Joe Jackson: The Man Who Built the Jackson 5 — and the Father They Couldn't Forgive

Joe Jackson was a crane operator in East Chicago with a broken dream of becoming a boxer when he noticed his sons playing his guitar while he was at work. Within a decade he had turned them into the Jackson 5 — signed to Motown, with four consecutive number one singles and one of the most recognizable acts in the world. He also drove them there through relentless rehearsals, physical punishment, and a discipline that several of his children — most publicly Michael — described as abuse. The tension between what he built and how he built it defined his legacy for the rest of his life. His children eventually fired him as their manager. Michael left him nothing in his will. Joe Jackson died on June 27th, 2018, surrounded by his wife Catherine and his surviving children. This covers his full story — from Arkansas to the Apollo, through Motown, and everything that came after. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 0:12 Who is Joe Jackson 0:36 Abuse allegations — Michael's account 1:32 The family divide — siblings who disagreed 1:49 Michael's forgiveness & Joseph Jackson Day 2:14 Awards & honors 2:37 Net worth — left out of Michael's will 3:11 Early life — Arkansas, East Chicago, Oakland 3:36 Boxing ambitions & meeting Katherine 4:08 Marriage, family & work at Inland Steel 4:30 The Falcons — his own band that never made it 4:54 Extramarital affair & daughter Joh'Vonnie 5:41 The Jackson children — full list 6:31 Health — 2015 stroke & terminal cancer 7:18 Career — discovering his sons' talent 7:51 The Jackson Brothers become the Jackson 5 8:05 Apollo Theater & Steeltown Records 8:39 Motown deal — four consecutive number ones 9:22 Las Vegas years & Ivory Tower Records 9:50 Leaving Motown — becoming The Jacksons 10:36 Launching Janet Jackson's career 10:52 Fired by his own children