His death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s. 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.

Jackson died after being taken to hospital in Los Angeles suffering cardiac arrest.

The singer fell ill at his home and was taken to the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Centre (UCLA) in a coma, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Captain Steve Ruda, of Los Angeles Fire Department, said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home at about 12.26pm (local time). He was not breathing when they arrived.

Fans were arriving outside the hospital and celebrity website TMZ said his sister LaToya Jackson ran into the hospital sobbing.

Jackson, 50, had been due to perform 50 farewell concerts, ending an illustrious music career spanning several decades which earned him a fortune.

A spokesman for UCLA said that owing to patient confidentiality the medical centre could not comment. Fears were sparked for Jackson's health last month when four of his This Is It concert dates were pushed back, but organisers insisted the London dates were moved owing to the sheer magnitude of the spectacle.

Terry George, a Yorkshire businessman who was working with Jackson in a bid to secure possible co-operation on a future project, said he was "absolutely shocked" by the news.

"I didn't think he would go out in these circumstances," said Mr George, 44, of Halifax. "It's not the way I would have expected him to go at all."