The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (also spelled
The Jackson Five or
The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as
J5, and later known as
The Jacksons) was an
American popular music quintet from
Gary, Indiana. The group, active from 1962 to 1990, regularly played from a repertoire of
R&B,
soul,
funk, and later
disco. Considered "one of the biggest phenomenons in pop music
[Huey, Steve. "The Jackson 5". All Music Guide. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:88q7g4jttv3z~T00 on August 20, 2005.]" during the early 1970s, the Jackson 5 are also notable for launching the career of their lead singer,
Michael Jackson.
The primary members of the group were all the sons of
Katherine and
Joseph Jackson:
Jackie,
Tito,
Jermaine,
Marlon,
Michael, and
Randy. Joseph Jackson formed the band in 1962 and served as its manager, with Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and unrelated youths Reynaud Jones and Milton Hite comprising its original lineup. Within a year, Michael and Marlon joined the band, and Michael became lead singer as the group developed a following in the eastern and midwestern United States during the mid-1960s.
Signed to the
Motown label from 1969 to 1975, and to
CBS Records (as "The Jacksons") from 1975 until their disbanding in 1990, the Jackson 5 were one of the most popular groups of the era and became the first recording act to have their first four major label singles ("
I Want You Back", "
ABC", "
The Love You Save", and "
I'll Be There") reach the top of the American charts. Several future singles, among them "
Mama's Pearl", "
Never Can Say Goodbye" and "
Dancing Machine", were Top 5 pop hits and number-one hits on the
R&B singles chart. Most of the early hits were written and produced by a specialized songwriting team known as
The Corporation™; later Jackson 5 hits were crafted chiefly by
Hal Davis.
While not the first act considered a "
boy band", The Jackson 5 is one of the earliest examples of the type as it is defined today: five adolescents specifically packaged and marketed by a record label for crossover pop success. Upon their departure from Motown for CBS in 1975, the Jacksons, were forced to change their name and trade Jermaine (who remained at Motown) for Randy. The group took control of their songwriting, production, and image, and their success continued into the 1980s with hits such as "
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and "
State of Shock", and the highly successful
Victory Tour. The Jacksons officially disbanded in 1990.
Early career
The Jacksons were a working-class family from
Gary, Indiana. Katherine, being a
Jehovah's Witness, raised the children as such, while their father, Joe, was not of that faith. Their father, a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther, was a strict disciplinarian. Many of the Jackson children recall being severely beaten by Joe for misbehaving.
The children found an outlet in music, with elder brothers Jackie (born 1951), Tito (b. 1953), and Jermaine (b. 1954) borrowing their father's guitar without his permission and playing along to the radio. Younger brothers Marlon (b. 1957) and Michael (b. 1958) were allowed to watch as long as they did not tell. Joseph eventually discovered that the older three boys were playing his guitar when one of the strings broke
[Transcript of interview with Jermaine Jackson. Larry King Live. November 30, 2003. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/30/lkl.00.html on August 20, 2005.]. Although he was furious at first, Joseph realized the boys had talent and began making plans to create a musical act for them.
In 1962, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine began performing around the Gary area with two neighborhood children, Milford Hite (on drums) and Reynaud Jones (on keyboards), in a group called
The Jackson Brothers. Joe Jackson served as the manager, at first only part-time, and then eventually quitting his job at the steel mill. Jermaine sang lead and played
bass, and Tito played
guitar.
In 1963, younger brothers Marlon and Michael, joined the group as its
tambourine and
bongo players. Already showing talent as a singer and dancer
[Rock of Ages, pg. 448 "Almost immediately [after adding Michael and Marlon,] it became clear that Michael was their main attraction."], Michael replaced Jermaine as lead vocalist by mid-1967. Shirley Cartman, Tito's junior high orchestra teacher, noticed the group's talents and served as an early mentor to the group, by then calling itself
The Jackson Five.
During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of
The Temptations' "
My Girl", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in
Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "
chitlin' circuit", and the young kids sometimes had to open for
strip teasers and other adult acts in order to earn money.
