The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana, in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson. The group were among the first African American performers to attain a following across multiple genres.
The Jackson 5 first performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit and eventually signed with Steeltown Records in 1967, under which their first two singles were released. In 1968, they left Steeltown and signed with Motown, where they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the songs "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There". They achieved seventeen Top 40 singles on the chart in five years, including six number-one Billboard R&B hits. The group left Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was replaced by youngest brother Randy. Changing their name to the Jacksons upon signing with Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between 1976 and 1981, including the successful albums Destiny and Triumph and singles "Enjoy Yourself", "Shake Your Body ", "This Place Hotel", and "Can You Feel It".
The brothers also embarked on solo careers, with Michael's being the most successful. In 1983, Jermaine reunited with the band to perform on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. They released the Victory album the following year, followed by an extensive tour which also featured songs from Michael's solo albums. After the Victory tour, Michael and Marlon left the group. The four remaining members released the poorly received 2300 Jackson Street album in 1989 before being dropped from Epic. In 2001, the Jacksons reunited on Michael's 30th Anniversary Celebration TV special. The four eldest of the brothers embarked on their Unity Tour in 2012 following Michael's death in 2009, and they planned several major performances for 2017.
The Jackson 5 have sold over 150million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. In 1980, the brothers were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as the Jacksons. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Two of the band's recordings, "ABC" and "I Want You Back", are among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and, alongside "I'll Be There", were also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
History
1964–1969: Early years
The five Jackson brothers' interest in music was bolstered by their father Joe Jackson. In 1964, Joe found Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke, and he was impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie later formed their own group, with Michael playing congas and childhood friends Reynaud Jones and Milford Hite playing keyboards and drums in 1965. Marlon joined on tambourine in August 1965, when Evelyn LaHaie suggested that the group name themselves the Jackson Five.In 1966, the group won their first talent show at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary. Jermaine performed the Temptations' "My Girl", and Michael performed Robert Parker's "Barefootin'". Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer eventually replaced Hite and Jones. During their early performing years, the Jackson 5 would perform at other talent showcases at several other Gary schools and halls and theaters in Gary and the Chicago area. In August 1967, the boys were eventually booked into venues such as Chicago's Regal Theater and Harlem's Apollo Theater, winning the talent competitions on both shows that year, winning the Apollo competition on August 13. According to Jermaine Jackson, Gladys Knight was the first established artist to support the group, sending a demo tape to Motown Records. However, the label rejected it and returned the tape. In July 1967, the group recorded an early version of a song that would later be their first single, "Big Boy", for One-derful Records, however, the group was also rejected by that label.
In November 1967, Joe Jackson signed the group into Steeltown Records, a label founded and owned by record producer Gordon Keith. With Keith at the helm, they recorded "Big Boy" again that same month. The song would later be released as a single in January 1968. By March, Keith had managed to sign the Jackson 5 into a distribution deal with Atlantic Records, where "Big Boy" and another single, "We Don't Have to Be Over 21 ", were distributed. "Big Boy" eventually moved 10,000 copies. By March, Keith booked the boys to perform for their first paying gig at the Apollo Theater where they opened for Etta James. That month, Keith had "Big Boy" distributed through Atlantic Records and was working on a record contract for the boys on that label when he learned that Joe Jackson had tried to get in touch with Motown through his attorney Richard Arons.
During July 1968, the boys opened for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at the Regal Theater. After being blown away by Michael's performance, Taylor sent the boys to Detroit where he set up a recorded Motown audition, which took place at Motown's official headquarters on Detroit's Woodward Avenue on July 23, 1968. Motown chief Berry Gordy, who had initially rejected their tape, refusing to sign anymore "kid acts" after Stevie Wonder, changed his mind once he viewed Taylor's tape. On July 26, Gordy returned to Detroit where he had Joe Jackson and the boys sign their first year-long Motown contract. The recording of their first album was delayed due to a contract dispute with Keith. While negotiations were continuing to get the Jacksons out of Steeltown, the group performed at strip clubs to make extra income.
