Joe Jackson (talent manager) (original) (raw)

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Patriarch of the Jackson family (1928–2018)

This article is about the patriarch of the Jackson family. For other people named Joe Jackson, see Joe Jackson.

Joe Jackson
Jackson at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
Born Joseph Walter Jackson(1928-07-26)July 26, 1928Fountain Hill, Arkansas, U.S.
Died June 27, 2018(2018-06-27) (aged 89)Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.[1]
Burial place Forest Lawn Memorial Park[2]
Occupation Talent manager
Years active 1964–2018[3]
Spouses Isophine Atkinson ​ ​(m. 1947, divorced)​ Katherine Scruse ​(m. 1949)​
Partner Cheryle Terrell (1973–1998)
Children RebbieJackieTitoJermaineLa ToyaMarlonBrandonMichaelRandyJanetJoh'Vonnie
Relatives Austin Brown (grandson) Taj Jackson (grandson) Taryll Jackson (grandson) TJ Jackson (grandson) Paris Jackson (granddaughter)
Family Jackson
Website jwjackson.com

Joseph Walter Jackson (July 26, 1928 – June 27, 2018) was an American talent manager and patriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers. He was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

Early life and ancestry

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Joseph Walter Jackson was born in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, to Crystal Lee (née King; 1907 – 1992) and Samuel Joseph Jackson (1893–1993) on July 26, 1928. His father was a teacher. According to the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and Katherine Jackson's book My Family, The Jacksons, his year of birth was 1929.[4][5] He was the eldest of five children. His great-grandfather, July "Jack" Gale, was a U.S. Army scout. A biography of Jackson also claimed his great-grandfather was an Indigenous American and a medicine man, although no tribal affiliation was explicitly named.[6]

Jackson recalled from his early childhood that his father was domineering and strict, and he described himself in his memoir The Jacksons as a "lonely child that had only few friends". After his parents separated when he was twelve, his mother, two brothers, and sister moved to East Chicago, Indiana, a suburb outside Chicago in Northwest Indiana, while he moved with his father to Oakland, California.[7] When he was 18, his father remarried, and he moved to East Chicago to live with his mother, two brothers, and sister.[7] He soon got a job in East Chicago at Inland Steel Company[7] but did not finish high school. While in East Chicago, he began to pursue his dreams of becoming a boxer and found success with the Golden Gloves program.[7] While he was preparing for a professional boxing career, he met 17-year-old Katherine Scruse, who also lived in East Chicago and attended Washington High School.[7] Joe was married to another woman, but was divorced in less than a year before he started dating Katherine.[7]

Joseph and Katherine were married on November 5, 1949. In January 1950, they purchased a small two-bedroom home on 2300 Jackson Street near East Chicago in Gary, Indiana.[7][8] Their first child, Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson, was born four months later on May 29, 1950, in the Jackson house.[7] Still employed at Inland Steel, Jackson left his hopes of becoming a professional boxer in order to support his family, and began working there as a fulltime crane operator.[7] He later took a second part-time job at American Foundries in East Chicago.[7] In the meantime, his wife Katherine tended to their growing family. During the late 1950s, she began working part-time at Sears in Gary.[7] Joseph and Katherine went on to raise ten children, as their son Brandon Jackson (Marlon's twin) died just after he was born.[7]

During the early 1950s, Jackson briefly performed with his younger brother Luther Jackson in their own blues band The Falcons, playing guitar.[7][9] Despite their efforts, The Falcons did not get a recording deal and subsequently broke up after one of their members, Thornton "Pookie" Hudson, founded his own band in 1952. That band became a successful doo-wop group named The Spaniels.[7]

In the early 1960s, Joe Jackson began pushing his sons in a musical direction after they began playing around with his musical instruments while he was at work. He then first started working with his three eldest sons Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine.[10] Younger sons Marlon and Michael were eventually put into the band; youngest brother Randy was too young to join at the time.[10] Joseph began enforcing long and intense rehearsals for his sons. At first, the group went under the name The Jackson Brothers.[10] Following the inclusion of Marlon and Michael in the group, their name was changed to The Jackson 5.[10] After a couple of years performing in local talent contests and high school functions, The Jackson 5 got a color TV set after the judges awarded them second place. Joseph booked them in more professional venues, including in Chicago, and they eventually landed a gig at the Apollo Theater in New York City.[11][12] On November 21, 1967, The Jackson 5 were signed by Joe Jackson to their first record contract with Gordon Keith, owner and first president of Steeltown Records in Gary, Indiana. The group's first single "Big Boy," with Michael as the lead singer, was released by Steeltown on January 31, 1968.[13] "Big Boy" did not become a hit but because the brothers actually had a single released, they became local celebrities in Gary after it received some airplay on local Gary radio stations.[10][14] Within the year, Jackson helped to land his sons an audition for Motown Records.[10] The Jackson 5 received a record contract with Motown in March 1969.[15]

