Five Things You Might Not Have Known About Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, the king of pop, passed away Thursday, June 25, 2009.  His passing, from an apparent heart failure, was a shock to the world. A TMZ source said Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived.

 The 50-year-old singer was picked up at his rented home in Bel Air around 12:26 p.m. where medics had to administer CPR before transporting him to UCLA hospital.  In a tribute to Michael Jackson, here are five things you may not have known about the Pop legend:

 1. Jackson picked up his iconic moonwalk moves, which he debuted at the Motown 25th Anniversary show in 1983, from street dancers he spotted performing outside a hotel.  While Jackson didn’t invent this step, he immortalized it, making the moonwalk – or backslide – “the single, best known bit of celebrity body language since the four Beatles” according to a 1992 Encyclopedia of Pop Culture.

 2. MC Hammer once challenged Jackson to a dance-off in the 1990’s. He was told to “Beat It.  Jackson reportedly responded, "I've seen your videos and every single dance move you use, you got off of me." The dance-off never happened.

 3. The King of Pop really was a King -in West Africa.   In 1992, while touring Africa with his then-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, Jackson was given the royal title by villagers and King Nana Amon Ndoufou IV in Gabon, Ivory Coast.

 4. Jackson shares the record for the most Grammy Awards won in one year with Carlos Santana and Norah Jones - they each won eight.

 5. Jackson has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for radio play, located at 1541 Vine Street, and one for recording at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.