Michael Jackson Siblings: The Family Story Behind the King of Pop
When people hear the name Michael Jackson, they usually think of the moonwalk, the white glove, Thriller and the extraordinary career that earned him the title “King of Pop.”
But before Michael Jackson became a global superstar, he was simply one child in a remarkably large musical family growing up in Gary, Indiana.
Michael was the eighth child of Joseph and Katherine Jackson. His siblings included Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy and Janet. Marlon also had a twin brother, Brandon, who died shortly after birth. The South China Morning Post’s profile of the Jackson family provides an overview of the family structure and also explores the lesser-known story of Michael’s half-sister, Joh’Vonnie Jackson.
Together, the Jackson children created one of the most recognizable musical families in American entertainment.
How many siblings did Michael Jackson have?
Michael Jackson had nine siblings in the immediate Jackson family, including Brandon, Marlon’s twin who died shortly after birth.
The surviving children of Joe and Katherine Jackson were:
- Rebbie Jackson
- Jackie Jackson
- Tito Jackson
- Jermaine Jackson
- La Toya Jackson
- Marlon Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Randy Jackson
- Janet Jackson
Michael’s family history is sometimes described differently because his father, Joe Jackson, also had a daughter, Joh’Vonnie Jackson, from another relationship. Joh’Vonnie was born in 1974 to Joe and Cheryle Terrell and grew up separately from Michael and his brothers and sisters.
The South China Morning Post’s detailed profile of Joh’Vonnie Jackson describes her as Michael’s half-sister and details her very different childhood within the Jackson family.
The Jackson 5 changed Michael’s life
Michael’s career began with his brothers.
Jackie, Tito and Jermaine were among the first siblings to perform together, with Marlon and Michael joining the group that eventually became the Jackson 5.
According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s history of the Jackson 5, the group became one of Motown’s most successful acts and helped launch Michael’s career.
The classic lineup consisted of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael.
Their early hits included “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There.” The group’s extraordinary success made Michael a star while he was still a child.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s account of the Jackson 5 notes that the group was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
Behind that success, however, was a demanding family environment. Their father, Joe Jackson, pushed his sons through extensive rehearsals and performances, helping transform the family act into a professional group.
Jackie Jackson was the eldest Jackson brother
Born in 1951, Jackie Jackson was the oldest of the Jackson brothers.
He was involved with the family group from its early days and remained part of the Jackson 5 when the brothers achieved national fame.
Jackie later continued performing with his brothers when the group became known as the Jacksons.
While Michael eventually became the most famous member of the family, Jackie remained an important part of the group’s history. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Jackson 5 profile identifies Jackie as one of the five brothers who formed the classic Jackson 5 lineup.
Tito Jackson was the guitarist
Tito Jackson, born Toriano Adaryll Jackson in 1953, had a different role from Michael.
He was the group’s guitarist and helped provide the musical foundation behind the brothers’ performances.
Tito’s musical career continued long after the Jackson 5’s peak. He later performed blues and other styles and remained active as a musician.
Tito died in September 2024 at the age of 70. His death was another major loss for a family that had already endured the deaths of Michael, Joe and other relatives.
His sons Taj, Taryll and TJ also followed the family tradition of making music as the group 3T.
Jermaine Jackson had his own complicated relationship with the group
Jermaine Jackson, born in 1954, was one of the most prominent members of the original Jackson 5.
He was not only Michael’s older brother but also one of the group’s principal vocalists during its early success.
Jermaine’s career took a different direction when the Jackson 5 left Motown. He remained with Motown for a period while his brothers moved to Epic Records, after which Randy became part of the group’s new lineup.
The brothers eventually became known as the Jacksons.
Jermaine also developed a substantial solo career, recording numerous albums and singles outside the family group.
His relationship with Michael remained particularly significant because the two had experienced the earliest years of fame together.
La Toya Jackson built a career of her own
La Toya Jackson, born in 1956, was Michael’s older sister.
Unlike the brothers who formed the Jackson 5, La Toya developed her own career in music and television.
She released solo albums and became a familiar celebrity figure in the 1980s and 1990s.
Her public relationship with the Jackson family was sometimes complicated, particularly after the publication of her autobiography La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family.
Over time, however, she remained part of the broader Jackson family story.
The Jackson siblings’ individual careers were significant enough that the family achieved a rare distinction: Guinness World Records records all nine children of Joe and Katherine Jackson as having achieved solo U.S. chart success.
Marlon Jackson experienced a devastating loss before Michael was born
Marlon Jackson was born in 1957 and became one of the five original Jackson 5 members.
But his place in the family was marked by a tragedy.
Marlon was a twin. His brother, Brandon Jackson, died shortly after birth.
That meant Michael, who was born the following year, grew up with the knowledge that he had another older brother who had never survived infancy.
The Jackson family history published by The Guardian also records Brandon’s death and describes the large family growing up in Gary, Indiana.
Marlon continued working in music after the Jackson 5 era and remained connected to his brothers’ performances.
Randy Jackson joined his brothers later
Randy Jackson, born in 1961, was younger than Michael and therefore was not part of the original Jackson 5 lineup.
He eventually joined his brothers when Jermaine remained with Motown.
Randy became part of the group that was renamed the Jacksons and participated in the family’s later music career.
He was also involved in songwriting. The Jacksons’ later work included “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground),” one of the group’s best-known post-Motown songs.
