This article is about the pop band. For the animated TV show, seeJackson 5ive (TV series). For the professional wrestling tag team known as "The Jackson Brothers", seeThe Young Bucks.
The Jackson 5 first performed in talent shows and clubs on theChitlin' Circuit and eventually signed withSteeltown Records in 1967, under which their first two singles were released.[6] In 1968, they left Steeltown and signed withMotown, where they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number-one hits on theBillboard Hot 100 chart with the songs "I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" (all 1970).[7] They achieved seventeen Top 40 singles on the chart in five years, including six number-oneBillboard R&B hits. The group left Motown forEpic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was replaced by youngest brotherRandy. Changing their name to the Jacksons upon signing with Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between 1976 and 1981, including the successful albumsDestiny (1978) andTriumph (1980) and singles "Enjoy Yourself" (1976), "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1978), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1981).
The brothers also embarked on solo careers, with Michael's being by far the most successful. In 1983, Jermaine reunited with the band to perform on theMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. They released theVictory album the following year, followed byan extensive tour which also featured songs from Michael's solo albums. After theVictory tour, Michael and Marlon left the group. The four remaining members released the poorly received2300 Jackson Street album in 1989 before being dropped from Epic. In 2001, the Jacksons reunited on Michael's30th Anniversary Celebration TV special. The four eldest of the brothers embarked on theirUnity Tour in 2012 followingMichael's death in 2009, and they planned several major performances for 2017.[8][9]
The five Jackson brothers' interest in music was bolstered by their fatherJoe Jackson. In 1964, Joe found Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke, and he was impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie later formed their own group, with Michael (age 5) playing congas and childhood friends Reynaud Jones and Milford Hite playing keyboards and drums in 1965. Marlon joined on tambourine in August 1965, when Evelyn LaHaie suggested that the group name themselves the Jackson Five.[1][12]
In 1966, the group won their first talent show atTheodore Roosevelt High School in Gary. Jermaine performedthe Temptations' "My Girl", and Michael performedRobert Parker's "Barefootin'".[13]Johnny Jackson andRonnie Rancifer eventually replaced Hite and Jones. During their early performing years, the Jackson 5 would perform at other talent showcases at several other Gary schools and halls and theaters in Gary and the Chicago area. In August 1967, the boys were eventually booked into venues such as Chicago'sRegal Theater and Harlem'sApollo Theater, winning the talent competitions on both shows that year, winning the Apollo competition on August 13. Afterwards, it's claimedGladys Knight, who Jermaine Jackson stated during his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech was the first person to reach out to them, sent a tape of the boys' demo to Motown Records, hoping to get them to sign, but their tape was rejected and sent back.[14] In July 1967, the group recorded an early version of a song that would later be their first single, "Big Boy", forOne-derful Records, however, the group was also rejected by that label.[15]
In November 1967, Joe Jackson signed the group intoSteeltown Records, a label founded and owned by record producerGordon Keith. With Keith at the helm, they recorded "Big Boy" again that same month. The song would later be released as a single in January 1968.[6] By March, Keith had managed to sign the Jackson 5 into a distribution deal withAtlantic Records, where "Big Boy" and another single, "We Don't Have to Be Over 21 (To Fall in Love)", were distributed. "Big Boy" eventually moved 10,000 copies.[16] By March, Keith booked the boys to perform for their first paying gig at the Apollo Theater where they opened forEtta James.[17] That month, Keith had "Big Boy" distributed throughAtlantic Records and was working on a record contract for the boys on that label when he learned that Joe Jackson had tried to get in touch with Motown through his attorney Richard Arons.[18]
During July 1968, the boys opened forBobby Taylor & the Vancouvers[19] at the Regal Theater. After being blown away by Michael's performance, Taylor sent the boys to Detroit where he set up a recorded Motown audition, which took place at Motown's official headquarters on Detroit's Woodward Avenue on July 23, 1968. Motown chiefBerry Gordy, who had initially rejected their tape, refusing to sign anymore "kid acts" afterStevie Wonder, changed his mind once he viewed Taylor's tape. On July 26, Gordy returned to Detroit where he had Joe Jackson and the boys sign their first year-long Motown contract.[20] The recording of their first album was delayed due to a contract dispute with Keith. While negotiations were continuing to get the Jacksons out of Steeltown, the group performed at strip clubs to make extra income.[21]
