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The Jackson family is an American family of musicians and entertainers from
Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
. Many of the children of Joseph Walter "Joe" and Katherine Esther Jackson were successful musicians, notably the brothers that formed the
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
boy band
the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
(later known as the Jacksons). Several of the siblings also had successful solo careers. Joe worked as their manager. The Jackson family, both as a musical group and as solo artists, have achieved success in the field of popular music from the late 1960s and onwards. They are sometimes called the " First Family of Soul" (a title first bestowed on the Five Stairsteps),Moreover, as a unit, they were one of the few black groups to achieve "teen idol" status among music fans of all races, with hits such as ''
I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 7, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
'', '' ABC'', '' I'll Be There'', '' Dancing Machine'', '' Blame It on the Boogie'', ''
Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being g ...
'' and ''
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''.
the "Imperial Family of Pop", or the "Royal Family of Pop", especially following the success of
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
and
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
, the former of whom is frequently dubbed the "King of Pop". The Jackson 5 originally consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. In 1975,
Randy Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolph, and Miranda, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them. '' Randi'' is approximat ...
replaced Jermaine. Michael and Janet have both had highly distinguished solo careers and are often hailed as two of the most influential pop and R&B artists in history. Members of the Jackson family have produced a total of 27 US number one hits, and all of the Jackson siblings have gold records to their credits with La Toya holding the distinction of being the first Jackson sister to attain one (awarded by the
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for " Reggae Night", which she co-wrote for
Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...
). Janet is the first black woman to receive the ''Billboard'' Icon Award. The Jacksons are one of the most influential families in entertainment history. In 1997, the Jackson 5 was inducted to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
. Michael was inducted as a solo artist in 2001, making him one of the few who have been inducted twice. Joining her brothers, Janet was inducted in 2019. Michael, Janet, and the Jacksons were awarded stars on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 1984, 1990 and 1980, respectively. In 2009, a television series entitled '' The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty'' premiered on A&E, documenting the Jackson brothers dealing with Michael's sudden death and preparing for a Jackson 5 reunion tour.


First generation

Joseph Walter Jackson was born on July 26, 1928, in Fountain Hill,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, where he grew up. After his parents divorced, he spent his teenage years living in
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, with his father Samuel Jackson, a school teacher. At age 18, he moved to
East Chicago, Indiana East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 26,370 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwa ...
, to be with his mother Crystal Lee King and to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional boxer. At age 21, Joseph married Katherine Scruse, 19, immediately starting a family. Even though he wanted to be a success in boxing it was not a job for a family man, so he obtained a job as an
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operator with East Chicago's Inland Steel Company. His family continued to grow steadily and over the course of sixteen years he and Katherine had a house full of nine children. Joe Jackson always wanted to make it big and although he could not in boxing or in his own short musical stint in the 1950s with the band the Falcons, he saw the talent in his children, starting with Tito and his ability to play the guitar. Soon enough, Joe Jackson formed a band of his sons Tito, Jermaine and Jackie called The Jackson Brothers in 1964 and became their manager. After several years of doing local talent shows, Joseph enlarged the band to include Marlon and
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
, two of his younger sons, and then changed the name of the band to The Jackson Five by 1966, remaining the group's manager. As their father, he was a very strict disciplinarian and as their manager he enforced long practice sessions of singing and dancing in hopes of preparing them to make it big one day. In August 1967, the group made a debut at the
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in
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, where they won the Amateur Night contest. Gordon Keith, the owner and producer at Steeltown Records in Gary, Indiana, discovered the ''Jackson Five'' and signed them to their first contract in November 1967. " Big Boy", the boys' first record which was produced by Keith, was released on January 30, 1968. It became a local hit. In March 1969, they signed a
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
record contract and became known as the ''Jackson 5''. The group enjoyed the fame Joseph Jackson had been longing for in his life. He continued to manage The Jackson 5 into stardom, and after the band had many number-one hits on the ''Billboard'' charts, Joseph moved them to a mansion in
Encino, California Encino is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History Etymology The name Encino is the misspelling in masculine of Encina, the Spanish language, Spanish word for "holm oak” (Quercus ilex). The Spanis ...
, with his own hefty salary he had obtained as their full-time manager. After many years as a band and with Michael as lead singer, the group continued to churn out even more hits and wealth, but tensions grew and in 1979, Michael severed ties with his father/manager and went on to pursue an international solo musical entertainment career. Four years later, in 1983, Michael's siblings fired Joseph Jackson as their manager. In 1993, Michael Jackson accused his father of physical and mental abuse; a few of the other siblings confirmed this claim, but others denied it.
Katherine Jackson Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse; born May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers that includes her children Michael and Janet Jackson. Michael dedicated his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982) to her. Janet ...
was born on May 4, 1930, in
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, the child of Prince Albert Scruse (1907–1997) and Martha Mattie Upshaw (1907–1990). She was left with a permanent limp after acquiring
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syndrome in her childhood. She later recovered from her illness after moving with her family to
East Chicago, Indiana East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 26,370 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwa ...
, where she would remain until meeting her husband Joseph Jackson. The couple moved and bought a small home in
Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
, where she birthed and they raised nine children and she was a stay-at-home mother. Throughout her life, Katherine remained a devoted
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and raised her children strictly under the same spiritual teachings she received. Also, as a talented pianist, clarinetist, and vocalist who shared her talents with her children, she was later credited for being the foundation of her children's success. After her sons' rise to fame as The Jackson 5, she strongly supported her children and became the costume designer for their shows and performances. Some of the memorable moments of her unconditional support were seen when her son Michael was tried and later acquitted for molestation charges in
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
and
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. Katherine now lives in
Calabasas, California Calabasas (, ; Spanish language in California, Spanish for "winter squash, squashes") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States.his death in 2009. After allegations that she may have been held against her will by Randy and Janet Jackson, Katherine lost custody of Michael's children, ultimately regaining it in 2012.


