The news of Toriano “Tito” Jackson's passing has shaken the music world. As one of the last Jackson family members to release solo music in 2016, Tito was pivotal to the success and growth of the musical family.
While many might remember some of the Jackson 5 members and their singing sisters, their family has had a far-reaching effect. Here is a list of some of the unexpected connections found to the Jackson family.
BERRY GORDY III: FATHER-IN-LAW
The fourth child in the Jackson family, Jermaine is the biggest link to the cousins and relatives of the famous Gordy dynasty. In 1973, he married Heather Gordy who was the daughter of Berry Gordy III who founded Motown.
SKY BLU & REDFOO: BROTHER IN LAW, NEPHEW
Continuing with Jermaine's branch of the family tree, Heather Gordy's brother, Berry Jr is the father of LMFAO band member Sky Blue. He founded the band with his uncle Red Foo who is an in-law of Jermaine.
JACK GORDON: EX-HUSBAND
Latoya Jackson would marry in 1989 bringing Jack Gordon into the family portrait. La Toya was famously coerced into the marriage by Gordon (whose celebrity clients included Shannen Doherty, Sharon Stone and a porn star who rose to fame after having his penis cut off) as a means to protect her from her family. Gordon's publicity stunts would sour LaToya's image in the press and after years of abuse, and Gordon intending to have her star in a smut flick, she ended the marriage in 1996.
STEVIE WONDER: COUSIN
Katherine Jackson may be famed as the staunch matriarch of the family but she also brings in the relationship with Grammy-winning icon Stevie Wonder. Her mother, Martha Upshaw whose mother (Katherine's grandmother) was Stevie's great-grandmother.
ELVIS PRESLEY: FATHER-IN-LAW
What would have been the legacy of Michael Jackson's children if they were rock n roll royalty thanks to his first marriage? Well. we will never really know but the king of pop was once married to the daughter of Elvis Presley in 1994 but they went their separate ways in 1996.
JOHN SEVIER: SIXTH-GREAT UNCLE
A young Janet Jackson would turn heads in 1984 when she eloped with another music dynasty member, James DeBarge. The pair would end their marriage the following year but it created a link between her and James' daughter, Kristinia DeBarge, whose mother was of mixed heritage, connecting her to her sixth-great uncle John Sevier, one of the founding fathers of the state of Tennessee.
James' brother Bobby also briefly dated La Toya Jackson.
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