Shirley Cartman got the Jackson Five a record deal with Gordon Keith's local Steeltown label, and the group began making their first recordings in 1967. Their first single, "Big Boy", became a regional hit. During this period,
Johnny Jackson (no relation) on drums and
Ronnie Rancifer on keys replaced Milford Hite and Reynaud Jones.
The Jackson Five had a number of admirers in their early days, including
Sam & Dave, who helped the group secure a spot in the famous Amateur Night competition at the
Apollo Theater in
Harlem. The group won the
August 13,
1967 competition during the Amateur Night showdown at the Apollo, impressing
Motown Records artist
Gladys Knight of
The Pips. Knight recommended the group to Motown chief
Berry Gordy, but Gordy, who already had teenager
Stevie Wonder on his roster, was hesitant to take on another child act because of the child labor laws and other problems involved.
Influences
The Jackson Five's sound was influenced by many of the biggest stars of the 1960s, especially including family funk bands
Sly & the Family Stone and
The Isley Brothers, soul pioneer
Marvin Gaye,
doo-wop boy band Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, and soul shouters like
Wilson Pickett,
Jackie Wilson,
Stevie Wonder and
James Brown [Transcript of interview with Jermaine Jackson. Larry King Live. November 30, 2003. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0311/30/lkl.00.html on August 20, 2005.]. At the time of their early success, soul and funk stars, especially coming from Motown Records, were among the most popular musicians; Motown had launched the careers of dozens of the decade's biggest stars, most notably
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and
Diana Ross & the Supremes.
From these sources, The Jackson Five developed many of their vocal arrangement styles and dance movements. The group's multi-lead vocal style was inspired by that of The Family Stone, while young Michael adapted Jackie Wilson and James Brown's impassioned singing and dancing styles into his own.
Joining Motown
By 1968, the Jackson 5 were a headlining act for the All Star Floor Show at Chicago's The Guys' and Gals' Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant. From July 12 - 27, 1968, the Jackson 5 opened for Motown group
Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago's Regal Theater. Taylor was also very impressed with the boys, and he decided to make the commitment to bring them to Detroit and Motown. Joseph and the Jackson Five stayed on the floor of Bobby Taylor's Detroit apartment the night of
July 22, while Taylor and Motown executive
Suzanne de Passe arranged for the Jackson Five to audition for the label.
On
July 23, the Jackson 5 had their Motown audition, for which they performed James Brown's then current hit "I Got the Feelin'". Berry Gordy was not in attendance, but the audition was
videotaped and sent to him in
Los Angeles. Gordy's initial reluctance to sign the group disappeared when he finally saw the boys perform. Gordy decided to sign the Jackson Five to Motown, and hosted a party at his Detroit mansion on
November 25, 1968 to introduce them to the Motown staff and stars.
Motown began negotiations to buy out the Jackson Five's Steeltown contract, completing the deal in March 1969. By the summer, Bobby Taylor began producing the group's first recordings at Motown's
Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio in
Detroit. The early Taylor-produced Jackson Five records were all
covers of both contemporary hits and Motown-standards, including Sly & the Family Stone's "
Stand!" and their famous rendition of
The Miracles' "
Who's Lovin' You", written by
Smokey Robinson.
In mid-August 1969, Gordy moved the Jackson Five and Joseph to California, and he and Suzanne de Passe began the process of grooming them as the label's next big act, while the rest of the family remained in Gary. While looking for a house in California, Joseph, Jermaine, Tito, and Jackie lived with Berry Gordy, while Michael and Marlon lived with Gordy's girlfriend, Motown star
Diana Ross.
 |
The Jackson 5 in concert. |
Jackson 5 discovery credit discrepancy
In the meantime, Motown's marketing team began preparing press kits and other promotion material to begin the Jackson 5's entrance into the mainstream music industry. Motown publicity significantly altered the group's history, reducing Michael's age from eleven to eight to make him appear cuter, identifying unrelated band musicians Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer as cousins of the Jacksons, and crediting Diana Ross with discovering the group
[(25 Aug 1970). "The Jackson Five". Look Magazine. Like all Motown-era Jackson 5 articles, Diana Ross is credited with having discovered the act with the help of Gary, Indiana's mayor Richard G. Hatcher, and Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer are identified as cousins of the Jackson brothers.]. According to their official Motown biography, referenced in several early interviews and liner notes, Diana Ross (and, in some versions of the story, Berry Gordy alongside her) was introduced to the Jackson 5 by Gary, Indiana's mayor,
Richard G. Hatcher, at a
benefit concert that the Jackson 5 were described as having played for the mayor in 1969. Impressed, Ross (and Gordy) had the act signed to Motown and Ross personally acted as their mentor.
