Who was Tito Jackson? Biography, The Jackson 5 and More

Toriano Adariel “Tito” Jackson is an American musician who is best known as a founding member of the Jackson Five, a group that became known as the Jacksons. The group rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with Motown Records and continued to have great success with Epic Records in the late 1970s and 1980s. Tito began a solo career in 2003, focusing on blues music. During his career, he has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Jackson Five.

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Tito Jackson Early Life and Career

Toriano Adariel Jackson was born on October 15, 1953 in Gary, Indiana, the third of the Jackson family’s ten children. Tito grew up in a modest two-bedroom home, the son of his father, Joseph, who worked in a steel mill and played in local R&B bands, and his mother, Katherine, a piano and clarinet player and a devout Jehovah’s Witness. Tito’s musical journey began at age 10 when he was spotted playing his father’s guitar. Impressed, Joseph encouraged him to form a band with Jackie and Jermaine, later joined by Marlon and Michael, who rehearsed tirelessly and eventually got their breakthrough at Motown Records.

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Tito Jackson’s solo works and other projects

In 2003, Dito Jackson began his solo blues career, performing in various clubs with his band, which included producer and guitarist Angelo Earle and manager Ed Tate. In 2007, he replaced Lulu as a judge on the BBC show The Two of Us, alongside Cece Sammy, Stuart Copeland and Trevor Nelson. After Michael Jackson’s death, Tito co-produced The Jacksons: Family Dynasty in 2009.

His first charting solo single was “Get It Baby” featuring Big Daddy Kane in 2016 from his album Tito Time, which was released in Japan and the US in 2017. Singles from the album included “When the Magic Happens” featuring Jocelyn Brown.

Tito Jackson: The life, career and legacy of the Jackson 5 icon

Jackson performs at the 2019 Living Legends Foundation Gala, showcasing his single “One Way Street” (from Tito Time). In 2021, he released the single “Love One Another” from his second album, Under Your Spell, which features Marlon Jackson, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush, and Stevie Wonder. The album is more bluesy and also includes collaborations with George Benson and Joe Bonamassa.

In 2022, he continued to tour, performing at Ground Zero Blues Club and the Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival. In March 2023, he collaborated with Brazilian artist Natalia Damini on the song “Attitude”, revisiting the style of Motown and early Jackson music.

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Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5

The Jackson brothers began performing at school events and supermarkets, and later began participating in local talent shows when Tito was twelve. By then, his seven-year-old brother Michael was already the lead singer of the band. In 1965, they changed the band’s name from the Jackson Brothers to the Jackson Five and began winning talent shows in the Gary area. Their big break came in August 1967 when they won the Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theater. This landed them a contract with Steeltown Records, and in January 1968, they released their debut single, “Big Boy.”

Tito Jackson: The life, career and legacy of the Jackson 5 icon

In 1969, the Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records and scored hits such as “I Want You Back” and “ABC”. Despite his skills, Tito was not allowed to play guitar on the band’s recordings because all guitar parts at Motown were played by backing musicians. In 1976, the Jacksons left Motown for CBS and Tito began writing songs with his brothers, and his guitar work finally got to show. Tito and Jackie Jackson remained regular members of the Jacksons, while the others left at different times. After the Victory Tour, Tito served as a backing musician and producer. The Jacksons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2001, Tito reunited with his brothers for the 30th anniversary concert of Michael Jackson at Madison Square Garden.

Dito Jackson dies

On September 15, 2024, Tito Jackson suffered a massive heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma and died at the age of 70. This was just one month shy of his 71st birthday. ET first reported the news of his untimely death, which was also confirmed by his longtime friend and former manager Steve Manning. Tito’s nephew, Sigi Jackson, also confirmed his death to People magazine.

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