Finally on March 11, 1969, a day before Marlon's 12th birthday, the Jackson Five signed an exclusive seven-year contract with the label. After initial recordings at Detroit's Hitsville U.S.A. failed to impress Gordy, he sent the Jacksons to Hollywood. In August, Motown's PR machine, led by Suzanne de Passe, started to pass off the group as having been discovered by Supremes lead singer Diana Ross. When the group opened for record industry insiders at the Los Angeles club, the Daisy, Michael was billed as an "eight-year-old sensation", though he was several days shy of his 11th birthday. Shortly after the Daisy performance, the Jackson Five performed a cover of "It's Your Thing" at the Miss Black America Pageant in New York. By September, Gordy had set up the new songwriting and producing team, The Corporation, to write exclusively for the Jackson Five. After recording "I Want You Back" that same month, the single was released in early October and the Jacksons promoted the song on programs such as the Hollywood Palace and the Ed Sullivan Show. Their debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, was released in December 1969.
1970–1971: Jacksonmania
The Jackson family represents a colossus in music history. They defined black American music as a commercial entity for longer than anyone. With an average age of 12 when they turned professional, Michael, Marlon, Jackie, Jermaine and Tito were arguably the original boy band. Thousands of fans waited for the Jackson 5 wherever they went, and they had to be escorted by the police. During the height of Jacksonmania, crowds would pile up on top of each other to get closer to the stage. Early footage shows girls climbing over seats to get closer, with police officers trying to control the situation. When the Jackson 5 performed at The Forum, in Inglewood, California in 1970, they attracted nearly 19,000 fans. Thousands of more fans were turned away due to the Forum's capacity limits. The concert grossed more than $105,000, a record at that time. The Forum concert is featured on Live at the Forum. Veteran singer Jerry Butler and the Rare Earth were also opening acts for them. The tours got bigger as they evolved. The Jackson 5 performed to sold-out concerts with record-breaking attendance nationally and internationally, including Africa, Asia and Europe. The excitement of Jacksonmania was worldwide. Motown established a Jackson 5 brand. By the 70s, they were one of the world's most famous groups. Jacksonmania set the tone for the music industry for years to come.The Jackson 5 became Motown's main marketing focus and the label capitalized on the group's youth appeal, licensing dozens of products, including the J5 heart logo on Johnny Jackson's drum set, the group's album covers, stickers, posters, and coloring books, as well as a board game and a Saturday morning cartoon; Jackson 5ive produced by Rankin/Bass. The black publication Right On! began in 1971 and focused heavily on the Jackson 5, with members adorning covers between January 1972 and April 1974. The Jackson 5 was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine at a time when Rolling Stone did not usually cover children acts. They also appeared on the covers of Life and Ebony. The group appeared in several television specials including Diana Ross' 1971 special, Diana!. They starred in their first of two Motown-oriented television specials Goin' Back to Indiana in September; their second was The Jackson 5 Show which debuted in November of the following year. The group often joined Bob Hope on USO-benefited performances to support military troops during the Vietnam War.
The Jackson 5 single "I Want You Back" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970. They released two more number-one singles: "ABC" and "The Love You Save". The single "I'll Be There" was co-written and produced by Hal Davis and became the band's fourth number-one single, making them the first recording act to have their first four singles reach the top of the Hot 100. All four were almost as popular in other countries as they were in the United States. The Jackson 5 released a succession of four albums in one year and replaced The Supremes as Motown's best-selling group. They continued their success with singles such as "Mama's Pearl", "Never Can Say Goodbye", and "Sugar Daddy", giving them a total of seven top-ten singles within a two-year period.
In order to continue increasing sales, Motown launched Michael Jackson's solo career in 1971 with the hit single "Got to Be There", released in October. His subsequent singles "Rockin’ Robin" and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" from his solo debut album Got to Be There were also hits. His 1972 song "Ben" became his first to top the charts. Jermaine was the second to release a solo project; his most successful hit of the period was a cover of the doo-wop song "Daddy's Home".