Tito Jackson, a founding member of the famed Jackson 5, passed away at the age of 70, according to the family’s old manager, Steve Manning.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the musician died on Sunday, September 15, after having an apparent heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. At the time of writing, the official cause of death had not been determined.
His three kids — Taj, Taryll, and TJ — also revealed his death in an Instagram post dedicated to their music trio, 3T, on Monday morning. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, is no longer with us.”
They continued, “We are shocked, saddened, and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being. Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5; some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or ‘Poppa T.’ Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us.”
“Please remember to do what our father always preached, and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you, Pops,” the caption concluded, signed, “Your boys, Taj, Taryll, and TJ.”
Tito was a founding member of the Jackson 5, alongside his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. The group rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with hits like “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” “I’ll Be There,” and “I Want You Back,” all of which topped the Billboard Hot 100.
View this post on Instagram
The Jackson 5 were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Tito launched a solo career in 2003, performing and traveling across the world with blues and funk music. He has performed with the BB King Blues Band, including major shows in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In a 2021 cover interview with Blues Blast magazine, Tito acknowledged his love of blues music, saying, “It was the blues that got me interested in the guitar.”
Later in life, he released two solo albums: Tito Time in 2016, featuring mostly R&B and soul music, and Under Your Spell in 2021, focusing on blues music.
Tito stayed active with The Jacksons, touring this summer with his siblings Jackie and Marlon, as well as his son Taryll. Their most recent performance was on September 8 in Surrey, England, with more dates booked for October 25 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and November 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tito is survived by his three kids, who were members of the R&B group 3T, which Tito founded in 1994 and managed.
He is also survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon, and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie, and La Toya, and their mother Katherine. Tito also leaves behind many grandkids. His father, Joe Jackson, died in 2018; his ex-wife, Delores “Dee Dee” Martes, died in 1994.
