Joe Jackson (manager) - The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5

During this time, Joseph Jackson's son, Tito, would play his father's guitar while his father was away at work. One night, nine-year-old Tito broke a string off Jackson's guitar. While upset, Jackson demanded his son to play the guitar after he fixed the guitar string. Noticing Tito's talent, he bought Tito his own guitar afterwards and after discovering his two other sons Jackie and Jermaine's talents as singers, decided to form a band around his sons. Within a couple years, The Jackson Brothers became The Jackson 5 after Joseph included his two younger sons Marlon and Michael as backing percussionists. Though young Michael had been singing onstage from age five, his father didn't notice his other talents until the brothers performed a talent show at Gary's Roosevelt High School where Michael imitated James Brown as both a vocalist and dancer. Afterwards, following a victory at a local Gary talent show, Jackson began only working part-time at U.S. Steel and began managing his sons full-time in 1967 turning them professional.

Jackson's strict domineering and leadership led to the group's well-sequenced act to be booked on several popular venues in the chitlin circuit, leading to them being signed to Motown Records in 1968. After re-signing with the label for a seven-year deal in March 1969, the group relocated to Detroit to record at the label's Hitsville USA studios for their first album. Following the success of the album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 and its single, "I Want You Back", Jackson began fighting with Motown CEO Berry Gordy for control of the group. After a period of success, the Jackson 5's success tapered off after 1974, with the group wanting creative control. During this time, Joseph Jackson began adding the rest of his children, including eldest daughter Rebbie, La Toya, Randy and the youngest child, Janet, into his sons' act when the group began performing in Las Vegas. Jackson was inspired by the success of fellow famous family group The Osmonds, who also had a successful Las Vegas run around the same time. Jackson would also convince the family to partake on a musical variety show a couple years later. Meanwhile, after complaints from several of his sons, Joseph Jackson and his sons signed a lucrative contract with CBS Records in 1975 without telling Motown Records of the deal, later leading to a headline-making lawsuit against the family, which led to the recording of their debut CBS record to be delayed. That same year, Jermaine Jackson broke ties with his father and family after he decided to stay with Motown. Randy Jackson became Jermaine's official replacement in 1976 and the group changed their name to the Jacksons (after being noted that The Jackson 5 was now owned by Motown). Four years later, Michael Jackson followed his brother to leave his father's management and released the successful Off the Wall album.

In 1979, following the success of his sons' 1978 album, Destiny, Joseph Jackson formed Joseph Jackson Productions and began managing his two younger daughters La Toya and Janet's solo careers, starting with La Toya releasing her first solo efforts in 1980, followed by Janet, in 1982. In 1982, the rest of Joseph's sons Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Randy also announced that they would leave their father's management team. Joseph was often quoted saying "it's my blood that runs through their veins" after each of his sons left. In 1986, Jackson hired John McClain to look after his youngest daughter Janet's fledgling singing career. Upon hearing that his daughter was working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, he advised the duo to "not have my daughter sound like Prince". Following the success of the Control album, Janet Jackson left her father's management team. La Toya Jackson would also leave Joseph's management team that same year. Though he had convinced Rebbie to join her family's Las Vegas act, Joseph never managed Rebbie, who has to this day been managed by her husband, Nathaniel Brown.

While Jermaine had subsequent solo success after leaving his father and the Jackson 5, his solo career began to see dwindling fortunes in the late eighties after being noted for his successes as producer for acts such as Switch and Whitney Houston's early records. In 1983, he reunited with his brothers and the group released the Victory album the following year. Jackson, his wife Katherine and Don King spearheaded the Jacksons' final concert tour, which led to problems especially with concert tickets. It's alleged Joseph Jackson and Don King had overpriced concert tickets leading to controversy. Following this, Michael Jackson decided to not do business anymore with his father though he would often help his father out of legal troubles that would come from bad deals. After her success, Janet Jackson also began helping out her father's financial difficulties. By 1990, however, both siblings had stopped paying for their father. La Toya Jackson was never able to find success similar to her brother and sister after she left her father. By then, the other Jackson brothers' careers had also faded.