Tito Jackson, Co-Founder of Vegas Icons the Jackson 5, Dies at 70

Posted on: September 16, 2024, 11:00h. 

Last updated on: September 16, 2024, 11:53h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Myths.

Tito Jackson, Michael’s older brother, has died at 70 years old, leaving only three surviving original members of the Jackson 5.

Tito Jackson in 2023. (Image: Facebook/Tito Jackson)

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us,” his sons TJ, Taj, and Taryll wrote in an Instagram statement posted late Sunday. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”

No cause of death has been announced yet.

The Jackson siblings celebrate Michael Jackson’s 16th birthday with a cake following the Aug. 29, 1974, Jackson 5 show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Clockwise from front left: Janet, Randy, Marlon, Tito, Michael, Jackie, LaToya and Jermaine Jackson. (Image: Las Vegas News Bureau)

Tito — born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on Oct. 15, 1953 — was the third of nine Jackson siblings born to Indiana natives Joe and Katherine Jackson. Two of those siblings, Michael and Janet, became global pop superstars.

Tito has been famous since age 16, when the group his father assembled — also featuring Jackie, 18, Jermaine, 15, Marlon, 12, and Michael, 11 — became the first in history to debut four consecutive No. 1 hits in the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There.”

Enjoying Themselves

The Jackson 5 were Vegas mainstays, performing a 1974 residency (before they were called that) at the original MGM Grand Hotel (today’s Horseshoe) from April 9–24, August 20-September 3, and November 20-December 3 that was extended to include April 1-18, 1975.

They still went by the Jackson 5 during these performances, even though they had already added a sixth member, youngest brother Randy.

By 1976, they had become the Jacksons. The decision was forced since they had switched record labels from Motown, which owned the name Jackson 5, to Epic.

The Jackson 5 perform at the MGM Grand in an undated photo. (Image: Las Vegas News Bureau)

As a background singer who played guitar in a group not known for guitar, Tito was the least prominent group member. This, combined with his memorably distinctive name, made him the frequent butt of jokes. Most comedians performing Michael Jackson impressions in the 1980s relied on the crutch of calling out Tito’s name in Michael’s high-pitched voice.

Tito became the last of the nine Jackson siblings to release a solo album with 2016’s “Tito Time.” In 2021, he followed it up with “Under Your Spell.” Tito said he purposely held back from pursuing a solo career to focus on raising his sons, TJ, Taj, and Taryll, who formed the music group, 3T.

Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson visit a memorial for Michael Jackson in Munich, Germany last week. (Image: Facebook/Tito Jackson)

After Michael Jackson died at age 50 in 2009, Tito told the Associated Press that his younger brother’s death brought the family closer.

“To recognize that the love we have for each other when one of us is not here, what a great loss,” he said, adding that he would personally never “be at peace with it.”

On September 9, Tito performed with Marlon and Jackie in Munich, Germany. Afterward, they visited a memorial to Michael.

“We’re deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy,” Tito wrote on his Facebook fan page. “Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”

Janet Jackson’s upcoming residency at Resorts World, which begins December 30, is now expected to include tributes to both her late brothers.