The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known simply as The Jacksons) were an American popular music quintet from Gary, Indiana. The group, active from 1962 to 1990, regularly played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, funk, and later disco. Considered "one of the biggest phenomenons in pop music{{ref|1970sphenom}}" during the early 1970s, the Jackson 5 group is also notable for launching the career of its lead singer, Michael Jackson.

History

Early career

The Jacksons were a working-class family from Gary, Indiana. Katherine raised the children as Jehovah's Witnesses, and they therefore were not allowed to have many leisure activities. Joe, a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther, was a strict disciplinarian; many of the Jackson children recall being severely beaten by Joe for misbehaving. The children found an outlet in music, with elder brothers Jackie (born 1951), Tito (b. 1953), and Jermaine (b. 1954) borrowing their father's guitar without his permission and playing along to the radio. Younger brothers Marlon (b. 1957) and Michael (b. 1958) would be allowed to watch, as long as they did not tell. Joseph eventually discovered that the older three boys were playing his guitar when one of the strings broke {{ref|stringbroke}}. Although he was furious at first, Joseph realized the boys had talent, and began making plans to create a musical act for them.

Related Topics:
Gary, Indiana - Jehovah's Witnesses - Jackie - 1951 - Tito - 1953 - Jermaine - 1954 - Marlon - 1957 - Michael - 1958

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In 1962, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine began performing around the Gary area with two neighborhood children, Milford Hite (on drums) and Reynaud Jones (on keyboards), in a group called The Jackson Brothers. Joe Jackson served as the manager, at first only part-time, and then eventually quitting his job at the steel mill. Jermaine sang lead and played bass, and Tito played guitar. In 1963, younger brothers Marlon and Michael, joined the group as its tambourine and bongo players. Already showing talent as a singer and dancer {{ref|Michaeltalent}}, Michael would replace Jermaine as lead vocalist by mid-1967, and Shirley Cartman, Tito's junior high orchestra teacher, noticed the group's talents and served as an early mentor for the group, now called The Jackson Five.

Related Topics:
1962 - Bass - Guitar - 1963 - Tambourine - Bongo - 1967

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During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of The Temptations' "My Girl", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", and the young kids sometimes had to open for strip teasers and other adult acts in order to earn money. Shirley Cartman, got the Jackson Five a record deal with Gordon Keith's local Steeltown label, and the group began making their first recordings in 1967. Their first single, "Big Boy", became a regional hit. During this period, Milford Hite and Reynaud Jones were replaced by Johnny Jackson (no relation) on drums and Ronnie Rancifer on keys.

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The Jackson Five had a number of admirers in their early days, including Sam & Dave, who helped the group secure a spot in the famous Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. The group won the August 13 1967 competition during the Amateur Night showdown at the Apollo, impressing Motown Records artist Gladys Knight of The Pips. Knight recommended the group to Motown chief Berry Gordy, but Gordy, who already had teenager Stevie Wonder on his roster, was hesitant to take on another child act because of the child labor laws and other problems involved.

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Influences

The Jackson Five's sound was influenced by many of the biggest stars of the 1960s, especially including family funk bands Sly & the Family Stone and The Isley Brothers, soul pioneer Marvin Gaye, doo wop boy band Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, and soul shouters like Jackie Wilson, Joe Tex, Stevie Wonder and James Brown {{ref|classicMotown}}. At the time of their early success, soul and funk stars, especially coming from Motown Records, were among the most popular musicians; Motown had launched the careers of dozens of the decade's biggest stars, most notably Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Diana Ross & the Supremes.

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From these sources, The Jackson Five developed many of their vocal arrangement styles and dance movements. The group's multi-lead vocal style was inspired by that of The Family Stone, while young Michael adapted Jackie Wilson and James Brown's impassioned singing and dancing styles into his own.

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Joining Motown

By 1968, the Jackson 5 were a headlining act for the All Star Floor Show at Chicago's The Guys' and Gals' Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant. From July 12 - 27, 1968, the Jackson 5 opened for Motown group Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago's Regal Theater. Taylor was also very impressed with the boys, and he decided to make the commitment to bring them to Detroit and Motown. Joseph and the Jackson Five stayed on the floor of Bobby Taylor?s Detroit apartment the night of July 22, while Taylor and Motown executive Suzanne de Passe arranged for the Jackson Five to audition for the label.

