Australian fans of Michael Jackson were today stunned and devastated by the sudden death of the pop icon, while the country's music industry paid tribute to the singer's musical legacy.
"OMG Michael Jackson is dead. This is a very sad moment. I am over here in tears. He was a hero to me," wrote one fan, identified as Anya, in a posting on the public broadcaster ABC's website soon after the singer was confirmed dead.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's officer confirmed that the 1980s King of Pop, 50, was pronounced dead at 2126 GMT in a Los Angeles hospital after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.
Shocked Australian singing sensation Delta Goodrem hailed Jackson's towering talent.
"I feel so thankful for him sharing his brilliance," she wrote on the Internet microblogging site Twitter.
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One of the members of the Australian group The Veronicas said Jackson's musical legacy had altered her life.
"I wish I got to tell him how much his music existence changed my life," Lisa Origliasso wrote on Twitter. He was my biggest inspiration and will forever live on in my heart."
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Friends of Jackson in Australia were grappling to come to terms with the devastating news of his death.
"We are all in shock right now," said a sobbing Joy Robson, whose family had known the pop sensation for more than 20 years through her choreographer son Wade. "We're devastated."
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