Second generation

Together, Joe and Katherine Jackson had ten children. Their son Brandon (Marlon's twin) died shortly after birth. The other nine grew up to become professional musicians, among other professions. * Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson (b. May 29, 1950) * Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (b. May 4, 1951) * Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (October 15, 1953 – September 15, 2024) * Jermaine LaJuane Jackson (b. December 11, 1954) * La Toya Yvonne Jackson (b. May 29, 1956) * Marlon David Jackson (b. March 12, 1957) * Brandon David Jackson (March 12, 1957) * Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) * Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (b. October 29, 1961) * Janet Damita Jo Jackson (b. May 16, 1966)


Extramarital

* Joh'Vonnie Nakia Jeboo Jackson (b. August 30, 1974)


Third generation

There are twenty-seven children who make up the third generation of the Jackson family along with several great-grandchildren. Among them, some have followed in the family's footsteps into the entertainment industry. The three children of Michael Jackson are probably the most well-known of the third generation. Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (b. February 13, 1997), also known as "Prince", Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (b. April 3, 1998) and Prince Michael Jackson II, who goes by "Bigi" (b. February 21, 2002), have been discussed in the press numerous times throughout their lives, particularly since their father's death in 2009. Rebbie, Tito, Jackie and Jermaine have also had children, who have come under varying degrees of media focus. Austin Brown (b. November 22, 1985), the only son of Rebbie Jackson, is a singer-songwriter who has released several successful singles in the pop/R&B genre. Tito Jackson's three sons, Toriano Adaryll "Taj" Jackson Jr. (b. August 4, 1973), Taryll Adren Jackson (b. August 8, 1975) and Tito Joe Jackson (b. July 16, 1978) make up the R&B/pop music group 3T. 3T has released three studio albums and has gone on to have moderate success in the industry, primarily outside of the United States. Sigmund Esco "Siggy" Jackson, Jr. (b. June 29, 1977), the eldest son to Jackie Jackson, is a hip-hop artist who goes under the name "Dealz". Siggy has been a
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for a number of independent artists and has obtained mild success as a solo artist. Jermaine La Jaune "Jay" Jackson, Jr. (b. January 27, 1977), the eldest son to Jermaine Jackson, portrayed his father in the 1992 miniseries, '' The Jacksons: An American Dream'', a biographical film about the Jackson family. His other son Jaafar Jackson (b. July 25, 1996) will portray Michael in the upcoming biopic film ''
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
''. On January 3, 2017, at age 50, Janet gave birth to Eissa Al Mana, the youngest member of the third generation.


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Authority control African-American families People from Gary, Indiana People from Lake County, Indiana