Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson, Gary native and one of the members of the Jackson 5, died Sunday at 70 years old. Throughout Monday, visitors and community members traveled to the Jackson family home to pay tribute.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us,” said a statement posted on Instagram by his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll. “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”
Tito Jackson was the third of nine children, including Michael and Janet Jackson. He was a member of the Jackson 5, which included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The group produced several No. 1 hits and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Tito Jackson was a background singer who played guitar.
The Jackson 5 was guided by their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player from Gary. When the group’s music careers took off, they relocated to California.
In March 2023, Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson endorsed Mayor Eddie Melton’s campaign in a video. The three attended Roosevelt High School before leaving the city.
The video said Melton would “turn everything around” in Gary and return it to the vibrant community they grew up in. Melton expressed his condolences for Tito Jackson’s death in a Facebook post on Monday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I extend my deepest condolences to the Jackson family on the passing of a true Gary legend, Tito Jackson,” the statement said. “Over the years, Tito and his family have grown close to mine. Tito’s impact to our culture is immeasurable. You will be truly missed.”
Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson returned to Gary in 2022 to perform at Hard Rock Live, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s performance venue. The family was part of the venue’s grand opening in May 2021, but before 2022, they hadn’t performed in Gary for several decades.
“It’s always exciting to come home and perform for – basically ex-neighbors from childhood,” Tito Jackson said in 2022. “Most of my childhood was in Gary, Indiana. That’s where I’m from. I was born there and raised there.”
Regina Weatherspoon, a Gary native, visited the Jackson family home Monday because of Tito Jackson’s death.
“I just want to let everybody know that the Jackson family is still the greatest family in the music industry,” Weatherspoon said.
The family brought much joy to Gary, she said, and their music will always reflect on the city. When Weatherspoon found out about Tito Jackson’s death, she was heartbroken.
“He will be remembered,” Weatherspoon said. “We will celebrate and appreciate his life.”
Robert Prusynski was another Gary native who visited the house Monday. He brought a sign that said, “Tito, we love you.”
Tito Jackson, left, and his brother, Marlon Jackson, speak at the Jackson family home in Gary on Thursday, May 13, 2021. The two, along with brother Jackie, have endorsed Eddie Melton in Gary’s mayoral primary. (Michael Gard/Post-Tribune)
Prusynski was inspired by a photo of a young Janet Jackson holding a sign with the same phrase. He said it felt right to make something similar.
The Jackson family is Prusynski’s “hometown heroes,” he said, and Tito Jackson was his favorite member.
“When I woke up this morning, I was crushed,” Prusynski said. “It saddens me that he’s gone.”
Prusynski wasn’t the only visiting who brought a tribute for Tito Jackson. Demont Pinder, an artist from the Washington, D.C. area, painted a portrait of the late musician for more than one hour Monday.
Pinder planned to visit the Jackson house on a second anniversary trip to Chicago with his wife. After Pinder heard about Tito Jackson’s death, he brought paint, a canvas and an easel to the house.
“It’s the best way I know how to do a tribute,” Pinder said. “I can pay homage through my canvas and my art.”
About 12 years ago, Pinder had met Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson at a theater in Washington, D.C. At the event, he created artwork for them on his iPad, which he showed them afterward.
He has a photo of him with the four brothers and calls himself “an unofficial member of the Jackson 6.” While he doesn’t remember much about Tito Jackson specifically, he said the family enjoyed the art.
“I guess he’s up there with his brother (Michael), celebrating and forming a duo,” Pinder said. “Hopefully it’s many more years before they all get together again.”
Tito Jackson is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters, Janet, Rebbie, La Toya and their mother, Katherine. His father, Joe, died in 2018, and Michael died on June 25, 2009.
