FACTBOX: Key facts about Michael Jackson

(Reuters) - Michael Jackson, 50, one of pop music's biggest stars, was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived at his home, the Los Angeles Times said, quoting fire officials. The TMZ website reported later he had died.

There was no official confirmation of the reported death, and spokesmen for Jackson could not be reached for comment.

Here are some key facts about Jackson.

EARLY LIFE:

* Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize.

* Their group later became The Jackson Five, and when it was signed by Motown Records in the late 1960s it underwent its final metamorphosis to become The Jackson 5. Jackson made his first solo album in 1972.

SUCCESS:

* Jackson released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-ten singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

* The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.