Biography:Jackson family

Jackson Family
Place of origin	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Members	Joe Jackson (father; b. 1928; d. 2018) Katherine Jackson (mother; b. 1930) Rebbie (b. 1950) Jackie (b. 1951) Tito (b. 1953) Jermaine (b. 1954) La Toya (b. 1956) Marlon (b. 1957) Brandon (b. 1957; d. 1957) Michael (b. 1958; d. 2009) Randy (b. 1961) Janet (b. 1966)

The Jackson family is an important and influential American family of singers that has garnered prominence in the music industry, originated from Gary, Indiana.

Performing as members of The Jackson 5 and as solo artists, the children of Joseph Walter and Katherine Esther Jackson were very successful in the field of popular music from the late 1960s onwards. As a group, the eldest sons Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and later with the inclusion of Randy. The members who managed to be solo icons in music are Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. The Jackson 5 became known as the "First Family of Soul" (a title first held by the Five Stairsteps). The continued success of Michael and Janet's careers as solo artists led the Jacksons to become known as the "Royal Family of Pop". All nine of the Jackson siblings have gold records to their credits with La Toya holding the distinction of being the first Jackson sister to attain one (awarded by France's SNEP for "Reggae Night", a song she co-wrote for Jimmy Cliff), and now to Janet Jackson for being the first black woman to receive the Billboard Icon Award.

The Jackson family has been the subject of controversy linked to the Jordan Chandler Case. But the most controversial facts of Jackson's private life are accusations made by his sons against family patriarch Joseph Jackson claiming that he was harassed by his father as a child.

Despite these circumstances and other problems, the Jacksons continued to be one of the most influential families in the United States and in recent years some family members have been honored for their work; in 1997 The Jackson 5 was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Michael would follow the group to the hall in 2001. The Jacksons, Michael and Janet all received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980, 1984 and 1990 respectively. Joseph was recognized as "the best musical businessman of all time" by the city of Cleveland in 2002. In 2009 a new series from A&E entitled The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty premiered documenting the Jackson brothers dealing with the sudden loss of Michael and preparing for a Jackson 5 Reunion tour.

The most popular member of the Jackson family was Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop and died in June 2009, due to a cardiac arrest.

First generation

Joseph Walter Jackson was born on July 26, 1928 in Arkansas but he grew up in Oakland, California with his father Samuel Jackson, a school teacher. At age 18 he moved to East Chicago, Indiana to be with his mother Crystal Lee King and to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional boxer. At age 21, Joseph married Katherine Scruse, 19, immediately starting a family. Even though he wanted to be a success in boxing it wasn’t a job for a family man, so he obtained a job as an overhead crane operator with East Chicago's Inland Steel Company. His family continued to grow steadily and over the course of sixteen years he and Katherine had a house full of nine children. Joe Jackson always wanted to make it big and although he couldn’t in boxing or in his own short musical stint in the 1950s with the band The Falcons, he saw the talent in his children, starting with Tito and Tito's ability to play the guitar.

Soon enough Joe Jackson formed a band of his sons Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie called The Jackson Brothers in 1964 and became their manager. After several years of doing local talent shows, Joseph enlarged the band to include Marlon and Michael, two of his younger sons, and then changed the name of the band to The Jackson Five by 1966, remaining the group's manager. As their father he was a very strict disciplinarian and had an abusive nature and as their manager he enforced long practice sessions of singing and dancing in hopes of preparing them to make it big one day. In August 1967, the group made a debut at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York where they won the Amateur Night contest. Gordon Keith, the owner and producer at Steeltown Records in Gary, Indiana, discovered the Jackson Five and signed them to their first contract in November 1967. “Big Boy”, the boys' first record which was produced by Keith, was released on January 30, 1968. It became a local hit. In March 1969, they signed a Motown record contract and became known as the Jackson 5. The group enjoyed the fame Joseph Jackson had been longing for in his life. He continued to manage The Jackson 5 into stardom and after the band they had many No. 1 hits on the Billboard hot singles charts; Joseph moved them to a mansion in Encino, California with his own hefty salary he had obtained as their full-time manager. After many years as a band and with Michael as lead singer, the group continued to churn out even more hits and wealth, but tensions grew and in 1979, Michael severed ties with his father/manager and went on to pursue a solo musical entertainment career. Four years later, in 1983, Michael's siblings fired Joseph Jackson as their manager. In 1993, Michael Jackson accused his father of physical and mental abuse; a few of the other siblings confirmed this claim, but others denied it.

