The Jackson 5 in 1976 After first performing in school functions and supermarkets, the brothers began participating in local talent shows when Tito was twelve. By then, his younger brother
Michael, then seven, had become the official lead singer of the group. In 1965, they changed their name from the Jackson Brothers to the Jackson Five, and won several talent shows around the Gary area. After winning the Amateur Night competition for the
Apollo Theater in August 1967, Joe Jackson began to work part-time at the steel mill to help his sons secure a recording contract. The group signed with
Steeltown Records in Gary in November of that year. In January 1968, the Jackson Five's first single, "
Big Boy", was released on the Steeltown label. In July 1968, The Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in Detroit, and scored several hit songs, including their number-one singles "
I Want You Back", "
ABC", "
The Love You Save", and "
I'll Be There", but despite his talent as a guitar player, Motown refused to allow Jackson to perform guitar on any of the Jackson 5 recording sessions, instead forcing all their guitar parts to be performed by session musicians. As a direct result, his guitar work did not make its debut until he and the Jacksons left Motown for
CBS Records in 1976. He began writing songs with his brothers during this time. Tito and Jackie Jackson were the most consistently present members of the Jacksons, with Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Randy leaving at different times. After the end of the
Victory Tour, Jackson performed session work and as a record producer. After releasing
2300 Jackson Street, the Jacksons ceased recording work. Jackson was inducted with his brothers into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2001, Jackson reunited with his brothers on Michael Jackson's
30th anniversary concert special at
Madison Square Garden.
Solo work and other projects Jackson began a solo career in 2003 performing as a blues musician in various clubs with his band, which included producer and guitarist
Angelo Earl, and a management team that included Ed Tate. In 2009, he was the executive producer of
The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, together with his brothers after
Michael died. In 2016, he had his first commercially successful solo single on the
Billboard charts with the single, "Get It Baby", featuring
Big Daddy Kane from his album
Tito Time becoming the ninth and final Jackson family sibling to place a solo single on the charts. The album was released in Japan late in 2016, and in the U.S. on
iTunes in April 2017. Subsequent to its launch, three singles were released to radio in the United States. The first single, "When the Magic Happens", featuring Jocelyn Brown, was released on April 1, 2017. Jackson launched the album for the UK market in September 2017. Jackson performed at the 2019 Living Legends foundation's (LLF) Annual Awards Dinner and Gala, performing his single "One Way Street" off his album
Tito Time. "One Way Street" features a remix from producer Gregg Pagani, who has worked with
Charlie Wilson and
Johnny Gill. On July 9, 2021, Jackson released the first single "Love One Another" from his second solo album
Under Your Spell, released August 6. The single features his brother
Marlon Jackson,
Kenny Neal,
Bobby Rush, and
Stevie Wonder. On this album he turned to blues compared to his debut album,
Tito Time, which explored more pop and R&B sounds. The album
Under Your Spell also featured collaborations with
George Benson, rock guitarist
Joe Bonamassa,
Grady Champion, Claudette King, The O'Jay's
Eddie Levert, and Steven Powell. On September 16, 2022, Jackson took the stage at Ground Zero Blues Club in
Biloxi, Mississippi together with
Kenny Neal. This was their second show from their "Straight From The Heart Tour". First show was on August 27 at
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Third show was on September 23, in
Bogalusa, Louisiana at the Bogalusa Blues and Heritage Festival. On March 17, 2023, Jackson teamed up with Brazilian artist
Natalia Damini bringing the
Motown and the early Jacksons feel back with a new song "Attitude", and a music video. This collaboration came to be because Jackson's long time friend Charve the Don is also Damini's manager. == Personal life and death ==