Jermaine Jackson is a renowned American singer from Gary, Indiana, and a member of the iconic Jackson family. Born on December 11, 1954, in Gary, Indiana, he is the fourth child of Joe Jackson and Katherine Jackson. His father, Joe, was a guitarist for the band "The Falcons," and his mother, Katherine, was a pianist and singer. Neither of them had a lucrative music career, and Joe worked as a steel mill worker.
Jermaine began practicing music with his brothers at an early age, taught by their mother to sing harmonies. Their father, Joe, recognized their potential and started training them under a strict regimen. In 1964, they formed their own band, "The Jackson 5," and signed with Steeltown Records in November 1967. They released their first single, "Big Boy," in January 1968.
The group's success led to a contract with Motown Records in 1969. Motown was one of the leading record labels of the 1960s, and they were better equipped to promote the Jackson brothers' music. Jermaine started a romantic relationship with Hazel Gordy, daughter of Motown founder Berry Gordy, and the couple married in 1973.
As a member of "The Jackson 5," Jermaine sang lead vocals and played bass guitar. The group became Motown's main marketing focus in the early 1970s, with their name used on various merchandise and even inspiring a Saturday morning cartoon. However, the Jackson siblings were unhappy with Motown's practices regarding royalties, earning only 2.8% of the profits. In June 1975, they signed a more lucrative contract with Epic Records, but Jermaine remained loyal to Motown and left the group.
Jermaine had already achieved solo success with his 1972 cover of "Daddy's Home," which sold over one million copies. He went on to release several top-30 hits, including "That's How Love Goes," "Let's Be Young Tonight," "Bass Odyssey," and "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy." In 1983, he rejoined the renamed group, "The Jacksons," and worked on their album "Victory."
In 1984, Jermaine and his brother Michael released the duet song "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)," which received significant airplay and peaked at number 6 on the Radio and Records' Top 40 chart. However, there was a legal dispute between the record labels Epic and Arista over the rights to the song, limiting its distribution.
In the 1980s, Jermaine continued to release solo music, including the duet song "When the Rain Begins to Fall" with Pia Zadora, which became a smash hit in Europe. In 1989, he released the single "Don't Take It Personal," which peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
The 1990s saw Jermaine's music career decline, although he continued to perform on stage. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with other members of "The Jackson 5." In 2001, "The Jacksons" reunited for two performances at Madison Square Garden, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Michael Jackson's debut as a solo singer.
In the 2000s, Jermaine appeared on various reality TV shows, including "Celebrity Big Brother UK" and "Australian Idol." He also released his memoir, "You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother's Eyes," in 2011, which focused on his memories of his deceased brother Michael.
In 2012, "The Jacksons" reunited for their first concert tour in decades, lasting from June 2012 to July 2013. Jermaine released his solo album "I Wish You Love" in October 2012, consisting mostly of cover song renditions of previous Jazz hits. He has not released any new music since 2015, but has continued to perform on stage, retaining a cult following due to his fondly recalled songs.
