Michael Jackson is rushed into hospital in Los Angeles [Photo: x17online.com]

(CBS) – Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Los Angeles Times. The entertainment Web site TMZ.com is also reporting his death.

Jackson was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, reports KCBS in Los Angeles.

Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived.

Capt. Steve Ruda said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson’s home around 12:26 p.m. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told The Los Angeles Times.

The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson’s rented home, was roped off Thursday with police tape.

News trucks were gathered, helicopters flew overhead, and orange cones were laid out to redirect traffic.

“We have no statements as far as transporting Michael Jackson,” Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales said.

Jackson had planned to hit the stage at the O2 Arena in London for 50 concerts this summer. Tickets for the series, which kicks off on July 8, sold out in a matter of hours on March 13. By the time the shows end in February 2010, more than 1 million people will have seen Jackson perform.
Jackson, 50, has been in the public eye for more than 40 years.

With his unforgettable catchy Jackson Five tunes and incredible stage presence, the public has been infatuated with the shining child star turned awkward adult, who reached international superstardom. As soon as Jackson glided across the stage with his signature moonwalk dance, it was all over from there – fans were immediately hooked.

His album “Thriller,” released in 1982, was a chart-topper that set the bar for pop music.

In recent years, however, the pop icon has become more of a recluse and somewhat of a lost soul.

Headlines about Jackson were no longer about his music; instead there were stories of plastic surgery and strange behavior. He dangled his baby from a balcony and most damaging to his image was his 2005 trial for child molestation.