Finally on March 11, 1969, a day before Marlon's 12th birthday, the Jackson Five signed an exclusive seven-year contract with the label.[20] After initial recordings at Detroit'sHitsville U.S.A. failed to impress Gordy, he sent the Jacksons to Hollywood. In August, Motown's PR machine, led bySuzanne de Passe, started to pass off the group as having been discovered bySupremes lead singerDiana Ross. When the group opened for record industry insiders at the Los Angeles club, the Daisy, Michael was billed as an "eight-year-old sensation", though he was several days shy of his 11th birthday. Shortly after the Daisy performance, the Jackson Five performed a cover of "It's Your Thing" at the Miss Black America Pageant in New York.[22] By September, Gordy had set up the new songwriting and producing team,The Corporation, to write exclusively for the Jackson Five. After recording "I Want You Back" that same month, the single was released in early October and the Jacksons promoted the song on programs such as theHollywood Palace and theEd Sullivan Show. Their debut album,Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, was released in December 1969.[23]
1970–1971: Jacksonmania
TheJackson family represents a colossus in music history. They defined black American music as a commercial entity for longer than anyone. With an average age of 12 when they turned professional,Michael,Marlon,Jackie,Jermaine andTito were arguably the original boy band.[24] Thousands of fans waited for the Jackson 5 wherever they went, and they had to be escorted by the police. During the height of Jacksonmania, crowds would pile up on top of each other to get closer to the stage. Early footage shows girls climbing over seats to get closer, with police officers trying to control the situation.[25][26] When the Jackson 5 performed atThe Forum, inInglewood, California in 1970, they attracted nearly 19,000 fans. Thousands of more fans were turned away due to the Forum's capacity limits. The concert grossed more than $105,000, a record at that time. The Forum concert is featured onLive at the Forum.[27] Veteran singerJerry Butler and theRare Earth (one of Motown's most popular white groups) were also opening acts for them.[28] The tours got bigger as they evolved. The Jackson 5 performed to sold-out concerts with record-breaking attendance nationally and internationally, including Africa, Asia and Europe. The excitement of Jacksonmania was worldwide.[29] Motown established a Jackson 5 brand. By the 70s, they were one of the world's most famous groups.[30] Jacksonmania set the tone for the music industry for years to come.[24]
The Jackson 5 becameMotown's main marketing focus and the label capitalized on the group's youth appeal, licensing dozens of products, including the J5 heart logo on Johnny Jackson's drum set, the group's album covers, stickers, posters, and coloring books, as well as a board game and a Saturday morning cartoon;Jackson 5ive produced byRankin/Bass.[31] The black publicationRight On! began in 1971 and focused heavily on the Jackson 5, with members adorning covers between January 1972 and April 1974.[32] The Jackson 5 was featured on the cover ofRolling Stone magazine at a time whenRolling Stone did not usually cover children acts. They also appeared on the covers ofLife andEbony.[29] The group appeared in several television specials including Diana Ross' 1971 special,Diana!. They starred in their first of two Motown-oriented television specialsGoin' Back to Indiana[33] in September; their second wasThe Jackson 5 Show which debuted in November of the following year. The group often joinedBob Hope on USO-benefited performances to support military troops during the Vietnam War.[34]
The Jackson 5 single "I Want You Back" topped theBillboard Hot 100 in January 1970. They released two more number-one singles: "ABC" and "The Love You Save". The single "I'll Be There" was co-written and produced byHal Davis and became the band's fourth number-one single, making them the first recording act to have their first four singles reach the top of the Hot 100. All four were almost as popular in other countries as they were in the United States. The Jackson 5 released a succession of four albums in one year and replacedThe Supremes asMotown's best-selling group. They continued their success with singles such as "Mama's Pearl", "Never Can Say Goodbye", and "Sugar Daddy", giving them a total of seven top-ten singles within a two-year period.[35]
In order to continue increasing sales, Motown launched Michael Jackson's solo career in 1971 with the hit single "Got to Be There",[33] released in October. His subsequent singles "Rockin’ Robin" and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" from his solo debut albumGot to Be There were also hits. His 1972 song "Ben"[36] became his first to top the charts. Jermaine was the second to release a solo project; his most successful hit of the period was a cover of the doo-wop song "Daddy's Home".[37]
1972–1976: Decline
The Jackson 5's records began falling on the charts by 1972, despite Michael and Jermaine's solo successes. The Corporation had produced most of their hit singles, but they split up in 1973.[23] The brothers focused on the emerging disco craze and recorded the song "Get It Together", followed by their 1974 hit "Dancing Machine", their first to crack the top ten since "Sugar Daddy" nearly three years before.[38] Despite those successes, most of the Jackson 5's follow-ups were not as successful, and Joe Jackson grew tired of Motown's uneasiness to continue producing hits for the brothers by 1973. He began producing a nightclub act aroundhis sons and daughters, starting in Las Vegas and expanding to other states.[39]