While Ross was active in the Jackson 5's early development, and housed Michael and Marlon for several months until Joseph Jackson found the family a home, there is no truth to the story involving her discovering the group at a benefit show for the mayor. The people who were more instrumental in the Jackson 5's early success, including Shirley Cartman, Sam & Dave, Gladys Knight, and Bobby Taylor, did not receive credit for their contributions until two decades later.
Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 practiced and rehearsed continuously during the late summer and early fall of 1969. Diana Ross formally introduced the Jackson 5 to the public on
August 11, 1969, at a
Beverly Hills, California club called The Daisy. Towards the end of August, the Jackson Five made their first
television appearance, singing The Isley Brothers' "
It's Your Thing" at the
Miss Black America Pageant in
Madison Square Garden,
New York City.
The Jackson 5's first single, "
I Want You Back," was written and produced by four Motown songwriters and producers - Berry Gordy,
Alphonzo Mizell,
Deke Richards, and
Freddie Perren - who were collectively billed as
The Corporation™. "I Want You Back" was released as a single for
The Jackson 5, as Motown decided to officially bill the group, on
October 7. The group performed "I Want You Back", Sly & the Family Stone's "
Sing a Simple Song",
The Delfonics' "Can You Remember", and
James Brown's "There Was a Time" as part of their appearance on
The Hollywood Palace as special guests of Diana Ross & the Supremes. "I Want You Back" was the only single from the Jackson 5's first album,
Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, which was released in December, 1969. The song reached number one in January 1970, ousting
The Beatles' "
Let It Be" from the top spot of
Billboard Hot 100.
Popularization and franchise expansion
Most of the early Jackson 5 singles were written and produced by The Corporation, who crafted for the Jackson 5 a combination of the "
Motown Sound" and
bubblegum pop that they termed "bubblegum soul". The Jackson 5 became an instant sensation, with "I Want You Back" and its 1970 follow-ups "
ABC", "
The Love You Save", and "
I'll Be There" all going to #1 on both the
Billboard Pop Singles chart and the
Billboard Soul Singles (R&B) chart. Other early Top 5 hits included "
Mama's Pearl" and "
Never Can Say Goodbye."
Now successful, Joseph was finally able to arrange to move Katherine and the rest of the family out to California in 1970. First moving into a two-story residence at 1616 Queens Road in Los Angeles (once home to
Our Gang child actor
Spanky McFarland[Maltin, Leonard & Bann, Richard W (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press, p.262. ISBN 051-758325-9. Upon their first meeting at the 1984 Academy Awards, Michael Jackson and Spanky McFarland learned that they had both lived at 1616 Queens Ave. in Los Angeles upon their respective first moves to the area.]), the Jackson family moved to a gated mansion they called "
Hayvenhurst", which was purchased by Joseph in March 1971.
"Jacksonmania" swept the nation, and within a year of their debut the Jackson 5 were among the biggest names in popular music. The group essentially replaced The Supremes as Motown's main marketing focus, and, capitalizing upon the youth-oriented appeal of the Jackson brothers, Motown licensed dozens of Jackson 5-related juvenile products, including
stickers, sewable patches, posters, and
coloring books. A new teen
magazine aimed at African-American youth,
Right On!, began publication in 1971, and focused heavily on the Jackson 5; at least one Jackson adorned the cover of every issue published between January 1972 and April 1974.
