The Jackson 5 Artistfacts

1964-1976
Michael JacksonLead vocals, percussion1964-1976
Jermaine JacksonLead vocals, bass1964-1976
Jackie JacksonVocals, percussion1964-1976
Tito JacksonVocals, guitar1964-1976
Marlon JacksonVocals, percussion1964-1976
Led by a pint-sized Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5 are a group of brothers from Gary, Indiana, who became superstars upon signing with Motown Records in 1969. Aside from Michael, who was just 6 years old when he became the group's primary lead vocalist, their original lineup included Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon. They made history as the first act to debut with four consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 when "I Want You Back," "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all reached the apex. "ABC" was particularly notable for knocking The Beatles' "Let It Be" from the top spot in April 1970. When their popularity began to decline at Motown in the mid-70s, the group left for Epic Records and rebranded as The Jacksons, where they teamed with the renowned Philadelphia soul songwriting and production duo Gamble & Huff.
The Jackson 5 started out of an act of defiance. The boys' dad, Joe Jackson, was a crane operator at a steel mill who had aspirations of becoming a famous blues musician. The only instrument they had in their two-bedroom house was Joe's guitar, which was strictly off-limits to the kids. Tito, however, taught himself how to play the instrument in secret, playing along with the hits on the radio. Joe found out about his musical exploits when Tito broke a guitar string. He was furious until he actually heard his 15-year-old son play and realized his children could achieve the dream he couldn't. From then on, the boys had to rehearse for hours every day after school until Joe thought they were ready to go on the road. In 1966, they won the first of many talent shows, performing The Temptations' "My Girl" and Robert Parker's "Barefootin'" at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary.
Joe Jackson quit his job and became the boys' manager, bringing them all throughout the Midwest, where they played at various talent showcases and appeared on the bottom of the bill at inner-city venues - even strip clubs! - with more prominent acts. In 1967, they performed at Chicago's Regal Theatre, where Gladys Knight & The Pips were the headlining group. Knight was so impressed with the singing siblings that she tried to get them signed to Motown, but their demo tape was rejected. They signed with the local Steeltown Records instead, but they kept finding themselves on the bill with Motown stars. In 1968, they opened for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, and Taylor was determined to help them get label founder Berry Gordy's attention. He enlisted Suzanne de Passe, who'd just started as Gordy's creative assistant, to convince Gordy of the group's star potential. He resisted the idea of another kid act following child prodigy Stevie Wonder and even refused to be present at their audition. Video footage of them performing Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You" changed his mind and he officially signed the Jackson 5 in 1969. Their first sessions at the label were produced by their champion Bobby Taylor.
The Jackson 5 also found an ally in Diana Ross. The Supremes leader is often credited as being the one who discovered the group, which is a false rumor that was actually started by Motown to boost the act's credibility. To sell the idea, the label sent the brothers to Beverly Hills to perform at a media launch hosted by Ross and had them open a Supremes concert in Los Angeles. Ross even lent her name to the Jackson 5's 1969 debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5. Despite the deception, Ross really did believe in the band and particularly bonded with young Michael. Their close friendship lasted until his death in 2009.
To promote the release of their debut single, "I Want You Back," the Jackson 5 made their first national TV appearances on The Hollywood Palace, where they were introduced by Diana Ross, and The Ed Sullivan Show. Sullivan's variety show, in particular, was a major gig as the program was known for breaking some of the biggest bands of all time, including The Beatles, who famously made their American debut on the show on February 9, 1964. The Jackson 5's appearance made them a household name and sent their single to the top of the chart.
As Jacksonmania spread across the nation, with their singles dominating the charts and their concerts selling out major stadiums from coast to coast, Motown capitalized on the group's success by grooming Michael for a solo career. He issued Got To Be There, the first of four Motown releases, in 1972 but he really took off at Epic, where he teamed with producer Quincy Jones for a run of hit albums, including Off The Wall (1979) Thriller (1982), his first #1 album, and Bad (1987).
The group had their own Saturday morning cartoon series, Jackson 5ive, which ran on ABC from 1971-1972. The show followed the brothers on various adventures, with one episode finding Michael and Marlon accidentally drafted into the Army. The real-life band was too busy to actively participate in the series, so they were portrayed by voice actors.
The Jackson 5's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, is coincidentally situated on Jackson Street, whose name preceded its famous residents. Katherine Jackson retained ownership of the home after the family relocated to California in 1969. After Michael's death in 2009, the home became a tourist attraction for heartbroken fans, prompting an eight‑foot‑tall granite monument to be installed on the front lawn the following year.
When the Jackson 5 made the move to Epic in 1976, Jermaine stayed behind at Motown and was replaced by the youngest Jackson brother, Randy, in the lineup. He already had a couple solo albums on his discography, starting with his 1972 debut, Jermaine, and thought it was best to stay put - especially since he'd recently married Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel. The marriage didn't last - they divorced in 1988 - but Jermaine's solo career did. While he didn't reach Michael's level of fame, his singles dotted the charts throughout the '80s, including "Let's Get Serious." Written and produced by Stevie Wonder, the song was a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 and reached #1 R&B in 1980. Michael's "Rock With You" topped both charts that same year, but Jermaine's song prevailed as the #1 soul/R&B song of 1980. Jermaine reunited with the Jacksons for the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever anniversary special in 1983 and officially rejoined the group on the Victory album the following year.
As the Jackson 5's popularity started to wane, Motown tried to change their bubblegum soul image with a shift towards progressive soul, funk and disco. Although they garnered a couple more hits - most notably the Grammy-nominated "Dancing Machine" from their 1974 album of the same name - the band was increasingly unhappy with their new artistic direction, which was one of the major reasons they cut ties with the label. Motown was also making lots of money off of the group, but they only saw around 2.9% of the profits. Epic offered them a more lucrative deal that included more creative control, but Gordy wasn't about to let them go easily. He filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the band that forced them to give up their name. They released their self-titled debut as The Jacksons on Epic in 1976.
The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Although they never won a Grammy Award, three of their Motown hits were entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame: "I'll Be There" and "I Want You Back" in 1999 and "ABC" in 2017.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Up Around the BendCreedence Clearwater Revival

"Up Around The Bend" by Creedence Clearwater Revival had a different meaning to British listeners. In England, to go "Around the bend" means to go crazy.

Video GamesLana Del Rey

The game Lana Del Rey sings about in "Video Games" is World of Warcraft - her ex used to play it all the time.

Mercedes BoyPebbles

"Mercedes Boy" by Pebbles is about a real guy she fell in love with - they both drove Mercedes when she wrote it.

Livin' La Vida LocaRicky Martin

Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the first #1 hit created entirely in Pro Tools.

Killer QueenQueen

The Queen song "Killer Queen," according to lead singer Freddie Mercury, is about a high-class call girl.

SundownGordon Lightfoot

The inspiration for Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" came when he was worrying about his girlfriend, who was out at bars all day while he was home writing songs.