Tito Jackson Dies

Tito Jackson, born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on October 15, 1953, in Gary, Indiana, was the third of ten children born to Katherine and Joe Jackson. Raised in a working-class family, Tito was introduced to music early on. His mother, Katherine, was a pianist, and his father, Joe, played guitar. It was Tito’s desire to play his father’s guitar that led to his musical journey. After accidentally breaking a string on the instrument,

Tito demonstrated his ability by playing it for his father, who was impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. This moment became a pivotal point in his early life, leading to the formation of what would later become the Jackson 5. Tito’s musical career began as a member of the Jackson Brothers,

a band formed in the mid-1960s with his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and a young Michael Jackson. After renaming themselves the Jackson 5 and adding Michael as lead singer, the group gained local fame by performing in talent shows and at clubs across the Midwest. They were discovered by Motown Records in 1968

and subsequently relocated to Los Angeles. Their first single, “I Want You Back,” became a hit in 1969, catapulting the group to international fame. During his time with the Jackson 5 (and later The Jacksons), Tito was the band’s lead guitarist.

While he was not often in the spotlight compared to his brothers Michael and Jermaine, Tito’s steady musicianship provided a vital foundation to the group’s sound. The Jackson 5 went on to release numerous hit songs, including “ABC,” “I’ll Be There,” and “Never Can Say Goodbye,” becoming one of the most successful groups of the 1970s. After the group left Motown in 1975, they signed with Epic Records and continued their success under the name

The Jacksons, releasing albums like Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980). Although Tito remained dedicated to The Jacksons throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he didn’t pursue a solo career until much later in his life. In 2003, he began performing as a solo artist, primarily in blues clubs, where he embraced his love for blues music. His first single was “We Made It” released on Point 7 Records in 2011.

In 2016, he had his first commercially successful solo single on the Billboard charts with the single, “Get It Baby”, featuring Big Daddy Kane from his album Tito Time becoming the ninth and final Jackson family sibling to place a solo single on the charts. The album reflected Tito’s passion for blues and his determination to carve out his own identity in the music world,

distinct from the pop and R&B sound of The Jacksons. Tito has continued to release solo material and tour internationally, building a dedicated fan base. His follow-up album, Under Your Spell, came out in 2021 and featured guest appearances from other notable musicians, including Marlon Jackson, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush, George Benson,

Joe Bonamassa, Grady Champion, Claudette King, The O’Jay’s Eddie Levert, Steven Powell, and Stevie Wonder. On September 16, 2022, Jackson took the stage at Ground Zero Blues Club in Biloxi, Mississippi together with Kenny Neal. This was their second show from their “Straight From The Heart Tour”. First show was on August 27 at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Third show was on September 23, in Bogalusa, Louisiana at the Bogalusa Blues and Heritage Festival.On March 17, 2023, Jackson teamed up with Brazilian artist Natalia Damini bringing the Motown and the early Jacksons feel back with a new song “Attitude”, and a music video. This collaboration came to be because Jackson’s long time friend Charve the Don is also Damini’s manager.

Tito Jackson married Delores “Dee Dee” Martes in 1972, and the couple had three sons: Toriano Adaryll “Taj” Jackson, Taryll Adren Jackson, and Tito Joe “TJ” Jackson, who later formed their own band, 3T. Tito and Dee Dee divorced in 1988, and Dee Dee tragically passed away in 1994. The Jackson family has remained close-knit despite their public lives and the immense fame they’ve experienced, and Tito has continued to support his sons’ careers in music.