The South China Morning Post’s history of the Jacksons notes that Randy was part of the Jackson family story but later chose to keep a lower public profile than some of his brothers.
Janet Jackson became a superstar in her own right
If Michael was the family’s biggest male superstar, Janet Jackson became the other Jackson sibling to achieve extraordinary global fame.
Born in 1966, Janet was the youngest of Joe and Katherine Jackson’s children.
Her career initially developed through television, including appearances on The Jacksons and Good Times. She later moved into music and eventually broke away from the image of being simply “Michael Jackson’s little sister.”
Her 1986 album Control became a turning point.
Janet subsequently released albums including Rhythm Nation 1814, janet., The Velvet Rope and All for You, establishing herself as one of the most influential performers in pop and R&B.
Her career was so significant that, as Guinness World Records notes, she became one of nine Jackson siblings to achieve a solo recording on the U.S. charts.
Janet was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, further establishing that the Jackson musical legacy did not end with Michael.
Rebbie Jackson was the eldest sister
Rebbie Jackson, born Maureen Reillette Jackson in 1950, was the oldest of the Jackson children.
She did not join the Jackson 5 but later pursued a solo career.
Her best-known recording is “Centipede,” which was released in 1984 and became a notable hit.
Compared with Michael and Janet, Rebbie largely stayed away from the intense international spotlight surrounding the Jackson family.
Nevertheless, she remained close to the family’s musical world and occasionally appeared in Jackson-related projects.
The secret half-sister: Joh’Vonnie Jackson
Perhaps the most surprising answer to the question “Who are Michael Jackson’s siblings?” is Joh’Vonnie Jackson.
Joh’Vonnie is the daughter of Joe Jackson and Cheryle Terrell. She was born in 1974, several years after Michael, and grew up separately from the children Joe had with Katherine Jackson.
Her story attracted considerable attention because of the enormous difference between her childhood and that of Michael and his siblings.
In her memoir, Joh’Vonnie described the complicated experience of being connected to one of the world’s most famous families while growing up outside its main household.
According to the South China Morning Post’s interview and profile of Joh’Vonnie, she said she did not meet Michael until she was 29.
She also spoke about her relationship—or lack of closeness—with some of her famous siblings.
The story became even more unusual because Joh’Vonnie’s daughter Yasmine reportedly had a childhood connection with Michael’s daughter Paris.
That created a relationship between two branches of the Jackson family that had grown up in very different circumstances.
Joe Jackson and the making of a musical dynasty
Behind the siblings’ success was their father, Joseph “Joe” Jackson.
Joe worked at a steel company in Gary, Indiana, but he also had musical ambitions. He played guitar and had performed with a local R&B group called the Falcons.
When he recognized the musical abilities of his sons, he began organizing them into a performing group.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s history of the Jackson 5 describes how the brothers’ early performances eventually led to their breakthrough with Motown.
The family did not simply stumble into fame.
The boys rehearsed extensively, performed in talent contests and eventually began working professional stages.
But Joe’s approach to raising and training his children remains one of the most controversial parts of the Jackson story.
Michael and some of his siblings later described strict and sometimes abusive discipline from their father. At the same time, different members of the family have spoken about Joe’s role in more complicated terms, recognizing both the opportunities he created and the pressures he placed on his children.
How successful were Michael Jackson’s siblings?
Michael was unquestionably the most commercially successful Jackson sibling, but his brothers and sisters achieved something extraordinary collectively.
According to Guinness World Records, all nine children of Joe and Katherine Jackson eventually charted with solo recordings in the United States.
That group includes Michael, Janet, Jermaine, La Toya, Rebbie, Marlon, Jackie, Randy and Tito.
Few entertainment families can claim anything comparable.
The Jackson family therefore produced not just one successful recording artist but multiple performers who achieved careers of their own.
Where are Michael Jackson’s siblings now?
Michael’s death in 2009 changed the Jackson family forever, but his siblings continued to work in music and entertainment.
Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon continued performing as the Jacksons, while Tito maintained his own musical career before his death in 2024.
Janet continued her enormously successful solo career, while Rebbie and La Toya maintained more private or selective public profiles.
Randy has generally remained less visible than his brothers.
A South China Morning Post overview of the Jackson family has also documented how different members of the family pursued music, television and other careers following Michael’s death.
The family has also remained connected through the next generation.
Tito’s sons Taj, Taryll and TJ formed 3T, while other members of the younger Jackson generation have pursued music and entertainment.
The Jackson siblings’ story is bigger than Michael
It is tempting to tell the Jackson family story as though everything began and ended with Michael.
It did not.
Michael was undoubtedly the family’s defining superstar, but his career grew from a musical environment created by his brothers, sisters and parents.
Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy helped build the family group that introduced Michael to the world.
Rebbie and La Toya developed careers of their own.
Janet eventually became an international superstar whose career stands alongside Michael’s as one of the family’s greatest achievements.
Brandon’s brief life remains part of the family’s history, while Joh’Vonnie’s story reveals a separate and lesser-known branch of Joe Jackson’s family.
The Jackson siblings therefore represent much more than the supporting cast around the King of Pop.
They were the beginning of his story.
And long before Michael Jackson became one of the most famous people on the planet, he was simply Michael—the eighth child in a crowded Gary, Indiana household whose brothers and sisters were learning to make music together.
