Jackie Jackson Interview with BLACK IN THE GREEN ROOM

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You are black in the green room with me, your host Keith Underwood.

(00:04):
And this is your spot for real talk about entertainment with entertainers, creatives, and showbiz professionals.
Today, we're honored to have a true music legend with us, Jackie Jackson!
As a founding member of the Jackson, he has been part of some of the most iconic moments in music history,

(00:25):
helping to shape a legacy that continues to inspire generations. From the early days of the Jackson 5 to the present,
Jackie remains a driving force in the industry, and I am so excited to have you in the room today.
Jackie Jackson, welcome to the room!
Thank you so much!
Yes, yes, how you been?

(00:47):
I'm a great man, I can't complain, I'm doing okay.
Good, good, good, well I'm glad to hear that.
Jackie, for some younger folks that might be just discovering the Jackson's,
how would you introduce yourself and the music of the family and your legacy to this new generation of fans?

(01:09):
You know, we've always tried to do the type of music that all generations can enjoy,
you know, remodels, you can bring your whole family to our concert and they won't get offended.
It's just great music to dance to and have fun.
It's like a party on stage, that's what we do and try to just,
it's like having same enemies that are cool in the gang or if you're in the fire, there's no curse words.

(01:33):
It's just great music to have fun and dance to, you know?
Yes, yes. So what does it feel like to you when you see, when you look at it out in an audience,
and you see so many generations there being represented?
I mean, how does that make you feel?
It's such a great feeling that we are, we've been so many people to the concerts because they come
dressed like us and some of the kids are like maybe five or six years old or some of 10 years old.

(01:59):
I say, "Wait a minute, these kids don't know nothing about this music, but I guess they're the
parents or the grandparents and I just some two of the Jackson Five and this group of music."
And they show up at the concerts and we have great fans to show up all the time like that.
It's wonderful feeling. It really is.
Yeah. And what is that loyalty meant not only to, you know, how you guys feel about
it, but also to your success over it's just so many decades in music.

(02:23):
Well, it's just, it's the fact that we came from a background from Motown, you know, Motown.
It's like a college. I mean, they teach you everything about the entertainment business, you know?
And at the time we were coming up, I remember going to Detroit and his field, right?

(02:46):
And when we got there, I saw the tentations were there, I saw Smokey Robinson was there.
They were all there just hanging around. That's what they do. They hang around there and ride
on each other's songs. And I was able to meet all those great, great musicians and stars that we were
idolized, you know, we were idolized into it at that time. And it was just amazing,

(03:07):
the seat of those people in person, you know, it's nothing like it. It's amazing. You learn so much
from them. Yeah. And speaking of learning like being the oldest of the brothers, what kind of
responsibilities did you have with keeping your brothers in line? Well, at that time, I was the oldest
and sometimes my father couldn't be there. So I kept everybody in line. And it wasn't that hard,

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because you know, it was about the music and being on stage and entertaining. And that's what we
wanted to do. We were so hard to get there. They think to them is that, you know, saying,
there's a lot of groups today that work so hard to get there. Then when they get there, they mess up.
Yes.
There's things and why, why do that? We were so hard to get there, you know, saying,

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what's all your life to get there to be entertainer? Then when you get there, you blow it. Why?
Yes, absolutely. What are some of the lessons that you learned from watching? Maybe some of the
other groups that were around you guys. Good, our bad. Oh, well, like I said, being around Motown,
that family, they were all the artists were like superstars and having themselves very professionally.

(04:18):
Because you represent the record company when you are done. These people, there's a lot of people
back at the record company that's working so hard for you all the time when you are at the
own road and promoting records. They are there. They're at the office working to it the same time.
You know, working for you, working for the artist. So we learned so much about that. You know,
Motown taught us everything. Yeah, they really did. So looking back at your journey in music,

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what has been some of the most rewarding parts about being a Jackson?
Well, rewarding parts is rewarding parts about being a Jackson.
This is some of the rewarding parts about being a Jackson. Yeah, what brings you pride in being a Jackson

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and the legacy that your family has? Well, it's that the music that we've done over the years and
all the brothers being together. We took pride in everything we did and we didn't want to mess up,
you know, we had great great fans around the world and I think it's expect so much out of us.

