Joseph “Joe” Jackson, the father of the late Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, has died at the age of 89 following a grueling battle with pancreatic cancer. As music fans, today, honor Jackson as the man behind one of the most iconic American musical dynasties, we’re remembering Jackson’s legacy and contributions as a husband and father to his 10 children (one child, Brandon, died shortly after birth) with wife Katherine. Here’s what members of the Jackson family have said about the famous patriarch over the years.
In an interview with ABC News in 2009, Katherine Jackson recalled how she felt when she met Joe the first time.
“I just had a feeling that he would be my husband,” she said. “The first time I saw him, I fell in love with him — he doesn’t know this…really, he was so nice. He tries to be tough now.”
When accepting the 2018 Impact Award at the Radio Disney Awards on Friday, June 22, Janet Jackson took the time to thank her mother and father.
“My mother nourished me with the most extravagant love imaginable, my father, my incredible father, drove me to be the best that I can,” Janet said. “My siblings set an incredibly high standard for artistic excellence…”
Jermaine Jackson, the fourth child of the Jackson siblings, spoke about his father in a 2011 interview with ABC News.
“We wouldn’t want to be raised any other way, with the way he raised us,” Jermaine said. “It’s hard raising nine kids, bringing them from Indiana out here…that was his whole thing, to wanting to keep his family together. And if he didn’t do anything else, he brought us out, he taught us everything we knew about becoming what we became.”
Tito Jackson also applauded his father as “one of the greatest men that ever lived” in a 2011 interview with The Guardian.
“To pull off what he pulled off, how he pulled it off, where he comes from, where his family was born from, I think my father is one of the greatest men that ever lived,” Tito said. “I’m pretty sure that everybody at some time in their life has a few words with their pop, but the difference between the Jackson family and other families is that it gets written about. The relationship we’ve got with our father is not different at all.”
During an Access Hollywood interview with the remaining Jackson 5 members and siblings, Marlon Jackson also commended their father.
“I look at it this way: You’ve got six boys in Gary, Indiana, and so I can say that he got those six boys out of Gary, Indiana, and the rest of the family out of Gary and now our name is internationally known throughout the world,” Marlon said.
Though it’s no secret that Joe’s disciplining methods have been questioned by the public and even by his own family, his grandson Taj Jackson tweeted this message to critics this morning, following the news of his grandfather’s death.
“Disgusted by some of the comments I’m reading about my grandpa Joe by those who didn’t even know him,” Taj wrote. “Please don’t just regurgitate what you were spoon fed by the press. Joe was loved by our ENTIRE family and our hearts are in pain. Let us grieve without the nastiness.#ripthehawk”
Joe’s grandson Randy Jackson also tweeted, “RIP to the king that made everything possible!!! I love you.”
Joe Jackson is survived by his wife, Katherine, and their children Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy, and Janet. Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009.
