Joe Jackson, or Joseph Walter Jackson to give him his full name, passed away at the age of 89 on the morning of Wednesday, 27th June in Las Vegas. He was believed to be in the final stages of terminal pancreatic cancer when he passed on. Jackson is well known for being behind the Jackson 5 and for encouraging Michael Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson in their music careers. He had 11 children in total. The former boxer and crane operator became a full-time music manager, handling his talented children’s careers. He admitted to and was accused of abusing his children but he believed his tough attitude only bettered their talents.

Jackson was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame for his work in 2014. Jackson’s death comes just two days after the ninth anniversary of the passing of his famous son, pop genius Michael.

Joe Jackson tried to keep the family away

This is not Jackson’s first brush with bad health as he previously suffered a stroke while in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2015. He has also suffered several heart attacks over the years.

Sadly, while Jackson was in the hospital he tried to prevent his children from visiting and they had no real knowledge of what was happening with his health. Jermaine Jackson, his fourth child, told the media that Joe prevented his children from visiting. They were finally able to see him on 19th June.

Jermaine said that none of them knew what was happening and they shouldn’t have to “beg, plead and argue” to visit their own father, especially now. He said they have all been hurting.

Joe Jackson admitted abusing his family

As noted by the BBC, comments about the old stories of abuse are surfacing in social media. Jackson’s grandson, Taj Jackson was the one to first confirm the bad news via Twitter, but not in the usual way.

Taj tweeted that he was disgusted by many of the comments he has read about his grandfather by people who did not even know Joe. He went on to say that his grandfather was loved by the whole family and that their “hearts are in pain.” He asked people to let the family grieve without nastiness.

As reported by the Guardian, there were various stories in the media over the years.

Jackson had admitted to abusing his children. He told the BBC in 2003 that he had whipped Michael Jackson when he was a child. In 2010, he was on the Oprah Winfrey show and admitted he had beaten his children with a strap and had no regrets over doing so. Joe said that what he did kept his children out of jail and also “kept them right.”

In an ITV documentary in 2003 “Living with Michael Jackson,” Michael told the interviewer that his father oversaw the rehearsals of the Jackson 5 holding a belt in his hand. He added that Joe threatened to tear them up and “really get you” if one of the boys missed a single step.

Michael recalled hearing his mother scream, saying he was going to kill Michael and to stop it.

However he said was he was so fast, his father couldn’t always catch him and said he was afraid of Joe. Reportedly Joe teased Michael about his “fat nose,” possibly being a major factor in the many plastic surgery interventions that he went through over the years. Michael fired Joe as his manager in 1979. The balance of the Jackson 5 did the same in 1983.

Michael Jackson’s estate released a statement

John McClain and John Branca, the co-executors of Michael Jackson’s estate said in a statement that they were “deeply saddened” by the passing of Joe Jackson and they went on to extend their heartfelt condolences to Joe’s wife, Katherine Jackson, and the whole family. They say Joe had been a strong man who knew his own imperfections but had still delivered his 11 children from the poverty of the Gary, Indiana steel mills to international pop superstardom.

From humble beginnings to stardom

Joseph Walter Jackson was born in Fountain Hill, Arkansas on 26 July 1928. He was the eldest of five children. When his parents divorced when Joe was 12, he left and moved to be with his father, Samuel Jackson in Oakland, California. However, when he reached the age of 18, he moved to East Chicago, Indiana to stay near his mother. It was here that he followed his dreams to become a boxer and later started his musical career by joining the Falcons, an R&B group, playing guitar.

He married his wife, then Katherine Scuse in November 1949 and went on to have 11 children. Those children then became talented musicians under his tough care, including the Jackson 5. In total, Jackson had five sons, Jackie, Jermain, Marlon, Michael, and Tito. He fathered three daughters, Janet Jackson, LaToya, and Rebbie.
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