With the desire to mix a variety of musical styles into one unique sound, the Jacksons rose to fame in the 1970s and became a global sensation. Siblings Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and their late brother Michael formed the Jackson 5 and became the first group in music history to have their first four singles be #1 on the Billboard Charts. Their hit “I’ll Be There” remains the best-selling single in Motown history. The Jacksons were also the youngest group ever to be inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
The group’s sound was used as a backdrop for positive lyrics expressing unity, universalism and empowerment. They showed that the message is still intact by performing on Sept. 12 at the L.A. County Fair as part of the End of Summer concert series. Funk and soul was in the air as brothers Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlon performed their hit songs “I’ll Be There,” “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” and Michael’s hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin.” Katherine Jackson smiled and waved to the audience as Jermaine introduced her on stage.
When asked about it being nearly three decades since their last tour, Jackie said, “Just coming together as a group is so much fun. We are about bringing people together and having a great time. It’s about happiness. We can just entertain people for two hours.”
The Jacksons last toured together in support of their album “Victory,” in 1984. When asked about song selection for this tour, Jackie said, “It was very difficult. I didn’t realize how many songs we had. Somehow we found how to get them all into a two hour show.”
Jackie went on to talk about his musical influence, “When I was a little kid, I used to go to the record stores and pull out Johnny Mathis album covers. I would stare at his album covers. A lot of people didn’t know that Johnny ran track. He was a very good athlete.”
The name “The Jacksons” is known all around the world and they remain the biggest-selling family in music of all time. Brothers Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon reunite for the Unity Tour and fans once again can celebrate their extraordinary contributions and witness music history firsthand on stages around the globe. Their music has stood the test of time and will continue on. The nearly sold-out crowd at the LA County Fair definitely proved that.