(05:30):
So did the record company. I expect a lot out of us. So we tried to carry it out. It's very
professionally. Yeah, and that's what our mother and father taught us to be very professional
in the business. You know, you have to be very professional in the business and that's what we did
and that's what we are today. Yeah, and it's just so fantastic that even at a young age,

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I mean, even being young men or teenagers or preteens, that you guys understood that responsibility.
There's a responsibility in the music industry. Like I said, before you work so hard to get there
and why mess it up? You know, just wow, there's so many people that's working behind the scenes too.
There's this working helping you get there as well. So I love that, you know. Yeah,

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but what was it like, man, going from, you know, Indiana and then to LA and all of the successes
in front of you guys and at your feet? I used to watch football games all the time when I was back in
Indiana, it was cold and it's a small town, right? Some of the most obvious, right? These show saying

(06:42):
the equal charges of the LA Rams, right? Right. People sitting in the stands for palm trees.
I want to go with it. That's where I want to be, right? Right. I just see that all the time, man.
And I couldn't wait to get there when I got there when I came to LA. I couldn't believe how the people
living out here in Los Angeles. Yes. You think, "Rar, you see Rose Royces rolling down just three,

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you see people living up in the hills?" Like that. I think these people have been living like this
all my life. I think they're good like, you know, the sun shining palm trees, you know?
Yes, it's like, it's not like right now, you know, we've got nice, beautiful sunny day and
and that's not the case for everybody across the state. I'm across the United States.

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Yeah, absolutely. It was, it was something to see, but I had a great time. We got here. We loved it. You know.
Good.
[Music]

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And Jackie, welcome, Black. Thanks for having me. Yeah. You are so, so welcome. You know, so you guys have
this very exciting performance coming up very soon. What can fans expect to see from this show?
Well, they can expect to see a regular Jackson Show, like it's always been

(08:22):
high-energy show, a lot of dancing. People come just to hear the songs, they sing the songs,
and they stand up in the stands and dance all day long and that's what we have. We get my high-energy
show and try to do as many hits as we can. You know, I have so many, but you know, we can only get
so many in two hours, you know, but that's what we do. Yeah. How do you guys decide which songs you're

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going to do for a performance? You know, it's how sometimes the fans decide it for us. You know,
it's how it's what they want to hear, you know, something they want to hear and we do those. And
it's hard to get all the songs in, so we try to put them in the middle, sometimes some of them.
But we wish we could do everything, all the songs, all the hits. We have so many. Yeah.

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And Jackie, what's the secret to being able to sustain and continue that level of performance
after all these years? I don't, I think is, you know, I'm going to tell you, you know, we have a
good fan base that really supports us all over the world. No matter where we go, they show up,

(09:29):
come see the show because they don't see us that much a lot of times. And we're not in the media world
all the time, you know, saying, so when we show up to do a concert, everybody comes out to see us
and see the show. And we have great, like I said, we have great fans all over the world and they come
to hear the music. He has come here, the Jackson music. And that's what we give them. Yeah.

(09:50):
What do you dislike most about performing? You know what I'm telling you, you know, I'm the most
happiest when I'm on stage, you know, I love being on stage. I love doing just, sometimes I could
get the lyrics and I'll hold them up. I'm saying, they seem to that job bracket. Sometimes your mind

(10:13):
will blink, you know what I'm saying? Right, right, right, are you caught up in the moment of just
everything, all the energy and what's happening around you sometimes, you know, all the songs we have
and all the routines and what you put in your own stage, everything like that. And you know,
it's a lot to remember you know, so the fans sing all the same thing. I mean, I just gel right in.
Yeah. Yeah. Do you guys tease each other when you guys have moments like that on stage?

(10:38):
All the stages. Of course, we do. We laugh at each other all the time. We do it all the time.
Yeah, give me a story, Jack. You tell me one time that that happened and your brothers wrote you
about it. Oh, yeah. I remember at one time I was singing out. It was a, it was a, it was a
ABC song, right? I was singing a ABC song and I was singing, I want you back with ABC.

