Joseph “Joe” Jackson, the patriarch who launched the musical Jackson family dynasty, died Wednesday in a Las Vegas hospital, a source close to the family tells CNN.
He was 89.
Jackson was the father and at times manager to pop stars Michael and Janet Jackson, along with the sibling-singing group, The Jackson 5.
No cause of death has been released, but Jackson had reportedly been in ill health.
“I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see,” read a tweet posted Sunday from Jackson’s official twitter account. “The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes.”
He and Katherine Jackson wed in 1949. They moved into into a home on Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana, the following year, where they welcomed their first of 10 children, Maureen “Rebbie” Jackson.
Rebbie was followed by Sigmund “Jackie” Jackson in 1951, Toriano “Tito” Jackson in 1953, Jermaine Jackson in 1954, La Toya Jackson in 1956, Marlon Jackson in 1957, Michael Jackson in 1958, Steven Randall “Randy” Jackson in 1961 and Janet Jackson in 1966.
Marlon’s twin, Brandon, died soon after birth.
With a large family to support, Joe Jackson surrendered his dreams of becoming a boxer and secured a job as a crane operator for U.S. Steel.
For more details: cnn.com
