World mourns King of Pop death

NEW YORK - One day after Michael Jacksons death in Los Angeles that sent shock waves around the world, an autopsy was conducted Friday to determine the cause of the superstars sudden collapse weeks ahead of his comeback shows in London.
At the same time, Los Angeles police appeared to be focusing part of their investigation on the private medical care of Jackson, whose string of hit songs set the world dancing.
A car belonging to Jacksons personal physician was impounded from the house on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Police. We need to conduct further interviews and the car might contain medications or other evidence that could assist the coroner, Amanda Betat, a Los Angeles police spokeswoman said.
Betat said the doctor, whose name the police department did not release, has not come to claim his vehicle. She said that detectives spoke with the doctor briefly on Thursday about the pop singer before taking his car.
The autopsy was expected to take several hours, but getting toxicology results could take six to eight weeks, the Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Lt Ed Winter told reporters.
Jackson, the show-stopping singer, was pronounced as dead after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday evening in full cardiac arrest, Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroners office said in a televised news conference.
Emergency hospital workers tried for over an hour to resuscitate Michael Jackson after he collapsed at home from an apparent heart attack, brother and official family spokesman Jermaine Jackson said.
The King of Pop is believed to have suffered cardiac arrest but the formal cause of death will not be known until his autopsy, Jackson said at an emotional news conference.
His personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate my brother.
Upon arriving at the hospital, a team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate him, for a period of more than an hour. They were unsuccessful, he said.
Our family requests that the media should please respect our privacy during this tough time, he said.
MAY ALLAH BE WITH YOU
May Allah be with you, Michael, always, said Jermaine Jackson, who is a Muslim.
Late Thursday, his body was flown by helicopter from the hospital to the coroners office. Even as investigators were looking into Jacksons medical care and potential prescription drugs, questions about both were raised by a man describing himself as a former lawyer and family friend. Brian Oxman gave multiple interviews Thursday night and Friday morning to national news outlets expressing his concerns about Jacksons health, and saying that prescribed drugs might have been a factor in his death on Thursday.
I said one day, were going to have this experience, Oxman said Friday on the Today Show. And when Anna Nicole Smith passed away, I said we cannot have this kind of thing with Michael Jackson.
Oxman told the Early Show on CBS: I do not want to point fingers at anyone because I want to hear what the toxicology report says and the coroner says. But the plain fact of the matter is that Michael Jackson had prescription drugs at his disposal at all times.
The Associated Press reported that in 2007, Jackson settled a lawsuit filed by a Beverly Hills pharmacy that claimed the singer owed more than $100,000 for prescription drugs over a two-year period.
As report of pop stars death emerged, legions of grief-stricken fans around the world were swept up in spontaneous flower-laden memorials and emotional tributes.
Jacksons brand of pop knew no borders and needed no translation, linking listeners of all nations through the accessible corridors of rhythm, beat, and dance, The New York Times wrote. As reaction to his sudden death began to pour on Friday, its extent underscored how far his influence had spread. In a way, it was as if his fans were embodying the spirit of Jacksons song, 'We are the World.
From Los Angeles to Pakistan and beyond, fans spoke of their shock and sadness. They gathered outside his childhood home in Gary, Indiana, leaving stuffed animals and candles.
As his music echoed from cafes and car speakers, everyone from national leaders down to the common people seemed to weigh in.
Jackson, whose hits included Thriller and Billie Jean, leaves behind a mountain of debt and an unfulfilled series of comeback concerts set for London in July. Many hoped that the shows would rake in millions and erase his financial troubles.
Jacksons dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by millions of fans around the world who mourned his death.
His lifetime record sales tally was believed to be around 750 million. With his 13 Grammy Awards and boundary-breaking music videos he was one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
Celebrity tributes poured in for the singer who was one of the first black entertainers of the MTV generation to gain a big crossover following.
Pop star Madonna said, I cant stop crying over the sad news ... I have always admired Michael Jackson.
AFP/Reuters add: Michael Jackson is dead after suffering a cardiac arrest, sending shockwaves sweeping across the world and tributes pouring on Friday for the tortured music icon revered as the King of Pop.
Jackson, 50, collapsed at his rented mansion in the exclusive Los Angeles neighbourhood of Holmby Hills and was rushed to hospital by paramedics before being pronounced dead at 2:26 pm (2126 GMT) on Thursday.
One of the most influential figures in pop history, Jackson had been preparing for a concert comeback in London next month he had dubbed the final curtain.
As the sun began to sink over Los Angeles, a coroners office helicopter bearing Jacksons body took off from the UCLA Medical Centre, where hundreds of media and fans had gathered throughout the day.
Meanwhile police motorcycle riders surrounded Jacksons gated mansion as crowds of tourists and fans congregated.
The stars first wife Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, said his death had left her speechless.
Jackson was born on Aug 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys - Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael - first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.
Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released Thriller in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.
The next year, he unveiled his signature moonwalk dance move, gliding across the stage and setting off an instant trend, while performing Billie Jean during an NBC special.
But his personal life was troubled.
In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy, but no charges were filed against him and the matter was settled out of court in 1994 with the boys family.
The same year, Jackson announced he had become addicted to painkillers and abruptly cancelled a world tour to promote his album, Dangerous.
In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presleys only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996.
Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999, and he later had another child with an unidentified surrogate mother.
He is survived by three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.
His greatest singles include Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller, Girl Is Mine, Torture, Bad, I Just Cant Stop Loving You, Smooth Criminal, The Way You Make Me Feel and Dirty Diana.