They're one of the most celebrated families in American musical history.
Both as individuals and as a collective force, they're behind songs that are woven into the fabric of popular culture that rattle amid the collective conscious.
The music of The Jacksons has transcended generations for over 50 years, and the surviving brothers – Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Tito – are still adamant about keeping the legacy alive.
Ahead of their return to Australia this coming January, we're taking a look back at the highs and lows of The Jacksons, and the bonds that have kept them together. Of course, the story is more or less etched in stone now.
The Jackson siblings – six brothers, three sisters – were born and raised in Gary, an industrial, working-class city in the north-west of Indiana.
After showing an early interest in music, the brothers began performing together in the early '60s. This bloomed into what became known as The Jackson 5 in 1964, with the brothers spending the rest of the decade performing everywhere from talent shows to strip clubs.
After persevering and pushing their live show, the group were eventually signed to Motown Records at the end of the decade.
With the release of 'I Want You Back' in 1969, the family were catapulted into super-stardom.
The success of 'I Want You Back' and subsequent Jackson 5 singles were also the world's first exposure to perhaps the single most iconic and recognisable figure in pop music: Michael Jackson, who had begun performing with his brothers at the tender age of five.
His solo career was launched a year later with 'Ben' and a decade later he would forge ahead with the release of the highest-selling album of all time, 'Thriller'.
What's interesting is that Michael never broke away entirely from The Jackson 5 – or, as they'd later become known, The Jacksons – until well after he'd solidified himself as a solo artist.
In an interview with Modo TV in September, Jermaine Jackson put this down to the fact that the family's patriarch, the late Joseph Jackson, was insistent on the family sticking together. “We likened ourselves to a tree,” Jermaine said.
“My mother and father planted the roots, and we all have different branches. No matter how much Hollywood looked at the tree, they didn't look at it for its beauty as a whole.
"They looked at the tree for its different individual branches, and they started to take from those parts of the tree. My father's whole thing was 'stay together'. That's always been the task – to keep it together as a family.”
Of course, this wasn't always easy – when the group left Motown, Jermaine decided to stay on due to his family ties to the label (he was married to founder Berry Gordy's daughter, Hazel, at the time).
Furthermore, the increased focus on Michael as a solo artist – ultimately eclipsing his brothers – meant tensions were often high when he would return for tours, particularly in the '80s, where the Jacksons felt more or less like a side show to the main event of Michael.
With the death of Michael in 2009, however, the four eldest brothers were given a true sense of perspective as to the importance of their familial bonds and to ensuring the Jackson legacy did not die with Michael.
In 2012, The Jacksons reconvened for their first tour in nearly 30 years, celebrating not only the group's biggest hits but also the life and times of their fallen brother. “It's healing for us,” Jermaine said in the Modo TV interview.
“We miss Michael every day. He's on my mind. We hear his music. His spirit is very much alive.”
Jackie, the eldest Jackson son, agreed with this sentiment when he spoke with Billboard in December 2017 for their podcast Chart Beat. “I'm in Las Vegas,” he said.
“Every time I go on the Strip, this big bus always comes up beside me, with a big picture of Michael plastered all over it, his face. He's there saying, 'Jackie, I see you'. I see it every time. It's the best. He wants me to see him.”
These days, The Jacksons' touring schedule isn't nearly as intense as it was when father Joe was in charge. There's also a lot less inner-group turmoil – the Jackson brothers are all grown men, after all, with extended families of their own now.
In a candid chat with Good Morning Britain back in May, the brothers explained they're more connected now as brothers and bandmates than ever before. “We've been doing this for so long that it just falls in line,” Marlon said.
“We give one another their space, and we have respect for one another's decisions. We've learned to agree to disagree.”
Marlon went on to say that it's the audience's ongoing dedication to the music of The Jacksons that serves as a key motivator in continuing to perform together. “We're just happy that people really seem to appreciate our work,” he said.
“Without them, we wouldn't be where we are today.”
In January 2019, The Jacksons will return to Australia for the first time in nearly six years. They will be headlining the Summer Series tour, which is being described as 'Australia's biggest ever Motown party', where they'll be joined by a mix of colourful pop and soul acts with dozens of hits between them.
First up will be The Sound of The Supremes, a loving tribute to one of the most influential girl-groups of all time by powerhouse vocalist Kaaren Ragland. That's followed by Sister Sledge, another family band who tore up the charts in the '70s with disco classics like 'We Are Family' and 'He's The Greatest Dancer'.
No strangers to Australian shores, Village People will keep the party going with their famously camp and wildly entertaining live show. The family affair continues with The Pointer Sisters taking to the stage and getting the audience excited with their 13 top-20 hits.
Just when you thought it was all over, veteran New Jersey funk legends Kool & The Gang will be taking the celebrations to the next level. All that before a single Jackson brother has taken to the stage.
2019 will mark 50 years since the release of 'I Want You Back'. The fact it's as universally beloved a song now as it was then is testament to the lasting power of the Jackson dynasty. Long may they reign.
2019 Summer Series Tour Dates
Sat 12 Jan - The Domain (Sydney)Sun 13 Jan - Sandstone Point Hotel (Brisbane)
Tue 15 Jan - Gold Coast Convention Centre
Wed 16 Jan - Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne)
Fri 18 Jan - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Sat 19 Jan - Sandalford Winery (Perth)
