Tito Jackson of The Jackson 5 died Sunday of a heart attack at age 70 in New Mexico. Jackson breaking his father’s guitar string was the catalyst that started The Jackson 5. Joe Jackson discovered his son’s musical talent after scolding him for secretly playing his instrument. Mr. Jackson purchased Tito his own guitar and convinced him and his other sons, Jackie and Jermaine, to form a musical group. One year later, in 1964, Marlon and Michael joined the band. The Jackson 5 released their first single, Big Boy,” in 1968 on Steeltown Records, a local record label. Joe Jackson managed to get his sons a record deal with Motown in 1969, and from there they became teen sensations thanks to hits like “The Love You Save,” “ABC,” and “I Want You Back.” The Jackson 5 traveled the world and performed for such luminaries as the Queen of England. They were the first boy band, and their success produced Jacksonmania, where fans mobbed them wherever they went. The merchandise built around them included posters, coloring books, stickers, and their own Saturday morning cartoon. Tito Jackson did not play guitar on those Motown records, but he started writing songs, and his instrument was heard on recordings after they signed to CBS in 1976. Fans were treated to his guitar playing when The Jackson 5 performed live. Jackson played with his family throughout their changes from The Jackson 5 to simply The Jacksons. They still toured at the time of his death and were seen on social media last week acknowledging a memorial built for Michael in Munich, Germany.
As The Jacksons, they had hits in the ’70s with “Enjoy Yourself,” and “Show You The Way To Go” while they were on the Philadelphia International label. The family also had their own variety show at this time. By the late ’70s and early ’80s, the group released their big single, “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground),” and had further hits with “Can You Feel It,” “This Place Hotel,” and “Lovely One.” They continued to release music until their last studio album, 2300 Jackson Street, which came out in 1989. In 1997, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1995, Jackson’s three sons, T.J., Taj, and Taryll, released their debut album, Brotherhood, as the group 3T. They were signed to their uncle Michael’s MJJ label and mentored by him. 3T was one of the biggest-selling groups in Europe, and their father Tito recorded a Jackson 5 tribute with them.
In the early 2000s, Jackson embarked on a solo career and started playing in blues clubs with his band. B.B. King also handpicked Jackson to play in his band. Jackson had a hit record, “Get It Baby,” with Big Daddy Kane in 2016 from his debut album, Tito Time. He released his second solo album, Under Your Spell, in 2021. Jackson had recently moved to Claremore, Oklahoma, and had plans for an entertainment center in the Tulsa Arts District, a festival, and a documentary.
