By Don Waller They exploded on the pop scene in 1969 with the relentlessly frenetic "I Want You Back"--one of the finest POP! records ever made. They were a dancin' (dancin') (DANCIN') hit-machine. They had their own Saturday morning TV cartoon show. They created a bizarre showbiz legend. They were the Jackson 5. Collectively, they were brothers Sigmund, known as "Jackie " (b. May 4, 1951); Toriano, known as "Tito" (b. October 15, 1953); Jermaine (b. December 11, 1954); Marlon (b. March 12, 1957); and Michael (b. August 29, 1958) Jackson. They hailed from Gary, Ind. and were managed by their father, Joe. After cutting a few singles for the tiny Steeltown label, they attracted the attention of Motown Records. (Their videotaped audition is astonishing: 10-year-old Michael doin' his best James Brown while the brothers lay down the groove in the background.) Motown threw everything it had behind the group, including the claim that Diana Ross had "discovered" them; that honor probably goes to lesser Motown act Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers , whose ranks included future comic Tommy Chong (of Cheech & Chong fame). After "I Want You Back," they knocked out a couple of soundalikes and some megahit ballads like "I'll Be There" and "Never Can Say Goodbye"; young Michael's vocal on Smokey Robinson's oft-covered "Who's Loving You" is a particularly wrenching ballad performance. Michael and Jermaine became successful solo artists in '71 and '72, respectively, and after one more solid smash--1974's percolating "Dancing Machine"--the Jackson 5 left Motown (and the Jackson 5 moniker) behind.
Steven, known as "Randy" (b. October 29, 1961), replaced Jermaine--who'd married Motown owner Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel Joy in 1973--and the group, now rechristened the Jacksons, went on to even greater success at Epic. Marlon, Randy and Jackie have since recorded their own solo albums; so have sisters Janet , Maureen (known asRebbie ) and Latoya . The Jacksons were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997.