(11:03):
You may have looked at me on stage, you may have looked at me on stage. You start laughing.
And I said, what, what? I was singing a role song. You work, you were creating your own
medley. Yeah. I was reading the stuff. I don't know what I was doing.

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Yes. And you guys, you know, in your early years, you guys did a bunch of variety shows. What was,
what were some of your favorite memories from those variety shows and and which shows were some of
your favorite shows? I knew you were going to say that. There was the Jim Namers,

(11:45):
there were a comedian. Come on. It's real funny. Here come the judge. What was his name?
Oh, I'm Triple Sin. Little Wilson. Yes.
All the shows we did with the S. Solomon and stuff like that. We did so many TV shows. It was

(12:06):
amazing. Yeah. No, the Flip Wilson, I just happened to watch that the other day. That's why I
knew that. Yes. On YouTube. So yeah, Flip Wilson. Yeah. What, what, you know, I always, I always wonder
like when they pick acts for, you know, for variety shows, how does that come up out? Do they just

(12:27):
call your agents and then you guys say, okay, yeah, we want to go on the show to get opportunity.
They call the agent at the time, especially when you got new music coming out or something like that.
They call the agent, you know, managers and then we said yes, because that's what it,
that's how it was done back in today. You know, you're going to TV show like that, promote your
music, promote where you're going. That's how that's how promotion was done back in those days.

(12:52):
Yeah. And you guys, it, family means so much to you guys. I mean, I know that I've had an
opportunity to share some time with members of your, with members of your family. How do you balance
family life with performing on the road? It's hard because sometimes our whole family is in the

(13:13):
business, you know, right. But, you know, when this time to come together, we do come together as a family
and have cookouts and stuff like that and share stories and talk about just just every
day life, you know, Sam, we'll talk about music and anything like that. We'll get away from that.

(13:33):
It's the time to get away from the music and just talk about each other, you know, Sam.
Yeah. When you guys have the cookouts, who's on the grill? Everybody on the grill.
We're all on the grill. Who's got the special sauce, Jackie? I do. Yeah. I knew you're going to say

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that. Come on now. Yes. Yes. You know, I can grill real good. You can grill really well. What's your
special? I love the grill. I love the grill. I love the grill. You know, what's your specialty?
Chicken ribs. I like the grilled salmon. Oh, that's great. That's one of my favorites. Yes.

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And then I love the grilled chicken too, but I like the grilled salmon, you know. Yes.
What is that? Yeah. Jackie, you know, a few months ago, we were very satan, you know, by the
loss of your brother, Tito. What is one of your favorite memories of him and both as a brother
and as a musician? Tito is a type of guy. He was always quiet, but when he was always there, you know,

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saying great musician, you know, saying, uh, uh, terrible loss, you know, you know, whenever you lose
a sibling in the family, it's a terrible loss. And think about it, we were just in the
Munich Germany during a concert, the Munich Germany. So after the concert in Munich Germany,

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we decided to go home. He went back to his ranch in Oklahoma.
And in the very next day, he decided to go to Los Angeles because he's
collect a lot of vintage cars. He had, he had, he had, he had, he had, he had, he had, he had, he had,
old cars and vintage cars, you know, around. And he decided to go to,
LA to pick up some of his cars, you know, well, on the way to LA, he picked up two of his cars on

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the trailer with his buddies, with him. But on the way back, you know, you have to go through
New Mexico, which is right out. So when he got up in the high altitude coming back to his ranch,
he called a heart attack, you know, you say, well, and, um, and, um, he rushed to the

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went to the hospital and they say he wasn't breathing. They stuck a two down the throw so they can
so get some air and everything like that. But Dr. Cameron said he didn't make it just like that.
It was just happened so sudden. And Marlon was just talking on the phone with him. He was laughing
and cracking jokes on the phone. Right, right, right. And then after that, he was in the hospital and

(16:16):
and we lost it, you know, you know, yeah, yeah, my, my condolences to you and the entire family man on
your loss. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we did something that he loved to do was collect cars. He loved car,
he had so many cars and the vintage cars that he collect, you know, that's, that was his hobby,

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that's what he did, you know, yeah. So how is the family coming together to, you know, to honor his
legacy and his life? What's what, what, what do you guys do in to come together? Well, we, we, my
family was just together and that too long ago, you know, the whole family, you know, and the,
and just, just, just, just being just being family like the regular family, like most family,

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and, um, and just, it was sad at the time because he's not there with us, you know, and,
and Janet was there, everybody was there and, and we just had a great time being together.
Yeah, about some fun memories, you know, Tito and the sheriff's and things, so yeah.

