Born in 1928, father, provider and disciplinarian Joe Jackson drove his inspiring family to international music success, and for Michael Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson, individual artistic status as unforgettable cultural icons. On June 27 the Jackson estate confirmed the family patriarch had died at age 89 from cancer.
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The elder Jackson developed an ear for music, and initially drafted his three elder sons — Jack, Tito and Jermaine Jackson — under the name the Jackson Brothers. When Michael and Marlon Jackson joined the fold, a legendary R&B group was born. Under their father's management, the Jackson 5 were signed by Berry Gordy's Motown Records in 1969 and he continued as their manager through the early years.
Eventually Michael Jackson took off on his own, followed by Janet Jackson later, who Joe Jackson also managed early in her career. With Joe Jackson's work ethic behind them, Janet Jackson went on to earn five career GRAMMYs, most recently for Best Dance Recording for "All For You" at the 44th GRAMMY Awards.
Michael Jackson, meanwhile, went on to be crowned the King of Pop and earned a career total of 13 GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year for his smash hit record, Thriller, at the 26th GRAMMY Awards and Record and Song Of The Year for "We Are The World," co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, at the 28th GRAMMYs. Michael Jackson received the GRAMMY Legend Award in 1993 and the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for his unparalleled contributions to the music industry.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world. I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIP</a> Joe Jackson<a href="https://t.co/F5UfYjEgYx">https://t.co/F5UfYjEgYx</a></p>— La Toya Jackson (@latoyajackson) <a href="https://twitter.com/latoyajackson/status/1012032361741996032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"My father, my incredible father, drove me to be the best that I can," Janet Jackson said about her dad. Social media remembrances have wished Joe Jackson peace and expressed awe at how the music he started has touched the world amid a harsh and sometimes tragic life that broke boundaries and accomplished the almost impossible.
