One month before what would’ve been his 71st birthday, Tito Jackson said an unexpected goodbye to loved ones and longtime fans. On Sept. 15, the musical icon suffered a heart attack while driving from Oklahoma to New Mexico; his three sons confirmed the tragedy in a heartfelt Instagram post. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us,” the family shared. “Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being… Please remember to do what our father always preached which is ‘Love One Another.’”
The Gary, Indiana native and his siblings changed the music industry forever with the formation of The Jackson 5. As it turns out, the group might’ve never come to be if Tito didn’t steal his father, Joe Jackson’s guitar to practice on and break a string. The family patriarch was angry at first, but after seeing natural talent in his third-born, Joe repaired the instrument, gifted it to Tito and urged the young boy to learn every song on the radio.
Tito Jackson’s Net Worth Is Lower Than Other Famous Family Members
Despite being on of The Jackson 5’s founding members, Tito’s net worth pales in comparison to some of his younger siblings. The late Michael was worth more than $200M when he passed in 2009, and as of 2024, vocalist Janet Jackson has a net worth of $180M. When Tito passed away, his estimated value was just $2M, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
It’s worth noting that The Jackson 5 feuded with their label, Motown Records, over royalties in the mid-70s which negatively impacted all member’s net worth. In addition, Michael and Janet spent far more time developing their careers as solo artists, while Tito didn’t venture out on his own until 2003. His first commercially successful track was “Get it Baby” with Big Daddy Kane and his sophomore LP, Under Your Spell, peaked at No. 6 on Billboard 200 in 2021.
How Many Siblings Were in the Jackson Family?
Joe and Katherine Jackson were born in 1928 and 1930 respectively; the young couple’s firstborn, Rebbie, joined them in 1950. The year after that, Jackie was born, then came Tito and Jermaine in 1953 and 1954. The family’s first girl, La Toya, arrived in 1956, followed by Marlon and a twin brother name Brandon who died shortly after birth. While they were saddened by the loss, Katherine and Joe expanded their clan with Michael (1958), Randy (1961) and Janet (1966). Thanks to their boundary-pushing creativity, the Jacksons became known as the “First Family of Soul” and the “Royal Family of Pop.”
Tito Jackson’s Wife Was Tragically Murdered After Their Divorce
As he was in the spotlight from childhood, much of Tito’s life was carefully planned and controlled by others. When he found love with Delores Martes in 1972 (the musician was just 18 at the time) he was eager to wed her. Their relationship brought forth three sons, but it wasn’t meant to last as they divorced in 1988. Just six years later, Martes was found dead in a swimming pool; the shocking incident was initially ruled an accident. By 1998, however, businessman Donald Bohana was found guilty of her murder.
Tito’s Kids Taj, TJ and Taryll Jackson Formed an R&B Group
The oldest of Tito Jackson’s kids, Taj, is 51. His younger brothers, Taryll and TJ are 49 and 46. Much like their dad, aunts and uncles, the boys had a natural affinity for music that led them to form the pop trio 3T. Their first album, Brotherhood debuted in 1995, selling about 3M copies worldwide. These days they’re mostly focused on solo creative efforts, although the group did perform at Europe’s We Love the 90s tour in 2022.
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