List of the Jacksons band members

The Jacksons in 1972, 1976, 1984, and 2013

The Jacksons (formerly The Jackson 5) are an American pop band, formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964 by the Jackson brothers, managed by their father Joe Jackson.[1][2] Their initial and most well-known lineup consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael.

History

The group played their first shows on the Chitlin' Circuit and eventually signed with Steeltown Records in 1967, under which their first two singles were released.[3] In 1968, they left Steeltown and met Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown. He saw them perform and signed the group to the label.[4] 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" (1969), "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" (all 1970).[5] Their debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, was released in December 1969.[6]

The Jackson 5 defined black American music as a commercial entity for longer than anyone. The group was defined as one of the first boy bands.[7] 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.[8][9] 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.[10] In order to continue increasing sales, Motown launched Michael Jackson's solo career in 1971 with the hit single "Got to Be There",[11] 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"[12] 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".[13]

The Jacksons announced their decision to depart from Motown at a press conference at the Rainbow Grill in Manhattan, New York City.[14] Joe Jackson then began negotiating to have the group sign a lucrative contract with another company, settling for Epic Records, which had offered a royalty rate of 20% per record; he signed with the company in June 1975.[14] Absent from the deal was Jermaine Jackson, who decided to stay with Motown following his marriage to Hazel Gordy, and Randy Jackson replaced him.[15] Renewing their contract with Epic, the Jacksons were allowed full creative control on their next recording, Destiny, released in December 1978. By 1979, the Jacksons had sold 90 million records.[16][17] Featuring their best-selling Epic single to date, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", written by Michael and Randy, the album sold over a million copies. Its follow-up, 1980's Triumph, also sold a million copies, spawning hits such as "Lovely One", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It". In 1981, they released their fifth album, a live album that eventually sold half a million copies. The live album was culled from recordings of performances on their Triumph Tour.[18][19]

Following the success of the reunion, all six brothers agreed to record a sixth album for Epic, later released as Victory in 1984, their best-selling album to date.[20] In the same year, the brothers participated in filming a Pepsi commercial where Michael suffered burns to his scalp due to a pyrotechnic fault.[21] In July 1984, the Jacksons launched their Victory Tour, which was overshadowed by Jackie's leg injury, ticket issues, friction between the brothers, and a shakeup in the promotion and marketing team, initially headed by Don King, who was later fired. Michael announced he was leaving the group after their final performance at Dodger Stadium that December to continue his solo career.[22] The following January, Marlon Jackson also announced he was leaving the group to pursue a solo career.[23] At the time of their breakup the Jackson 5 had sold more than 100 million records worldwide.[24] In 1989, the remaining quartet of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Randy released the album 2300 Jackson Street.[25] After a brief promotional tour, the group went into hiatus and never recorded another album together.

In September 2001, nearly 17 years after their last performance together, all six Jackson brothers reunited for two performances at Madison Square Garden for a 30th anniversary special commemorating Michael's solo career, which aired in November. In early 2009, the four elder brothers began filming a reality show to make their attempt on reuniting the band, later debuting in December 2009 as The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty.[26] During the middle of the project, Michael had announced his concert comeback in London was scheduled on July 13, 2009. Michael died that same year on June 25, putting efforts on hold.

In April 2012, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon announced their Unity Tour with 38 show dates; although eleven U.S. shows were cancelled. The tour started at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario, Canada on June 20, 2012.[27] 32 additional dates were eventually added, and the tour ended on July 27, 2013, in Atlantic City, United States.[28] In 2020, Jermaine left for the final time. On September 15, 2024, Tito died from a fatal heart attack in Gallup, New Mexico.[29] The 2026 biographical film Michael is about Michael (portrayed by Jaafar Jackson, his nephew) and his initial fame with his brothers up until his Bad World Tour in 1988.

Official members

Current members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
 Jackie Jackson
  • 1964–1989
  • 2001
  • 2012–present
  • lead vocals
  • percussion
 all Jackson 5 and Jacksons releases
 Marlon Jackson
  • 1965–1985
  • 2001
  • 2012–present
  • vocals
  • percussion
 all releases, except 2300 Jackson Street (1989)

Former members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
 Tito Jackson
  • 1964–1989
  • 2001
  • 2012–2024 (his death)
  • vocals
  • guitar
  • synthesizer
 all releases
 Jermaine Jackson
  • 1964–1975
  • 1983–1989
  • 2001
  • 2012–2020
  • lead vocals
  • bass guitar
 all Jackson 5 releases, including Victory (1984) and 2300 Jackson Street (1989)
 Michael Jackson
  • 1965–1984
  • 2001 (died 2009)
  • lead vocals
  • percussion
 all releases, except 2300 Jackson Street (1989)
 Randy Jackson
  • 1975–1989
  • 2001
(occasional appearances 1971–1975)
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • percussion
  • vocals
  • bass
 all Jacksons releases

