They are the most successful, and perhaps strangest, family in showbiz
history. At the centre of the Jackson dynasty is the seventh of nine children,
Michael, 38, who is truly the king of pop. But the man behind the music remains
and enigma - reclusive, shy, eccentric. And despite being dogged by scandal and
speculation, the mask rarely slips.
Only by looking at the tumultuous Jackson family history can one begin to
understand who Michael Jackson realyy is.
His elder brothers, so fiercely protective of their younger sibling from the
moment they formed the Jackson ive in the Sixties, could scarcely conceal their
frustation when Michael went solo in the Eighties. In many ways, Marlon, Tito,
Jermaine and Jackie were left behind as michael rose to the heights of
superstardom and an eventual .500 million fortune.
As for his sisters - Janet's spirited imitation of Michael's music, act and
image may simply have flattered him. But LaToya's determination to wring every
dollar and drop of controversy out of the Jackson family name - by 'telling
all' about their allegedly abusive father; by posing for Playboy with a boa
constrictor - left even placid Michael fuming.
Ironically, LaToya's book about growing up with a violent father like Joseph
Jackson, now 67 - some of which Michael later confirmed - actually brouhgt the
family closer togheter. But while Michael has borne the burnt of media
speculation - particularly the alleged child abuse scandal of the Ninties - the
rest of Katherine, 66, and Joseph Jackson's children have found that their name
is just as much curse as it is blessing.
Maureen Jackson, 46, is the eldest Jackson child, who enraged her father when she eloped at the age of 18. Like her mother, she is a devout Jehovah's Witness.
Jackie Jackson, 45, was the eldest brother of the Jackson Five - and the main victim of his father's rages. Nicknamed 'Loverboy' by the group, his affair with cheerleader - and later pop star - Paula Abdul ended his marriage of 13 years. His ex-wife later claimed she had been beaten by both Jackie and his father.
Tito Jackson, now 43, married his childhood sweetheart Dee Dee in 1971. They divorced 17 years later, after she learned he's been unfaithful. Tragically for the family, she drowned in mysterious circumstances in 1994. their three sons comprise the hit group 3T.
Jermaine Jackson, 42, married Motown boss Berry Gordy's daughter in 1973 - they divorced in 1987 after he fathered a child with a mistress. With a steady if not spectacular career as a solo artist, Jermaine once reduced Michael to tears with a single that criticised his brother's attempts to alter his appearance.
La Toya Jackson, 40, is the family's loose cannon. Famous despite having done very little - she has worked as a singer, actress and showgirl at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. First to air the family's dirty laundry in public. In 1993, she het a press confererence in Israel announcing: 'I cannot stay silent over Michael's crimes against little children.'
Marlon Jackson, 40, was born prematurely as one of two twins - his brother, Brandon, only lived for one day. Like Michael, Marlon dropped out of the Jackson Five to pursue a solo career. In 1992, he lost his .1,5 million house and had to move his family into a motel because of bad business deals.
Randy Jackson, 35, joined the Jackson Five in 1972. In 1991, he spent 30 days in jail for beating his wife during her pregnancy. And, in a bizarre turn of events, Randy was kidnapped in Colombia by guerrillas and held for ransom in 1993. They threatened to cut off his fingers one by one. Somehow Randy managed to convince them that he was a poor Rastafarian evangelist and they released him unharmed.
Janet Jackson, 31, is the youngest Jackson and, after Michael, the
most talented. She has lived with Rene Elizondo in Los Angeles for
many years - he has been described in the past as her lover, a
platonic companion and once, by sister La Toya, as Janet's
'secret' husband. Like maureen, she eloped at the age of 18 - with
pop singer James DeBarge, a marriage that lasted less than a year.
He later claimed she aborted their child.