World mourns Michael Jackson

By Bob Tourtellotte and Mike Collett-White

LOS ANGELES/LONDON (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's death dominated news bulletins, radio airwaves and websites the world over on Friday as tributes poured in for a man called the "King of Pop" and "natural heir to Elvis."

The 50-year-old, whose towering legacy was tarnished by often bizarre behavior and sex scandals, was pronounced dead on Thursday in Los Angeles after going into cardiac arrest.

An autopsy was conducted on Friday, and while investigators will not know results of toxicology tests for six to eight weeks, speculation turned to his prescription drug use as a culprit.

Mourning his death were legions of fans around the world, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who called the "Thriller" singer a "spectacular performer" and offered his condolences to Jackson's family.

Ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley posted a blog on her MySpace page telling people their brief marriage was "not a sham" as portrayed in the media. She also said Jackson predicted he might die in the same, sudden manner as her father, Elvis Presley.

Across the United States, fans set up shrines, played and danced to Jackson hits such as "Billie Jean," "Rock With You" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" in nightclubs and on sidewalks.

Along Hollywood Boulevard, near Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame, police set up barricades to control the crowd and thousands of fans lined the block to walk past his star.

Tassa Hampton, 32, knelt to light a white candle she considered a "symbol, so souls can find their way home." She said, "his music was the soundtrack of my childhood."