World mourns death of Michael Jackson
Fears were sparked for Jackson's health last month when four of his This Is It concert dates were pushed back but organisers insisted the dates were moved due to the sheer magnitude of the spectacle.
Randy Phillips, president and chief executive officer of AEG Live, said the date changes had "absolutely nothing to do with (Jackson's) health".
The Rev Al Sharpton, a leading US civil rights campaigner and friend of Jackson for 35 years, said the star was a "trailblazer" and an "historic figure".
"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of colour way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," he said.
"Michael did with music what they did in sports, in politics, and in television.
"No controversy will erase the historic impact."
Matt Blank from the Michael Jackson World Network fan club told BBC News 24 he was "a bit dumbfounded and a bit shellshocked by it all".
He added: "I find it hard to believe this could be a reality.
"In the past, health issues of Michael Jackson have always been rumoured. I can only imagine this is down to the amount of stress he was under to come out and perform."
Jackson spent time living outside the United States since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.
Jackson leaves three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Junior, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.
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