Joe Jackson dies at 89 after battle with pancreatic cancer
Talent manager Joe Jackson, father of Michael Jackson and manager of the Jackson 5, has died at age 89, according to a source close to the Jackson family.
Jackson was in a Las Vegas hospital, battling stage-four pancreatic cancer last week. He battled several illnesses in recent years and suffered a stroke in 2015.
Celebrities and notable figures who have recently passed away
Jackson's son, Jermaine Jackson, tweeted last Thursday that while his father's health was not good, it was not accurate to say he was dying.
Family members, including Jackson's grandson, Randy Jackson, tweeted about his death late Wednesday morning.
Joe Jackson was the patriarch of one of the most famous entertainment families in the world. Most of the family were born and lived in Gary until the success of the Jackson 5 took them to California.
Chi-Lites performer Marshall Thompson worked alongside Jackson for more than 50 years. As the longtime manager of the Jackson 5, "Papa Joe" was notoriously hard-driving and harsh.
"He used to tell me all the time, 'Marshall, I never knew I could carry this group this far,'" Thompson said.
A talented guitar player, Joe supported his family by working in Gary's steel mills.
"He listened to the radio. He wanted his kids to be just like that, he wanted his kids to hear music, stick in to music, he figured that was his way out of Gary," Thompson said. "And he got out of Gary!"
Jackson returned to Gary on what would have been his son, Michael Jackson's 53rd birthday in 2011. Jackson celebrated his own birthday with family friends in Tinley Park in September.
