Hundreds gather to mourn Michael Jackson's death

A large crowd has converged on the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles as word spreads across radio, television and the internet that Michael Jackson has died.

The crowd, growing minute by minute, gathered in front of one of the entrances to the hospital where Jackson was rushed after collapsing at his home.

Some people in the group cried, waiting for an official announcement from the hospital as news helicopters whirled overhead and news vans clogged streets leading to the hospital.

Some people called friends by cell phone to pump them for any information they may have heard about Jackson.

According to celebrity news website TMZ.com, the singer was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

"Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the entertainment site said.

Security guards have been posted at every entrance of the hospital to keep fans at bay and staff from TMZ.com say a massive traffic jam has begun to form in the area.

Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12.30pm local time (7.30am NZST), Captain Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times.

The paramedics tried to resuscitate him and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

There has been no official announcement of the singer's death from his spokesperson, but tributes have begun flowing, with music producer supremo Quincy Jones reading a statement on MSNBC saying: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. He had it all — talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

A Jackson family lawyer, Brian Oxman, told CNN: "I can only tell you that the family members are crying and I just have not been able to confirm anything, other than to hug them and tell them that I love them."

In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone.

"It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

Jackson's brother Randy told CNN that Jackson had collapsed in his Bel Air home.

The singer's brothers and sisters are said to be either inside the hospital or en route to Los Angeles.

Earlier, Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, spoke to E! News and said that he was told about his son's medical emergency, but does not have any details about his condition.

"I am in Las Vegas but yes people in Los Angeles called me and are with Michael and tell me he was taken to the hospital," he said.

"His mother is on her way to the hospital now to check in on him.

"I am not sure what's wrong. I am waiting to hear back from them," he added.

Jackson's 1982 album Thriller - which included the blockbuster hits Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller - remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves, his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters.

His single sequinned glove and tight, military-style jacket were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

As years went by, he became an increasingly freakish figure. His skin became lighter and his nose narrower. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while travelling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.

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. The case took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Jackson is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

- AP, NZ HERALD STAFF