat by his side. When the documentary was aired Jackson felt betrayed and manipulated by Bashir and claimed that he only showed moments taken out of context that displayed an unfavorable side of Jackson. Gavin's mother also complained that no consent was given for Gavin to appear on the film. As a counter attack Jackson put together a film of material omitted from the Bashir production including the part when Bashir commended Jackson's fathering skills.

More Molestation Charges:
On November 18, 2003 Jackson's Neverland Ranch was searched by 70 investigators in hopes of finding evidence that would corroborate the charges of 13-year-old boy, who told police that Jackson sexually molested him. A warrant for Jackson's arrest was also issued and on November 20, Jackson, who had been out of town during the search, surrendered himself to police. He was charged with "lewd or lascivious acts" with a child younger than 14 under section 288(a) of the California Penal Code.


Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to commit that felony, in February and March 2003, all regarding the same boy under 14.

On June 13, 2005, Michael Jackson was found not guilty of all charges

[LUCKY13]

He is a freak, and a child molester. I think he is guilty and there are many more victims out there who have never come forward. It just goes to show that money can indeed buy anything.

[pastrana]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

He is a freak, and a child molester. I think he is guilty and there are many more victims out there who have never come forward. It just goes to show that money can indeed buy anything.

agreed....

[OneBreath]

Jackson is actually a prime example of how skewed our criminal justice system can be at times. Unfortunately there is a difference in treatment for the rich and famous. Jackson is just one example of this. But he out of everyone needs to be sent away for a while. It is a shame that a few gold records can keep you out if jail especially if you molest children. Unfortunately a jury is just not likely to convict a famous person, just take all the other celebrities that have gotten away with every thing from D.U.I to murder.

[gladyskravits]

Michael Jackson Dies

Posted Jun 25th 2009 5:20PM by TMZ Staff

We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.

Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Jackson had 13 number one hits during his solo career.


TMZ

[gladyskravits]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop giant Michael Jackson, who took to the stage as a child star and went on to set the world dancing to the thumping rhythms of his music for decades, died Thursday, TMZ website reported. He was 50.

"We've just learned Michael Jackson has died," TMZ said.

"Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the entertainment site said.

There was no official confirmation of the reported death and spokespersons for Jackson could not be reached for comment.

Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said that the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived at the singer's home.

The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.

Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits include "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 hours of going on sale in March.

Jackson started out as a child star in the band "The Jackson 5" more than 40 years ago.

He has lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.

There have been 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.

(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Writing by Frances Kerry, Editing by Jackie Frank)

Reuters

[LUCKY13]

Autopsy planned as authorities seek to clear up mystery surrounding Michael Jackson's death

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson, defined in equal parts as the world's greatest entertainer and perhaps its most enigmatic figure, was about to attempt one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Then his life was cut shockingly - and so far, mysteriously - short.

The 50-year-old musical superstar died Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London's famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.

An autopsy was planned for Friday, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that takes several days and sometimes weeks. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said.

Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.

Jackson's 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.

His 1982 album "Thriller" - which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" - is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.

As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There."

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie. Jackson's sudden death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

"I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible," Lisa Marie Presley said in a statement. "I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."

As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure - a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."

"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.

Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary. He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers - Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito - in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.

The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."

The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."

The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, now 12; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.

Jackson also had a third child, Prince Michael II. Now 7, Jackson said the boy nicknamed Blanket as a baby was his biological child born from a surrogate mother.

Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."

Jackson's 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.

"He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit," he said. "People might have started to think of him again in a different light."

--

[LUCKY13]

'We lost a hero:' Fans around the world in shock over Michael Jackson's death

SYDNEY (AP) -- The news stunned nearly everyone, from the young man in Colombia who was named after the King of Pop, to Malaysians who named a soy drink for him, to a generation of people around the world who have tried to moonwalk.

Michael Jackson's death Thursday in California prompted broadcasters from Sydney to Seoul - where the news came early Friday - to interrupt morning programs, while fans remembered a "tortured genius" whose squeals and sliding moves captivated a generation and who sparked global trends in music, dance and fashion.

