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

The Family Hits The Fast Track To Fame

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Once they were signed with Motown, everything happened quickly. Joe relocated the family to Encino, California, where they lived in a mansion. He would supervise every recording session. With young Michael taking the lead, the group recorded “I Want You Back.” Incredibly, it topped the charts as the #1 single, released on October 7, 1969.

All of the practice and rehearsing paid off, as the brothers’ live acts were completely polished with the young boys beaming with confidence. In a story for Telegraph, Tito Jackson wrote, “At that point, we were all fearless, we were just doing what we did.”