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In this March 5, 2009 file photo,Michael Jackson is shown at a press conference in... ( Joel Ryan )
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King of Pop Michael Jackson died today at the UCLA Medical Center after he was brought in by paramedics who found him not breathing at his home, according to various reports.

The Associated Press quoted "a person with knowledge of the situation'' confirming Jackson had died. The Los Angeles Times and celebrity Web site TMZ.com also reported that he was dead.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda said that paramedics were called to Jackson's home at 12:26 p.m. They performed CPR and took him to the medical center. He was in a deep coma and was later pronounced dead by doctors.

Separately, the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com reported that Jackson apparently suffered a heart attack.

A Jackson family member, who was not identified, told TMZ the singer was in "really bad shape." Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, who was in Las Vegas, was quoted as saying he had heard his son was "not doing well."

Michael Jackson's mother and at least some of his brothers were reportedly gathered at UCLA Medical Center awaiting news on Jackson's condition.

Jackson, 50, rose to fame alongside his brothers as the lead singer of the Jackson Five in the late 1960s. Before he had reached his teens, the group scored a string of No. 1 hits such as "I Want You Back" and "ABC." But Jackson went on to even greater success as a solo artist. He became a global megastar in 1982 with the release of

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"Thriller," which spawned seven Top 10 hits and remains one of the two bestselling albums in history.

Jackson remained a major star for the next decade, but as the years passed he began receiving more attention for his eccentric behavior than for his music. In 1993, he was hit with the first of several accusations of child sexual abuse. Jackson eventually settled with the child's family out of court, and no charges were brought. A separate case resulted in a heavily publicized trial in 2005; he was eventually acquitted.

Earlier this year, Jackson announced his return to live performance with a series of 50 concerts in London, slated to begin July 13.

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