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Katherine Jackson

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For other people named Katherine Jackson, see Katherine Jackson (disambiguation).

Katherine Jackson
Jackson in 1977
Born
Katherine Esther Scruse

(1930-05-04) May 4, 1930 (age 96)
Clayton, Alabama, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1949; died 2018)​
Children10, including Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy, and Janet
FamilyJackson

Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse[a]; born May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers that includes her children Michael and Janet Jackson. Michael dedicated his sixth studio album Thriller (1982) to her. Janet did the same with her fourth studio album Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). In 1985, acknowledging the positive impact on her children's successful music careers, national urban magazine Essence honored her as "Mother of the Year".

Early life

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Jackson was born Katherine Esther Screws[1][2] on May 4, 1930, in Clayton, Alabama, the elder daughter of Martha (née Upshaw; December 14, 1907 – April 30, 1990) and Prince Albert Scruse (October 16, 1907 – January 21, 1997). She contracted polio at age two, which left her with a noticeable limp. In 1934, her father changed his surname from Screws to Scruse and renamed her Katherine Esther Scruse.[2][3]

As a child, Jackson aspired to become an actress or a country singer, but was discouraged by the absence of notable Black country performers. Her parents divorced when she was still a child. She attended Washington High School in East Chicago, Indiana, where she joined the school band and school orchestra.[3]

Matriarch of the Jackson family

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Main article: Jackson family

In 1947, Scruse met Joseph "Joe" Jackson, a fellow resident of East Chicago, Indiana, and they began dating after Jackson obtained an annulment of his earlier marriage. After a year of courtship, Scruse and Jackson married on November 5, 1949. In January 1950, they purchased a house at 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana, which had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a small utility room for the washing machine and freezer. Their sons slept in bunk beds in one bedroom, Katherine and Joe in the other, and their daughters in the living room.[4]

From 1950 to 1966, ten children were born to them, including Brandon Jackson, the twin of Marlon, who died a few hours after their birth. Their children are:[5][3]

The single-story house has white walls, two windows, a central white door with a black door frame, and a black roof.
Jackson's family home in Gary, Indiana, pictured in July 2014

The Jackson 5

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Main article: The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 in 1969

The Jackson 5 was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana. The group included brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael joining soon after.[6][7][8][9] They performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit, then signed with Steeltown Records in 1967 and released two singles.[10] The group was managed by Joe.[11] In 1968, they left Steeltown Records and signed with Motown and Berry Gordy, becoming the first group to debut with four consecutive number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There".[12]

During the couple's early years in Gary, Indiana, Katherine sang with Joe while he played guitar. Joe and his brother Luther formed an R&B band, the Falcons, in the mid-1950s to earn extra income. Joe also pursued a boxing career before working as a crane operator at East Chicago's Inland Steel Company to support the family.[13] Katherine, a devout Jehovah's Witness, worked part-time at Sears in Gary and played clarinet, cello, and piano. She recognized Michael's musical ability early on, recalling that she once saw him dancing to the rhythm of their old Maytag washing machine. Another son, Tito, secretly played Joe's guitar when Joe was not home and eventually broke a string. After the guitar was repaired, Tito played for Joe, which helped spark the formation of the family group initially called "The Jackson Brothers 5," later renamed the Jackson 5.[14][4][15]

While Joe led the rehearsals in the living room, Katherine designed and hand‑sewed the boys' stage outfits and visited The Salvation Army for shoes. She also sang harmonies with her sons around the kitchen table. Jackson served as the family's backbone.[16][17]

Personal life

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Katherine filed for divorce from Joe in March 1973 but later withdrew the petition.[18] In August 1974, Cheryl Terrell gave birth to Joe's daughter, Joh'Vonnie Jackson. Katherine again filed for divorce in 1982, but once more rescinded the papers. The couple remained legally married until Joe's death in 2018,[19] and Katherine denied repeated claims that they were estranged.[20][21] In 1990, she published her autobiography, My Family, The Jacksons, which chronicled her early life and her relationship with her husband and children; eight of her children contributed salutes in the book's foreword.[5]

In 1980, Katherine and her two youngest children, Randy and Janet, confronted a woman who worked for Joe's company and whom Katherine had reportedly accused of having an affair with him.[19] The incident was dramatized in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream,[22] where Katherine was depicted confronting Joe rather than the woman. During the late 1980s, she became estranged from her daughter La Toya, who was then managed by her husband Jack Gordon. In her 1991 memoir La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family, La Toya alleged that her mother was emotionally abusive, accusations Katherine denied, attributing them to Gordon's "brainwashing." The two reconciled in 1997 after La Toya filed for divorce from Gordon.[23]

Tributes

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Michael dedicated his 1982 album Thriller to Katherine. Janet did the same following the release of her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814. In 1985, acknowledging her positive influence on her children's successful music careers, the national urban magazine Essence honored her as "Mother of the Year".[17]

In a 2010 interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, she acknowledged that her husband had admitted to having physically disciplined their children.[24]

Later life

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Jackson's Star with flowers and notes on it
Fans placed flowers and notes on Michael's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the day of his death.