Katherine Jackson (née Kattie B. Scruse) was born on May 4, 1930 in Barbour County, Alabama, the child of Prince Albert Scruse (1907–1997) and Martha Mattie Upshaw (1907–1990). She was left with a permanent limp after acquiring polio syndrome in her childhood. She later recovered from her illness after moving with her family to East Chicago, Indiana, where she would remain until meeting her husband Joseph Jackson. The couple moved and bought a small home in Gary, Indiana, where they birthed and raised nine children and she was a stay-at-home mother. Throughout her life, Katherine remained a devoted Jehovah's Witness and raised her children strictly under the same spiritual teachings she received. Also, as a talented pianist and vocalist who shared her talents with her children, she was later credited for being the foundation of her children's success. After her sons' rise to fame as The Jackson 5, she strongly supported her children and became the costume designer for their shows and performances. Some of the memorable moments of her unconditional support were seen when her son Michael was tried for molestation charges in 1993 and 2005. Katherine now lives in Calabasas, California where she cares for the children of her late son, Michael. After allegations that she may have been held against her will by Randy and Janet Jackson, Katherine lost custody of Michael's children, ultimately regaining it in 2012.

Second generation

Together, Joseph and Katherine Jackson had ten children. Their son Brandon (Marlon's twin) died shortly after birth. The other nine grew up to become professional musicians.

• Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson (born May 29, 1950)
• Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951)
• Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (born October 15, 1953)
• Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954)
• LaToya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956)
• Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957)
• Brandon Jackson (born and died March 12, 1957)
• Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958 – died June 25, 2009)
• Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (born October 29, 1961)
• Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966)

Through his extramarital relationship with Cheryl Terrell, Joseph had a child.

• Joh'Vonnie Jackson (born August 30, 1974)

Third generation

There are 26 children that make up the third generation of the Jackson family along with several great-grandchildren. Among them, some have followed in the family's footsteps into the entertainment industry. The three children of Michael Jackson are probably the most well-known of the third generation. Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (b. February 13, 1997), also known as "Prince", Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (b. April 3, 1998), and Prince Michael Jackson II also known as "Blanket" now called "Bigi" (b. February 21, 2002), have been discussed in the press numerous times throughout their lives, particularly since their father's death in 2009.

Rebbie, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Janet Jackson have also had children, who have come under varying degrees of media focus. Austin Brown (b. 1985), the only son of Rebbie Jackson, is a singer and songwriter who has released several successful singles in the pop/R&B genre. Tito Jackson's three sons, Toriano Adaryll "Taj" Jackson, Jr. (b. 1973), Taryll Adren Jackson (b. 1975), and Tito Joe "TJ" Jackson (b. 1978) make up the R&B/pop music group 3T. 3T has released three studio albums and has gone on to have moderate success in the industry, primarily outside of the United States. Sigmund "Siggy" Jackson Jr. (b. 1977), the eldest son to Jackie Jackson, is a hip-hop artist who goes under the name "Dealz". Siggy has been a ghostwriter for a number of independent artists and has obtained mild success as a solo artist. Jermaine La Jaune "Jay" Jackson Jr. (b. 1977), the eldest son to Jermaine Jackson, portrayed his father in the 1992 miniseries, The Jacksons: An American Dream, a biopic about the Jackson family. On January 3, 2017, at the age of 50, Janet gave birth to Eissa Al Mana, the newest member of the Jackson family.

