Tito Jackson, part of the original lineup of the Jackson 5, who delighted the hearts of teenagers in the 70s with hits like ABC and I’ll Be There, has passed away at the age of 70, according to his family. His demise was publicly revealed early Monday by his three sons, Taj, Taryll, and TJ, via the Instagram account of their band, 3T. The announcement, however, left out the time, location, and cause of his passing.
“Some of you may recognise him as Tito Jackson of the iconic Jackson 5, some as ‘Coach Tito2’, and others as ‘Poppa T'”, the announcement stated. “Regardless, his absence will be deeply felt.”
The Jackson 5, a hot favourite amongst US boy bands for a short while, played a crucial role in paving the way for Michael Jackson’s solo venture, who is globally heralded as the King of Pop and remains one of the most replicated musicians to this day. The world lost this illustrious singer, songwriter and dancer in 2009 at the age of 50.
With the recreation of the Jackson 5’s journey from their simple roots in Gary, Indiana to their subsequent fame in the form of a five-hour miniseries, The Jacksons: An American Dream, in 1992, their saga is well-known.
Tito Jackson, originally born as Toriano Adaryll Jackson to parents Joe and Katherine in Gary, is fondly remembered primarily as the band’s guitarist, a skill he imbibed from his father. Joe Jackson, his father, passed away in 2018.
Recalling his childhood days in a 2019 chat with Vlad TV, Tito shared how he would frequently fiddle with his father’s guitar secretly. “And then one day, I snapped one of the strings and was absolutely clueless about it,” he reminisced. “Upon finding out, he was greatly distressed.”
After disciplining him, Jackson’s father requested him to display his musical ability. He was handed down a guitar by his father, with instructions to master every song airing on the radio. Subsequently, they formed a family band called the Jackson Brothers, that included young Michael. His outstanding performance at a talent show of the song ‘Climb Every Mountain’ earned him a place in the group. After a suggestive remark at a matrimonial event performance, the band was renamed as the Jackson 5.
During the 1970s, the Jackson 5 became a regular feature on television, often sharing screen space with stars like Cher and Diana Ross. Their discography of over a dozen albums significantly influenced their young audience, stirring a fandom that seems to be now prevalent only among top-tier pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Recalling their reception in the UK, Jackson mentioned in an interview with Sister Circle TV in 2019 about the frenzy of around 10,000 fans welcoming them at the airport, which was so chaotic that he got misplaced amidst 1,000 fans.
Three of the phenomenal hits from Jackson 5 – ABC, I Want You Back and I’ll Be There, were welcomed into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The rock band secured a place into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, in conjunction with The Bee Gees. Jackson remained active in the music industry over time and released a solo album, Tito Time, in 2016. He also went on tours with some of his brothers. The Jacksons, as they are now known, had performances scheduled in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in October, and in Cincinnati in November. He acknowledged the fans as the true patrons of an artist, stating that the artists’ job is to create music but it is the fans who validate it by showing their admiration. This is an adaptation of an article initially published in The New York Times.