Shortly after, Joe Jackson moved his family to the Los Angeles area and sat in on every recording session the group made for Motown. The group received nationwide attention after their first single for Motown, "I Want You Back", hit No. 1 following its release on October 7, 1969, and included on their first album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, in December 1969.[16] The group saw the release of their first three albums and their first four singles, "I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC" (1970), "The Love You Save" (1970), and "I'll Be There" (1970), reach No. 1 in the US within 10 months.[16] In 1974, wanting to reassert his control, Jackson had his family, including daughters Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, perform at casinos and resorts in the Las Vegas area, inspired by the success of fellow family act The Osmonds.[17]

Joseph had also formed his own record label 'Ivory Tower International Records' and signed artists under his management in which they toured internationally with The Jackson 5 as opening acts in 1974.[18] In 1975, the group left Motown Records and signed a contract with Epic Records, with the exception of Jermaine, who remained at Motown as a solo artist. Jermaine was replaced in the group by brother Randy. Michael also had a separate deal with Epic to release solo albums. Unbeknownst to Joe Jackson or the group, Motown president Berry Gordy had copyrighted the group's name The Jackson 5. This came to light as the group was signing its new contract with Epic Records and Gordy refused to allow them to use the name The Jackson 5 with their new label. The group renamed themselves The Jacksons.[19] In 1978, Joseph's youngest son Randy released his solo single "How Can I Be Sure" on Joseph's record label.[20] In 1982, Joseph established Janet Jackson's career as an actress and as a recording artist while managing her.[21] He financed the recording of Janet's first demo and arranged a recording contract for her with A&M Records.[21]

In his early 20s, while moonlighting in a blues band with his brother Luther, Joe met Katherine Scruse, whom he married in November 1949. This was his second marriage, following a brief marriage that was annulled.

Joseph was alleged to have had numerous extramarital affairs. Katherine filed for divorce on March 9, 1973, with a Los Angeles County clerk, but she decided to drop the divorce proceedings.[22] The following year, Joseph fathered a daughter with Cheryle Terrell named Joh'Vonnie.[23] This led Joseph and Cheryle to a 25-year-long affair while raising Joh'Vonnie.[7][_failed verification_] Katherine attempted once again to divorce her husband in 1982, but again she was persuaded to drop the action. Joseph then moved to Las Vegas, with Katherine remaining at the Jackson family home Hayvenhurst in Encino, California.[_according to whom?_] Despite living separately,[_according to whom?_] Katherine and Joe remained legally married until his death in 2018.[24][25] Katherine denied rumors that she and Joseph were estranged.[26][27]

Jackson had eleven children, ten with his wife Katherine and one with Cheryle.[28]

Public image and controversy

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In the late 1980s, Joseph's image as a father became tarnished as the media reported stories told by his children that he was abusive toward them. All of his children called him "Joseph", which sometimes made them feel estranged from him. Michael claimed that from a young age, he was physically and emotionally abused by his father, enduring incessant rehearsals, whippings and name-calling, but also said that his father's strict discipline played a large part in his success.[30] Michael first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that during his childhood, he often cried from loneliness.[31][32][33][34] Michael recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as Michael and his siblings rehearsed and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you."[35] Joseph admitted to whipping his children with switches and belts as punishment, but said he did not do so at random, and claimed never to have used any hard object as he felt was implied by the word "beating."[36]

Both Joe and Katherine have denied the characterization of abuse. Katherine said that the whippings and physical punishments were common back then when Michael and his siblings grew up.[37][38][39] Other siblings, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon, have denied that their father was abusive.[40][41] La Toya however claims her father sexually abused her and her sister as a child while the mother enabled it. Rebbie called the police on her father over the sexual abuse, and the mother told the police nothing happened.[42] Despite the allegations, Michael honored his father with an annual "Joseph Jackson Day" at Neverland Ranch[43] and ultimately forgave him, noting that Joseph's difficult upbringing in the Great Depression and the Jim Crow South, along with his working-class adulthood, hardened him emotionally and made him push his children to succeed as entertainers.[44]

Joe was played by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs in the mini-series The Jacksons: An American Dream and by Frederic Tucker in the 2004 VH1 biopic Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story.[45][46] He was voiced by Tom Kenny in the 2000 web cartoon Murry Wilson: Rock N' Roll Dad.

He will be portrayed by Colman Domingo in the 2025 biopic based on Michael Jackson titled Michael.[47]

Jackson at an event in 2007

In 2011, Jackson was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.[48] In 2014, when his late son Michael was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Jackson accepted the award on his behalf.[49] The following year Jackson himself was awarded the organization's Humanitarian Award.[49] In June 2015, Jackson appeared at the BET Awards 2015 with his daughter Janet as she accepted the Ultimate Icon Award.[50]

On July 27, 2015, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after a stroke and heart arrhythmia while celebrating his 87th birthday in Brazil.[51] He was not stable enough to fly out of the country for further treatment until two weeks later. Upon his arrival to Los Angeles on August 11, he was treated at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to correct his blurred vision following the stroke.[52] In January 2017, Jackson's brother Lawrence died.[53]

On June 22, 2018, TMZ reported that Jackson was hospitalized in Las Vegas in the final stages of terminal pancreatic cancer.[54] At the age of 89, he died at a hospice in Las Vegas at 3:30 a.m. (PDT) on June 27.[1] He was surrounded by his wife and surviving children.

