Tito Jackson, one of the original members of the influential Motown group the Jackson 5, has died. He was 70.
Jackson's death was announced Sunday night by his three children. They did not reveal the cause of the late guitarist and backing vocalist's death but said they were “shocked, saddened and heartbroken.” Representatives for Jackson did not immediately respond Monday to requests for comment from The Times.
“Our dad was an amazing man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his children Taj, Taryll and TJ said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson of the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T.’ He will be greatly missed though. He will always be ‘Tito Time’ to us. Please remember to do what our dad always preached and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you, Dad.”
Jackson, born October 15, 1953, as Toriano Adaryll Jackson, was one of seven siblings of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson and superstar Janet Jackson. He was one of the founding members of the successful Jackson 5, who came together in the 1960s under the tutelage of domineering patriarch Joe Jackson and later caught the attention of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. After being introduced to the country by Diana Ross, they released the beloved bubblegum soul singles “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I'll Be There.”
Together with brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, the family group gave rise to the “Jacksonmania” that consumed the nation. The group was nominated for three Grammy Awards. The hitmakers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Greeting them at the ceremony, Gordy declared that the group gave “black kids in the ghetto a license to dream.”
Days before his death, the “One Way Street” singer wrote on Instagram that he had visited a memorial dedicated to Michael Jackson in Munich and was grateful for “this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”
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