Less than 24 hours after the tragic death of Michael Jackson, fans around the world are beginning to ask what could’ve caused the music legend’s sudden passing at the age of 50.
Yesterday (June 25), a non-responsive Jackson was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after collapsing at his home.
Initial reports have stated the music icon succumbed to cardiac arrest.
With a staggering amount of written tributes filtering the net, and the singer’s music once again dominating the airwaves, Jackson family spokesman Brian Oxman released a statement hinting at what possibly brought about the singer’s untimely passing.
“Michael appeared at rehearsals a couple of times, he was very seriously trying to be able to do those rehearsals,” Oxman told CNN of Michael’s rigorous sessions for his highly anticipated 50 concert tour. “His use of medications had gotten in the way, his injuries which he had sustained performing, where he had broken a vertebrae and he had broken his leg from a fall on the stage, were getting in the way.”
An autopsy has been scheduled for today, and normally takes several weeks before a definitive cause of death is determined.
While the toxicology tests begin, the entertainment world remains in shock, as Michael Jackson was for many the epitome of their profession.
“Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat,” said Bad Boy CEO Sean “Diddy” Combs. “He made the music come to life. He made me believe in magic. I will miss him.”
“Some people say that Michael Jackson was just a Pop Icon. Don’t get it twisted. He was THE POP ICON and his music didn’t just inspire me,” added Harlem emcee Juelz Santana. “His music moved and inspired MILLIONS. He is a legend to be remembered.”
Longtime fan Fabolous took the news hard, and reminisced on his time as a child imitating the King of Pop.
“[This was a] bad day, got to turn this around. [I’m] feeling real disappointed right now. [I’m] not ashamed to say I had the red Thriller jacket on Easter one time, or [that] I use to do the moonwalk in the hallway. [I] had the glove toy that you put glue on the Glove and put glitter on, had the doll with the Cap N’ Crunch suit. Real Michael Jackson fan as a kid.”
Legendary producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who worked with Michael on the Jackson’s LP’s Going Places and The Jacksons, feel privileged to have helped cultivate the singer’s rise to stardom at a young age.
“We are very honored to have been a part of Michael Jackson’s music and creative career in helping to write and produce his own music with his brothers,” Gamble and Huff explained tol AllHipHop.com in a statement. “We know his music and legacy will live on for a very long time.”
Although several news outlets are reporting Jackson’s death may have been due to an injection from the potent painkiller drug Demerol, brother Jermaine declined to speculate.
Instead, he highlighted a spiritual message to his departed sibling, possibly verifying a rumor that Michael converted to Islam several months ago.
“We believe he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home, however the cause of his death is unknown until the results of the autopsy are known,” Jermaine stated. “The personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate him.Please respect our privacy during this tough time. May Allah be with you Michael, always. I love you.”
Close friend Reverend Al Sharpton framed Michael’s contributions as a civil rights trailblazer that broke down cultural barriers.
“Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color. Way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, [and] way before Barack Obama,” Sharpton said. “No controversy will erase the historic impact.”
Michael Joseph Jackson is survived by three children: Prince Michael (12), Paris Michael (11), and Prince Michael II (7).