Michael Jackson's brother dies at 70
Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, has died at age 70, his sons say.
Tito was the third of nine Jackson children, which include global superstars Michael and sister Janet, part of a music-making family whose songs are still beloved today, CBS News reported.
"It's with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being," his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll said in a statement posted on Instagram and Facebook late Sunday.
Jackson's death was first reported by "Entertainment Tonight," which said in a social media post that, "Steve Manning, a longtime Jackson family friend and former Jackson family manager, tells ET that Tito passed away today. While an official cause of death has not yet been determined, Manning believes that Tito suffered a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma."
The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The family group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s including "ABC," "I Want You Back" and "I'll Be There."
The Jackson 5 became one of the biggest names in music under the guidance of their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player who supported his wife and nine children in Gary, Indiana. As the family's music careers took off, they relocated to California.