Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is dead

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By Kelly Jane Torrance

UPDATED:

An autopsy is being conducted Friday to determine what caused the death of Michael Jackson, the Motown child singing sensation who became the King of Pop and enthralled the world with his music, dancing and antics. Mr. Jackson died Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest in a Los Angeles home. He was 50.

The pop icon, who in adulthood electrified America's first music video generation, is being mourned by family, fans and celebrities around the globe.

Mr. Jackson's death has resulted in widespread speculation about what exactly killed him -- from poor health to a possible dependency on prescription drugs.

RELATED STORIES:
• Jackson legacy spans years of signature moves, grooves
• Mourning King of Pop from U Street to L.A.
• Bizarre acts, scandals plagued pop king
• Photo Gallery: King of Pop is dead

The British tabloid The Sun reported, citing an Emergency Room source at UCLA Medical Center, that Jackson aides had said the singer collapsed and died after an injection of Demerol -- a drug similar to morphine that also can cause breathing to shut down.

Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman told CBS: "I have said to family members that he is overmedicated."

"I have warned that one day Michael Jackson would wake up dead, and that I would not be silent if that was the case, because of the misuse of medications," he said.

The preliminary results of the autopsy by the Los Angeles County coroner's office could be made available later this afternoon, but it could take weeks for any toxicology reports.