In 2017, The Jacksons celebrate 50 years as one of the most successful groups in
music history.
Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, five brothers from Gary, Indiana, known
originally as the Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, rose to fame for their combination
of extraordinary musical talent and spectacular choreography. They soon earned the
status of pop royalty in the music world, providing the launching pad for what would
become Michael Jackson’s legendary solo career.
First signed to Steeltown Records in 1967, the group soon found international success
at Motown with the songs: “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be
There”, making history in 1970 as the first recording act whose first four singles
reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They ultimately scored 17 top forty singles on
the Hot 100, following with hits such as “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Dancing
Machine”. To date, their Motown recordings alone have sold in excess of 200 million
records.
In 1976, the group, except for Jermaine, left Motown for Epic Records where, they
added their brother Randy and changed their name to The Jacksons. They released
five albums between 1976 and 1981, including the hit albums, Destiny (1978) and
Triumph (1980) from which they produced the smash singles, “Enjoy Yourself”, “Shake
Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and “Can You Feel It.” In 1983, the band, along with
Jermaine performed on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and subsequently
released the Victory album the following year. When the brothers united for The Victory
Tour in 1984, it became the highest-grossing concert series ever staged in the United
States.
The group can be said to find many of its music inspirations in groups like The
Temptations, The Supremes, James Brown and Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers and, in
turn, came to eventually serve as the inspiration for several generations of boy bands,
including Backstreet Boys, New Edition, N*SYNC, New Kids on the Block, and of more
recent vintage, the Jonas Brothers, One Direction, and many more.
In 1980, The Jacksons were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They
were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Vocal Group Hall of
Fame in 1999 as The Jackson 5. Listed among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500
Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” are two of the group’s songs “I Want You Back” and
“ABC”. At the annual BMI Urban Awards on September 8, 2008, The Jacksons were
honored as BMI Icons. In 2016, “ABC” joined “I Want You Back” as the group’s second
recording to be inducted into the Recording Academy’s Grammy Hall of Fame.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA
www.TheJacksons.live
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