Family, Fame, And A Father’s Quest For Fortune: Behind The Curtain Of The Jackson 5

Joe Jackson Hustles, Once Again

Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images

Seeing the money slipping from his hands, Joe Jackson organized both his boys and girls to become a nightclub act in Vegas. He also negotiated a contract with Epic Records, where the group would receive 20% of royalties and had full creative control by their second recording.

The move to Epic proved to be a good one, as the Jackson 5’s first self-titled album with the recording label went gold, and their single “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” became Epic’s best-selling single to date, selling over one million copies.

Things were going well for the group, until they weren’t.