- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJoseph Walter Jackson
- Nickname
- Papa Joe
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Joseph Walter Jackson was born in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, to Crystal Lee (King) and Samuel Jackson, a schoolteacher. Raised during the Depression in Oakland, California, Jackson learned the importance of work at an early age. In the 1950s, he formed and played guitar with his band with his brother. During the early 1960s, he worked two jobs to support his six boys and three girls. He also rehearsed his eldest five boys for years, then entered them in local talent contests. During the mid '60s, he booked the Jackson 5 at gigs all over the Eastern U.S., and they performed with other acts like Gladys Knight & The Pips who were already recording for Motown. Jackson gave up his career as a musician to manage his sons.
After his boys won all the talent contests, including Harlem's Apollo Theater, he signed the Jackson 5 to their first record deal, with Steeltown Records. In 1969, he drove the Jackson 5 to their secret audition at Motown, in Detroit.
Jackson later relocated his family to California and supervised every Jackson 5 recording session. After the Jackson 5's first single, "I Want You Back" hit #1, his group's first four singles sold 10 million copies in 10 months, setting a world record for sales, it becomes clear that his dream to make his sons the first black teenagers to become internationally known recording stars had come true.
He then financed the recording of daughter Janet Jackson's first demo and signed her to A&M Records, which later released her first hit albums "Control" and "Rhythm Nation", which were produced in conjunction with his production company. He also helped daughter La Toya Jackson record her first album at Private I Records and assisted Rebbie Jackson to Michael's label MJJ.
Jackson was awarded a proclamation in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame as the Best Entertainment Manager of All Time by Jane L. Campbell, mayor of Cleveland, Ohio in October 2002. Recently, he's made several trips to Africa, and testified on Michael Jackson's behalf in a trial where a jury agreed with him that Michael co-wrote "We Are the World". He just finished a film as co-producer with Paul D'Angelo (II) [IMDb has problems with within-name apostrophes] and one of his artists, Crystal Marven, called Destination Fame (2012). Jackson also co-created a television sitcom, "Blended", a family comedy, about the life of a young interracial couple and their two opposite families blending.- IMDb Mini Biography By: R. Kennedy
- SpouseKatherine Jackson(November 5, 1949 - June 27, 2018) (his death, 10 children)
- Children
- RelativesParis Jackson(Grandchild)Prince Michael Jackson(Grandchild)Jermaine Jackson II(Grandchild)Bigi Jackson(Grandchild)Jaafar Jackson(Grandchild)Brittany Jackson(Grandchild)Marlon Jackson Jr.(Grandchild)Valencia Jackson(Grandchild)Eissa Al Mana(Grandchild)Stacee Brown(Grandchild)Autumn Joy Jackson(Grandchild)Brandi Jackson(Grandchild)Dano Veal(Cousin)Taj Jackson(Grandchild)TJ Jackson(Grandchild)
- Dated Cheryle Terrell from 1973 to 1998.
- Was portrayed by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs in The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992).
- The Jacksons were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1500 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
- Former father-in-law of Lisa Marie Presley.
- Had 11 children: daughter, Rebbie Jackson (b. May 29, 1950), sons, Jackie Jackson (b. May 4, 1951), Tito Jackson (b. October 15, 1953) & Jermaine Jackson (b. December 11, 1954), daughter, La Toya Jackson (b. May 29, 1956), sons, Marlon Jackson (b. March 12, 1957), Brandon David Jackson (March 12, 1957 - March 13, 1957), Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009) & Randy Jackson (b. October 29, 1961) and daughter, Janet Jackson (b. May 16, 1966) with wife, Katherine Jackson and daughter, JohVonnie Jackson (b. August 30, 1974) with ex-girlfriend, Cheryle Terrell.
- In being strict, you were able to control.
- You put him in front of 50,000 people, he's at home.
- It's all about the money.
- We didn't make no mistakes. We didn't make no mistakes.
- We know our son. We know he's not a pedophile like some of these newscasters are saying. That is not true.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content