Animation producers
Rankin-Bass produced
The Jackson 5ive, a
Saturday morning cartoon that debuted on
September 11,
1971 and ran for two seasons on
ABC. The Jackson 5 starred in two of their own
television specials,
Goin' Back to Indiana (aired
September 16,
1971) and
The Jackson 5 Show (aired
November 5,
1972).
In 1971, Motown began a spin-off solo career for Michael, whose first single, "Got to Be There", was a Top 5 hit. Michael also sang the title track for the
1972 motion picture Ben. His other successful solo singles included "Rockin' Robin" and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" (both 1972). Jermaine started a solo career of his own in early 1973, and had a Top Ten hit with his
Shep and the Limelites cover "Daddy's Home." Jackie also recorded a solo album, but his releases failed to chart. Despite fan rumors that all three Jacksons might leave the group as they released solo work, the solo careers of Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie co-existed alongside that of the group as a whole, allowing Motown to expand the success and sales of Jackson 5-related releases.
Relationships and marriages
The Jackson 5 was also notable for its significant popularity with adolescent girls during the early 1970s. Thousands of young girls fell in love with the Jackson brothers, especially Jermaine and Michael. Michael Jackson's biographer,
J. Randy Taraborrelli, has said that the elder brothers engaged in sexual relations with several of their female fans, sharing the girls with father Joseph, while younger brothers Michael and Marlon watched in the same room
[Green, Dave (producer/director). (29 Jan 2005). VH1 News Presents: Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood [television broadcast]. New York, NY: MTV Networks. (Transcript of Part One and Transcript of Part Two)]. Michael himself, despite being the most popular member of the group, would remain shy about dating for most of his adolescence. Tito was the first Jackson brother to marry, marrying his high school girlfriend Dee Dee in June 1972.
Against the wishes of his father, Jermaine began a relationship with Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel. Jermaine and Hazel Gordy's relationship was highly publicized in magazines such as
Right On!,
Ebony, and
Jet, and the two were married at a gala wedding ceremony held on
December 15 1973 at the
Beverly Hills Hotel.
Decline
After 1972, the Jackson 5's releases were less immensely successful, but they still did very well. Later Top 20 hits, mostly written and produced by
Hal Davis, included "Lookin' Through the Windows" (1972) and the disco-styled "
Dancing Machine" (1974), which popularized the "
Robot" dance routine. Jackson 5 albums declined somewhat in critical acclaim and financial success during the latter part of their Motown tenure, although LPs such as
Lookin' Through the Windows (1972) and
G.I.T.: Get It Together (1973) frequently included successful album tracks, including their version of "
Hum Along and Dance", a popular number in their live act.
Critics, the Jackson 5, and Joseph Jackson agreed that the main reason for the group's declining success was Motown's refusal to update their image or allow them creative control. Although they played their own instruments on stage and had begun writing songs of their own, the Jacksons were not allowed to play on their own records or record their own material. Feeling that the Jackson 5 could be more of a success without Motown, which was by this time declining in success and popularity, Joseph began shopping for a new record deal for his sons.
 |
The cover to the 1978 album Destiny. |
The move to CBS Records
In 1975, Joseph negotiated a new recording contract with
CBS Records, who offered a royalty rate of 20% per record, compared to Motown's standard 2.8%; and would allow the Jackson brothers to write and produce their own records and play their own instruments. After unsuccessfully attempting to talk the group into staying on the label, Motown sued for breach of contract. Although Motown eventually let the group go, the Jackson 5 were forced to change their name to
The Jacksons, because Motown retained the "Jackson 5"
trademark during the settlement of the lawsuit. The Jacksons were also forced to trade Jermaine for the youngest Jackson brother, 14-year-old
Randy, since Jermaine chose to stay with Motown and the Gordys. Randy had been an unofficial member of The Jackson 5 since 1972, playing congas onstage as part of their live act.
At first part of CBS's
Philadelphia International Records division, and later moving over to
Epic Records, the Jacksons continued releasing popular singles such as "
Enjoy Yourself" (1976) (produced by Philadelphia International's
Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff) and 1979's "
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (written by Michael and Randy and produced by the group).
