Michael Jackson, 50, died Thursday in Los Angeles as sensationally as he lived, as famous as a human being can get.
Jackson was a child Motown sensation who grew into a moonwalking megastar, the self-anointed King of Pop who sold 750 million records over his career and enjoyed worldwide adoration.
But with that came the world’s relentless curiosity, and Jackson came to be regarded as one of show business’s legendary oddities, hopping from one public relations crisis to another.
There were fans whose devotion knew no bounds, who were among the first to flock to UCLA Medical Center as news of his death spread Thursday afternoon. Those were the same kind of fans who camped out at the Santa Barbara Superior Courthouse to show their support during his 2005 trial. They released doves and wept when he was acquitted.
Then there was the other kind of fan, who preferred to keep memories of the singer locked firmly in his 1980s prime: Today’s young adults all have memories of being toddlers and grade-schoolers who moonwalked across their mother’s just-mopped kitchen floors.
Jackson’s death set off an instant media frenzy befitting the later chapters of his celebrityhood. Web sites began reporting that singer had been taken to the hospital. Soon, streets in the Westwood neighborhoods around the hospital were closed and crowds of onlookers formed, much as they did wherever the singer had appeared. Soon enough, they were dancing and playing Jackson’s music.
The singer suffered an apparent heart attack at one of his residences in Bel-Air. Paramedics said Jackson was not breathing when they arrived at 12:26 p.m. Pacific time. He was pronounced dead at UCLA Medical Center.
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words," producer Quincy Jones said. "To this day, the music we created together on ‘Off the Wall,’ ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’ is played in every corner of the world, and the reason for that is because he had it all ... talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. 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."
"On the one hand, it’s shocking," said Alan Light, a journalist who has edited Spin and Vibe magazines. "On the other hand, everybody had the sense that there was not going to be a happy ending to this story. I don’t know what other final chapter there was going to be. ...
"It’s almost impossible to overstate the impact he had on popular music and popular culture. He really defined what the music video could be. He was the ultimate crossover figure, bringing black music and rock ’n’ roll together. He is someone who will be remembered as an absolute superstar. He may have lost some of his popularity in the United States, but he remained a superstar in corners of the world not visited by other artists."
Jackson’s career began as a family business in Gary, Ind. As the Jackson 5, the group moved in comparably short time from local talent contests to national stardom. Driven by their father in a borrowed van, the Jackson 5 appeared in Chicago, at New York’s Apollo Theater and as the opening act for the Temptations and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Motown owner Berry Gordy signed the group to a contract in 1968.
Two years later, when Michael was 12, the Jackson 5 had four No. 1 hits, including "ABC" (which won a Grammy Award as best pop song), "I Want You Back" and "I’ll Be There."
"Off the Wall" (1979) sold 9 million copies and had four Top 10 hits. In 1982, Jackson released his next, "Thriller," which was also produced by Jones. It became an instant phenomenon, selling more than 40 million copies and yielding seven Top 10 hits, including "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and the title track.
"Thriller" won eight Grammy Awards, but it was Jackson’s breathtaking performances on music videos accompanying the album that became instantly memorable.
In his 30s, Jackson started to become more enigma than entertainer. He straightened his hair and nose, beginning a process of self-reconstruction that ultimately reached bizarre lengths.
His world devolved into a series of tabloid headlines about everything from his curious pet ownership to the plastic surgeries that drastically changed him. He was accused of abusing a child in the 1990s (a case settled out of court in 1994 for a reported amount between $15 million and $24 million).
He was briefly married to Elvis Presley progeny Lisa Marie Presley – a largely symbolic union of pop dynasties. After that marriage he became a father to three children.
