Post by Admin on Nov 27, 2019 17:06:30 GMT -4
The Jackson 5
Band
The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, were an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1965 in Gary, Indiana, by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael joining soon after. They were among the first black American performers to attain a crossover following, preceded by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, the Supremes, the Four Tops, and the Temptations.
Awards: Grammy Hall of Fame (2011, 1999) · NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group (1979, 1971, 1970)
Tours: Victory Tour · Triumph Tour
Nominations: Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (1971) · American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group (1985) · NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group (1979)
Early years
The Jackson 5 in 1969
The five Jackson brothers' interest in music was bolstered by their father Joe Jackson. In 1964, Joe found Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke, and he was impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie later formed their own group, with Michael (age 6) playing congas and childhood friends Reynaud Jones and Milford Hite playing keyboards and drums in 1965. Marlon joined on tambourine in August 1965, when Evelyn LaHaie suggested that the group name themselves the Jackson Five Singing Group.
In 1966, the group won a talent show at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana. Jermaine performed several Motown numbers, including the Temptations' "My Girl", and Michael performed Robert Parker's "Barefootin'". Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer eventually replaced Hite and Jones. After several more talent show wins, Joe Jackson booked his sons to perform at several respected music venues of the Chitlin' Circuit, including Chicago's Regal Theater and Harlem's Apollo Theater, winning the talent competitions on both shows in 1967. They won the Apollo contest on August 13, 1967, and Gladys Knight sent a tape of the boys' demo to Motown Records, hoping to get them to sign, but their tape was rejected and sent back. In November 1967, Joe Jackson signed the group's first contract with Gordon Keith, an owner and producer of Steeltown Records, and the Jackson Five recorded and released the singles "Big Boy", sung by Michael, and "We Don't Have to Be Over 21". During early 1968, the group also performed at strip clubs on Joe's behest to earn extra income.
They performed a week-long run of shows at the Regal Theater as the opening act for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers,[8] and Taylor sent them to Detroit to help with their Motown audition, which was set for July 23 at Motown's headquarters on Woodward Avenue. The taped audition was sent to Berry Gordy's office in Hollywood, but Gordy turned them down again, since he had Stevie Wonder in his spotlight. He changed his mind, however, and the group signed a contract on March 11. Gordy sent them to Hollywood in July, hiring Suzanne de Passe to become their mentor. Taylor produced some of their earliest hits for Motown such as a version of "Who's Lovin' You".
In August 1969, the Jackson Five performed a cover of "It's Your Thing" as the opening act for the Supremes—whose lead singer Diana Ross was looking to bolster her television career—at the Miss Black America Pageant in New York. The Jackson 5 were the last of Motown's "production line" of talents. The group then recorded their first single "I Want You Back", written by the Corporation which consisted of Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Alphonzo Mizell with Gordy as a fourth partner. In October, their first single for Motown was released and the group promoted it while performing at the Hollywood Palace with Ross hosting. In December, the brothers made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and their debut album Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 was released that same month.
Jacksonmania
The Jackson 5 with Hal Davis
"I Want You Back" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970. The Jackson 5 released two more number-one singles led by the Corporation: "ABC" and "The Love You Save". The single "I'll Be There" was co-written and produced by Hal Davis and became the band's fourth number-one single, making them the first recording act to have their first four singles reach the top of the Hot 100, and all four were almost as popular in other countries as they were in the United States. The group released a succession of four albums in one year and replaced the Supremes as Motown's best-selling group. They continued their success with singles such as "Mama's Pearl", "Never Can Say Goodbye", and "Sugar Daddy", giving them a total of seven top-ten singles within a two-year period.
The Jackson Five became Motown's main marketing focus and the label capitalized on the group's youth appeal, licensing dozens of products, including the J5 heart logo on Johnny Jackson's drum set, the group's album covers, stickers, posters, and coloring books, as well as a board game and a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Rankin/Bass. The black publication Right On! began in 1971 and focused heavily on the Jackson 5, with members adorning covers between January 1972 and April 1974. In addition, the group appeared in several television specials including Diana Ross' 1971 special, Diana!. They starred on their first of two Motown-oriented television specials Goin' Back to Indiana in September; their second was The Jackson 5 Show which debuted in November of the following year. The group often joined Bob Hope on USO-benefited performances to support military troops during the Vietnam War.
In order to continue increasing sales, Motown launched Michael Jackson's solo career in 1971 with the single "Got to Be There", released in November. His 1972 song "Ben" became his first to top the charts. Jermaine was the second to release a solo project; his most successful hit of the period was a cover of the doo-wop song "Daddy's Home".
