Katherine Jackson

{{Short description|Matriarch of the Jackson musical family (born 1930)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Katherine Jackson

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Katherine Esther Scruse

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1930|5|4}}

| birth_place = Clayton, Alabama, U.S.

| spouse = {{Marriage|Joe Jackson|1949|2018|end=died}}

| occupation = Author

| family = Jackson

| children = {{hlist| Rebbie|Jackie|Tito|Jermaine|La Toya|Marlon|Brandon|Michael|Randy|Janet}}

}}

Katherine Esther Jackson (née Scruse; born May 4, 1930) is the matriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers that includes her children Michael and Janet Jackson. Michael dedicated his 1982 album Thriller to her. Janet did the same with her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814. In 1985, acknowledging the positive impact on her children's successful music careers, national urban magazine Essence honored her as "Mother of the Year".

Early life

Jackson was born as Kattie B. Screws{{Cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/personality/katherine-jackson|title=Katherine Jackson|website=Biography|date=November 17, 2021 }}{{Cite web|url=https://jackson-source.com/|title=jackson source|website=jackson source}} in Clayton, Alabama on May 4, 1930, the elder daughter of Martha (née Upshaw; December 14, 1907 – April 30, 1990) and Prince Albert Screws (October 16, 1907 – January 21, 1997). Jackson contracted polio at age two, which left her with a noticeable limp. In 1934, her father changed his surname to Scruse and renamed her Katherine Esther Scruse.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/michael-jackson/mother-katherine-age-husband-children/|title=Who is Michael and Janet Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson?|website=Smooth}}

As a child, Jackson aspired to become an actress or a country singer, but was dismayed to find no notable Black country stars. Her parents divorced when she was still a child. She attended Washington High School in East Chicago, Indiana, where she joined the school band.

Matriarch of the Jackson family

In 1947, Scruse met Joseph "Joe" Jackson, a fellow resident of East Chicago, Indiana, and they began to date after Jackson obtained an annulment of his earlier marriage. After dating for a year, Scruse and Jackson married on November 5, 1949. In January 1950 they purchased a house on 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana that had just two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a small utility room for the washing machine and freezer. Their sons slept in bunk beds in one bedroom, Jackson and Joe in the other, and their daughters in the living room.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/showbiz/michael-jackson-birthday/index.html|title=Michael Jackson's mom remembers her 'sweet little boy'|first=Alan|last=Duke|date=August 29, 2013|website=CNN}} From 1950 to 1966, ten children were born to them, including Brandon Jackson, who was the twin of Marlon but died a few hours after their birth. Those children are:

File:Indiana, June 2014 (14454664987).jpg, pictured in July 2014]]

Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson (born May 29, 1950)
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson (born May 4, 1951)
Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson (October 15, 1953 – September 15, 2024)
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954)
La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956)
Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957)
Brandon David Jackson (March 12, 1957 – March 12, 1957)
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson (born October 29, 1961)
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966)

= The Jackson 5 =

File:Jackson 5 1969.jpg

The Jackson 5 was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana. It included brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine, with younger brothers Marlon and Michael joining soon after.{{cite web|author=Charlie Burton|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/jacksons-legacy-jackson-5|title=Inside the Jackson machine|publisher=GQ|date=2018-02-07|access-date=2019-10-24}}{{cite web|last1=Carlson|first1=Peter|last2=Wolmuth|first2=Roger|url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-tour-de-force-vol-21-no-18/|title=Tour De Force|publisher=People|date=1984-05-07|access-date=2019-12-08}}{{cite web|author=Douglas Towne|url=https://www.phoenixmag.com/2018/03/02/mile-high-motown/|title=Mile-High Motown|publisher=The Phoenix|date=March 2, 2018|accessdate=September 12, 2021}}{{cite web|author=Timothy Guy|url=https://www.pe.com/2015/02/24/fantasy-springs-marlon-jackson-talks-about-jacksons-legacy/|title=FANTASY SPRINGS: Marlon Jackson talks about Jacksons' legacy|work=Press Enterprise|publisher=The Press-Enterprise|date=February 24, 2015|accessdate=September 12, 2021|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207112517/https://www.pe.com/2015/02/24/fantasy-springs-marlon-jackson-talks-about-jacksons-legacy/|url-status=dead}} The Jackson 5 performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit, then signed with Steeltown Records in 1967 and released two singles.{{cite web|url=http://www.45rpmrecords.com/IN/Steeltown.php|title=Steeltown Records – Indiana Local Labels|website=45rpmrecords.com|access-date=28 June 2018}} The group was managed by Joe Jackson.{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2018/06/27/Joe-Jackson-father-and-manager-of-the-Jackson-5-dead-at-89/2021530119583/|title=Joe Jackson, father and manager of the Jackson 5, dead at 89|website=UPI}} In 1968, the group left Steeltown Records and signed with Motown and Berry Gordy, where they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with the songs "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There".{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-jackson-5-mn0000083013/biography|title=The Jackson 5 {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-05-02}}