By 1975, the Jackson 5 had sold over 60 million records[40] and most of the group opted out of recording any more music for Motown, desiring creative control and royalties after learning that they were earning only 2.8% of royalties from Motown. The Jacksons announced their decision to depart from Motown at a press conference at theRainbow Grill inManhattan, New York City.[41] Joe Jackson then began negotiating to have the group sign a lucrative contract with another company, settling forEpic Records, which had offered a royalty rate of 20% per record; he signed with the company in June 1975.[41] Absent from the deal was Jermaine Jackson, who decided to stay with Motown following his marriage to Hazel Gordy, andRandy Jackson replaced him.[42] Even though the group announced their departure from the label, they still remained under contract to Motown until March 1976.[41] Motown sued them for breach of contract but allowed the group to record for Epic, as long as they changed their name because Motown owned the name Jackson 5. The brothers thus renamed themselves the Jacksons.[43]
1976–1989: CBS/Epic Records
In November 1976, following the debut of the family'sweekly variety series, the Jacksons released theirself-titled CBS debut under thePhiladelphia International subsidiary, produced byGamble & Huff. Featuring "Enjoy Yourself" and "Show You the Way to Go", the album went gold but failed to generate the sales the brothers had enjoyed while at Motown. A follow-up,Goin' Places, fizzled. Renewing their contract with Epic, the Jacksons were allowed full creative control on their next recording,Destiny, released in December 1978. By 1979, the Jacksons had sold 90 million records.[44][45] Featuring their best-selling Epic single to date, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", written by Michael and Randy, the album sold over a million copies. Its follow-up, 1980'sTriumph, also sold a million copies, spawning hits such as "Lovely One", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It". In 1981, they released their fifth album, alive album that eventually sold half a million copies. The live album was culled from recordings of performances on theirTriumph Tour.[46][47]
Michael (pictured in 1984) would leave the group after becoming a global superstar.
In between the releases ofDestiny andTriumph, Michael released his first solo effort under Epic,Off the Wall. Its success led to rumors of Michael's alleged split from his brothers. AfterTriumph, Michael worked on his second Epic solo release, which was released in November 1982 asThriller, which later went on to become thebest-selling album of all time, winning eight Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, plus producing two number-one hit singles, "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", and three breakthrough MTV music videos, "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and the 14-minute zombie-themed music video "Thriller".[48] In March 1983, with Jermaine, the Jacksons performed onMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, the same show where Michael debuted themoonwalk during a solo performance of "Billie Jean".[49][50]
Following the success of the reunion, all six brothers agreed to record a sixth album for Epic, later released asVictory in 1984.[51] Their biggest-selling album to date, it included their final top ten single, "State of Shock". The song was actually a duet between Michael andMick Jagger and did not feature participation from any other Jackson besides Marlon and Jackie, who were credited as background vocalists.[52] Most of the album was produced in this way, with each brother essentially recording solo songs. Another hit was the top 20 single "Torture", a duet between Michael and Jermaine, with Jackie singing several parts.[52] In the same year, the brothers participated in filming a Pepsi commercial where Michael suffered burns to his scalp due to a pyrotechnic fault.[53] In July 1984, the Jacksons launched theirVictory Tour, which was overshadowed by Jackie's leg injury, ticket issues, friction between the brothers, and a shakeup in the promotion and marketing team, initially headed byDon King, who was later fired. Michael announced he was leaving the group after their final performance atDodger Stadium that December to continue his solo career.[54] The following January, Marlon Jackson also announced he was leaving the group to pursue a solo career.[55] At the time of their breakup the Jackson 5 had sold more than 100 million records worldwide.[56]
In 1987, the Jacksons released the single "Time Out for the Burglar", which was included on the soundtrack of theWhoopi Goldberg comedy filmBurglar (1987). In 1989, the remaining quartet of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Randy released the album2300 Jackson Street.[57] After a brief promotional tour, the group went into hiatus and never recorded another album together. Following the release of one solo album, Marlon quit the music business in 1989 and invested in real estate. Randy has not been active in the industry since he disbanded the group Randy & the Gypsys in 1991.[37]
A sample of Michael and the Jacksons' "This Is It". The song was the first song for the Jacksons to chart on theBillboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks since 1970. (The song was originally recorded by Michael alone, and served as the title track for hisposthumous concert film.)
