World mourns Michael Jackson (the 'King of Pop,' dies at age 50 )

http://www.timesofearth.com LOS ANGELES Pop icon Michael Jackson is dead after suffering a cardiac arrest, sending shockwaves sweeping across the world and tributes pouring in Friday for the tortured music icon revered as the "King of Pop."

Millions of fans have been holding vigils around the world in tribute to late music legend Michael Jackson.

The singer, 50, was pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on Thursday at 2.26pm local time after suffering a heart attack at his rented Bel Air mansion.

As the shocking news of his death reverberated around the globe, crowds gathered to share in their sorrow, from outside the King of Pop's childhood home in Encino, California to the busy streets of Hong Kong.

In scenes reminiscent of the aftermath of Diana, Princess of Wales and John Lennon's deaths, fans were seen sobbing in the streets and lighting candles at places Jackson once visited or performed.

Hundreds of people flocked to New York's famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, where the singer frequently performed with the Jackson Five in the Seventies.

The marquee of the theatre read, 'In memory of Michael Jackson: A true Apollo legend. 1958-2009', as the Apollo Theatre Foundation President Jonelle Procope said: 'Michael first performed at the Apollo in 1969 with his brothers when he was only 9 years old, winning Amateur Night and catapulting their career as the Jackson 5.

'We will always remember Michael in our hearts as a true Apollo legend, known for his professionalism and grace.'

Fans from all over New York gathered at the steps of the building to sing his songs, chant his name and perform some of his signature dance moves, like the Moonwalk.

Several blocks south, Jackson impersonators entertained mourners in Manhattan's Times Square, where some fans had set up deckchairs as they sat watching the news updates on the big screens.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Jackson devotees gathered outside the various houses he had lived in during his life, including his last home in Bel Air, his childhood home in Encino and his former home, Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County.

When news first broke that Jackson had been hospitalised after collapsing at his home, fans congregated outside the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, desperately hoping it was just a hoax.

After officials confirmed the singer had died, the stunned crowd refused to move and their anxious wait soon gave way to waves of grief.

A few miles away on Hollywood Boulevard, people clambered around what they thought was Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

However, it turned out the singer's actual star had been blocked off on Thursday afternoon because the Bruno premiere took place at the Chinese Theatre, so fans erroneously laid tributes and lit candles at the star of Emmy Award-winning radio broadcaster Michael Jackson.

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