By Derrick Bryson Taylor
Tito Jackson, one of the original members of the Jackson 5 who, together with his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, became teen sensations in the 1970s with chart-toppers like “ABC” and “I’ll Be There,” has passed away. He was 70 years old.
According to a representative for his youngest sister, singer Janet Jackson, Tito Jackson suffered a heart attack while driving to Oklahoma from New Mexico. The representative did not disclose the location of his passing. Jackson mentioned to The Tulsa World in June that he had recently relocated to a ranch in Claremore, Oklahoma, situated roughly 25 miles northeast of Tulsa.
The Jackson 5, among the most beloved musical groups of their time, were pivotal in launching the solo career of Michael Jackson, who was hailed as the “King of Pop” and became one of the most imitated artists in history. Michael Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50.
The journey of the Jackson 5, from their modest beginnings in Gary, Indiana, to their varying levels of fame, has been extensively chronicled and was the focus of a five-hour ABC miniseries in 1992 titled “The Jacksons: An American Dream.”
Toriano Adaryll Jackson was born on October 15, 1953, in Gary to Joe and Katherine (Scruse) Jackson. Tito Jackson is fondly remembered as the group’s guitarist, a talent he developed by observing his father. The elder Jackson passed away in 2018.
During a 2019 interview with Vlad TV, Tito Jackson shared that as a child, he would play his father’s guitar behind his back.
“One day I broke a string, and I was unsure how to fix it,” he recalled. “When he got home and saw the broken string, he was quite upset.”
After punishing him, Jackson recounted, his father asked him to showcase what he had learned. His father subsequently handed him the guitar with the task of learning every song that was played on the radio.
The family later formed the Jackson Brothers, which featured young Michael, who earned his place after captivating the family with a rendition of “Climb Every Mountain” at a talent competition. The band’s name was eventually changed to the Jackson 5 after someone suggested it post-performance at a wedding.
Tito Jackson was the second eldest, following Jackie, with Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael next in line by age.
During the 1970s, the Jackson 5 became a household name, frequently appearing on television, sometimes alongside Cher or Diana Ross. Their music, spread across more than a dozen albums, served as the soundtrack for a youthful generation and sparked a level of fan devotion that is perhaps now only matched by top pop stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
“I remember our very first visit to the U.K., where we were welcomed by around 10,000 screaming fans at the airport,” Jackson recounted during an interview with Sister Circle TV in 2019. “I got lost in the airport with 1,000 fans chasing after me, pulling at me from all sides. It was chaotic.”
Three of the Jackson 5’s most iconic tracks — “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” and “I’ll Be There” — have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The group was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 alongside the Bee Gees.
Jackson continued to remain active in the music industry over the years, releasing a solo album titled “Tito Time” in 2016 and touring with some of his brothers. The group, now referred to as The Jacksons, had performances scheduled in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in October and Cincinnati in November.
“We’ve always maintained that it’s the fans who make the artist,” Jackson remarked to Sister Circle TV. “We create music and engage in other endeavors, but ultimately, it’s the fans who cherish it and support it.”
