The Jacksons

The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known simply as The Jacksons) were an American popular music quintet from Gary, In

The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, abbreviated as J5, and later known simply as The Jacksons) were an American popular music quintet from Gary, Indiana. The group, active from 1962 to 1990, regularly played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, funk, and later disco. Considered "one of the biggest phenomenons in pop music" during the early 1970s, the Jackson 5 group is also notable for launching the career of its lead singer, Michael Jackson.

The primary members of the group were all the male children of Katherine and Joseph Jackson: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Randy. Joseph Jackson formed the band in 1962 and served as its manager, with Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and unrelated youths Reynaud Jones and Milton Hite comprising its original lineup. Within a year, Michael and Marlon had joined the band, and Michael became lead singer as the group developed a following in the Eastern and Midwestern United States during the mid-1960s. Signed to the Motown label from 1969 to 1975, and to CBS Records (as "The Jacksons") from 1975 until their disbanding in 1990, the Jackson 5 were one of the most popular groups of the era, eventually selling more than 150 million records and becoming the only performers to have their first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") reach the top of the American charts. Several future singles, among them "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Dancing Machine", were Top 5 pop hits and #1 hits on the R&B singles chart. Most of the early hits were written and produced by a specialized songwriting team known as The Corporation™; later Jackson 5 hits were chiefly crafted by Hal Davis.