After losing the Jacksons, Motown would not have another success of their caliber for the duration of Berry Gordy's ownership of the label. Gordy often said of the Jackson 5 that they were, coming after the label's most famous acts, "the last big stars to come rolling off [the Motown] assembly line"
[(1997) "The Jackson 5". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved from http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=125 on August 20, 2005.].
The 1980s and Michael's solo career
Without Motown's input, The Jacksons had in 1973 begun playing regular dates in
Las Vegas, including Jackson siblings
Randy,
LaToya,
Janet, and later
Rebbie in the act. In summer 1976,
CBS television executive
Fred Silverman signed the Jackson family (including Michael, Marlon, Tito, Jackie, Randy, Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet) to appear in their own variety show, to compete with
ABC's
The Osmonds.
The Jacksons debuted on
June 16,
1976, and ran on CBS until its cancellation the following March. The show was the first variety show hosted by an
African American family.
In 1978, Michael starred alongside Diana Ross in the Motown/
Universal Pictures motion picture
The Wiz, an adaptation of the
Broadway musical based upon
L. Frank Baum's
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Quincy Jones was the producer of the film's songs, and he and Michael began work on Michael's first Epic solo album,
Off the Wall, the next year.
Off the Wall, released in 1979, sold seven million copies, featured four Top 10 hit singles and two number-one singles, causing some speculation about whether Michael would leave the Jacksons.
 |
The cover to the 1984 album Victory. |
Michael continued to perform with his brothers, releasing the album
Triumph in 1980, which featured the minor hit "
Can You Feel It." Although
Triumph was mildly successful, it was nothing compared to Michael's
Off the Wall or its follow-up,
Thriller, which went on to become the most successful album of all-new material ever. Around that same time, the boys released the gold-selling
Live album and received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The
Motown 25 television special, broadcast on
NBC on
May 16,
1983, featured a reunion performance between Jermaine and the other brothers, their first time together in nearly seven years. The Jackson 5 reunion was overshadowed, however, by Michael's landmark performance of "
Billie Jean" on the same program, which introduced his trademark "
moonwalk" dance.
The Jacksons released the album
Victory in 1984, featuring the hit single "
State of Shock" with guest star
Mick Jagger, and supported the album with the massively successful
Victory World Tour. The
Victory album and tour marked the official return of Jermaine to the group's lineup, making them a
sextet.
The brothers eventually drifted apart to take on solo projects, a period during which Michael became a pop superstar in his own right. The Jacksons reunited for one last album,
2300 Jackson Street in 1989. While every Jackson sibling except for LaToya appeared on the title track, a #9 R&B hit single, most of the album featured Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, and Randy by themselves. Michael and Marlon had limited participation on this LP. A CD compilation of hits from the CBS/Epic years,
The Essential Jacksons, was released in 2004, as was a separate compilation assembled by Universal/Hip-O,
The Jacksons Story.
The only public reunion performance of the Jacksons after 1990 was at Michael's
September 7,
2001 concert at
Madison Square Garden, which was later broadcast as a
television special on
November 13 on
CBS. Otherwise, each member of the group primarily focused on careers and interests of their own.
During the 1980s, Michael Jackson became one of the biggest music stars in the world, and released
Thriller and
Bad, two of the best-selling LPs of the century. His notable success eventually tapered off in the USA during the 1990s and 2000s, a period during which he became notorious for behavior that was considered eccentric and allegations of
child sexual abuse, two of which resulted in major criminal cases. A 1993 case was settled out of court, and a second case in 2005 ended with Michael being acquitted of all charges.
Following the dissolution of The Jacksons, Jermaine Jackson returned to his solo career. Marlon Jackson also began a solo career, but neither he nor Jermaine had any charting success. Eventually, Marlon then became a real estate broker and co-owner of the
Black Family Channel.
Tito Jackson, like his father before him, organized his three sons into a musical group called
3T, which had a Top 5
UK hit, "Why", in 1997, which featured a guest appearance from Michael. Soon afterwards, Tito began a low-key career as a
blues musician. Randy Jackson remained out of the spotlight, mostly assisting his brothers in various ventures. Currently, Randy is the webmaster for Michael's official website,
mjjsource.com.