Later in 2009, the surviving Jacksons recorded background vocals to add to Michael's 1980 demo of "This Is It", which became the theme song to the concert filmMichael Jackson's This Is It.[59] The radio-only single was released in October of that same year. The song returned the Jacksons to theBillboard charts, not on the Hot 100, but at number nineteen onHot Adult Contemporary Tracks.[60] The surviving members of the Jacksons were in talks of planning a reunion concert tour (which was to serve as a tribute to Michael) for 2010, and were in talks in working on their first new studio album in over 20 years.[58][61] Neither plan was put into action. In September 2010, Jermaine Jackson held his own tribute concert to Michael inLas Vegas. In 2011, Jackie Jackson released a solo single toiTunes. Jermaine released his first solo album in 21 years,I Wish U Love.
In August 2011, there was a discord between the brothers concerning a tribute concert dedicated to Michael. While Jackie, Tito, and Marlon were present with motherKatherine and sisterLa Toya for a tribute concert inCardiff at theMillennium Stadium for a press conference concerning the tour, a couple of days later, both Randy and Jermaine issued a statement denouncing the tribute tour as the date of it occurred around Conrad Murray'smanslaughter trial in relation to Michael's death. The show carried on with Jackie, Tito and Marlon performing without Jermaine.[62] In October 2011, the Jacksons were featured artists on Japanese-American singerAi's single, "Letter in the Sky". The song was a tribute to Michael and was the group's first single in 22 years. The song served as the theme song for theMichael Jackson Tribute: Live in Tokyo concert that took place December 13 and 14, 2011 atYoyogi National Stadium in Japan.[63] The single was a modest hit in Japan, charting at number 14 on the JapanOriconSingles Chart and number 36 on theBillboard JapanHot 100.[64][65]
2012–present: Continued activities
In April 2012, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon announced that they would reunite for several United States concerts for theirUnity Tour. Thirty-eight dates were announced; The eleven shows in the U.S. were canceled. The tour started atCasino Rama inOrillia, Ontario, Canada on June 20, 2012.[66] Thirty-two additional dates were eventually added, and the tour ended on July 27, 2013, inAtlantic City, United States.[67]
On January 7, 2016, the Jacksons performed atPlanet Hollywood Las Vegas, at a concert event, naming it "Heal the World: A Tribute to Michael Jackson". A big-name roster of music stars performed the music of Michael Jackson at the concert.[68]
On June 15, 2018, the four Jacksons;Tito,Jackie,Marlon andJermaine accepted plaques bearing the Detroit city keys during a high-ticket private party that launched the second Detroit Music Weekend festival. Detroit police chief James Craig, who presented the honors, declared theMotown group "truly Detroiters". The Jacksons headlined and performed at Detroit Music Weekend Festival on the 16th. They were also honored with a 90-minute tribute concert featuring Jackson 5, the Jacksons, Michael Jackson,Janet Jackson andRebbie Jackson hits, with guest appearances by Blue Note saxophonist David McMurray and Herschel Boone forKid Rock'sTwisted Brown Trucker Band. The concert finale was Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" withGreg Phillinganes, a Detroit native who worked with the Jacksons as a session player and tour musical director.[69]
In January 2020, the Jacksons visited Chicago, Illinois andGary, Indiana for the groundbreaking of a new Hard Rock Casino in Gary which played repository to Jacksons memorabilia while bringing 2,000 jobs. They were interviewed by theChicago Sun-Times andWindy City Live. They also visited their old school in Gary where they donated their appearance fee to provide 170 bicycles to theBoys & Girls Clubs of America youth. They also got $61,000 donated to the club byWalmart, Hard Rock and Spectacle whose plan is to have a Jackson family museum and restaurant at the casino.[70]
In 1969, one year after the assassination ofDr. Martin Luther King Jr., there was a time whenBlack power movement and thecivil rights movement were disintegrating. It was during this time that the Jackson 5 would emerge. The Jackson family was important to black culture. After theLyndon B. Johnson administration declared the black family broken with theMoynihan Report,Motown and the Jackson family gave America and the world renewed faith in the American dream with an idealized image of domestic bliss. Black ascensionism was in the air. The Jackson family presented to America and the world a new positive image of black families. They changed the perception of the African-American male worldwide.[72][73] The brothers became a household name and appealed equally to black and white audiences, breaking racial barriers.[74][75]
