Tito Jackson, one of the members of The Jackson 5, died on Sunday. He was 70.
According to Variety, news of the singer’s death was first reported by Entertainment Tonight, which noted learning of Jackson’s death via Steve Manning, a longtime friend and associate of the Jackson family.
What Tito Jackson’s sons said about his death
Jackson’s sons, TJ, Taj and Taryll, confirmed the news on social media, writing, “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, is no longer with us,” they wrote in part on Instagram. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”
Jackson was the third of ten children. The Jackson 5 also included his brothers, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Michael as their lead singer. The group, founded in 1964, produced many No. 1 hits in the ’60s and ’70s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” Despite their undeniable success, the group never won a Grammy Award. They were nominated for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1971 for “ABC” and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1975 for “Dancing Machine” and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1981 for their fourteenth studio album, Triumph. The Rock & Roll Hame of Fame inducted the Jackson 5 in 1997.
Jackson, whose full name was Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson, was born on Oct. 15, 1953. His contributions to The Jackson 5 are often overlooked— he was a background singer and guitarist for the famous quintet.
“I’ve always been the quietest member of the group, so people make jokes about me,” he told The Jitney in 2018. “One of my favorite basketball players, Charles Barkley, said, ‘If Tito wasn’t in the Jackson 5, would we miss him?’ That hit me in the heart. It crushed me.”
Tito Jackson’s solo work
He waited until 2016 to share his solo debut, Tito Time. He released another song, 2017’s “One Way Street,” and shared in 2019 that he was working on a sophomore album, The Associated Press reported.
Jackson said he took his time pursuing a solo career because he wanted to focus on being a father and supporting his sons’ music group, 3T.
In addition to his sons, Jackson is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie and Latoya and their mother, Katherine. Michael died in 2009, and their father, Joe Jackson, passed in 2018. Brandon Jackson, Marlon’s twin, died shortly after birth in 1957.