Related Topics:
1968 - July 12 - 27 - Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers - Chicago - Suzanne de Passe

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On July 23, the Jackson 5 had their Motown audition, for which they performed James Brown?s current hit ?I Got the Feelin??. Berry Gordy was not in attendance, but the audition was videotaped and sent to him in Los Angeles. Gordy's initial reluctance to sign the group disappeared when he finally saw the boys perform. Gordy decided to sign the Jackson Five to Motown, and hosted a party at his Detroit mansion in December 1968 to introduce them to the Motown staff and stars.

Related Topics:
July 23 - Videotape - Los Angeles - December

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Motown began negotiations to buy out the Jackson Five's Steeltown contract, completing the deal in March 1969. By the summer, Bobby Taylor began producing the group's first recordings at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio in Detroit. The early Taylor-produced Jackson Five records were all covers of both contemporary hits and Motown-standards, including Sly & the Family Stone's "Stand!" and their famous rendition of The Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", written by Smokey Robinson.

Related Topics:
March - 1969 - Hitsville U.S.A. - Detroit - Covers - Sly & the Family Stone - Stand! - The Miracles - Who's Lovin' You - Smokey Robinson

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In mid-August 1969, Gordy moved the Jackson Five and Joseph to California, and he and Suzanne de Passe began the process of grooming them as the label's next big act, while the rest of the family remained in Gary. While looking for a house in California, Joseph, Jermaine, Tito, and Jackie lived with Berry Gordy, while Michael and Marlon lived with Gordy's girlfriend, Motown star Diana Ross.

Related Topics:
August - 1969 - Diana Ross

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Jackson 5 discovery credit discrepancy

In the meantime, Motown's marketing team began preparing press kits and other promotion material to begin the Jackson 5's entrance into the mainstream music industry. Motown publicity significantly altered the group's history, reducing Michael's age from eleven to eight to make him appear cuter, identifying unrelated band musicians Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer as cousins of the Jacksons, and crediting Diana Ross with discovering the group {{ref|cousins}}. According to their official Motown biography, referenced in several early interviews and liner notes, Diana Ross (and, in some versions of the story, Berry Gordy alongside her) was introduced to the Jackson 5 by Gary, Indiana's mayor, Richard G. Hatcher, at a benefit concert that the Jackson 5 was described as having played for the mayor in 1969. Impressed, Ross (and Gordy) had the act signed to Motown and Ross personally acted as their mentor.

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While Ross was active in the Jackson 5's early development, and housed Michael and Marlon for several months until Joseph Jackson found a house, there is no truth to the story involving her discovering the group at a benefit show for the mayor. The people who were more instrumental in the Jackson 5's early success, including Shirley Cartman, Sam & Dave, Gladys Knight, and Bobby Taylor, did not receive credit in that capacity until two decades later.

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Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 practiced and rehearsed continuously during the late summer and early fall of 1969. Diana Ross formally introduced the Jackson 5 to the public on August 11, 1969, at a Beverly Hills, California club called The Daisy. Towards the end of August, the Jackson Five made their first television appearance, singing The Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing" at the Miss Black America Pageant in Madison Square Gardens, New York City.

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The Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back," was written and produced by a collective of Motown songwriters and producers, including Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell, Deke Richards, and Freddie Perren, who were collectively known as The Corporation?. "I Want You Back" was released as a single for The Jackson 5, as Motown decided to officially bill the group as, on October 7. The group performed "I Want You Back" and Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song" as part of their appearance on The Hollywood Palace as special guests of Diana Ross & the Supremes. "I Want You Back" was the only single from the Jackson 5's first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, which was released in December, 1969.

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Popularization and franchise expansion

Most of the early Jackson 5 singles were written and produced by The Corporation, who crafted for the Jackson 5 a combination of the "Motown Sound" and bubblegum pop that they termed "bubblegum soul". The Jackson 5 became an instant sensation, with "I Want You Back" and its 1970 follow-ups "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all going to #1 on both the Billboard Pop Singles chart and the Billboard Soul Singles (R&B) chart. Other early Top 5 hits included "Mama's Pearl" and "Never Can Say Goodbye."

