Father of Motown remembers Michael Jackson
- 00:01:09
- ITN
Father of Motown remembers Michael Jackson
The self-styled King of Pop Michael Jackson has died after suffering a suspected heart attack. His brother Jermaine Jackson said he believed the 50-year-old singer suffered a suspected cardiac arrest at his Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles and was taken to the UCLA medical centre where he was pronounced dead. He said: "My brother, the legendary King of Pop, passed away on Thursday June 25 at 2.26pm. "We believe he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home, however the cause of his death is unknown until the results of the autopsy are known. The personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitated him." A spokesman for the hospital added: "When he arrived at hospital at approximately 1.14pm a team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour, they were unsuccessful." TV footage showed a rescue helicopter flying the star's body to a waiting ambulance. Tributes from the world of music, film and celebrity have flooded in. His first wife Lisa Marie Presley said: "This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." Madonna said: "The world has lost one of its greats but his music will live on forever." The head of the Sony Corporation Sir Howard Stringer said: "Michael Jackson was a brilliant troubadour for his generation, a genius whose music reflected the passion and creativity of an era." And Justin Timberlake - who has been compared to a young Jackson - said: "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said the robbery and homicide team was investigating Jackson's death because of its "high profile". But he added nothing should be read into his team's involvement. A post-mortem examination is expected to take place later, Los Angeles Coroner's Office spokesman Fred Corral said. Jackson was about to embark on a comeback tour - This Is It, including 50 dates in London, which aimed to resurrect his fortunes. Jackson last toured 12 years ago when he played 82 shows in 58 cities around the world for the HIStory tour. Close friend Uri Geller said: "I guess the stress, the anticipation and the passion he was emitting from his heart, wanting to do this comeback so badly, maybe that got to him. "That is all I can think, that maybe the stress killed him." He described Jackson, who was best man when Geller renewed his wedding vows, as a "genius". He said: "I'm shocked and devastated. I am hoping this is a dream I will wake up from, but it is not. Michael is dead. "For him not to be around, that he's gone, is just surreal. It cannot sink into my psyche. He was a genius. "I had my rows and up and downs with him because we were friends. I voiced my opinion about what he was doing wrong and found myself shouting at him at certain times, but when this person you were so close to is taken away, is gone, it's just unbelievable." Jackson has three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Junior, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.
ITN | June 26, 2009
