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

The Jackson Family’s Beginnings

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Joe Jackson moved to East Chicago, Indiana, when he was 18. He married Katherine Scruse in 1949. They moved to Gary, Indiana and began a family — with a total of 10 children together! Although Joe and Katherine’s relationship was rocky over the years, she spoke about her instant love for him in a 2009 interview: “I just had a feeling that he would be my husband. The first time I saw him, I fell in love with him.”

Their first child was born in 1950 and the last in 1974. Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya, Marlon, Michael, Randy, and Janet were all musically talented and eventually became household names.