Washington (DPA) – Physicians at the UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles worked for more than an hour to resuscitate pop icon Michael Jackson, according to his brother Jermaine Jackson in broadcast remarks Thursday.
The sudden death of the rock star on a hot Thursday afternoon triggered not only worldwide mourning but also an odd disconnect as he came back to life with his star power in nonstop broadcasts of file footage.
Paramedics answered an emergency call at Jackson’s rented mansion outside Los Angeles to find him unresponsive, officials said.
“It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest at his home,” an emotionally-wrought Jermaine told reporters. “Upon arriving at hospital at 1:14 pm, a team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour.”
The Los Angeles County coroner Fred Corral confirmed Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm (2126 GMT), but would not comment on the likely cause of his death.
A Los Angeles police official said that given the “high-profile nature” of the death, the case had been assigned to the robbery and homicide team. An autopsy would be carried out to determine the cause of death, with results to be released on Friday.
Fox News showed live images of the Los Angeles police helicopter delivering Jackson’s remains to the medical examiner’s office.
If cardiac arrest is confirmed, medical experts said there were a variety of possible causes, including a heart attack, an aneurism or a blood clot. One physician told CNN that the heart simply stops beating and only quivers in full cardiac arrest.
Jermaine, a one-time member of the Jackson 5 and Michael’s older brother, refused to take questions, ending his remarks to reporters with his own tribute: “We all will be with you Michael, always.”
ET that Jackson was transported from his residence in full cardiac arrest on Thursday. They say life-saving efforts were made by paramedics throughout transport to the hospital and efforts in the hospital emergency room continued on unsuccessfully.
Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The King of Pop, who will be forever immortalized for his world-famous, trademark dance moves and chart-topping success, was arguably one of the most popular recording artists of all time, his success peaking during the 1980s.
Jackson was born in Gary, IN on August 29, 1958. Before he became a solo artist, Jackson was the youngest member of the Jackson Five, the explosive ’60s band formed by his four older brothers — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon Jackson — put Jackson on the path to stardom.
Jackson’s talent was brought to the attention of producer Quincy Jones, who cast him in the role of Scarecrow in ‘The Wiz’ (1978), a musical based on ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ The film also featured Diana Ross and Richard Pryor. The rising pop star reunited with Jones in 1982 with the mega-hit album, Thriller. The title track, along with “Beat It,” “The Girl is Mine,” and “Billie Jean,” would make him an indelible icon of pop culture. The album garnered seven Grammy awards. His unmatchable musical talent was coupled with an intriguing idiosyncratic image that, in later years, overshadowed the singer’s own success. But the ’80s marked Jackson as a contemporary legend.
Jackson’s eccentric persona was perpetuated with the help of his one-gloved hand. In 1993, a mother accused Jackson of molesting her 13-year-old son during a visit. The case was eventually settled out of court for a reported $20 million. Still, America remained enamored with the pop star; a reported 62 million viewers tuned in to his 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. The later years of his career and personal life proved to be a tumultuous affair. The change was perhaps foreshadowed most significantly a year after he married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. His album, HIStory, released in 1995, failed to become the success it was anticipated to be. His 2001 album, Invincible, which reportedly cost $30 million to produce, would suffer the same fate.
During the same year, in November, he married former nurse Debbie Rowe. She gave birth to Prince Michael Jackson I in 1997. Two years later Jackson and Rowe filed for divorce. In November 2003, more legal trouble emerged when a 12-year-old boy claimed that Jackson molested him at his Neverland Valley Ranch. A year later Jackson gave his DNA sample to authorities after police searched his estate for evidence.
In 2005, Jackson was tried and exonerated of child molestation, conspiracy and alcohol charges that could have sent him to prison for nearly 20 years.
Despite the tribulations in his personal life, Michael Jackson’s mark in history never faded. He has inspired young pop stars like Justin Timberlake and Usher, and his classic, instantly recognizable songs continue to be heard in dance clubs and households across the world.
Jackson is survived by his three children: Prince Michael Jackson I, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.
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