Tito Jackson, older brother of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5’s co-founding singer and guitarist, has died. He was 70.
Jackson died Sunday while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma, longtime Jackson family friend and manager Steve Manning told multiple media outlets. His sons, Taj, Taryll and TJ, confirmed his death, later attributed to heart attack, on Instagram.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, is no longer with us,” they wrote. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being. Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T.’ Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you Pops.”
Under the heavy tutelage of their father Joseph, the Jackson brothers began participating in local talent shows when Tito Jackson was 12, and his younger brother Michael was 7. Before they ever had a taste of success, the boys’ evenings were filled with rehearsals and local performances.
An Amateur Night win at The Apollo Theater in 1967 propelled them to a recording contract, and by 1969 they were signed to Motown Records in Detroit, scoring multiple hits with “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “I’ll Be There.” Though Tito’s guitar skills were well developed, he wasn’t featured on any of the Jackson 5’s studio recordings, which featured session musicians.
The brothers reunited for the smash-hit Victory Tour in 1984, again for their 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and a final time for Michael Jackson’s 30th anniversary concert special at Madison Square Garden. Tito Jackson launched a solo career as a blues musician in 2003 performing in clubs, and had a commercially successful Billboard-chart single “Get It Baby” in 2016.