In September 1971,Jackson 5ive television series ran as part ofABC's Saturday morning cartoon lineup.Jackson 5ive animation director Bob Balser insisted that the series would not include violence. The series was one of the first cartoon representations of a black family that did not include cheap gags and stereotyping. The Jackson 5 solved their problems with music and intellect as role models for families and their children.[31]
In 1992,Suzanne de Passe,Jermaine Jackson, and Stan Margulies worked withMotown to produceThe Jacksons: An American Dream, a five-hour televisionminiseries broadcast based on the history of the Jackson family in a two-part special onABC. The series tells the story of a hard working black family and their path to success and the American Dream.[83]
In 2017, on their 50th anniversary, the Jacksons releasedThe Jacksons: Legacy, their first official behind-the-scenes chronicle book. The book includes new interviews and unseen photographs, and it tells the story of theJackson family in their own words.[43]
On June 15, 2018, the Jacksons accepted plaques bearing the keys to Detroit city. Detroit police chief James Craig, who presented the honors, declared theMotown group "truly Detroiters". They were also honored with a 90-minute tribute concert featuring Jackson 5, the Jacksons, Michael Jackson,Janet Jackson andRebbie Jackson hits. The concert finale was Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" withGreg Phillinganes, a Detroit native who worked with the Jacksons as a session player and tour musical director.[69]
On May 13, 2021, the Jackson family got official 2300 Jackson street highway signage. The signs declaring the "Home of the World-Famous Jackson 5" were placed along Interstate 80/94 as well as on local roads to direct motorists to the Jackson family home at 2300 Jackson street inGary, Indiana.Lieutenant Governor of IndianaSuzanne Crouch and state Sen.Eddie Melton were present.[87]
In August 2025, Marlon and Jackie Jackson returned to Gary for a two-day 2300 Jackson Street Block Party, that the city organized in celebration of the group's legacy. The event began on the 67th anniversary of Michael Jackson's birth and included a moment of silence acknowledging Tito Jackson's death.[88][89] Gary nativeDeniece Williams performed during the event, which was months after the unveiling of a mural of the Jackson Five mural painted by Felix Maldonado.[88][90]
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
The Jackson 5/Jacksons were nominated for a total of three Grammy Awards throughout their career.
The Jacksons were honored with the BMI Icons award in 2008 and two of their songs, "Never Can Say Goodbye", and "Dancing Machine", were awarded to songwritersClifton Davis in 1972 andHal Davis,Dean Parks and Don Fletcher in 1975 respectively at the BMI Pop Awards; those awards weren't received by the Jackson 5.
TheRock and Roll Hall of Fame is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music industry.
All of the original members of the Jackson 5 was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Only Randy Jackson was not inducted alongside his brothers. They were subsequently inducted by Diana Ross and Berry Gordy.
^Easlea, Daryl (October 7, 2016).Michael Jackson, rewind : the life & legacy of pop music's king. New York: Race Point. p. 178.ISBN978-1631063671.OCLC960711448.
^"Box Office Gold Ticket".Billboard. Vol. 89, no. 53. USA: Lee Zhito. October 29, 1977. p. 42. RetrievedMarch 30, 2019 – via Google books.
^Kozak, Roman (August 29, 1981)."Talent Talk".Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 34. USA: Lee Zhito. p. 37.Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. RetrievedApril 1, 2019 – via Google books.
Cadman, Chris and Craig Halstead.Michael Jackson: the Early Years. Authors Online.ISBN0-7552-0064-0
Green, Dave (producer/director). (January 29, 2005).VH1 News Presents: Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood [television broadcast]. New York, NY: MTV Networks.
Posner, Gerald (2002).Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power. New York: Random House.ISBN0-375-50062-6.
Ward, Ed, Geoffrey Stokes and Ken Tucker (1986).Rock of Ages: TheRolling Stone History of Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone Press.ISBN0-671-54438-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)