By CFJCToday

Joe Jackson Dies

Jun 28, 2018 | 6:15 AM

Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the legendary Jackson family — including Michael, Janet, and Jermaine — died at age 89 on Wednesday (June 27th) in a hospital in Las Vegas, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. Jackson, whose immediate family was said to have been kept away from him in his final days, had been battling a string of health issues in recent years, suffered a stroke and several heart attacks in 2015, and recently was reportedly suffering from stage four pancreatic cancer. Joseph is survived by his estranged wife Katherine and surviving children — Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya, Marlon, Randy, Janet, and his love child Joh’Vonnie from an outside relationship. Joseph — as he was called by all his children with wife Katherine — was born on July 26th, 1928 in Fountain Hill, Arkansas and later moved to Indiana with his family. He, Katherine and their brood settled in Gary, Indiana, when Joe was employed as a steel worker, fought as an amateur boxer, and played guitar in semi-pro blues band called the Falcons.

Joe Jackson, who possessed limited talent and served as the Jackson Five‘s manager, will forever be synonymous with the stereotypical sadistic stage parent, with countless stories leaked through the years of his savage battery of his sons while “grooming” them for stardom — and according to daughter LaToya, sexually abusing her and older sister Rebbie. When the band broke from Motown in 1975 to sign a lucrative deal with Epic Records, son Jermaine was torn due to the fact that he was married to Motown chief Berry Gordy‘s daughter Hazel. Joe forced his son to choose between his brothers and wife and Jermaine stuck with Motown, with Joseph forbidding the family to stay in contact with him.

Upon Michael Jackson’s meteoric multi-platinum success with Thriller, Joseph strong-armed Michael to tour with his brothers in order to share the spotlight and spread the wealth within the family. Janet Jackson also chafed under Joe’s direction, parting ways with him professionally in time to release her 1986 blockbuster, Control. Michael Jackson left his father nothing in his will.

In the 2003 ABC TV special Living With Michael Jackson, journalist Martin Bashir asked Michael Jackson about his father’s abuse: (Bashir): “You just said that you would practice the dance steps and your father would be holding a belt in his hand. Is that what you just said?” (Michael Jackson): “Yes. Yeah, he would tear you up if you missed. And so we. . . Not only were we practicing, we were nervous rehearsing, because he sat in this chair and he had a belt in his hand, and if you didn’t do it the right way he would tear you up — really get you. I got it a lot of times, but I think my brother Marlon got it the most, but the others were very nervous and I was nervous, too, y’know? He was tough.”

Bashir continued to question Jackson about his father’s abuse: (Martin Bashir) “How often would he beat you?” (Michael Jackson) “Mmmmmm, too much.” (Bashir) “Would he only use a belt?” (Jackson) “Why do you do this to me? No, more than a belt.” (Bashir) “What else would he use to hit you with?” (Jackson) “Ironing cords, whatever was around. Throw you up against the wall as hard as he could. He would lose his temper. I just remember hearing my mother scream, ‘Joe, you’re gonna kill him! You’re gonna kill him! Stop it, you’re gonna kill him!’ And I was so fast he couldn’t catch me half the time, but when he would catch me, oh my God.”

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: May 4, 2026

3h ago

1000 WAYS TO HEAL

1000 WAYS TO HEAL: The ones who should still be here

3h ago

Week In Review

Week in Review: Week of April 27, 2026

May 02, 2026

Back in 2010, Joe Jackson admitted that he beat his children when they were growing up. When asked if he thought Michael was afraid of him, he told Oprah Winfrey, that he didn’t think Michael was afraid of him and that he “never beat him like the media tried to say.” After going back and forth with Oprah about if he beat his children or not, Katherine interjected and said, “You might as well admit it. That’s the way black people raised their children.” Oprah then said to Katherine, “You can answer that for me, can’t you? Whether or not he used. . . “(Katherine): “He used a strap.” (Oprah): “He used a strap?” (Katherine): “Yes, he did use a strap . . .” (Oprah): “Knowing what you know now, would you do it differently? Would you have been a different kind of father?”(Joe): “I would’ve punished them by whipping them with a strap or something — when they did something, it would keep them out of trouble. Out of jail. My kids never been in jail before and that’s great.” (Oprah): “Do you regret those strappings on your children?” (Joe): “No, I don’t.”

CHECK IT OUT: The Jackson Five on December 14th, 1969 performing “I Want You Back” live on The Ed Sullivan Show:

by CFJCToday

Joe Jackson Dies

Our Community