The Jackson 5's influence on later performers has been profound, inspiring a number of performers from diverse fields, including
indie rock band
Dashboard Confessional , R&B groups
New Edition [Huey, Steve. "New Edition". All Music Guide. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:9yez97q7kr5t~T00 on August 20, 2005. Excerpt: "New Edition's early, Jackson 5-inspired material made them the forerunners of two generations of teen pop..."] and
B5 [Rashbaum, Alyssa & Paco, Matt. "MTV News - You Heard It First: B5". MTV.com. Retrieved from http://www.mtv.com/news/yhif/b5/ on August 20, 2005. B5 (the "Breeding 5") was styled after the Jackson 5. Excerpt: "Since that fateful meeting, the Breeding brothers...have worked with sought-after producers including Rodney Jerkins, who produced their debut single, a cover of "All I Do" by the Jackson 5, a group with whom they are often compared."], and boy band
Hanson [Erlewine , Stephen Thomas. "Hanson". All Music Guide. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kxkniknjbb59~T00 on August 20, 2005. Excerpt: "Sounding like a re-vamped 'Jackson 5' for the '90s..."]. Perhaps the most noteworthy and coincidental, though, is
Five Star, a British black family act from the mid-80's comprising of siblings Stedman, Doris, Lorraine, Deniece and Delroy Pearson. (Note the similar family name). The group were also managed by their father,
Buster Pearson and began recording when youngest member Delroy was just 12 years old. The group were often compared to the Jackson Five by press, and Doris once described her perfect moment as '..Doing a dance routine with Michael Jackson - on our wedding day." The Jackson 5 was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. In addition, two of their songs ("
ABC" and "
I Want You Back") are among the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
In 1981 Motown announced that the label sold over 100 million copies of Jackson 5 albums and singles worldwide. Epic Records stated sales of more than 30 million for The Jacksons group by the end of 1984.
Miniseries
Main Entry: The Jacksons: An American Dream.
In 1992, Suzanne de Passe and Jermaine Jackson worked with Motown to produce
The Jacksons: An American Dream, a five-hour television
miniseries broadcast based on the history of the Jacksons in two parts on ABC. The first installment of the miniseries covered the decades from Katherine and Joseph Jackson's first meeting in 1945 up until the first Jackson 5 releases on Motown in 1969, while the second part covered the years from 1970 to 1984, and the effects of the Jackson 5's phenomenal success on the family.
Among the actors featured in the miniseries were
Angela Bassett as Katherine Jackson,
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Joseph Jackson,
Billy Dee Williams as
Berry Gordy,
Vanessa L. Williams as Suzanne de Passe,
Holly Robinson Peete as
Diana Ross,
Bumper Robinson as teenage Jackie,
Jason Weaver as pre-teenage Michael, and
Terrence Dashon Howard as adult Jackie. The miniseries was the highest rated show of the week, won an
Emmy Award and was nominated for three more, and won two
Young Artist Awards.
The Jacksons: An American Dream was later rebroadcast on
VH1 and released to
VHS and
DVD.
*
List of best-selling music artists*
List of number-one hits (United States)*
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)*
List of number-one dance hits (United States)*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chartThe three girls of the Jackson family, although never members of the group, also enjoyed musical careers of their own:
*
Rebbie Jackson (b. 1950)
*
LaToya Jackson (b. 1956)
*
Janet Jackson (b. 1966)
Members
 |
Image:Jackson5-logo.jpg |
*
Jackie Jackson (1962–1990), vocals and
tambourine**The eldest brother, Jackie was a high
tenor singer and, prior to a musical career, a
baseball player. He had a solo career, releasing three albums, and eventually married Enid Jackson.
*
Tito Jackson (1962–1990), vocals and lead
guitar**Another original member,
baritone singer and
guitarist Tito has enjoyed a solo career as a
blues musician.
*
Jermaine Jackson (1962–1975; 1984 - 1990), vocals and
bass guitar**A singer and
bass player, Jermaine stayed with the group until the others switched from Motown to CBS Records. He stayed with Motown to pursue a solo career, achieving moderate success.
