On Sunday night, we lost Toriano Adaryll Jackson – better known as Tito – guitarist and founding member of the Jackson 5 and The Jacksons. His sons Taj, Taryll and TJ confirmed Monday that he suffered a heart attack while driving to Oklahoma.
Jackie, Marlon, Randy, and Jermaine Jackson spoke about Tito’s passing on Tuesday with a tribute on X (formerly Twitter) honoring his memory, saying, “We are beyond devastated and still in total shock that our dear brother Tito is no longer with us… he was always selfless, kind, laid back, cool, and always humble. He was loved wherever he went. Tito was such a loving brother and father. … Everything began for us when Tito broke that guitar string and The Jackson 5 were born. Just a few days ago, we were onstage together in Munich, Germany. We could never have dreamt that would be our last time with him. We lived our lives on stage, and Tito was on stage till the end, spreading joy and love.”
They ended the message saying “He’s now with our brother Michael, our brother Brandon, and our father. Our world will never be the same. He will always be forever in our hearts. We love you so much Tito.”
All week, fans from across the country came to the Jackson's house in Gary, Indiana to pay their respects, where he had been visiting more often recently after decades away.
Tito was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Jackson 5 in 1997 and earned three Grammy nominations throughout his career as part of the group.
Let's honor his memory by remembering to always celebrate your magic! xo