Tito Jackson, founding member of the Jackson 5 and brother of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, has died at the age of 70.
The news was announced Sunday night in a social media post by Tito Jackson’s children. Steve Manning, a longtime Jackson family friend and former Jackson family manager, told Entertainment Tonight he believes Jackson suffered a heart attack. An official cause of death has not yet been announced.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” Tito’s sons TJ, Taj and Taryll wrote in the Instagram post.
Tito was born on October 15, 1953, the third of ten children of Joe and Catherine Jackson. He was one of the founding members of the popular band The Jackson 5, a group that originally consisted of Tito, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael before Randy replaced Jermaine in 1975.
The famous family group, led by young superstar Michael, released hits in the 1970s such as “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” “I’ll Be There,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” and many more. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Tito released the solo albums “Tito Time” in 2016 and “Under Your Spell” in 2021.
The musician performed with his brothers Jackie and Marlon throughout the summer, playing shows in California, Scotland and England. Their most recent performance was in Surrey, England, on September 8. More performances, including an October 25 date in Atlantic City, were planned for the fall.
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