Tributes have been paid to The Jackson Five’s Tito Jackson, who died aged 70.
Tito’s death was initially announced by Entertainment Tonight yesterday (September 15).
It was confirmed by PEOPLE via his nephew Siggy, with a cause of death yet to be officially announced.
However, Steve Manning the musician’s former manager, also said that Tito suffered from a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma.
Tito Jackson was best known as a founding member of The Jackson Five. He was the older brother of Janet and Michael Jackson.
Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and a young Michael Jackson founded The Jackson Five in 1964. After Randy joined the group, the pop group went on to release chart topping hits including ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’ and ‘I’ll Be There’ in the 1970s.
“saddened and heartbroken”
In a moving tribute to Tito, the musician’s sons Taj, TJ, and Taryll also shared this emotional message on Instagram.
“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”, they wrote.
They also added: “Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T.’ Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you Pops”.
“stunned and devastated”
Paying tribute to Tito, former Jackson Five drummer Jonathan ‘Sugarfoot’ Moffett, also shared this tribute on social media.
“I’m stunned and devastated to receive and hear this disheartening news. I love Tito like my brothers of blood relation. I’m stunned and dismayed… Trying to gather my thoughts, memories of him… and mental senses.. my most sincere and deepest thoughts and prayers for my second mother, Katherine”.
While Michael Jackson’s career began to take off as a pop megastar, the Jackson’s last album arrived in 1989 with ‘2300 Jackson Street’.
Following this, Tito Jackson also embarked on a career as a blues guitarist with the B.B King Blues Band, as well as going on to release a number of solo albums, with his most recent coming in 2021 with ‘Under Your Spell’.
Michael Jackson died in June 2009. Earlier this Summer, it was confirmed that the late singer was in debt of over half a billion dollars, as well as facing half a dozen pending lawsuits and 65 creditors when he died. More on this here.
Last June, Neverland Ranch was also cleared as a key filming location for a biopic on Michael Jackson. More on this here.
