Joe Jackson died on
Wednesday, a Jackson family source confirmed to ET. He was 89.
ET confirmed last week that the Jackson family patriarch's
health had taken a turn for the worse and his family was gathering to say their
goodbyes.
A Jackson family source told ET that he was in a Las
Vegas hospital with terminal cancer. According to the source, Jackson has been
battling the illness for a while now and doctors recently told members of the
family that he has limited time to live because the cancer cannot be treated.
Jackson was previously in the hospital in 2016 after
he became weak and struck a high fever during a regularly scheduled
checkup with his doctor. The brief illness sparked rumors that he was dying --
or had already died. Those rumors were quickly dispelled by Jackson himself.
He also suffered a stroke on July 26, 2015 (the same day as his
87th birthday) while traveling in Brazil.
But Jackson recovered from both illnesses, showing that despite
his years, he was still tough. He referenced that toughness recently when he
shared some advice for grandson Blanket Jackson in a heartfelt video: "Be like me: Be tough, in a
good way, and you'll live a long time."
Joe was
the father of late music legend Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009. He
was also the father of four daughters -- Janet, La Toya, Rebbie and Joh'Vonnie
-- and six other sons -- Jermaine, Randy, Tito, Jackie, Marlon and Brandon, who
died in March 1957 just after he was born. Joe was married to wife Katherine
since 1949.
Joe, a famous talent
manager, is best known for managing his sons' musical group, The Jackson 5,
originally known as The Jackson Brothers. The group, which included vocals by Michael,
Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon, was created in the early 1960s in the
family's hometown of Gary, Indiana. Their first single, "Big Boy,"
was released on Jan. 30, 1968 on the Steeltown Records label. They were signed
to Motown Records approximately one year later.
While the group was with Motown, Joe helped The Jackson 5 reach
nationwide fame with hits like "ABC," "I Want You Back,"
"The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There." In 1974, Joe
created his own record label, Ivory Tower International Records. The artists he
signed toured with The Jackson 5 that year, performing as the groups' opening
acts during their international tour.
Joe also helped launch solo careers for both Randy and Janet.
Janet, who at age 52 is still going strong on her State of the World Tour,
balancing her career with being a mom to 1-year-old son Eissa.
Joe's
family journey was highlighted in the ABC mini-series, The
Jacksons: An American Dream, in 1992, and in VH1's Man in the Mirror: The
Michael Jackson Story in 2004. Joe was portrayed by actors Lawrence
Hilton-Jacobs and Frederic Tucker, respectively. In 2011, Joe was inducted into
the Arkansas Hall of Fame. He received The Rhythm & Blues Humanitarian
Award from the R&B Music Hall of Fame four years later.
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