Tito Jackson, who was an original member of the iconic family band The Jackson 5, died on Sunday, September 15 after suffering from a heart attack. He was 70 years-old.
Tito Passes Away
Steve Manning, a longtime Jackson family friend and former Jackson family manager, confirmed Tito’s death
to Entertainment Tonight. He said that he believes that Tito died of an apparent heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma.
Tito’s sons Taj, Taryll, and TJ later addressed his passing on Instagram.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us,” they wrote. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”
“Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T,'” they continued. “Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you Pops.”
Tito’s History
Born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on October 15, 1953, Tito was the third of Katherine and Joe Jackson’s ten children. His younger siblings included the worldwide superstars Michael Jackson and their sister Janet Jackson.
After seeing how talented at singing and playing guitar that Tito was from an early age, Joe launched the group the Jackson Brothers in 1964, with it consisting of Tito, Jermaine and Jackie. In 1966, the group became the Jackson 5 when Michael and Marlon joined it. Tito was the background singer and guitarist for the family group.
The Jackson 5 skyrocketed to national fame in 1969, when the group signed a seven-year deal with Motown Records. It didn’t take long for them to become the iconic label’s number one act. Their biggest hits included “ABC,” “I’ll Be There” and “I Want You Back.”
When the band left Motown to sign with Epic Records, they were forced to change their name to The Jacksons. Michael left the group in 1984 to pursue a solo career after his album “Thriller” became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Michael sadly died of a heart attack back in 2009 at the age of 50.
The Jacksons never actually disbanded. However, Tito also pursued a solo career. He released two studio albums, the first being “Tito Time” in 2016 and the second being “Under Your Spell” in 2021.
Related: Michael Jackson Was Over $500 Million In Debt When He Passed Away, Bombshell Court Docs Reveal
Tito Was Still Performing
Tito spent the summer performing with his brothers Jackie and Marlon. They had shows in Scotland, California and England. They were next scheduled to perform in Atlantic City, New Jersey on October 25 and in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 1.
Tito had made it clear that he had no plans to stop performing anytime soon.
“We love it, I still love the traveling, this type of thing, it’s great,” Tito told Fox 5 San Diego back in August
Last Wednesday, just days before his passing, Tito took to Facebook from Munich, Germany. There, he and his brothers took the time to visit a memorial to Michael.
“Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon, and I, visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother, Michael Jackson,” Tito wrote. “We’re deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”
Tito is survived by his mother and eight siblings. His father died in 2018 at the age of 89. Tito is also survived by three sons and three grandchildren.
Please join us in saying a prayer for Tito as the Jackson family mourns him.
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