The Jacksons

The Jackson 5, currently known as the Jacksons, is an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana, in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson. The group were among the first African American performers to attain a following across multiple genres.The Jackson 5 first performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit and eventually signed with Steeltown Records in 1967, under which their first two singles were released. In 1968, they left Steeltown and signed with Motown, where they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the songs "I Want You Back" (1969), "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" (all 1970). They achieved seventeen Top 40 singles on the chart in five years, including six number-one Billboard rhythm and blues (R&B) hits. The group left Motown for Epic Records in early 1976, with the exception of Jermaine, who was replaced by youngest brother Randy. Changing their name to the Jacksons upon signing with Epic, they released four studio albums and one live album between 1976 and 1981, including the successful albums Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980) and singles "Enjoy Yourself" (1976), "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1978), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1981).The brothers also embarked on solo careers, with Michael's being the most successful. In 1983, Jermaine reunited with the band to perform on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. They released the Victory album the following year, followed by an extensive tour which also featured songs from Michael's solo albums. After the Victory tour, Michael and Marlon left the group. The four remaining members released the poorly received 2300 Jackson Street album in 1989 before being dropped from Epic. In 2001, the Jacksons reunited on Michael's 30th Anniversary Celebration TV special. The four eldest of the brothers embarked on their Unity Tour in 2012 following Michael's death in 2009, and they planned several major performances for 2017.The Jackson 5 have sold over 150 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. In 1980, the brothers were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as the Jacksons. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Two of the band's recordings, "ABC" and "I Want You Back", are among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and, alongside "I'll Be There", were also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.The five Jackson brothers' interest in music was bolstered by their father Joe Jackson. In 1964, Joe found his son Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke, and he was impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. Soon after, Joe Jackson formed a band of his sons Tito, Jermaine and Jackie called the Jackson Brothers in 1964 and became their manager. After several years of doing local talent shows, Joseph enlarged the band to include Marlon and Michael, two of his younger sons. Michael (age 5) first played congas and childhood friends Reynaud Jones and Milford Hite played keyboards and drums in 1965. Marlon joined on tambourine in August 1965, when Evelyn LaHaie suggested that the group name themselves the Jackson Five.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.