Michael and Janet are regarded as the most popular members of the family, as both of them have had highly distinguished solo careers and are often hailed as two of the most influential pop and R&B artists in history.

After his parents divorced, he spent his teenage years living in Oakland, California, with his father Samuel Jackson, a school teacher.

[12] At age 18, he moved to East Chicago, Indiana, to be with his mother Crystal Lee King and to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional boxer.

Joe Jackson always wanted to make it big and although he could not in boxing or in his own short musical stint in the 1950s with the band the Falcons, he saw the talent in his children, starting with Tito and his ability to play the guitar.

As their father, he was a very strict disciplinarian[14] and as their manager he enforced long practice sessions of singing and dancing in hopes of preparing them to make it big one day.

In August 1967, the group made a debut at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, where they won the Amateur Night contest.

Gordon Keith, the owner and producer at Steeltown Records in Gary, Indiana, discovered the Jackson Five and signed them to their first contract in November 1967.

1 hits on the Billboard hot singles charts, Joseph moved them to a mansion in Encino, California, with his own hefty salary he had obtained as their full-time manager.

[13] Katherine Jackson was born on May 4, 1930, in Barbour County, Alabama, the child of Prince Albert Scruse (1907–1997) and Martha Mattie Upshaw (1907–1990).

She later recovered from her illness after moving with her family to East Chicago, Indiana, where she would remain until meeting her husband Joseph Jackson.

The couple moved and bought a small home in Gary, Indiana, where she birthed and they raised nine children and she was a stay-at-home mother.

[15] After allegations that she may have been held against her will by Randy and Janet Jackson, Katherine lost custody of Michael's children, ultimately regaining it in 2012.

Austin Brown (b. November 22, 1985), the only son of Rebbie Jackson, is a singer-songwriter who has released several successful singles in the pop/R&B genre.