On July 2, 2018, Jackson was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, near Los Angeles, the same Southern California cemetery as his son Michael, who was buried there in 2009.

  1. ^ a b Leovy, Jill (June 27, 2018). "Joe Jackson, patriarch of musical family of pop stars, dies at 89". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  2. ^ "Joe Jackson Buried in Same Cemetery as Son Michael". Hollywoodreporter.com. July 2, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Kevin Fleming (April 7, 2017). "Joe Jackson to Receive the R&B Hall of Fame Living Legend Award". The Urban Buzz. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "Arkansas Black Hall of Fame". Arblackhalloffame.org. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  5. ^ "JETZI : My Family, The Jacksons". Jetzi-mjvideo.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  6. ^ Knopper, Steve (2016). MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson. Scribner. p. 6. Note: No tribal affiliation named in source. ISBN 978-1-4767-3037-0.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Jackson, Katherine; Rich Wiseman (1990). My Family, the Jacksons. St. Martin's Paperbacks. ISBN 0-312-92350-3.
  8. ^ "Starting a Family". Biography.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  9. ^ Masley, Ed. "Remembering Michael Jackson's Uncle Luther, a longtime fixture of the Phoenix blues scene". AZ Central.
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  11. ^ "Jackson 5 and Johnny |". Indiana45s.com. August 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
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  13. ^ "Steeltown Records – Indiana Local Labels". 45rpmrecords.com. November 4, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  14. ^ "Big Boy 40 Jackson 5". Jackson5abc.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  15. ^ "Tito Jackson Official Website – Tito Jackson Official Website". titojackson.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "History 1969 – The Jacksons – The Official Website". thejacksons.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  17. ^ "History 1974 – The Jacksons – The Official Website". thejacksons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  18. ^ "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. June 6, 1974. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via Google Books.
  19. ^ "Jackson 5 (and solo work)". warr.org. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  20. ^ "Randy Jackson – How Can I Be Sure". discogs.com. December 7, 1978. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Cornwell, Jane (2002). Janet Jackson. Carlton Books. pp. 2, 10, 24. ISBN 1-84222-464-6.
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  23. ^ Parry, Ryan (September 14, 2009). "Michael Jackson's secret sister JohVonnie reveals her pain at being shunned by half-siblings". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  24. ^ "Exclusive Look Inside Jackson Compound". go.com. July 14, 2009. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  25. ^ Dimond, Diane (December 3, 2012). "Joe Jackson's Life as a Family Pariah". thedailybeast.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  26. ^ "Michael Jackson's mom talks about motherhood, family". CNN. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  27. ^ "Katherine Jackson Speaks To Geraldo Rivera 8/2/09". YouTube.com. August 2, 2009. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  28. ^ "Joe Jackson's Children: How Many Kids Does He Have?". Heavy.com. June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  29. ^ Khan, Urmee (September 14, 2009). "Michael Jackson's secret sister JohVonnie Jackson says she was 'rejected'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022.
  30. ^ "Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood". VH1. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  31. ^ Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. pp. 14–16. ISBN 0-8283-2003-9.
  32. ^ Lewis, Jel (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: The Big Picture: the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews!. Amber Books Publishing. pp. 165–168. ISBN 0-9749779-0-X.
  33. ^ George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG. pp. 45–46
  34. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 620
  35. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 602
  36. ^ "Singer Jackson whipped by father". BBC News. November 13, 2003. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  37. ^ Katherine Jackson: Michael's strict upbringing not abuse (video). CNN. May 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  38. ^ Friedman, Roger (February 7, 2003). "Michael Jackson's Unacceptable Behavior Revealed". Fox News Channel. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  39. ^ Duke, Alan (July 21, 2009). "Joe Jackson denies abusing Michael" (Press release). CNN. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  40. ^ "Jackson Brothers: Was Joe Jackson Abusive?". Yahoo! Celebrity. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  41. ^ "Jackie Jackson denies father Joe abused brother Michael – TV3 Xposé". Tv3.ie. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  42. ^ Hoare, Callum (March 6, 2019). "How La Toya Jackson claimed her 'father molested her'". Express.co.uk. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  43. ^ Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies (2003)
  44. ^ Jackson, Michael. "Heal the Kids." Speech at the Oxford Union, March 2001.
  45. ^ "The Jacksons: An American Dream". January 1, 2000. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via IMDb.
  46. ^ "Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story". August 6, 2004. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via IMDb.
  47. ^ "Colman Domingo to Play Patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate & Universal's Michael Jackson Biopic 'Michael'". January 25, 2024.
  48. ^ "J – Arkansas Black Hall of Fame". arblackhalloffame.org. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  49. ^ a b "Inductees". rhythmandblueshof.com. March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  50. ^ "No Sleeep! Janet Jackson Receives Ultimate Icon Award: Watch". usmagazine.com. June 29, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
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  52. ^ "Joe Jackson – Finally Home After Brazilian Health Scare (PHOTOS)". tmz.com. August 11, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  53. ^ Howansky, Angel (January 15, 2017). "Rest in Peace Lawrence Jackson". .jwjackson.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
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