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Now successful, Joseph was finally able to arrange to move Katherine and the rest of the family out to California in 1970. First moving into a two-story residence at 1616 Queens Road in Los Angeles (once home to Our Gang child actor Spanky McFarland{{ref|Spankyshouse}}), the Jackson family moved to a gated mansion they called "Hayvenhurst", which was purchased by Joseph in March 1971.

Related Topics:
1970 - Our Gang - Spanky McFarland - Hayvenhurst - March - 1971

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"Jacksonmania" swept the nation, and within a year of their debut the Jackson 5 were among the biggest names in popular music. The group essentially replaced The Supremes as Motown's main marketing focus, and, capitalizing upon the youth-oriented appeal of the Jackson brothers, Motown licensed dozens of Jackson 5-related juvenile products, including stickers, sewable patches, posters, and coloring books. A new teen magazine aimed at African-American youth, Right On!, began publication in 1971, and focused heavily on the Jackson 5; at least one Jackson adorned the cover of every issue published between January 1972 and April 1974. Animation producers Rankin-Bass produced The Jackson 5ive, a Saturday morning cartoon that debuted on September 11, 1971 and ran for two seasons on ABC. The Jackson 5 starred in two of their own television specials, Goin' Back to Indiana (aired September 16 1971) and The Jackson 5 Show (aired November 5 1972).

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In 1971, Motown began a spin-off solo career for Michael, whose first single, "Got to Be There", was a Top 5 hit. Michael also sang the title track for the 1972 motion picture Ben. His other successful solo singles included "Rockin' Robin" and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" (both 1972). Jermaine started a solo career of his own in 1972, and had a Top Ten hit with his Shep and the Limelites cover "Daddy's Home." Jackie also recorded a solo album, but his releases failed to chart. Despite fan rumors that all three Jacksons might leave the group as they released solo work, the solo careers of Michael, Jermaine, and Jackie co-existed alongside that of the group as a whole, allowing Motown to expand the success and sales of Jackson 5-related releases.

Related Topics:
1971 - 1972 - Motion picture - Ben - Shep and the Limelites

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Relationships and marriages

The Jackson 5 was also notable for its significant popularity with adolescent girls during the early 1970s. Thousands of young girls fell in love with the Jackson brothers, especially Jermaine and Michael. Michael Jackson's biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, has said that the elder brothers engaged in sexual relations with several of their female fans, sharing the girls with father Joseph, while younger brothers Michael and Marlon watched in the same room {{ref|Girls}}. Michael himself, despite being the most popular member of the group, would remain shy about dating for most of his adolescence. Tito was the first Jackson brother to marry, wedding his high school girlfriend Dee Dee in 1971.

Related Topics:
Biographer - J. Randy Taraborrelli

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Against the wishes of his father, Jermaine began a relationship with Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel. Jermaine and Hazel Gordy's relationship was highly publicized in magazines such as Right On!, Ebony, and Jet, and the two were wed at a gala wedding ceremony held on December 15 1973 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Related Topics:
Ebony - Jet - December 15 - 1973 - Beverly Hills - Hotel

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Decline

After 1972, the Jackson 5's releases were less immensely successful, but they still did very well. Later Top 20 hits, mostly written and produced by Hal Davis, included "Lookin' Through the Windows" (1972) and the disco-styled "Dancing Machine" (1974), which popularized the "Robot" dance routine. Jackson 5 albums declined somewhat in critical acclaim and financial success during the latter part of their Motown tenure, although LPs such as Lookin' Through the Windows (1972) and ' (1973) frequently included successful album tracks, including their version of "Hum Along and Dance", a popular number in their live act.

Related Topics:
1972 - Hal Davis - Dancing Machine - 1974 - Robot - Lookin' Through the Windows - 1973 - Hum Along and Dance

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Critics, the Jackson 5, and Joseph Jackson agreed that the main reason for the group's declining success was Motown's refusal to update their image or allow them creative control. Although they played their own instruments on stage and had begun writing songs of their own, the Jacksons were disallowed from playing on their records and from recording their own material. Feeling that the Jackson 5 could be more of a success without Motown, which was by this time declining in success and popularity, Joseph began shopping for a new record deal for his sons.

