Joe Jackson Passes Away At 89, Amid Battle With Cancer

Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson Passes Away At 89, Amid Battle With Cancer

Very sad news. According to reports, Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson has passed away in Las Vegas at the Nathan Adelson Hospice following a battle with cancer. He was 89. Last week, Jackson was reportedly hospitalized and was in the final stages and “could not be treated.” Jackson was the father of Janet Jackson, the late Michael Jackson and their eight siblings. He was the architect of The Jackson 5 and suffered from a variety of health conditions including strokes, dementia and at least one heart attack.

Jackson created The Jackson 5 in the 1960’s, while the family was living in Gary, Indiana. Jackson was a former guitarist, who shelved his dreams to work at steel mills to support his family. The family including wife Katherine, later moved to California, after signing with Berry Gordy’s Motown Records. The group is known for such hit as “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There.”

Throughout the years, many of his children including Michael, reported facing emotional and physical abuse from their father. In 2010, when speaking with Oprah Winfrey, Joe admitted to hitting them, explaining,

It kept them out of jail and kept them right.

Joe (circa March 24)

As previously reported, Jackson’s “handlers” have prevented certain family members from visiting him. Joe’s son, Jermaine said,

No one knew what was going on — we shouldn’t have to beg, plead, and argue to see our own father, especially at a time like this. We have been hurting. We were not being told where he was and couldn’t get the full picture. Even from the doctor. My mother was worried sick. He’s very, very frail, he doesn’t have long. The family needs to be by his bedside — that’s our only intention in his final days.

At the Radio Disney Awards last week (June 22), while being honored with the Impact Award, Janet spoke about her father saying,

My mother [Katherine] nourished me with the most extravagant love imaginable, my father, my incredible father, drove me to be the best that I can. 

Joe is survived by daughters Rebbie, La Toya and Janet; sons Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy; and wife Katherine. Michael passed away in 2009.

By: Miss Johnson P