Joe Jackson, the failed blues musician and abusive patriarch of the musical Jackson family, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 89.
According to Clark County coroner John Fudenberg, Jackson died just before 3:00 a.m. at Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas – only two days after the 9th anniversary of the sudden death of his most famous son, Michael Jackson.
“We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson's passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family,” read a statement from the co-executors of Michael Jackson’s estate.
“Joe was a strong man who acknowledged his own imperfections and heroically delivered his sons and daughters from the steel mills of Gary, Indiana, to worldwide pop superstardom.”
La Toya Jackson tweeted: "I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world. I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared."
Jackson married Katherine Scruse in 1949 and they had 10 children, including Brandon, who died as an infant. He played guitar in a short-lived blues band called The Falcons but eventually focused on the music careers of five of his six sons – Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael – into global superstars. (Randy Jackson would perform with the group later.)
Under Jackson's management, The Jackson 5 become global superstars with a string of hits that included “I Want You Back,” “I’ll Be There” and “ABC” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
The Jackson couple’s three daughters – Rebbie, La Toya and Janet – also pursued music careers, with Janet enjoying the most success.
Michael went on to expose Joe as emotionally and physically abusive and Janet said of her father in a 2011 interview: “The way he went about certain things wasn't the best.”
Jackson admitted only to punishing his children with a belt. “It kept them out of jail and kept them right,” he told Oprah Winfrey in 2010.
In 1974, Jackson fathered a daughter with Cheryl Terrell, with whom he had a long affair. Katherine filed for divorce in 1973 and again in 1982 but rescinded the papers both times.
Jackson, who had diabetes, suffered a stroke in 2015. A year ago this month, he suffered minor injuries in a car crash in Las Vegas. According to reports, he had been battling pancreatic cancer.
Days before this death, a verified Twitter account with his name had a post that read: “I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes.” (His granddaughter Paris Jackson tweeted: “My grandfather did not tweet this. i’m not sure if he’s ever used this account.”)
Taj Jackson, son of Tito Jackson, tweeted: "Joe was loved by our ENTIRE family and our hearts are in pain.
"Thank you Grandpa for the amazing strength, determination and pride you showed this family. The Jackson legacy would not exist without you. I lost a grandfather but heaven gained The Hawk."