As his attorney disputed allegations that Dr. Conrad Murray gave Michael Jackson Demerol before he died, the doctor this weekend was a hot topic in Houston's Acres Homes community, where he has operated a clinic for three years. No one in the poor, north Houston neighborhood knew the 51-year-old cardiologist traveled in such rarefied circles.

One Houston city councilman called Murray "a community doctor" and told the Houston Chronicle he was "always engaged" with local residents, despite having a license to practice in three states. Murray also operated a clinic in Nevada, which reportedly is where his wife and children live.

Murray first met Jackson in Las Vegas in 2006 when he visited Jackson's hotel to treat him. "I don’t know why he was called, other than he had a reputation ofbeing a good doctor, and someone referred him,” one of his attorneystold the Chronicle.

They developed a friendship, and Murray continued to treat the singer. He was at Jackson's home when he fell ill Thursday and administered CPR until paramedics arrived.

Police are said to be investigating a possible connection between Jackson's death and medications he was taking. There was speculation that he had been given an injection of Demoral an hour before he died.

"No, the doctor never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson, nor Oxycontin,” said Ed Chernoff, Murray's attorney. He said Jackson was unconscious and not breathing when Murray entered his bedroom and found him.

"He checked for a pulse," Chernoff told the Los Angeles Times. "There was a weak pulse in his femoral artery. He started administering CPR."

TMZ reports that Murray sent a letter to patients dated June 15 informing them of his decision to resign from medicine "indefinitely" because of a "once in a lifetime opportunity" - a reference to his being hired to serve as Jackson's personal doctor and travel with him on a planned concert series in London later this year.

Murray, who was interviewed for three hours on Saturday by the Los Angeles Police, contends the concert promoter owes him $300,000 for his services to Jackson, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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