Rumors Swirl Before Superstars' Death Is Confirmed

Today, the music died.

Making the "Rule of Three" eerily poignant, The King of Pop Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

According to sources, Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him.

When paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they were never able to got a pulse back. 

Reportedly he was already dead when paramedics arrived. Media reports claimed that the superstar was in a coma before his passing was confirmed.

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

A limited report of cause of death may be released by the LA coroner as early as tomorrow afternoon.

It seems like just yesterday that we were arguing with our girlfriends at weekend sleepovers about who we were going to marry when we grew up: Michael Jackson or Prince. 

The troubled star had appeared frail and unhealthy in his infrequent public appearances in the past couple of years though he was trying to stage a comeback of sorts, having just recently announced some British tour dates.

Jackson, whose lifetime of hits helped sell more than 750 million albums worldwide, defined the MTV generation with his ground-breaking music video for Thriller, directed by John Landis. Thriller went on to become the best-selling album of all time with sales estimated to be 47–109 million copies sold across the globe.

Seven of the album's nine songs were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. His run of triumphs in the 1980s, in addition to Thriller, included the blockbuster albums Off the Wall and Bad.

Jackson is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Jackson 5 and solo), a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, and has 13 solo No. 1 hits and another four with the Jackson 5.

And though Jackson had years of tabloid exposes, bizarre behavior, artistic flops, financial crises, health issues and child sex abuse scandals that tarnished his image, for all of us who grew up watching him perform and trying to imitate his dance moves (and failing spectacularly), his talent was undeniable.

The perpetual Peter Pan inspired a new generation of pop stars, such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Akon, Britney Spears, Usher, Justin Timberlake, R.Kelly, Chris Brown, baby sister Janet, and dozens of others who cite his influence on their music and even their desire to be entertainers.

How fitting that Michael Jackson died as he lived: On center stage with the eyes of the whole world watching.   

By Paige Muller

Paige Muller, Gossip & Hollywood Hijinx
		About the author:
		Paige Muller is a gossip gal with an appreciation – some would say obsession – for Hollywood hijinx, celebrity style and the latest fashion trends.  From who hooked up, who's knocked up and "WTF are they wearing?", Paige offers all the dish, with a side of snark. When not pondering Jennifer Aniston's perplexing post-breakup PR strategy, Paige is a published writer and communications professional who has worked with brands like Dove, L'Oreal, More magazine, Gap and WE: Woman's Entertainment.
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