Tito Jackson, member of the pop group the Jackson 5, has died on the age of 70, his sons say.
Tito was the third of the 9 Jackson siblings, together with world pop icon Michael Jackson.
Tito Jackson was a member of the Jackson 5 group, and in later years additionally pursued a solo profession.
In an announcement shared on Instagram, Tito’s sons TJ, Taj, and Taryll expressed their grief: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Corridor of Famer Tito Jackson, is not with us.”
Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame inductee Tito Jackson of Jackson 5 and The Jacksons performs onstage in the course of the Idiot in Love Competition at Hollywood Park Grounds on Aug. 31, 2024 in Inglewood, California. In 2014, Jackson stated he and his brothers nonetheless felt Michael Jackson’s absence of their exhibits.
Scott Dudelson//Getty Photographs
“We’re shocked, saddened, and heartbroken. Our father was an unbelievable man who cared about everybody and their well-being.”
The Jackson 5, consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, rose to fame within the Nineteen Seventies with chart-topping hits like “ABC,” “I Need You Again,” and “I will Be There.”
Inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame in 1997, the group grew to become a defining act of the period.
Beneath the course of their father, Joe Jackson, the household transitioned from humble beginnings in Gary, Indiana, to world fame.
Born on Oct. 15, 1953, Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson was the group’s guitarist and a background vocalist.
Whereas his brothers pursued solo careers, most notably Michael, who earned the title “The King of Pop,” Tito centered on supporting the group and his household.
Michael Jackson handed away on the age of fifty in 2009.
In a 2009 interview with The Related Press, Tito mirrored on the influence of Michael’s dying: “I might say positively it introduced us a step nearer to one another. To acknowledge that the love we’ve for one another when one among us shouldn’t be right here, what an amazing loss.”
He stated he would personally by no means “be at peace with it.”
“There’s nonetheless moments when I simply can’t imagine it. So I feel that is by no means going to go away,” he stated.
In 2014, Jackson stated he and his brothers nonetheless felt Michael Jackson’s absence of their exhibits.
“I do not suppose we are going to ever get used to performing with out him. He is dearly missed,” he stated.
He added that Michael’s spirit “is with us after we are performing. It offers us quite a lot of constructive vitality and places quite a lot of smiles on our faces.”
Simply days earlier than his passing, Tito visited a memorial for Michael Jackson in Munich, Germany, alongside his brothers Jackie and Marlon.
He shared a message on Fb: “We’re deeply grateful for this particular place that honors not solely his reminiscence but in addition our shared legacy.”
Tito Jackson was one of many relations to defend Michael Jackson’s legacy in 2019 after he was accused of molesting younger boys in HBO’s documentary Leaving Neverland.
Tito joined Michael Jackson’s nephew, Taj, and brothers, Jackie and Marlon on CBS This Morning to discuss the allegations.
Michael Jackson all the time stated he was harmless in regards to the intercourse abuse allegations. He went to court docket for one case in 2005, and was acquitted.
Tito was the final of the Jackson siblings to embark on a solo profession, releasing his debut album, “Tito Time,” in 2016.
He adopted up with the one “One Approach Road” in 2017 and was engaged on a second album as just lately as 2019.
This text consists of reporting from The Related Press