On June 25, 2009, Katherine's son Michael died from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray. In July 2009, Katherine and Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael's two oldest children, reached a settlement regarding the care of Rowe's children, Prince and Paris. The agreement provided that the children would be raised by Katherine, while Rowe would have visitation rights and would continue to receive the yearly payments to which Michael had agreed.[25] On August 3, 2009, a judge named Jackson as the children's permanent guardian.[26]

As of 2011, Katherine resided at her home in Calabasas, California, with her grandson TJ Jackson, son of Tito, and his family, having moved out of her Hayvenhurst home in Encino, California, due to renovations.[27][28] On July 25, 2012, Jackson's guardianship of the children was suspended by the court amid allegations that several Jackson family members might have held her against her will as part of a financial dispute with Michael's estate.[29] Guardianship of the children was temporarily granted to Michael's nephew, TJ.[30] Jackson's guardianship later resumed, with TJ added as a co-guardian.[31][32]

On November 1, 2017, Jackson resigned co-guardianship of Michael's youngest son, Bigi. She stated that her reasons included her advanced age, the fact that Michael's oldest children Prince and Paris were now adults, and Bigi being 15 years old. TJ was, without objection, awarded sole custody.[33]

On September 15, 2024, Jackson's second son Tito died of a heart attack.[34][35]

Portrayals

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Katherine has been portrayed by:

Notes

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  1. ^ Although Katherine was born with the surname Screws, her father altered the surname in 1934 to Scruse. On further records up until her marriage to Joe Jackson, she was listed as Scruse.

References

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  1. ^ "Katherine Jackson". Biography. November 17, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "jackson source". jackson source.
  3. ^ a b c "Who is Michael and Janet Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson?". Smooth. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Duke, Alan (August 29, 2013). "Michael Jackson's mom remembers her 'sweet little boy'". CNN.
  5. ^ a b Jackson, Katherine; Rich Wiseman (1990). My Family, the Jacksons. St. Martin's Paperbacks. ISBN 0-312-92350-3.
  6. ^ Charlie Burton (February 7, 2018). "Inside the Jackson machine". GQ. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Carlson, Peter; Wolmuth, Roger (May 7, 1984). "Tour De Force". People. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  8. ^ Douglas Towne (March 2, 2018). "Mile-High Motown". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Timothy Guy (February 24, 2015). "FANTASY SPRINGS: Marlon Jackson talks about Jacksons' legacy". Press Enterprise. The Press-Enterprise. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "Steeltown Records – Indiana Local Labels". 45rpmrecords.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  11. ^ "Joe Jackson, father and manager of the Jackson 5, dead at 89". UPI.
  12. ^ "The Jackson 5 | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  13. ^ "Joe Jackson, musical family patriarch, dead at 89". CBS58. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "Great dynasties of the world: The Jacksons". the Guardian. September 2, 2011.
  15. ^ "Tito Jackson Exclusive Life Story Interview". Celebrity Radio. January 23, 2011.
  16. ^ "Profile: Katherine Jackson". the Guardian. June 29, 2009.
  17. ^ a b "Michael Jackson's mum turns 90, reflects on his death -". May 5, 2020.
  18. ^ J. Randy Taraborrelli (July 15, 2009). Michael Jackson:: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story 1958-2009. Grand Central Publishing. pp. 73–. ISBN 978-0-446-56568-4.
  19. ^ a b Donald Bogle (June 6, 2017). Elizabeth and Michael: The Queen of Hollywood and the King of Pop—A Love Story. Simon and Schuster. pp. 158–. ISBN 978-1-4516-7698-3.
  20. ^ "Michael Jackson's mom talks about motherhood, family". CNN. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  21. ^ "Katherine Jackson Speaks To Geraldo Rivera 8/2/09". YouTube.com. August 2, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  22. ^ "Her 'American Dream' : ANGELA BASSETT SAYS PLAYING THE MOTHER OF THE JACKSONS WAS EMOTIONAL AND UPLIFTING". Los Angeles Times. November 15, 1992. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  23. ^ "WATCH: La Toya Jackson Details Ex's Abuse". HuffPost. April 24, 2013.
  24. ^ Gina Serpe (November 8, 2010). "Michael Jackson's Kids, Parents Join Oprah: Talk Plastic Surgery, Beatings and...French Toast?". eonline.com.
  25. ^ "Jackson ex-wife Rowe could receive over $3 mn to settle children custody". The Economic Times. July 14, 2009.
  26. ^ "CityNews". toronto.citynews.ca. August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  27. ^ Taylor, Candace (June 20, 2014). "Michael Jackson's Estate Buys in Calabasas for $10.75 Million". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  28. ^ David, Mark (March 27, 2011). "Kathryn Jackson Takes Her Grandbabies to Calabasas". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  29. ^ "Katherine Jackson loses custody of MJ's kids". Firstpost.com. July 26, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  30. ^ "Judge suspends Katherine Jackson as guardian of Michael Jackson's children". CNN. July 25, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  31. ^ Duke, Alan (August 2, 2012). "Katherine Jackson resumes guardianship of Michael Jackson's children". CNN. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  32. ^ "Autopsy Report for Michael Jackson" (PDF). Autopsyfiles.org. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  33. ^ "Katherine Jackson resigns as Blanket Jackson's co-guardian". www.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  34. ^ Rufo, Yasmin (September 16, 2024). "Jackson 5 singer Tito Jackson dead at 70". BBC News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  35. ^ Willman, Chris (September 15, 2024). "Tito Jackson, Founding Member of the Jackson 5, Dies at 70". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  36. ^ "The Jacksons: An American Dream". January 1, 2000. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via IMDb.
  37. ^ "Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story". August 6, 2004. Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via IMDb.
  38. ^ "Colman Domingo to Play Patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate & Universal's Michael Jackson Biopic 'Michael'". January 25, 2024. Archived from the original on August 30, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
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