Touring musicians

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Reynaud Jones 1964–1965 keyboards none
Milford Hite 1964–1967 drums
Johnny Jackson 1967–1975 (died 2006) live shows
Ronnie Rancifer 1965–1975 keyboards
 Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett
  • 1979–1984
  • 2001
 drums
Taryll Jackson 2023–2024[30] vocals live shows

Timeline

Line-ups

Period Members Releases
1964 – 1965
(As The Jackson Brothers)		 none
1965 – March 1976
(As The Jackson 5)
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion
  • Michael Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, lead guitar, synthesizer
  • Jermaine Jackson – lead vocals, bass guitar
March 1976 – August 1983
(As The Jacksons)
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion
  • Michael Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, lead guitar, synthesizer
  • Randy Jackson – keyboards, bass, percussion, vocals
August 1983 – December 1984
(As The Jacksons)
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion
  • Michael Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, lead guitar, synthesizer
  • Jermaine Jackson – lead vocals, bass guitar
  • Randy Jackson – keyboards, bass, percussion, vocals
January 1985 – June 1989
(As The Jacksons)
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, lead guitar, synthesizer
  • Jermaine Jackson – lead vocals, bass guitar
  • Randy Jackson – keyboards, bass, percussion, vocals
Band inactive June 1989 – September 2001
September 2001
(As The Jacksons)
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion
  • Michael Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, guitar
  • Jermaine Jackson – lead vocals, bass guitar
  • Randy Jackson – keyboards, bass, percussion, vocals
 none – two concert shows
Band inactive September 2001 – June 2012
June 2012 – 2020
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, lead guitar
  • Jermaine Jackson – lead vocals, bass guitar
 none – Unity Tour and live shows only
2020 – September 2024
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion
  • Tito Jackson – vocals, lead guitar
 none – live shows only
September 2024 – present
  • Jackie Jackson – lead vocals, percussion
  • Marlon Jackson – vocals, percussion

References

  1. ↑ Charlie Burton (February 7, 2018). "Inside the Jackson machine". GQ. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  2. ↑ Douglas Towne (March 2, 2018). "Mile-High Motown". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Steeltown Records – Indiana Local Labels". 45rpmrecords.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  4. ↑ "On this day in 1968, The Jackson 5 visited Hitsville U.S.A. to audition for Motown Records—with 9-year-old Michael Jackson singing and dancing to James Brown's 'I Got the Feelin'. Seeing great potential, Berry Gordy signed the group three days later, and the rest is music history". Facebook. July 23, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  5. ↑ "The Jackson 5 | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Jackson 5 producer Deke Richards dies aged 68". BBC News. March 26, 2013. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jackson 5". April 5, 2020. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Jackson Five: The Biggest Thing Since the Stones". Rolling Stone. November 26, 1970. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Marlon Jackson: 'Michael and I were the jokers of the family'". Belfasttelegraph. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Revisit Jacksons' most animated performance". January 30, 2013. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Michael Jackson: A Life in the Spotlight". Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Michael Jackson's best albums ever, ranked in order of greatness". Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  13. ↑ "The Jackson 5: Who They Were and What Happened to Them". February 19, 2022. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  14. 1 2 W.S. Trow, George; Kincaid, Jamaica (July 6, 1975). "Leaving Motown". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  15. ↑ Geoffrey Himes (May 27, 1984). "If It Says 'Jackson' on the Label . . ". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  16. ↑ Jackson is a member of the group as the Jackson 5, that began with Motown records more than 10 years ago and has sold 90 million records. The Evening News. March 17, 1980. Archived from the original on August 30, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Since their founding, the Jackson 5 has sold more than 90 million records worldwide". The Bryan Times. June 22, 1979. Archived from the original on August 25, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ "The Jacksons: Destiny / Triumph, PopMatters". January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  19. ↑ "The Jacksons' Late-Seventies Disco Albums to be Expanded". February 2021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Why 'Victory' is the Jacksons' Best Album". December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Michael Jackson's Hair Catches On Fire During Filming Of Ad". Spartanburg: Herald-Journal. January 28, 1984. p. A2. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Jacksons Conclude Five-Month Tour". Ocala, Florida: Ocala Star-Banner. December 10, 1984. p. 4A. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Marlon Jackson facts: Jackson 5 singer's age, wife, children and career revealed". Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  24. ↑ Pareles, Jon (January 14, 1984). "MICHAEL JACKSON AT 25: A MUSICAL PHENOMENON". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Two new remixes of the Jacksons' 'Can You Feel It'". April 30, 2021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  26. ↑ Mike Hale (December 11, 2009). "No Longer One for All, but Still All From One". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
  27. ↑ Stevenson, Jane (June 21, 2012). "Casino Rama, Rama Ont. June 20, 2012". Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  28. ↑ Pareles, Jon (June 29, 2012). "At the Apollo, the Jacksons Pay Homage to Their Roots and Their Brother". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  29. ↑ Willman, Chris (September 16, 2024). "Tito Jackson, Founding Member of the Jackson 5, Dies at 70". Variety. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  30. ↑ "TARYLL Jackson". Jackson Source. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
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