There is so much legend surrounding the Jackson family and some of their biographies are so obscure that, despite being the most famous line in the history of popular music, their trajectories have not always aroused the necessary interest of their fans over the decades.
Because it’s already been 60 years since the origin of the most iconic boy band of the 20th century: six male brothers – the three girls of this large family were left out – who stood out as five under the legendary name of The Jackson 5… and later became The Jacksons and were overshadowed by the enormous talent of one of them: Michael Jackson.
When the King of Pop died in 2009 of acute poisoning from propofol and benzodiazepine he was taking to sleep, his four older brothers – Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon – revived the band in 2012, with live shows based on their past hits. In their sixties and seventies, they continue to make the public vibrate with the songs they sang as kids, that vibrant mix of R
Right now, however, the band moves in a trio format, exploiting the powerful family brand around the world. Tomorrow they open the Sons de Món de Roses Festival (10 p.m.), which is why Marlon talks to La Vanguardia via the internet.
“Jermaine has decided to do other things, he’s taken a break, but, as dad used to say, a monkey can’t stop the show,” he says while trying to make sure his image doesn’t appear upside down on the screen.
Marlon was a year older than Michael and, therefore, they were companions in mischief in that working childhood that they had to live in Gary (Indiana), on the outskirts of Chicago, when their father made them choose between rehearsing bravely or carrying bricks from side to side, nothing more. The hard work certainly paid off, although Marlon didn’t have a big solo career – a single album in 1987, after which he bought a TV network that he sold a decade ago – he now notes the good health of the artistic product of youth.
“I don’t see them as old songs, but as successes – says the artist from the USA -. They still sound fresh, they are timeless, they don’t age. At our shows you see people aged 8 or 20… who tell you that they grew up with this music, their parents put them on it. If you think about it, these songs were aimed at different demographics. The good part is that some lyrics were aimed at a younger audience, because we were creatures, but the music was for an adult target. And when they put it all together they discovered that it excited on all levels, that it gravitated to all ages and eras. A delivery man who came to the house asked me to take a picture with me. ‘It’s for my four-year-old boy. He adores you. He loves your records and cartoons’, he said.
Although they did not lack talent, these songs, in any case, were not signed by The Jackson 5. At Motown Records there was a team of songwriters who did it for them: Deke Richards, Fonce Mizell, Freddie Perren… they created formula after formula. And Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, added to the payroll to collect royalties while clipping the creative wings of the kids. Willie Hutch wrote I’ll be there and others. And they sang My girl and Smokey Robinson. The machinery didn’t even allow little Randy to be an official part of the band: it would be six, the brand was the brand.
Ironically, when they got tired and left Motown for CBS they couldn’t use her again. Gordy kept it. The capo had single-handedly released Jermaine, married him to his daughter, perhaps to keep them. But it didn’t work. Jermaine no longer joined The Jacksons and Randy was the fifth.
All in all, the magic of The Jackson 5 lay in the way these songs were made. Already from the debut album Diana Ross presents The Jackson 5 (1969) they fell in love with the white population as much as they had fallen in love with African Americans.
“I don’t know where the magic comes from. We could keep playing them in the future and people would enjoy it. We have a very energetic show, I don’t know where the energy comes from, but once on stage it happens, it’s magical”, says Marlon.
He was 7 or 8 years old when he started going on stage with his brothers. In 1966 they won a talent contest performing My Girl and began touring the Chitlin Circuit (clubs for African-American artists) and other venues… “We were having a great time. Before we were even signed to Motown we were playing in Illinois, Wisconsin, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…and people were throwing money at us. Michael and I used to split it, put it in our pockets and come home with a lot of money”.
But Michael flew very high. alone When the Victory tour ended (1984), the only album that reunited the six brothers, he would not record with them again beyond We are the world, the famous USA for Africa theme.
What happened to the rest of the brothers? Jackie, a vocalist, released two albums on his own with little success and continued in the industry as a producer. Tito, a great guitarist and low register vocalist, had a career as a musician of R
Were there disagreements that led to the end, like in The Beatles?
“We grew up, people get married – claims Marlon. And we cannot be put in the same category as other groups, we are family, there were always family events that brought us together, we had a good time. The family was always first, then the music”.
And Michael? “Michael had already released Thriller, an album that no one will ever be able to beat in terms of sales, since people don’t buy albums – he continues -. But in the end his last name was Jackson. The brand was Jackson. And the foundation was The Jackson 5. This was the tree and branches came out from there.”
Marlon is a religious man. Sins are brought to the Lord. Has Michael imagined himself before God? “Never. The older I get, the more I understand the meaning of the gift God gave my family. It wasn’t about making money. It was about traveling the world, bringing people together, spreading love, harmony and peace through music.”
And he never doubted his innocence of the child abuse charges? “No. People don’t understand that Michael healed the world, he did great things, in hospitals for children with cancer, for example, excited to see us.”
Did he give you advice? “I used to give him sentences: God will take you to anything, you just have to believe”.
