Marlon Jackson | |
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 Jackson in 2013 | |
| Born | Marlon David Jackson (1957-03-12)March 12, 1957 (age 68) Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1964–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | |
| Family | Jackson |
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| Member of | The Jacksons |
| Formerly of | The Jackson 5 |
Musical artist | |
Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957) is an American singer and dancer best known as a member ofthe Jackson 5. He is the sixth child of theJackson family. Marlon now runs Study Peace Foundation to promote peace and unity worldwide.
Marlon David Jackson was born on March 12, 1957, at St. Mary's Mercy Hospital inGary, Indiana,[1] the sixth child ofJoseph who was a steel mill worker, and played in an R&B band, the Falcons, with his brother Luther, andKatherine Jackson, a Jehovah's Witness. He was born one year and a half earlier than his younger brotherMichael (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009). Growing up, Marlon was especially close to Michael, whom he considered the substitute for his lost twin brother,Brandon, who died shortly after birth. "We were the jokers of the family," Marlon said.[2][3][4]
By 1964, Marlon and Michael joined their brothersTito,Jackie andJermaine, forming the groupthe Jackson 5. Their mother, Katherine, played the piano and clarinet, and sang harmonies with the brothers. Their father, Joe, led the rehearsals, keeping them off the street and away from trouble. They won singing competitions all over the state includingNew York. That marked the beginning of their career.[5] Marlon was not the most prominent member of the Jackson 5, though he did sing background vocals on many of their hits. He also played the conga and tambourine. BrotherRandy later joined the band when Jermaine chose to stay at Motown after the group left the label and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Marlon has three sisters;Rebbie,La Toya, andJanet.[6][5][7][8]
Marlon and his brothers first signed asthe Jackson 5 withGordon Keith ofSteeltown Records in November 1967, and their first single "Big Boy", was released on January 31, 1968.[9] After the group recorded three more songs with the Steeltown label (on two records) they were signed withBerry Gordy ofMotown Records in 1969.[10] Not feeling that they were being paid fair royalties by Motown Records for their success as well as their desire for creative control, the Jackson 5 decided to leave the label and sign withEpic Records in 1975.[11] Jermaine split from the Jackson Five to start a solo career at Motown, and was replaced by his brotherRandy Jackson.[12] Unbeknownst to the group, Gordy had trademarked the name The Jackson Five and did not allow the group to continue using the name when they left the label.[12] Once signed with Epic, the group became known simply as The Jacksons. In 1983, Gordy asked the group to perform at theMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special.[13] In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with his brothers. In 2001, he reunited with his brothers to perform for the Michael Jackson30th Anniversary Special.[14]
Like Michael and Jermaine, Marlon began a solo career, releasing the albumBaby Tonight in 1987. DespiteBaby Tonight reaching No. 22 on theTop R&B Albums chart in theUnited States, Marlon has not released another album since then.[2]
Marlon was successful within real estate in Southern California. In 1999, Marlon started running The Major Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) along with Florida attorney Willie E. Gary, baseball playerCecil Fielder, boxerEvander Holyfield, andAlvin James. MBC was a religious network based in Atlanta. On October 1, 2004, they rebranded asBlack Family Channel. In May 2007, the Black Family Channel was sold to the Gospel Music Channel, now known asUp TV.[6] In 2008, Marlon and a board of new partners founded the Motherland Group LLC; its purpose is to bring recognition to ancientBadagry, Nigeria for education and tourism, while preserving its history.[15]
Marlon now runs the Study Peace Foundation, founded in 2015, aimed to promote peace and unity in communities worldwide offering programs designed to engage children, adults and the elderly to live in peaceful environments. "As a community we all should know that promoting peace and unity would cause a chain reaction that children will observe. It all starts with what we make accessible to the children," he said. The foundation went into a partnership withKABOOM! to build playgrounds in New Orleans, Gary and Los Angeles.[16]
In August 1975, 18-year-old Jackson married his girlfriend, Carol Ann Parker, whom he met in New Orleans during one of the Jacksons' tours. Marlon and Parker have three children:[17]
Marlon and Carol have six grandchildren, two from Valencia and four from Brittany.
On July 7, 2009, at theStaples Center, Marlon and his family offered their final eulogies for Michael, saying he was the "soul" of the family, addressing the crowd: "Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone"[18] and "I would like for you to give our brother, my twin brother, Brandon, a hug for me."[19] Marlon said, "I love you, Michael, and I'll miss you."[18] In honor of Michael, Marlon and his brothers,Tito,Jackie,Jermaine andRandy Jackson served as pallbearers wearing a gold necktie, a single white glove and sunglasses.[20]
In a 2019Rolling Stone interview, Marlon was vocal about the allegations against his brother Michael saying, "if your brother was deceased and someone wanted to slander his name, you'd be supporting him. That's not him. That's not his character. We definitely know our brother, and there are no facts whatsoever to corroborate these allegations." He continues, "It's a quick money grab. That's all it is."[21]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
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| US [22] | US R&B [22] | ||
| Baby Tonight | 175 | 22 | |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [23] | |||||||||||||
| "(Let Your Love Find) The Chosen One"[24] | 1986 | — | The Golden Child | ||||||||||
| "Baby Tonight" | 1987 | 57 | Baby Tonight | ||||||||||
| "Don't Go" | 2 | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||||||
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