Even world leaders weighed in. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called it "lamentable news," though he criticized the media for giving it so much attention. Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who had met Jackson, said: "We lost a hero of the world."

Within minutes of Jackson's arrival by ambulance at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, people began arriving by the hundreds. A crowd remained at sunset, hours later, some dancing while passing cars blasted out Jackson tunes. A group of entrepreneurs sold T-shirts reading, "In Loving Memory of Michael Jackson."

The grief crossed all borders.

"My heart is heavy because my idol died," said Byron Garcia, security consultant at a Philippine prison who organized the famous video of 1,500 inmates doing a synchronized dance to "Thriller." The video has had 23.4 million hits on YouTube.

Garcia said the inmates in Cebu will hold a tribute for Jackson on Saturday with their "Thriller" dance and a minute of prayer.

The flamboyant former Philippine first lady, Imelda Marcos, who cheered Jackson's acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005, said she cried on hearing the news.

"Michael Jackson enriched our lives, made us happy," she said in a statement. "The accusations, the persecution caused him so much financial and mental anguish. He was vindicated in court, but the battle took his life. There is probably a lesson here for all of us."

In Bogota, Colombia, a 24-year-old tattoo artist named Michael Tarquino said his parents named him after Jackson. He recalled growing up with electricity rationing for hours at a time and waiting for the power to return.

"When the light came back on I would play my Michael Jackson LP, and I'd stand at the window and sing along," he said.

Japanese fans were always among Jackson's most passionate supporters, and news of his death came as a huge shock. Michiko Suzuki, a music critic who met Jackson several times in the 1980s, said the country was likely to be mourning for some time.

"Everyone was imitating his 'moonwalk' when it was a hit. He was a true superstar," she said.

Jackson also had a huge fan base in Seoul, South Korea, where his style and dance moves were widely emulated by Korean pop stars.

"He is my master and the prime mover to make me dance," pop star Rain told the South Korean sports and entertainment daily Ilgan Sports. "Even though he is dead, he is an eternal performer."

Aaron Kwok, one of Chinese pop's most accomplished singer-dancers, said he was deeply saddened by the news.

"It's so sudden. I can't accept the news as fact," Kwok said in a statement. "No one can replace Michael Jackson's contributions to pop music."

In central Mexico City, Jackson impersonator Esteban Rubio, 30, organized an impromptu tribute to the musical star.

"I feel sad, as if a part of my life were torn away," said Rubio, who wore a black fedora and aviator-style sunglasses and held a bouquet of sunflowers. "He changed the world. ... His legend begins today."

Online communities across the world posted tributes.

"I had tears in my eyes when I found out," Charles Winter, 19, from Adelaide, Australia, told The Associated Press. He led a Facebook group of more than 60,000 members that was petitioning Jackson to add Australia to his concert tour planned for this year. "He was such an inspiration. It doesn't matter if you're 40, 60 or 20, his music appeals to everyone."

In Malaysia, a drink mixing soy milk with strips of dark jelly is named after Jackson's "Black or White" song, and locals just ask for "Michael Jackson" or "MJ" when they order.

Yet the government nearly banned Jackson's 1996 HIStory concert tour for being too raunchy for the conservative, predominantly Islamic nation.

The international arts community mourned the loss of a unique performer.

Peter Kam, a prominent pop composer in Hong Kong, said he learned from Jackson the importance of a catchy melody.

"Every one of his songs is easy to remember. He was great at leaving a deep impression in a simple way," Kam said.

In Brazil, movie director and musician Felipe Machado called Jackson "perhaps the best performer that ever existed." Singer-composer and former Culture Minister Gilberto Gil also expressed his sorrow.

"It makes me very sad to see such a great and incredible talent leave us so soon - a talent that provided all of us with some wonderful moments," he told Folha Online news service. "I'll miss the King of Pop."

[DADOCTOR]

Michael Jackson, the one time "King of Pop," died today after suffering cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. Paramedics found Jackson not breathing or responding when they were called to his home and were not able to revive him as he was transported to L.A. Medical Center.

Jackson's death came less than a month before he was scheduled to begin a series of comeback concerts.

