Gary & The Jackson 5

Born in Gary, Indiana in 1958, Michael was the breakout child star of the Jackson 5 — signed to Motown in 1968, scoring four straight #1s ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", "I’ll Be There") by the time he was twelve.

Part of Michael Jackson

14 moments in this segment.

1. 1958-08-29 — Born in Gary, Indiana (1958). Michael Joseph Jackson is born on 29 August 1958, the eighth of ten children in a working-class family in Gary, Indiana.
2. 1969-03-11 — The Jackson 5 sign to Motown (1969). With Michael singing lead, the Jackson 5 sign to Motown and explode — their first four singles all hit #1.
3. 1969-12-14 — Jackson 5 — "I Want You Back" (Ed Sullivan). The Jackson 5’s national TV breakout — a tiny Michael fronting their first #1.
4. 1970-02-24 — The Jackson 5 — "ABC" (1970). A ten-year-old Michael fronts "ABC", one of four consecutive Jackson 5 chart-toppers and a Motown landmark.
5. 1970-05-24 — Jackson 5 — "The Love You Save" (Ed Sullivan). The third of four straight #1s, on The Ed Sullivan Show.
6. 1970-08-28 — Jackson 5 — "I’ll Be There". The ballad that became their biggest hit and a Motown standard.
7. 1970-09-25 — The Jackson 5 on the Jim Nabors Show (1970). The brothers on prime-time American TV at the height of Jacksonmania.
8. 1971-09-11 — The Jackson 5ive cartoon (1971). The Saturday-morning cartoon that turned the brothers into kids’ TV icons.
9. 1972-07-12 — Michael Jackson — "Ben" (1972). His first solo #1 as a child star — a ballad to a pet rat.
10. 1972-11-04 — The Jackson 5 on Soul Train (1972). The group on the show that defined Black music television.
11. 1973-04-13 — The teenage Michael (1973). A young Michael Jackson mid-way through the Jackson 5 years.
12. 1974-02-16 — Jackson 5 — "Dancing Machine" & the robot. Michael’s "robot" dance on Soul Train made the group a 70s sensation again.
13. 1976-11-05 — The Jacksons (1976). Leaving Motown for Epic, the group becomes "The Jacksons" and Michael begins writing and producing — a step toward independence.
14. 2008 — Michael & Janet. The Jackson family produced a dynasty — Michael and his sister Janet both becoming global stars. The subject dates from 1972; this photograph was taken in 2008.