Marlon Jackson

Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957) is an American singer and dancer best known as a member of the Jackson 5. He is the sixth child of the Jackson family. Jackson now runs Study Peace Foundation to promote peace and unity worldwide.

Marlon David Jackson was born on March 12, 1957, at St. Mary's Mercy Hospital in Gary, Indiana. He was the sixth child of Joseph, a steel mill worker and player in an R&B band (the Falcons, with his brother Luther), and Katherine Jackson, a Jehovah's Witness. He was born one and a half years earlier than his younger brother Michael (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009). Growing up, Jackson was especially close to Michael, whom he considered the substitute for his lost twin brother, Brandon, who died shortly after birth. "We were the jokers of the family," Jackson said.

By 1964, Jackson and Michael joined their brothers Tito, Jackie and Jermaine, forming the group the Jackson 5. Their mother, Katherine, played the piano, cello, and clarinet, and sang harmonies with the brothers. Their father, Joe, led the rehearsals, keeping them off the street and away from trouble. They won singing competitions all over the state as well as in New York. That marked the beginning of their career. Jackson was not the most prominent member of the Jackson 5, though he did sing background vocals on many of their hits. He also played the conga and tambourine. Brother Randy later joined the band when Jermaine chose to stay at Motown after the group left the label and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Jackson has three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya and Janet.

Jackson and his brothers first signed as the Jackson 5 with Gordon Keith of Steeltown Records in November 1967, and their first single "Big Boy", was released on January 31, 1968. After the group recorded three more songs with the Steeltown label (on two records) they were signed with Berry Gordy of Motown Records in 1969. Not feeling that they were being paid fair royalties by Motown Records for their success as well as their desire for creative control, the Jackson 5 decided to leave the label and sign with Epic Records in 1975. Jermaine split from the Jackson Five to start a solo career at Motown, and was replaced by his brother Randy. Unbeknownst to the group, Gordy had trademarked the name The Jackson Five and did not allow the group to continue using the name when they left the label. Once signed with Epic, the group became known simply as The Jacksons. In 1983, Gordy asked the group to perform at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with his brothers. In 2001, he reunited with his brothers to perform for the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration. Jackson was voiced by Edmund Sylvers in the 1971-1972 animated series Jackson 5ive and was portrayed by Marcus Maurice, Jacen Wilkerson and Floyd Myers Jr. in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream and by Tre Horton and Jaylen Lyndon Hunter in the 2026 film Michael.

Like Michael and Jermaine, Jackson began a solo career, releasing the album Baby Tonight in 1987. Despite Baby Tonight reaching No. 22 on the Top R&B Albums chart in the United States, Jackson has not released another album since then.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.