Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the pop group the Jackson 5, has died at the age of 70.
Tito was the third of nine Jackson children, including global superstars Michael and sister Janet.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll said in a statement posted on Instagram late on Sunday.
The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The family group, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, produced several No 1 hits in the 1970s including ABC, I Want You Back and I’ll Be There.
The Jackson 5 became one of the biggest names in music under the guidance of their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player who supported his wife and nine children in Gary, Indiana. As the family’s music careers took off, they relocated to California.
Born on 15 Oct 1953, Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson was the least-heard member of the group, as a background singer who played guitar. His brothers launched solo careers, including Michael, who became one of the world’s biggest performers. Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 on 25 June 2009.
Tito Jackson was the last of the nine Jackson siblings to release a solo project with his 2016 debut, Tito Time. He released a song in 2017, One Way Street, and told the AP in 2019 that he was working on a sophomore album.
Jackson said he purposely held back from pursuing a solo career, because he wanted to focus on raising his three sons: TJ, Taj and Taryll, who formed their own music group, 3T. Jackson’s website offers a link to a single featuring 3T and Stevie Wonder, titled Love One Another.
Tito Jackson also is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie and Latoya and their mother, Katherine. Their father died in 2018.
Jackson’s death was first reported by Entertainment Tonight.