Marlon Jackson

This article is about the musician. For the association football player, see Marlon Jackson (footballer). For the American Football player, see Marlin Jackson.

Marlon Jackson
Marlon Jackson in 2013
Born	Marlon David Jackson (1957-03-12) March 12, 1957 Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter dancer
Years active	1966–present
Spouse	Carol Parker ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	3
Parents	Joe Jackson Katherine Jackson
Family	Jackson
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B Soul
Instrument	Vocals
Labels	Steeltown Motown Epic Capitol

Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957) is an American entertainer, singer, and dancer. Jackson was a member of the Jackson 5, and is the sixth child of the Jackson family.

Early life

Marlon David Jackson was born on March 12, 1957, at St Mary's Mercy Hospital in Gary, Indiana, the sixth child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His twin brother, Brandon, died 24 hours after birth. Marlon and Brandon were several weeks premature. Marlon attended Cal Prep in Encino, California, graduating in 1975.

The Jackson 5

Main article: The Jackson 5

While Marlon was still a child, his older brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine formed an early incarnation of what became the Jackson 5. Marlon and younger brother Michael soon joined the group, initially as percussionists. In the group's early years, Marlon had trouble singing and keeping up with dance steps. But through perseverance, he became a proficient singer, songwriter, producer, and especially dancer, known for being the main choreographer of many of the group's signature dance routines, such as the Funk Shovel and the Jackson Point Dance. To this day, the Jackson brothers call him the "Dancingest Jackson", a term he came up with when Carol Burnett asked them to come up with nicknames to describe their personalities and all the brothers agreed. On the Jackson 5's "Up on the Housetop" from their Christmas album, Michael sings describing what each brother wants for Christmas. Of Marlon, he says:

Marlon wears his shoes so thin/he went through his socks again/he's always dancing as you know.

and Marlon replies:

So bring me some shoes with lots of soul.

In Michael's 1988 book Moonwalk, he wrote of Marlon:

Marlon was, and is, one of the most determined people I've ever met. He, too, was a real joker and prankster. He used to be the one who'd always get in trouble in the early days because he'd be out of step or miss a note, but that was far from true later.

While brothers Michael and Jermaine were the group's main attractions, all five Jackson brothers sang lead spots on various songs. Marlon's voice can noticeably be heard on "Feelin' Alright", "Little Bitty Pretty One", and "Corner of the Sky". He took a more prominent singing role on the 1973 G.I.T.: Get It Together album, particularly in the last minutes of the song "Mama I Gotta Brand New Thing (Don't Say No)". Eventually, a dispute with Motown led to the group's split from the label in 1976, whereupon they signed with Epic Records. After the departure of Jermaine and inclusion of youngest brother Randy in the move, the group was forced to change their name to "the Jacksons". All the brothers took a more active role in their music and Marlon filled in for Jermaine's vocal parts when they performed Jackson 5 songs. On the debut Jacksons albums, Marlon sang lead spots on "Strength of a Man" and "Man of War." The Destiny and Triumph albums returned the brothers to the top of the pop charts. In the finale of Triumph Marlon shared a duet with Michael, "Give it Up". The return of Jermaine to the group in 1983, after their reunited performance at Motown 25, led to the Victory album and tour in 1984. For Victory, Marlon wrote, produced, and sang his first solo lead on the single "Body". In the video for the single, he rides a motorcycle and leads a troupe of dancers. Despite the success of both the album and tour, monetary problems and rumored clashes among the brothers led to the collapse of the Jacksons as a group. Michael announced his exit from the group at the end of the tour, and Marlon stunned family members by announcing his split a year later. This left the Jacksons as a quartet of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Randy for their final album, 2300 Jackson Street, although Michael and Marlon joined their brothers on the album's title single.

Solo career

In 1987, Marlon released his debut solo album, Baby Tonight. It featured the number-two R&B hit "Don't Go", which he performed to an enthusiastic audience on The Late Show with Arsenio Hall. During the show, he was interviewed by Hall, and said:

I've always wanted to do a solo album and I've always wanted to pursue a solo career. I feel that God has a time for everybody and I think that this is my time.

Later years

Unlike his brothers, after his brief brush with solo stardom, Marlon embarked on a career outside show business, becoming a real estate agent in Southern California. He was also part owner of the Black Family Channel, a cable network designed to bring family-friendly programming to the Black community. Marlon joined his brothers on stage when the Jacksons were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2001, he reunited with his brothers to perform as the Jacksons during Michael's 30th-anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden. He was part of the reality series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, in 2009. His brothers (except Randy) and he have been performing off and on since 2012.

Personal life

Family

In August 1975, 18-year-old Jackson married his girlfriend, Carol Ann Parker, whom he met in New Orleans during one of the Jacksons' tours. Jackson and Parker have three children:

• Valencia Caroline Jackson (born December 18, 1976)
• Brittny Shauntee Jackson (born September 4, 1978)
• Marlon David Jackson, Jr. (born September 23, 1981)

Marlon and Carol have six grandchildren, two from Valencia and four from Brittny.

Michael's memorial

Growing up, Marlon had been especially close to Michael, whom he considered the substitute for his lost twin brother, Brandon. On July 7, 2009, he and his family offered their final eulogies for Michael, saying he was the "soul" of the family, and breaking down as he tearfully addressed the crowd: "Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone" and "I would like for you to give our brother, my twin brother, Brandon, a hug for me." Marlon fought back tears as he said, "I love you, Michael, and I'll miss you."

Discography

See also: The Jackson 5 discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US	US R&B
Baby Tonight	Released July 1987 Label: Capitol Formats: LP, CD	175	22

Singles

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
		US R&B
"(Let Your Love Find) The Chosen One"	1986	—	The Golden Child
"Baby Tonight"	1987	57	Baby Tonight
"Don't Go"		2
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Other contributions

• 1980: La Toya Jackson – La Toya Jackson
• 1981: My Special Love – La Toya Jackson
• 1983: Wright Back at You – Betty Wright
• 1983: Respect – Billy Griffin
• 1984: Heart Don't Lie – La Toya Jackson
• 1984: Dream Street – Janet Jackson
• 1985: "We Are the World" – USA for Africa
• 1986: The Golden Child Soundtrack
• 1989: 2300 Jackson Street – The Jacksons featuring Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Rebbie Jackson and Marlon Jackson