This week Prince Jackson, Michael Jackson’s son, shared a tender family photo. It brought the Jacksons together again, his grandmother Katherine at the center, surrounded by aunts and uncles, all gathered to remember one man. Tito Jackson.
Tito, a founding member of the Jackson 5, passed away in September 2024 at the age of 70. For the family and for millions of fans who grew up on that music, it was a heavy loss. But the tribute is also a chance to remember something most people have forgotten. Of all the Jackson brothers, Tito may be the one who started everything.
Here is the story. When Tito was a boy, he used to sneak his father Joe’s guitar when no one was looking. One day he broke a string and got caught. Instead of just punishing him, Joe handed him the guitar and told him to play. What Joe heard changed the family forever. He bought Tito a guitar of his own and pushed his sons to form a group.
That group became the Jackson 5. The little brother who sang lead was named Michael.
Think about that for a moment. If Tito had never touched that guitar, there might have been no Jackson 5, no Motown, no King of Pop as the world came to know him. The quietest brother, the one on guitar who rarely got the spotlight, helped light the fuse on one of the greatest stories in music.
See where it all led:
The Jackson 5 “I Want You Back” on The Ed Sullivan Show
That is the family in its first blaze of fame, five brothers from Gary, Indiana, about to take over the world. Tito is right there in the middle of it, doing what he always did, holding the groove together while his little brother stole the show.
For decades Tito was happy to let the others shine. He was the steady one, the big brother, the keeper of the family’s musical roots long after the hits slowed down. That is why this photo hits so hard for fans. It is not just a picture of a famous family. It is a family saying thank you to the brother who, in a lot of ways, made all of it possible.
Press play and watch the Jackson 5 at the beginning, and remember the brother who helped start it all.