Ten Years Since Michael's Death & A Family Music Reunion: Tito Talks The Jacksons' Legacy

The Jacksons are more than a supergroup. They're pop royalty. The R&B ensemble made history as black entertainers – and launched Michael Jackson. The media have often rendered The Jacksons into a dynastic saga. But now they're reminding fans of their musical heritage by performing the classics – next stop, Australia's soul 'n' disco Summer Series.

Toriano "Tito" Jackson is unruffled about gigging with Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon after 50 eventful years. "It's great," he laughs. "Of course, my brothers are my brothers. I grew up with them. What makes it great is that I can't get fired! So it's been great. We have our fun times and we have our situations – which you would have within any other line of work or whatever. But, being brothers, it helps get you through all of that."

The story is that Tito was the catalyst for The Jackson 5's formation, circa 1964. Joseph "Joe" Jackson, a struggling blues musician and steel mill employee, was raising a large family with wife Katherine in Gary, Indiana. He sprung Tito playing his guitar, breaking a string. The patriarch realised that his kids were gifted – and determined to mould, and manage, them. "Actually, we were singing country and western harmonies – Jackie, Jermaine and myself – with my mom. She used to wash dishes and sing a song called Cotton Fields Back Home and we were singing that summer. But, as far as the whole music thing and putting a group together and trying out rock'n'roll, that came from the guitar – because my father told me to learn every song I could on the radio, which I did. I would be in a room practising and Jackie and Jermaine would be singing along with me. Then we started a little band from that point. Michael and Marlon were too young to be a part of that band – they wanted to be, but we wouldn't allow them!"

Inevitably, Marlon and Michael did join – the latter precociously co-leading the group alongside Jermaine. The Jackson 5 hit the talent show circuit, winning Amateur Night at Harlem's Apollo Theater. They issued minor singles on the local Steeltown Records before securing a deal with Berry Gordy's Motown. The quintet crossed over with successive US #1s following I Want You Back. Such was 'Jacksonmania' that they even inspired a cartoon. The soul idols toured here in the early '70s.

"My brothers are my brothers. I grew up with them. What makes it great is that I can't get fired!"

The group's fortunes waning at Motown, they bounced to Epic – with Joe's youngest son, Randy, replacing Jermaine. Rebranded as 'The Jacksons', the outfit segued into disco – and asserted creative control with 1978's smash album Destiny. Meanwhile, Michael blew up on the side as a solo artist, peaking with Thriller. 

The six Jackson brothers united for 1984's much-vaunted Victory – led by State Of Shock, a duet between Michael and Mick Jagger. However, listeners were dismayed over what was apparently a compilation of solo tracks. Strangely, The Jacksons didn't perform Victory material on their ensuing North American tour – which culminated in Michael's dramatic departure. Today, bloggers argue that, as a modern new wave enterprise, Victory was underrated. "It was fun because we all got to write a song that we really enjoyed," Tito maintains. "I wrote a song called We Can Change The World. It was an album that was being released and coincided with the Victory tour and, of course, that was one of the biggest tours of all time. So it was just a very exciting, wonderful, cheerful time of my career." Tito plays down speculation about internal discord and solo ambitions. "I think we all wanted to just show our individual talents," he offers. "But that didn't mean breaking up the group or going on our own and not looking back. Even with Michael's career, he always looked back and he would always remind people that he's still part of the group, The Jacksons." In 2016, Tito became the last Jackson sibling to drop a solo album in Tito Time (symbolically featuring his sons' '90s vocal troupe, 3T). The singer/guitarist currently fronts BB King's Blues Band. 

This June will mark a decade since Michael's tragic passing – The Jacksons' shows serving as tributes. "I like the fans to just remember the greatness of his heart and remember he was just as good as a philanthropist as he was as an entertainer and to remember his music and just keep on doing what they're doing – because he was a true talent and he deserves it," Tito says.

Ironically, the Jackson brothers have never presented a full collaborative project with their musical sisters – Rebbie, La Toya and Janet (although, bar a-then-estranged La Toya, they all contributed to 1989's sentimental single 2300 Jackson Street). "That's been talked about and thought about. Who knows? Maybe the future holds that. That would be great in that, I wouldn't mind doing something of that sort at all. It's just a matter of everybody's schedules and managers and business people all getting on the same page and making it happen."