Love him or hate him, he certainly made a mark. In an industry famous for strange people, he was one of the strangest. And now, at the age of 50, following a cardiac arrest, Michael Jackson has died.
One of the biggest-selling pop-stars of all time, Jackson came from a musically talented family and hit the world stage with four of his brothers in the Jackson Five. He was just 11.
Through the next 20 or so years, first with the Jackson Five and then as a solo artist, Jackson turned the musical world on its head, becoming one of the first African American crossover stars through exposure on MTV, elevating the music video to an art form and promotional tool, and influencing later musical genres such as hip hop.
He was also philanthropic, donating millions of dollars to charity through his music, his Heal the World Foundation, and his direct support. But controversy dogged him in recent times, with his tragic forays into cosmetic surgery, his quest for fatherhood, and accusations of paedophilia against him bringing him most publicity. He was a psychological case-study and the subject of many articles and books.
Through all this, his music remained popular and he was recognised in the Guinness World Records as the most successful entertainer of all time.
Jackson was in Los Angeles, preparing for a series of 50 concerts in London to mark his final great comeback. Plans were to follow this up with a final world tour. He was found collapsed in the hall of his rented apartment and could not be revived by paramedics.
So ends a brilliant career. Hopefully now he finds the freedom he always sought.