(17:23):
What is, what does it feel like when people don't, when I loved what you just said about, you know,
we're a regular family. What is it about it when, for you, when people don't understand that,
that you are just a regular family, you know, that they, they, they have all of these fascinations

(17:43):
and dreams and, and things, yes. I'm, most of my teeth, every moment, like you do, like everybody else,
we just have to do the, the, the, the entertainment business and, and love music, and that's what we do.
I would just a regular family like everybody else, you know.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I agree with that. I agree with that. Very nice people, very humble people, so,

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yes, um, you've seen the music industry, it, you know, evolved in, in so many ways, Jackie. What's,
what's the biggest lesson that you've learned about staying relevant and successful in the business?
You know, like I said before, you know, in this business, you work so hard to get there, you know, saying,

(18:29):
I try to tell a lot of people that I know who's trying to make it, and some of the ones who's,
who, who's made it, you know, because they always come to me when they see me out, they talk to me about it,
and I tell them, I say, hey, man, look, you work so hard to get here.
Mm-hmm. Why, lower, why? Like I see a lot of these hip-hop stars out here today, you know,

(18:52):
and, and, and, and they got, I mean, they got it going on with the social media, yes.
They're all about the social media, they know how to work their thing, how, how, and they, I mean,
it's so successful out there with, with it, you know what I'm saying? And then, then look around,
then they blow it, doing something crazy, or, or send some crazy, you've got fans who love you

(19:12):
around the world. Why do they? Yeah. You know, when everybody comes see you, come on,
why do you blow? That's what I try to tell them, just, just, just be known, but be yourself, I mean,
you know, be who you are. I agree with that. And I think that, you know, while we're trying to create

(19:33):
images, people don't realize that, more, I think that more people will gravitate to you if they get
to know it, see the real you. Absolutely, you, so, so true about that, just, just be yourself, man,
is this, yeah, I can't be no other person, just be me. I'm Jackie. That's, you know,

(19:54):
why change, you know, that's who I am, you know, yeah. And what's, what's next for the family after the
the show out in Cerritos? Well, we got shows up, we traveled to Europe, you know, in July and,
and, and May and the tour all over Europe and things like that. And, and we got some shows coming
up here as well in, in Texas and, and Dallas, Texas coming up soon, but this red with tour, you know,

(20:19):
we've been off for the last three months right now, so it's time for us to get back on the road now.
I can't wait to get back out there. So, yeah, yeah, have you guys talked about possibly doing any
new music with with just the brothers, with the whole family? We have that already ready. Okay.
Didn't start. It's coming out. It's already finished. Everything's already finished. Yeah, tell me

(20:43):
a little bit about it, Jack. Come on, just a little bit. We're family, man. Just a little bit.
It's the kind of music they want to hear, you know, it was happening today, a little bit, but a lot
with with the Jacks, just music, you know, the kind of arstile, you know, it's going to be, it's going
to be some great stuff. I can't give all the goodies away. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's,

(21:08):
really good, good stuff. Yeah. The fans got to be excited. Put it like that. The fans
going to be very excited to hear. Yeah. Yes. And Jackie, we're can everyone find out more
information about you. Are you available on social media? Yeah.
JacksonBribe.com. Yeah. Okay. All right. Jackie Jackson, it has been an absolute honor for me to have

(21:30):
you here today. I'm black in the green room. I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much
for having me. Anytime you need me, I'm here. All right. And I appreciate that. I'm here.
All right. Thank you, Jackie. Be sure to follow me Keith Underwood at Mr. Keith L Underwood on IG.
You can also follow me on FB at Keith L Underwood. And you know you got to follow black in the

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green room at black in the green room across all platforms. Until next time this has been black in the
green room.
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