As you already know I am crazy about the J5ive. I play their music everyday. But that is not the thing that had caused to become obsessed with these group of young men. It's the Brotherly love.
The Jackson 5 were more than just band mates, they were flesh and blood brothers. All 5 of them were very close and had a bond that no band members, brothers or not had. No matter how much more popularity one brother had over another they still remained very close. They always stuck together, even after each one went their separate ways.
You don't have to be a major Jackson 5 Fanatic like I am to feel the brotherly love. You can hear it in their harmonies, how they blend so perfectly together. They do sound great solo but I believe they sound the greatest together, as that quartet of handsome brothers. That's the thing I love the best about their group, they had such beautiful harmony, on stage and off.
So now that I've discussed the brotherly love I must show it to you. Here is a Motown interview with all 5 of the brothers In titled "Brotherly Fun". It is brotherly fun but what I also see is plenty of brotherly love. This interview will also allow you to get to know the 5 better. They answer questions about their interest and even share some of their pre-fame stories. After the videos, what are your views on the J5ive's brotherly bond??? Do you think they always maintained harmony??? As always your comments and opinions are welcome!!!
The Jackson 5 did not just have an impact on music , they also left a big impact on style. Who could resist those physcadelic button ups paired with colorful vest, cummerbunds , bell bottoms and shiny platform shoes. But we are not here to talk about the Jackson brother's threads, we want to talk about their hair! No one wears the Fro like the J5!!
As we've stated early on the Jackson 5 are trend setters for young people. In their hay day they influenced a lot of young people and they still do. But one Big thing they influence is the least thing you'd expect; hair!
The Jackson 5 are not the first to sport the Fro but they really did make it one of the biggest trends in the 70's. Afro were originally a symbol of political power. The Fro was originally worn by black activist such as the Black Panthers and activist Angela Davis. But Afros were also a symbol of Black Pride and showing that black can be beautiful. J5 were people beautiful indeed.
I personally believe that the Jackson brothers donned their Afros for both purposes. One, to show the older generation that often and to this day still judges the younger generations for their trends, that you can still look dapper and not cut your hair. Two, that coarse hair is beautiful and three, the bigger the Afro the better!!!! The Jackson brothers had the biggest best Afros ever!!! In their early years Jermaine had the biggest Afro, but by the time he got older Michael had Jermaine beat!
So what are your views on the fro??? Are you bold enough to don one???? What do you think about the brother's Fros??? As always your views and opinions are always welcome. Please comment!
It's time for a little lesson on Jackson 5 History!
The Jackson family home in Gary, Indiana
Any star (or stars in this case!) who has made it big started out with very humble beginnings. The Jackson brothers most certainly were not born with their fame. It took persistence, confidence and hard work to get them to the top. The question is , how did the Jackson 5 gain fame?????
It all started with a dream. In the small town of Gary, Indiana, on the street of 2300 Jackson, The Jackson Brothers got their start. Music has always played an important role in the lives of the Jacksons. Joseph Jackson, their father and manger of the group, was apart of a local band in town call "The Falcons" and had long since given his children a love for music. Living in an at risk neighborhood, the older boys often dogged trouble by staying in the house. While Joseph was away They would practice jamming on his guitar even though they were not permitted to play it. I guess that goes to show that talent can develop out of defiance.
The boys continued to be constructive using Joseph guitar. Their mother and even little Michael promised not to tell Joseph anything but one day a string broke on the guitar and the boys knew they were in for it. The boys were devastated and ready for their punishment. What they weren't ready for however was Joseph's reaction. He was not at all concerned with the broken string. His new focus was on the new talent he had discovered in his sons.
While Joseph was rounding up the band he was still having trouble on deciding if one member should join- Michael. It's pretty hard to believe that the band's lead singer and most popular member would be given second thoughts on entering the band but Joseph was concerned about whether or not they could pull that off. Michael had to prove himself. At his elementary school, Michael did a wonderful rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" for the "Sound Of Music" that earned him an outstanding standing ovation. After this Joseph didn't have a reason to have any more doubts. Dynamite does come in small packages.
Now the band, consisting of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, was complete. The boys rehearsed every day after school . Children in the neighborhood would throw rocks at their window and tell them they were never going to make it but despite their peers discouragement they kept moving on. Joseph took his boys through a series of contest and talent shows. Eventually the boys got to Amature Night at the Apollo. Their performance was so enjoyable they were asked to come back. This lead to bigger and better things giving the boys a temporary contract with Steeltown and eventually leading them to the promise land by landing them an audition with Motown. The boys were signed.
The Jackson 5 made their first national Tv performance at the 1969 Miss Black American Pageant.Those little guys were Jammin!
As you can see it takes courage, hope and hard work to achieve your dreams. Anyone can do it you've just put your mind to it no mater what anyone says. Now here's something for you to think about. What do you think would have happened if the J5 would have listened to the children that said they couldn't do it??? How would that have effected them and where would they be today??? Also here's another big question to think about, How would the group have changed if Joseph wouldn't have allowed Michael in the group??? How would the group have been set up differently?
I hope I have not bored you with a history lesson or interrogated you too much! As always your thoughts and opinions are much appreciated. Thanks for reading and remember: "It's your thing, do what you wanna do!"
And we can build a world that is right, We can be the children of the light
The last thing the world ever expected was for a group of skinny, swollen haired yougsters, lead by a short, whinny voiced twelve year old to rule the 70's in the same fashion the Beatles dominated the 60's. The world just wasn't ready for the ridiculous amount of talent these young men possessed. Who do I speak of you ask?? Why, only the Jackson 5 of course! Once upon a time The Jackson 5 were all the rage. In fact some of you who read this blog can remember the days of Jackson Mania, Maybe even you were a victim of the Teeny boppers charisma. I am a Jackson fan of a new generation. When the J5ive were in there hayday I wasn't even a mere thought but I have found myself to have fallen madly in love with the soulful sounds of these brothers. My intentions for this blog is present this Funky, Bad(In a very good way!) group to a younger generation and maybe help the older generation fall in love with these boys again. Lets face it, every boy band, or band for that matter that has come after the Jackson 5 has not since been able to hold a candle to these boys. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael each hold their own candle that shines brighter than any other group. In their own sense they are the children of the light. The Jackson 5 is truly an example of how children can pave the way for a new generation and generations to come. So come with me, take my hand and allow me to introduce you to a group of boys that together shine bright.
Well some of you are familiar with the 5 and some are not. Either way what are your views on this blog or what group do you think shines bright? As Children or adults?? I'm open to all of your comments. Thanks for reading!