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The move to CBS Records

In 1975, Joseph negotiated a new recording contract with CBS Records, who offered a royalty rate of 20% per record, compared to Motown's standard 2.8%; and would allow the Jackson brothers to write and produce their own records and play their own instruments. After unsuccessfully attempting to talk the group into staying on the label, Motown sued for breach of contract. Although Motown eventually let the group go, the Jackson 5 were forced to change their name to The Jacksons, because Motown owned the "Jackson 5" trademark. The Jacksons were also forced to trade Jermaine for the youngest Jackson brother, 14-year-old Randy, since Jermaine chose to stay with Motown and the Gordys. Randy had been an unofficial member of The Jackson 5 since 1972, playing congas onstage as part of their live act.

Related Topics:
1975 - CBS Records - Trademark - Randy - 1972

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At first part of CBS's Philadelphia International division, and later moving over to Epic Records, the Jacksons continued releasing popular singles such as "Enjoy Yourself" (produced by Philadelphia International's Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff) and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (written by Michael and Randy and produced by the group).

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After losing the Jacksons, Motown would not have another success of their caliber for the duration of Berry Gordy's ownership of the label. Gordy often said of the Jackson 5 that they were, coming after the label's most famous acts, "the last big stars to come rolling off assembly line"{{ref|Assemblyline}}.

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The 1980s and Michael's solo career

Without Motown's input, The Jacksons had in 1973 begun playing regular dates in Las Vegas, including Jackson siblings Randy, LaToya, Janet, and later Rebbie in the act. In summer 1976, CBS television executive Fred Silverman signed the Jackson family (including Michael, Marlon, Tito, Jackie, Randy, Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet) to appear in their own variety show, to compete with ABC's The Osmonds. The Jacksons debuted on June 16 1976, and ran on CBS until its cancellation the following March. The show was the first variety show hosted by an African-American family.

Related Topics:
1973 - Las Vegas - Randy - LaToya - Janet - Rebbie - 1976 - CBS - Television - Fred Silverman - ABC - The Osmonds - June 16 - African-American

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In 1978, Michael starred alongside Diana Ross in the Motown/Universal Pictures motion picture The Wiz, an adaptation of the Broadway musical based upon L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Quincy Jones was the producer of the film's songs, and he and Michael began work on Michael?s first Epic solo album, Off the Wall, the next year. Off the Wall, released in 1979, sold seven million copies, featured four Top 10 hit singles and two #1 singles, causing some speculation about whether Michael would leave the Jacksons.

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Michael continued to perform with his brothers, releasing the album Triumph in 1980, which featured the minor hit "Can You Feel It." Although Triumph was mildly successful, it was nothing compared to Michael's Off the Wall or its follow-up, Thriller, which went on to become the most successful album of all-new material ever. Around that same time, the boys released the gold-selling Live album and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Related Topics:
1980 - Can You Feel It - Thriller - Gold - Hollywood Walk of Fame

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The ' television special, broadcast on NBC on May 16 1983, featured a reunion performance between Jermaine and the other brothers, their first time together in nearly seven years. The Jackson 5 reunion was overshadowed, however, by Michael's landmark performance of "Billie Jean" on the same program, which introduced his trademark "moonwalk" dance.

Related Topics:
NBC - May 16 - 1983 - Billie Jean - Moonwalk

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The Jacksons released the album Victory in 1984, featuring the hit single "State of Shock" with guest star Mick Jagger, and supported the album with the massively successful Victory tour. The Victory album and tour marked the official return of Jermaine to the group's lineup, making them a sextet.

Related Topics:
1984 - State of Shock - Mick Jagger - Sextet

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The brothers eventually drifted apart to take on solo projects, a period during which Michael became an pop superstar in his own right. The Jacksons reunited for one last album, 2300 Jackson Street in 1989. While every Jackson sibling except for LaToya appeared on the title track, a #9 R&B hit single, most of the album featured Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, and Randy by themselves. Michael and Marlon had limited participation on this LP. A CD compilation of hits from the CBS/Epic years, The Essential Jacksons, was released in 2004, as was a separate compilation assembled by Universal/Hip-O, The Jacksons Story.

Related Topics:
2300 Jackson Street - 1989 - The Essential Jacksons - The Jacksons Story

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◄ The Jackson 5: Introduction

The Jackson 5: Post-history and followers ►

~ Table of Content ~

►	Introduction
►	History
►	Post-history and followers
►	See also
►	Personnel
►	Discography
►	Notes

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