*
Marlon Jackson (1963–1987), vocals and
tambourine**Joining the year after the band was formed along with Michael, Marlon was sometimes beaten for his failure to live up to his brother's dancing skills. He eventually eloped with Carol Parker, and, due to friction with his brothers, did not perform on the group's last album. He released one solo LP. Marlon then became a real estate broker and co-owner of Major Broadcasting Corporation. He is the only Jackson brother to never divorce.
*
Michael Jackson (1963–1984), vocals and
percussion**During his tenure with the Jackson 5, Michael was clearly the most popular member. He was the only one of the brothers to have a consistent solo career, and became one of the most famous musicians in the world.
*
Randy Jackson (1972–1990), vocals
bongo,
congas,
keyboard,
synthesizer and
bass guitar**Randy unofficially began performing with the Jackson 5 in 1972, playing
congas. He became an official member of the group in 1975, replacing Jermaine when the Jackson 5 moved to
CBS Records and officially changed their name to "The Jacksons".
Band personnel
* Milford Hite (1962–1967),
drums
**The original drummer of the group, before he was replaced during the early years in Indiana.
* Reynaud Jones (1962–1967), lead
guitar**The original lead
guitarist of the group, until Tito took to lead guitar.
*
Johnny Jackson (1967–1975), drums
**Jackson was the group's on-stage
drummer until the end of its Motown tenure. He died in 2006 after being stabbed during an argument.
*
Ronnie Rancifer (1967–1975),
keyboards**Rancifer was the group's on-stage
keyboardist from its inception until the end of its Motown tenure.
For a full listing of albums and singles, see Jackson 5 discography.Top Ten U.S. and UK singles
The following singles reached the Top Ten on the
Billboard Hot 100 or the
UK Singles Chart, or #1 on the Billboard
R&B singles chart:
The Jackson 5
;(all
Motown releases):
The Jacksons
;(all
CBS releases):
Albums
The Jackson 5
;(all
Motown releases):
* 1969:
Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5* 1970:
ABC* 1970:
Third Album* 1970:
The Jackson 5 Christmas Album* 1971:
Maybe Tomorrow* 1971:
Goin' Back to Indiana* 1972:
Lookin' Through the Windows* 1973:
Skywriter* 1973:
The Jackson 5 in Japan (
Japan only, issued in U.S. by Motown in 2004)
* 1973:
G.I.T.: Get It Together* 1974:
Dancing Machine* 1975:
Moving Violation* 1976:
Joyful Jukebox Music (compilation album of archived tracks)
* 1979:
Boogie (compilation album of archived tracks)
The Jacksons
;(all
CBS releases):
* 1976:
The Jacksons* 1977:
Goin' Places* 1978:
Destiny* 1980:
Triumph* 1981:
The Jacksons Live!* 1984:
Victory* 1989:
2300 Jackson Street
*Bierbaum, Tom (Nov. 18, 1992).
Week's Nielsen win easy as ABC.
Variety.
*Cadman, Chris and Craig Halstead.
Michael Jackson: the Early Years. Authors Online. ISBN 0755200640
*Green, Dave (producer/director). (29 Jan 2005).
VH1 News Presents: Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood [television broadcast]. New York, NY: MTV Networks.
* (2005).
J5-Collector.com. Retrieved from http://www.j5-collector.com on August 20, 2005. Site no longer online, available from the
Wayback Machine from
this link.
*Manning, Steve.
The Jacksons. Indianapolis. Bobbs-Merrill. 1976.
* Posner, Gerald (2002). Motown : Music, Money, Sex, and Power. New York: Random House. ISBN 037-550062-6.
*
*
Tito Jackson's official website (includes Jackson 5 information and video performance clips)*
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page on The Jackson 5*
Vocal Group Hall of Fame page on The Jackson 5*
Jackson5abc.com (site is in French)*
"A FUNKY Jackson Five Site" @ SoulPatrol.com*
The Jacksons 5 Lyrics
