THE JACKSONS: Tito Jackson Dead at 70

Tito Jackson, the guitar playing brother in The Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, has died at the age of 70.

Although authorities haven’t yet issued and official cause of death, ET cites “longtime Jackson family friend and former Jackson family manager” Steve Manning as saying that Jackson suffered a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma.

Tito was born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on October 15th, 1953 in Gary, Indiana. He was the third child of Joe and Katherine Jackson, following Rebbie [pr: REE-bee] and Jackie, and was five years older than the most famous Jackson brother, Michael. He was an original member of the family group The Jackson 5 and a mainstay of the family’s two bands, and was inducted with his brothers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

He released two solo albums after the breakup of The Jacksons: Tito Time in 2016 and Under Your Spell in 2021.

He’s survived by his three sons, Taj, Taryll and TJ, who work together in the pop R-&-B group 3T. His wife, Delores “Dee Dee” Martes, who he married in 1972 and divorced in 1988, was murdered in 1994. An L.A. businessman, Donald Bohana, was found guilty of killing her.