Pop icon Michael Jackson has died, according to several news reports.

Jackson, 50, suffered a heart attack Thursday afternoon at his home, and paramedics were not able to revive him, TMZ reported. Jackson was administered CPR in the ambulance, the gossip site said.

The Associated Press, citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the situation, has confirmed the death.

According to the AP: The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

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

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 sequined glove and tight, military-style jacket were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance. Over the years, his skin became lighter and his nose narrower.

bbennett@sfltimes.com