Tragic end for King of Pop as coroner confirms death

Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the biggest celebrity in the world, has died at age 50.

Jackson died yesterday at UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles.

Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, confirmed his office had been notified of the death and would handle the investigation.

The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear.

Capt Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times that Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12.30pm local time (8.30pm Irish time).

Jackson’s death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s.