Jackson 5 star Tito has died: his life in snapshots and family stories

A gifted guitar player, blues musician, and pop star, Tito Jackson has left the world with some unforgettable, iconic songs. He recorded hits like 'ABC,' 'I Want You Back,' and 'I'll Be There' with his brothers in the Jackson 5.

As his sons announced on Instagram on Monday, September 16, Tito Jackson (second to the right in this photo) suddenly passed away at the age of 70.

According to a spokesperson for his younger sister Janet Jackson, the musician had died of a heart attack while he was driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma, the New York Times reports.

Considering the messages his children are leaving online for Tito Jackson, his death has dealt a hard blow to the family. "I can't believe it," his son Taryll wrote on Instagram.

Image: Tito Jackson / Instagram

"Now you are gone... with Mom and Uncle Michael. My three heroes, my three angels," his son added.

"This is so hard," Taryll penned on Tito Jackson's Instagram account. "I don't understand why things happen the way they do. I had just checked on you earlier in the day... People are hurting, crying and devastated. You were so loved!"

Image: Tito Jackson / Instagram

The world has known Tito Jackson since he was a young teenager, thanks to his success with the group Jackson 5.

From left to right in the photo: Tito, his father Joe, and his brothers Michael, Randy, Jackie, Jermaine, and Marlon Jackson.

Born Toriano Adaryll Jackson in 1953 in Gary, Indiana, he was Joe and Katherine Jackson's third child. There would be six more in the family, including Janet and LaToya Jackson.

As Marca notes, Joe Jackson was keen on making music with his children. He soon discovered that Tito had a talent for the guitar.

In 1964, the boy group Jackson 5 was launched. Tito, then 11 years old, played with Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael.

The rise of the Jackson 5 boy group under the Motown Label was astronomic. They would sell more than 150 million records worldwide, BBC reports.

In 1980, the siblings got their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 1997 they reached the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Once the Jackson quintet disbanded, and especially Michael went his separate way as a superstar, Tito started playing the music he was really fond of: the blues.

In the photo, Tito is the third from the left, next to Michael Jackson.

In the 21st century, Tito began playing the blues. The recorded two albums, 'Tito Time' in 2016 and 'Under Your Spell,' in 2021, collaborating with Marlon Jackson and Stevie Wonder, among others.

Earlier, in the 90s, he helped his three sons in forming their own, next-generation Jackson pop hit. Taryll, TJ, and Taj formed the group 3T.

As People magazine notes, Tito Jackson returned to play with some of his siblings in the later years of his life. Leading up to his sudden death, he performed with his brothers Jackie and Marlon as The Jacksons.

Marca estimates that Tito had about $2 million to his name at the time of his death. He mostly gathered this fortune from the royalties of Jackson 5 songs and some from his later performances.

Strikingly, the last post by Tito Jackson was about his brother Michael, the only of the nine siblings who had passed away by that time. Tito and his brothers visited a memorial for Michael Jackson on September 11.

"Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon, and I, visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother, Michael Jackson," Tito wrote on his Instagram account. "We're deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive."

Image: Tito Jackson / Instagram

Tito is survived by his three musical sons, Taj, Taryll, and TJ, and by his siblings, except for Michael. His wife Dee-Dee Martes-Jackson, the mother of his three sons, had also already passed away in 1994.

In their farewell to their father on Instagram, the 3T brothers wrote: "Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being... He will be missed tremendously. It will forever be 'Tito Time' for us."

"Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is 'Love One Another'. We love you Pops," they concluded.

Image: 3TWorld / Instagram

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