Jackson's sensational music career, that began in 1969, was marred in later years by accusations of child molestation and bizarre behavior that prompted tabloids to tag him with the nickname "Wacko Jacko."

Jackson Found Not Guilty

In April 2004 a grand jury indicted Jackson on 10 charges including four counts of committing a lewd act on a child; one count of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion; one count of attempting to commit a lewd act on a child; and four counts of administering an intoxicating agent to assist in the commission of a felony.

In a sensational 2005 trial, Jackson was found not guilty of the barrage of sexual charges involving a teenage boy. Although he was cleared of those charges, he was never able to get his career back on track afterward.

But Jackson's worldwide popularity never waned. His series of concerts, planned from July 13 through March 6, 2010 were all sold out far in advance, including 50 concerts scheduled at London's O2 Arena.

Always in the Spotlight

Jackson was only four years old when he started singing with his older brothers - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon - in the original Jackson 5. They signed a contract with Motown Records and quickly reeled off four hit songs in a row, including "I'll Be There," and "ABC."

Jackson's album "Thriller" became the biggest selling album of all time, and his records sales and concert tours set records for revenue and attendance while his videos changed the landscape of the music industry.

The peak of his career, the moment when he was catapulted into superstardom, came during a 1983 television special, "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever," when Jackson, wearing a white sequined glove, performed the song "Billie Jean," and moonwalked his way into music history.

[gladyskravits]

KING OF POP Michael Jackson died last night after a massive heart attack.

He collapsed and stopped breathing after an apparent injection of a powerful painkiller named Demerol.

Jacko was said to be addicted to the drug - similar to morphine - and it is feared he took an overdose.

Today, questions were being asked over the star's reliance on medication in the run-up to a series of eagerly-awaited gigs due to start at London's O2 next month.

More than 750,000 tickets had been sold for the 50 "This is It" concerts, which were scheduled to continue into next year.

The Jackson family lawyer yesterday said the star's painkiller addictions had become "life threatening" and feared this, along with increasing pressure from his inner circle in preparation for the gigs, had contributed to his death.

Brian Oxman – who was at the hospital when medics failed to resuscitate the star – said Jacko had started taking the drugs to cope with pain caused by previous injuries.

He said the singer had once set fire to his hair and fallen from a stage several years ago and cracked a vertebrae in his back and broken a leg, leaving him severely injured.

But he slammed the singer's continued use of the pain relief during his recent intensive show rehearsals.

He told reporters: "I have been very critical of the use of pain medications.

"I have told people in no uncertain terms that if Michael one day woke up and he was dead I would not be silent, I would not permit this to go unchallenged.

"If you will also remember many many years ago his hair caught on fire while he was doing the Pepsi commercial.

"That started the use of pain medications in Michael Jackson's life so they've been to treat actual pains he's had, but the use of these medications I felt had become life threatening."

Jacko's opening tour dates were postponed last month after concert promoters AEG said Jackson, who had not performed since the 1990s, needed more time to rehearse complex dance routines.

But after The Sun revealed that he was suffering from skin cancer there were fears that he was not fit enough to complete the tour.

Experts found spots of skin cancer on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.

The singer was left fuming after concert promoters booked 50 gigs.

He told fans earlier this month: "I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on.

"I'm really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place.

"I went to bed knowing I sold ten dates, and woke up to the news I was booked to do 50."

Yet Jacko, who had been blighted by a string of previous health problems - including rumoured heart trouble - had still vowed to perform the £150million comeback shows.

Mr Oxman compared Jacko to Playboy pin-up Anna Nicole Smith, alleging that Michael had "enablers" just like her.

He said: "This (Jackson) family has been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson. The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him.

"If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, that is nothing compared to what has taken place in the life of Michael Jackson.

"I do not know what medications he was taking, but the reports that we have received within the family are that they were extensive."

California Attorney General Jerry Brown previously said Ms Nicole Smith's former boyfriend was the "principal enabler" in a conspiracy with two doctors to provide the "known addict" thousands of prescription pills in the months before she died of an overdose.

