Tito Jackson, brother of Michael Jackson and member of the Jackson 5, dies at the age of 70

Tito Jackson, member of the legendary family band The Jackson 5 and brother of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has died.

He was 70 years old.

Tito died on Sunday of an apparent heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma, Steve Manning, the Jackson family's former manager, told Entertainment Tonight.

However, an official cause of death has not yet been determined.

The singer and guitarist's sons, Taj, Taryll and TJ, confirmed their father's death in an Instagram post on Sunday, saying they were “shocked, saddened and heartbroken” by their father's sudden passing.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, who is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken,” his sons wrote on the official website of their R&B group 3T.

Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being. Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson of the legendary Jackson 5, others as 'Coach Tito' and others as 'Poppa T.'”

“Nevertheless, we will miss him terribly. For us, it will always be 'Tito time.' Please remember to do what our father always preached, and that is 'Love one another.' We love you, Dad.”

He was born on October 15, 1953 as Toriano Adaryll Jackson in Gary, Indiana, the third of ten children of Katherine and Joe Jackson, including global superstars Michael Jackson and her sister Janet Jackson.

After Joe Jackson recognized his son Tito’s promising talent as a singer and guitarist at a young age, he founded the group “Jackson Brothers” in 1964, consisting of Tito, Jermaine and Jackie.

When the family's music career took off, they moved to California.

In 1966, the group expanded with the addition of Michael and Marlon to form the Jackson 5, with Tito taking on the role of backing vocalist and guitarist for the family group.

The Jackson 5 broke onto the scene in 1969 when they signed a seven-year contract with Motown Records and quickly became the label's number one act.

The band left Motown in 1975, signed with Epic Records and were forced to change their name to The Jacksons.

Michael left the band in 1984 after his album “Thriller” became one of the best-selling albums of all time and earned him eight Grammy Awards as a solo artist.

The Jackson 5, who topped the charts during their heyday in the 1970s with hits such as “ABC,” “I'll Be There” and “I Want You Back,” were all inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Although The Jacksons never officially disbanded their band, Tito launched a solo career and released two studio albums: “Tito Time” in 2016 and “Under Your Spell” in 2021.

Tito performed with brothers Jackie and Marlon as The Jacksons and had shows in Scotland, California and England in the summer of 2024.

A few days before his death, Tito posted on Facebook a September 11 post from Munich, where he visited a memorial for Michael Jackson during a European tour with his brothers.

“Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon and I visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother Michael Jackson,” Tito wrote.

“We are deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but our shared heritage. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”

The brothers were scheduled to perform in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 25 and in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 1.

with post wires