[英语阅读]巨星迈克尔·杰克逊睡梦中辞世终年50岁

Michael Jackson, the 'King of Pop,' dies at age 50

Pop star Michael Jackson waves to his fans as he arrives at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Maria, California, in this file photo taken on May 24, 2005. US pop star Michael Jackson gestures during a news conference at the O2 Arena in London in this March 5, 2009 file photo.   Pop superstar Michael Jackson performs a song dressed like a US 'Cop' during a concert in Sao Paulo, in this October 15, 1993 file photo. President-elect Bill Clinton (L) shakes hands with singer Michael Jackson as singer Stevie Nicks (R) of the band Fleetwood Mac sings at the finale of a star-studded gala on the eve of Clinton's first inauguration as president of the United States in Washington, in this January 19, 1993 file photo. US pop star Michael Jackson performs before 80,000 fans at the Vincennes hippodrome near Paris, in this September 13, 1992 file photo.

“流行天王”、美国著名流行歌星迈克尔·杰克逊于美国当地时间6月25日因心脏病发作在洛杉矶分校医疗中心(Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center)一家医院去世。全球歌迷无不对天王的离世扼腕叹息。美国《洛杉矶时报》网站援引当地警方的消息称，杰克逊当天下午因心脏病发作深度昏迷被送入洛杉矶加州大学医疗中心，不久该中心的医生正式宣布这位50岁的前流行乐坛巨星不治身亡。

Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50. Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center 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 Jackson's death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to the hospital, Ruda told the newspaper.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.

The public first knew him in the late 1960s, when as a boy he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the music group he formed with his four older brothers. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "I'll Be There."

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Michael Jackson's fans gather at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles June 25, 2009. Pop giant Michael Jackson is dead, the Los Angeles Times reported on June 25, 2009, citing city and law enforcement sources.

Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, and Jackson's death immediately evoked that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.

"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."

Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.

The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he had acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.

Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate staging and throbbing dance beats.

Singer Dionne Warwick said: "Michael was a friend and undoubtedly one of the world's greatest entertainers that I fortunately had the pleasure of working with. ... We have lost an icon in our industry."