Joe Jackson, musical family patriarch, dead at 89
He was not on the list.
Joseph "Joe" Jackson, the patriarch who launched
the musical Jackson family dynasty, died Wednesday at a Las Vegas hospital, a
source close to the family tells CNN.
He was 89.
Jackson was the father of and at times manager to pop stars
Michael and Janet Jackson, along with the sibling singing group, The Jackson 5.
No cause of death has been released, but Jackson had
reportedly been in ill health.
"I have seen more sunsets than I have left to
see," read a tweet posted Sunday from Jackson's official Twitter account.
"The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun
sets when the time comes."
I have seen more
sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether
you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes. pic.twitter.com/PGcmbulzyC
— Joseph Jackson
(@Joe5Jackson) June 24, 2018
His daughter, La Toya Jackson, tweeted about her father
Wednesday.
"I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made
us one of the most famous families in the world," she wrote on her
official Twitter account. "I am extremely appreciative of that, I will
never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP
Joe Jackson."
I will always love
you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the
world. I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments
together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP Joe
Jacksonhttps://t.co/F5UfYjEgYx
— La Toya Jackson
(@latoyajackson) June 27, 2018
Some of Jackson's grandchildren also paid tribute on social
media, writing that he "made everything possible."
RIP to the king
that made everything possible!!! I love you grandpa 🖤🖤
pic.twitter.com/SI1C7lUuG6
— RANDY JACKSON
(@randyjacksonjr) June 27, 2018
Jackson married his wife, Katherine, in 1949. They moved
into into a home on Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana, the following year, where
they welcomed their first of 10 children, Maureen "Rebbie" Jackson.
Rebbie was followed by Sigmund "Jackie" Jackson in
1951, Toriano "Tito" Jackson in 1953, Jermaine Jackson in 1954, La
Toya Jackson in 1956, Marlon Jackson in 1957, Michael Jackson in 1958, Steven
Randall "Randy" Jackson in 1961 and Janet Jackson in 1966.
Marlon's twin, Brandon, died soon after birth.
With a large family to support, Joe Jackson surrendered his
dreams of becoming a boxer and secured a job as a crane operator for US Steel.
He and his brother Luther formed a band in the mid-1950s
called The Falcons, intent on booking gigs for extra money.
The band only lasted a few years, but Jackson had developed
an ear for music and believed he had found some talent in his children. He
formed The Jackson Brothers in 1963 -- with sons Tito, Jackie and Jermaine --
and began entering them in local talent shows. With the addition of Marlon and
Michael, The Jackson 5 was born in 1966. Two years later, they signed with Motown
Records.
They went on to become one of the most successful R&B
groups in history, with their father initially acting as their manager.
At the height of their stardom, The Jackson 5 sold millions
of records and had their own CBS variety show.
"Joseph's role as manager dwindled however as Motown
CEO Berry Gordy began to take more charge on his act, a role that reverted back
to Joseph when he began managing the entire family for performances in Las
Vegas," according to Jackson's official site. "Joseph also helped his
sons seal a deal with CBS after leaving Motown."
The success of The Jackson 5 led to Michael Jackson going
solo, becoming such a major star that he was later dubbed the King of Pop.
Youngest daughter Janet also became a hugely successful recording artist.
The elder Jackson managed daughters Rebbie, La Toya and
Janet in the early 1980s until they, like their brothers before, struck out on
their own.
Joe Jackson was criticized at times for being a harsh
taskmaster. His children told stories about their father being hard on them
growing up.
In 2013 interview with CNN, Jackson was asked about Janet's
complaint that the children were not allowed to call him "Dad,"
instead referring to him as "Joe."
"You had all those kids running hollering around,"
Jackson said. "They're hollering, 'Dad, Dad, Dad,' you know, and it gets
to be -- it sounds kind of funny to me. But I didn't care too much about what
they called me, just as long as they (were) able to listen to me and what I had
to tell them, you know, in order to make their lives successful. This was the
main thing."
Jackson admitted that he disciplined his children
physically, but said he had no regrets.
"I'm glad I was tough, because look what I came out
with," he said. "I came out with some kids that everybody loved all
over the world. And they treated everybody right."
Jackson also weathered some controversy after his wife
documented his alleged extramarital affairs in her book, "My Family, The
Jacksons."
The couple split more than once and lived apart for decades,
but they reportedly never divorced.
The couple presented a united front when Michael died in
2009 from an overdose of propofol.
The elder Jackson told CNN his son had tried to reach him
before his death, but they didn't connect.
"He says, 'Call my father.' This was before he passed.
'He would know how to get me out of this,'" Joe Jackson said. "But
they didn't get in touch with me. They said they couldn't find me, but I was
right there."
Just this past weekend, Janet Jackson hailed her father
during an acceptance speech at a Radio Disney awards ceremony.
"My mother nourished me with the most extravagant love
imaginable," she said. "My father, my incredible father drove me to
be the best I can. My siblings set an incredibly high standard, a high bar for
artistic excellence."
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