Jackie Jackson

Jackie Jackson
Jackson (right) with The Jackson 5 in 1969
Background information
Birth name	Sigmund Esco Jackson
Born	(1951-05-04) May 4, 1951 (age 65) Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Genres	R&B, soul, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, tambourine
Years active	1964–present
Labels	Steeltown, Motown, Epic
Associated acts	The Jackson 5

Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951) is an American singer and musician notable for being a member of The Jackson 5. He is the second child of the Jackson family and the oldest Jackson brother.

Sigmund Esco Jackson was born on his mother Katherine's 21st birthday in 1951. Nicknamed Jackie by his grandfather, taken from Jackson Boy, he came from an African-American working-class family. He and his brothers and sisters grew up in a three-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city outside of Chicago. In 1964, Jackie's father, Joseph, formed the Jackson Brothers singing group, which included Jackie and his brothers Tito and Jermaine. The group included younger brothers Marlon and Michael playing assorted percussive instruments. By 1966, Joseph made Michael the lead singer and within two years, they emerged professionally under the name The Jackson Five, which was later altered to a numeral 5 after signing with Motown in 1969.

Prior to the group signing with Motown, Jackson wanted to pursue a career in professional baseball; in fact, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1970. However, he decided to stay in music.

Jackson performed under a high tenor singing voice. He added brief lead parts in some of the Jackson 5's hit singles, including "I Want You Back" and "ABC". In 1973, Jackson released a solo album that failed to chart. After the Jackson 5 became The Jacksons after leaving Motown for CBS Records in 1976, Jackson's role as a vocalist and songwriter increased. He added a lead vocal alongside brother Michael on their top ten Epic single, "Enjoy Yourself", and also added composition on six of the group's albums with Epic. Jackson's voice changed to a lower tenor vocal style during the Epic years. One of Jackson's most successful compositions was co-writing with Michael, "Can You Feel It", which became an international hit in 1981. Jackson began performing more lead vocals as Michael pursued a successful solo career. On their 1984 album, Victory, Jackson performed lead on the song "Wait", while writing the single, "Torture". Notably before the start of the Victory Tour in 1984, Jackson suffered a leg injury that was officially described as a knee injury incurred during rehearsals. However, a former companion of Jermaine Jackson's, Margaret Maldonado, wrote in her 1995 book, Jackson Family Values, Jackson was injured in an automobile accident, a cause of his then wife Enid Jackson running over Jackson with her car, after catching him with choreographer and then-Laker Girl Paula Abdul. Jackson recovered well enough to perform on the last leg of shows in December 1984 in Los Angeles, where Michael announced he was leaving the group. In early 1985, Marlon Jackson joined Michael in leaving the group as well.