Paramedics who raced to Jacko's home after a panic-stricken emergency call found he had no pulse. And frantic attempts to revive him failed.

Authorities have scheduled a post-mortem examination for today. But they warned it could take weeks to determine a cause of death, which will likely have to wait for the return of toxicology tests.

Those tests will determine if Jackson had any drugs, alcohol or prescription medications in his system.

The Thriller star, who had been fighting skin cancer, was due to start a series of comeback concerts in London next month.

Instead, millions of shocked fans around the globe are today mourning a legend.

The dramatic call from the superstar's Los Angeles home was made by a member of staff last night at just after 8pm UK time.

Fire Department medics responded to the alert and arrived to find the singer collapsed and not breathing. He had suffered a cardiac arrest.

The emergency staff rushed him to hospital in their ambulance, as an on-board computer screen gave chilling details of his condition.

A record of the call-out read: "50 year old male. Not breathing at all." It gave the time of the alert as 12.21pm local time.

Desperate medics gave the stricken star heart massage and oxygen along the route. But they were unable to revive him.

Jacko's family were informed of his collapse and rushed to his bedside as weeping fans began massing outside the city's giant UCLA Medical Centre.

There were screams of "You've got to save him, you've got to save him" as the star was stretchered in.

Mum Katherine made it to the hospital shortly after her son, although his father Joe was in Las Vegas when told the news. Close pal Elizabeth Taylor also rushed to the hospital to say her goodbyes.


Finally a doctor appeared and told shocked relatives and aides that all efforts to restart his heart had failed and that he had died.

Sister La Toya was seen running into the hospital sobbing after her brother was pronounced dead.

Los Angeles County Coroner Fred Corral last night confirmed that Jackson had died of heart failure at 2.26pm local time.

An Emergency Room source at UCLA hospital said Jackson aides told medics he had fallen ill after an injection of potent Demerol.

A Jacko source said: "Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing.

"His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped.

"His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes.

"But paramedics found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital.

"When he arrived they started resuscitation, giving him heart shocks and inserted a breathing tube and other supportive measures to try and save his life.

"He never regained consciousness. The family was told that he had passed."

As news spread of Jackson's death, thousands of distraught fans gathered outside the hospital.

Many were dressed in the eccentric singer's trademark costumes and others blasted out his smash-hit tunes.

Mr Oxman said the star collapsed at his rented home in LA's Holmby Hills area while brother Randy was present.

Los Angeles City Fire Department confirmed the emergency call was made from Jackson's home.

"The call came in because a person was not breathing," said a spokesman.

"When the team arrived, they saw that CPR was already in progress by someone at the home.

"The person not breathing was transported to UCLA Medical Centre."

As fears mounted for the singer, stunned family members revealed that he was "in really bad shape".

Jackson is survived by his children Michael Jackson Jr, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Last night the singer's close pal Uri Geller was "too upset for words" after hearing news of the superstar's death.

He said: "The whole world's absolutely devastated and I'm lost for words because everyone expected him to come to England to do his concerts.

"He was in good health. He was rehearsing, dancing, practising for the shows in England and I am shocked, that is all I can say."

One British-based fan told last night how she witnessed the unfolding drama. Julie Jackson, 34, was on a tour bus outside Jacko's LA base when paramedics were called to the house.

She said: "The gates opened and the fire engines went in and I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to see Michael Jackson'.

"He is my idol - I love him. No one knew what was happening and obviously we never realised it was so serious."

Julie, of Hanwell, West London, added: "We were all quite stunned and got off the tour bus. We didn't see him taken out and there was just a lot of confusion about what was happening. The fire engines sped off down the road with lights and horn blaring.

"This is just so scary. I feel empty and cold inside."

Jackson's grieving brother Tito last night said he regretted not having spoken to Jacko "in a while".

Lawyer Mr Oxman said Jackson had taken drugs to deal with past injuries including a broken back and broken leg, which were hindering his concert rehearsals.

He said: "This was something I feared and something I warned about."



Michael Jackson is dead after a massive heart attack - he was under immense pressure due to upcoming concerts | The Sun |Showbiz|Bizarre