Family members

• Joseph Walter Jackson (1928–2018), married Katherine Esther Scruse (b. 1930)
  • Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson (b. 1950), daughter of Joe and Katherine; married Nathaniel Brown (1949–2013)
    • Stacee Brown (b. 1971), daughter of Rebbie and Nathaniel; married Rex Salas (b. 1962)
      • London Blue Salas (b. 2005), son of Stacee and Rex
    • Yashi Brown (b. 1977), daughter of Rebbie and Nathaniel
    • Nathaniel Austin Brown (b. 1985), son of Rebbie and Nathaniel
  • Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (b. 1951), son of Joe and Katherine; married Enid Spann (1954-1997), Victoria Triggs and Emily Besselink (b. 1978)
    • Sigmund Esco "Siggy" Jackson, Jr. (b. 1977), son of Jackie and Enid; married Toyia Parker
      • Jared Esco Jackson (b. 2011), son of Siggy
      • Kai-Ari Jackson (b. 2014), daughter of Siggy
      • Skyy Okhi Enid Jackson (b. 2018), daughter of Siggy
    • Brandi Jackson (b. 1982), daughter of Jackie and Enid
    • Jaylen Milan Jackson (b. 2013), son of Jackie and Emily
    • River T Jackson (b. 2013), son of Jackie and Emily
  • Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (b. 1953), son of Joe and Katherine; married Delores "Dee Dee" Martes (1955–1994)
    • Toriano Adaryll "Taj" Jackson, Jr. (b. 1973), son of Tito and Dee Dee; married Thayana Sco
    • Taryll Adren Jackson (b. 1975), son of Tito and Dee Dee
      • Bryce Connor Jackson (b. 2008), son of Taryll and Breana Cabral
      • Adren Michael Jackson (b. 2011), son of Taryll and Breana Cabral
    • Tito Joe "T.J." Jackson (b. 1978), son of Tito and Dee Dee; married Frances Casey
      • Royal Tito Joseph Jackson (b. 1999), son of T.J. and Frances
      • Delores Dior "Dee Dee" Jackson (b. 2008), daughter of T.J. and Frances
      • Dallas Jordan Michael "Jo Jo" Jackson (b. 2010), son of T.J. and Frances
      • Rio Tito Joe Jackson (b. 2015), son of T.J. and Frances
  • Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (b. 1954), son of Joe and Katherine; married Hazel Gordy (b. 1954), Alejandra Oaziaza and Halima Rashid
    • Jermaine La Juane "Jay" Jackson, Jr. (b. 1977), son of Jermaine and Hazel
      • Soltan Soul Jackson (b. 2017), son of Jay and Asa Soltan Rahmati
    • Autumn Joi Jackson (b. 1978), daughter of Jermaine and Hazel; married Narinder Singh
    • Jeremy Maldonado Jackson (b. 1986), son of Jermaine and Margaret Maldonado
    • Jaimy Jermaine Jackson (b. 1987), son of Jermaine and Hazel
    • Jourdynn Michael Jackson (b. 1989), son of Jermaine and Margaret Maldonado; married Marike Le Roux
      • Bobbi Jackson (b. 2017), child of Jourdynn and Marike
    • Jaafar Jeremiah Jackson (b. 1996), son of Jermaine and Alejandra
    • Jermajesty Jermaine Jackson (b. 2000), son of Jermaine and Alejandra
  • La Toya Yvonne Jackson (b. 1956), daughter of Joe and Katherine; married Jack Gordon (1939–2005)
  • Marlon David Jackson (b. 1957), son of Joe and Katherine; married Carol Parker
    • Valencia Caroline Jackson (b. 1976), daughter of Marlon and Carol; married Chris Laniak
      • Noah Laniak (b. 2006), son of Valencia and Chris
      • Sophia Laniak (b. 2007), daughter of Valencia and Chris
    • Brittany Shauntee Jackson (b. 1978), daughter of Marlon and Carol; married Robert Sanchez
      • Phoenix Sanchez (b. 2010), child of Brittany and Robert
      • Savanna Bella Sanchez (b. 2011), daughter of Brittany and Robert
      • Summer Blue Sanchez (b. 2014), daughter of Brittany and Robert
    • Marlon David Jackson, Jr. (b. 1981), son of Marlon and Carol
  • Brandon Jackson (1957–1957), son of Joe and Katherine
  • Michael Joseph Jackson (1958–2009), son of Joe and Katherine; married Lisa Marie Presley (b. 1968) and Debbie Rowe (b. 1958)
    • Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson, Jr. (b. 1997), son of Michael and Debbie
    • Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (b. 1998), daughter of Michael and Debbie
    • Prince Michael "Blanket" Jackson II (b. 2002), son of Michael and an unknown woman
  • Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (b. 1961), son of Joe and Katherine; married Eliza Shaffe and Alejandra Oaziaza
    • Genevieve Katherine Jackson (b. 1989), daughter of Randy and Alejandra
    • Stevanna Jackson (b. 1990), daughter of Randy and Eliza
    • Steven Randall Jackson, Jr. (b. 1991), son of Randy and Alejandra
  • Janet Damita Jo Jackson (b. 1966), daughter of Joe and Katherine; married James DeBarge (b. 1963), René Elizondo (b. 1962) and Wissam Al Mana (b. 1975)
    • Eissa Al Mana (b. 2017), son of Janet and Wissam
  • Joh'Vonnie Jackson (b. 1974), daughter of Joe and Cheryl Terrell (1925–1997)
    • Yasmine Jackson (b. 1994), daughter of Joh'Vonnie

Further reading

• Giambusso, David (June 25, 2009). "Michael Jackson memorabilia owner recalls turbulent past with musical family". The Star-Ledger (New Jersey). http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/michael_jacksons_death.html.