Michael Jackson, one of the greatest entertainers ever to walk the earth has kissed the world, which was his playground, good-bye.

His death may have been sudden but it has been accompanied with all the glitz that was expected. Like every other human being, he has had his fair share of ups and downs. But like an enigma, he was on the verge of staging a comeback, one of the most remarkable in the history of music, when death came calling.

The 50-year-old musical superstar died on Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London's famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.

Michael died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer.

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

As word of his death spread, TV stations the world over played videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations also played his hits back to back.

He was known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters; single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing appearance.

Michael 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. Jackson's sudden death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.

"I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible," Lisa Marie Presley said in a statement. "I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."

As years went by, Michael's skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while travelling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids named him "Wacko Jacko."

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 that 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 behaviour with other children.

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

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, (a Chicago suburb) U.S.A. He was four years old when he began singing with his brothers - Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito - in the Jackson 5. After his early success, he struck out on his own.

The peak of his career came sometime in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson 'moonwalked' off with the show. The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.

During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.

He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's Bad and 1991's Dangerous, but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.

Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album **HIStory,** which sold more than 2.4 million copies.

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married nurse Deborah Rowe. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, now 12; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.

Jackson also had a third child, Prince Michael II. now 7. He said the boy, nicknamed Blanket, baby was his biological child born from a surrogate mother.

After selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the "King of Pop" died reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt, on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.

The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. Thriller is still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time. Bad came along five years later and sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony.

One of Jackson's shrewdest deals at the height of his fame in 1985 was the $47.5 million acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the copyright to songs written by the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The catalogue provided Jackson a steady stream of income and the ability to afford a lavish lifestyle.

He bought the sprawling Neverland ranch in 1988 for $14.6 million, a fantasy-like 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country.

But the bombshell hit in 1993 when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.

When he ran into further financial problems, he agreed to a deal with Sony in 1995 to merge ATV with Sony's library of songs and sold Sony music publishing rights for $95 million. Then in 2001, he used his half of the ATV assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America.

As his financial problems continued, Jackson began to borrow large sums of money, according to a 2002 lawsuit by Union Finance & Investment Corp. that sought $12 million in unpaid fees and expenses.

In 2003, Jackson was arrested on charges that he molested another 13-year-old boy. The 2005 trial, which ultimately ended in an acquittal, brought to light more details of Jackson's strained finances.

One forensic accountant testified that the singer had an "ongoing cash crisis" and was spending $20 million to $30 million more per year than he earned.

In March of last year, the singer faced foreclosure on Neverland. He also repeatedly failed to make mortgage payments on a house in Los Angeles that had been used for years by his family.

In addition, Jackson was forced to defend himself against a slew of lawsuits in recent years, including a $7 million claim from Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain.

Al Khalifa, 33, took Jackson under his wing after his acquittal, moving him to the small Gulf estate and showering him with money.

In his lawsuit, Al Khalifa claimed he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances, cut an album, write an autobiography and subsidise his lifestyle - including more than $300,000 for a "motivational guru." The lawsuit was settled last year for an undisclosed amount. Neither the album nor book was ever produced.

Another wealthy benefactor came to Jackson's aid last year as he faced the prospect of losing Neverland in a public auction.

Billionaire Thomas Barrack, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm Colony Capital LLC, agreed to bail out the singer and set up a joint venture with Jackson that took ownership of the vast estate.

A final piece of the financial jigsaw puzzle fell into place in March, when billionaire Philip Anschutz' concert promotion company AEG Live announced it would promote 50 shows in London's O2 arena. Tickets sold out, and the first show of the 'This is It' tour was set for July 8.

But the opening date was later postponed to July 13 and some shows moved back to March 2010, fueling speculation that Jackson was suffering from health ailments that could curtail his comeback bid.

Jackson, who won 13 Grammys, hadn't toured since 1997. His last studio album, Invincible, was released in 2001.

Apart from his three children, his mum Katherine Jackson, dad, Joe Jackson and his brothers and sisters survive him.

Michael inspired a lot of people small and great, so it was no surprise when reactions to his death began to pour in from celebrity friends.

Ice T: Rest In Peace Mike. People can say what they want but you were 100% original. We will always love, miss and remember your greatness.

John Mayer: Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ. I think we'll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to Thriller on the record player.

Ludacris: If it were not for Micheal Jackson I would not be where or who I am today. His music and legacy will live on forever. Prayers to the family. R.I.P.

MC Hammer: I have no words. I loved Michael Jackson. R.I.P.

Kelly Rowland: Michael you left such a legacy on this earth, have touched SO MANY!!! We thank you for such a driving inspiration in music and our lives! This has got to be one of the saddest days in music history! Michael Rest In Peace! We miss you!

Others who had something to say were:

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity. Though there were serious questions about his personal life, Michael was undoubtedly a great entertainer and his popularity spanned generations and the globe.

Pop star Beyonce Knowles: Life is not about how many breaths you take, but about how many moments in life that take your breath away. For anyone who has ever seen, felt, or heard his art, we are all honoured to have been alive in this generation to experience the magic of Michael Jackson. I love you Michael.

Madonna: I can't stop crying over the sad news. I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever. My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless.

That is it! The King of Pop could not have asked for anything better.