Photos of the Jackson 5, swiped from the pages of Right On, were plastered all over my bedroom growing up. For thousands of African American girls they were the stuff of fantasies and I was no different. My sisters and I were so passionate about the group that when our house got robbed, the only thing we cared about was whether the thieves had gotten away with our tickets to the Jackson 5 concert. Thankfully, they didn’t.
Many of us realized that Michael was ’special’ after a couple of nose jobs and solo projects. Pretty soon he no longer resembled the boy we fantasized about. Sure, we admired his music, but the boy/man got stranger and stranger. But the rest of the Jackson 5 seemed, at least, to continue to resemble their former selves as they grew older. They didn’t shine as brightly without Michael, but we rooted for them all the same. As they faded into obscurity, we held out hope that they were better adjusted and were at the very least leading normal lives.
Today, we get the news that all of the brothers are suffering from a case of arrested development. The New York Post reports they’re all broke. For goodness sake, Marlon is stocking shelves at the supermarket. Jackie, Jermaine and Randy live at home with their parents and don’t work. Tito, the one most girls could take or leave, is the only brother who makes a bit of money playing music, $500-$1,500 a pop. A group that was the cornerstone of a musical dynasty is having less than story book ending.
Why? They were ill-prepared for real life. Joe Jackson drilled performing into them day and night. None of them went to college because they were too busy working. Another reason is that they had no control over their money—I wonder if they knew how much they had at any given time. If you don’t have to deal with money you may have an unrealistic relationship with it. And apparently, they continued to live the same lifestyle after they were out of the limelight until all the money was gone. Seriously, why do we keep hearing about African American actors, singers and entertainers going broke, living on welfare or filing for bankruptcy?
But the curious thing about the Jackson family as a whole is that the sisters don’t seem to be suffering the same fate. Rebbie got away from her crazy dad early and with the exception of “Centerpede!” steered clear of the show business. She got married to a seemingly normal guy and he is successful in his own right. Even La Toya, the Jackson who couldn’t escape the scars of her jacked-up upbringing and worried us every time we saw her, is working. Yes, folks outside of the United States actually pay to see her perform. (Extra credit if you can name one of her songs). Even after all her plastic surgery she must realize deep down that she is a black woman and we will move heaven and earth to keep a roof over our head and food on the table. Sisters have written the book on creative financing in tight times and La Toya has read the book.
And then there’s Janet (as well-adjusted as a Jackson can be) who is carrying the future of the family musical dynasty on her shoulders. (Yes, Michael is a legend but a re-release/remix of Thriller doesn’t mean he’s back on track.) Her anthem ‘Control’ may have been prophetic after all. She didn’t want her father controlling her career. If Joe was in charge Janet may have suffered the financial fate of her brothers. She took control and handles her own purse strings. But if things ever got tough for Janet, she could always count on those residual checks from Good Times and Fame (if it ever comes back). Thankfully, Janet is still making musicâalthough her CD’s not sell like they used toâand hedging her bets by keeping her acting game tight. Because she is the most gainfully employed family member, Janet has probably helped her brothers out more times than we can imagine. All of us have that relative that just can’t seem to get it together, we just didn’t expect that Janet would too.