During the couple's early years in Gary, Indiana, Katherine sang together with Joe Jackson as he played guitar. Joe and his brother Luther also formed an R&B band, the Falcons, in the mid-1950s, for extra income. Joe had a boxing career, but later went on to work as a crane operator at East Chicago's Inland Steel Company to support the family.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbs58.com/news/joe-jackson-musical-family-patriarch-dead-at-89|title=Joe Jackson, musical family patriarch, dead at 89|website=CBS58}} Katherine, a devout Jehovah's Witness, began to work part-time at Sears in Gary and played clarinet and piano on the side. She knew that her son Michael loved music and had rhythm from an early age; one day she saw him dancing to the rickety old Maytag washing machine. Another son, Tito, would sneak to play Joe’s guitar while he was not home and one day broke a guitar string. After the guitar was fixed, Tito played for Joe. That sparked the forming of the family group that was named “The Jackson Brothers 5”, that later became the Jackson 5.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/03/great-dynasties-jacksons-ian-sansom|title=Great dynasties of the world: The Jacksons|date=September 2, 2011|website=the Guardian}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.celebrityradio.biz/tito-jackson-exclusive-life-story-interview/|title=Tito Jackson Exclusive Life Story Interview|work=Celebrity Radio |date=January 23, 2011}} While Joe led the rehearsals in the living room, Katherine designed and hand-sewed the stage outfits for the boys, and visited The Salvation Army for shoes. Jackson also spent time singing harmonies with the boys around the kitchen table. Jackson served as the family's backbone.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/29/michael-jackson-mother-profile|title=Profile: Katherine Jackson|date=June 29, 2009|website=the Guardian}}{{Cite web|url=https://thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2020/05/05/michael-jacksons-mum-turns-90-reflects-on-his-death/|title=Michael Jackson's mum turns 90, reflects on his death -|date=May 5, 2020}}

Personal life

Katherine filed for a divorce from Joe Jackson in March 1973, but chose to cancel the divorce papers.{{cite book|author=J. Randy Taraborrelli|author-link=J. Randy Taraborrelli|title=Michael Jackson:: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story 1958-2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YY83AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT73|date=July 15, 2009|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=978-0-446-56568-4|pages=73–}} In August 1974, Cheryl Terrell gave birth to Joe's daughter, Joh'Vonnie Jackson. Katherine again filed for divorce in 1982, only to again rescind the papers. The couple remained legally married until Joe's death in 2018, {{cite book|author=Donald Bogle|title=Elizabeth and Michael: The Queen of Hollywood and the King of Pop—A Love Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOYlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA158|date=June 6, 2017|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4516-7698-3|pages=158–}} with Katherine denying every rumor that the couple was estranged.{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/04/26/katherine.jackson.motherhood/|title=Michael Jackson's mom talks about motherhood, family|website=CNN|access-date=October 24, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXD3ttwi7aE |title=Katherine Jackson Speaks To Geraldo Rivera 8/2/09 |publisher=YouTube.com |date=August 2, 2009 |access-date=June 20, 2015}} In 1990, Jackson released her autobiography, My Family, The Jacksons, which documented her early years and her relationship with her husband and their children, eight of whom wrote salutes to their mother in the book's foreword.{{cite book|title=My Family, the Jacksons|last=Jackson|first=Katherine|publisher=St. Martin's Paperbacks|year=1990|isbn=0-312-92350-3|author2=Rich Wiseman}}

In 1980, Katherine and her two youngest children, Randy and Janet, confronted a woman who worked for Joe's company whom Katherine had often reportedly accused of cheating with Joe. The incident was re-dramatized for the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-15-tv-621-story.html|title=Her 'American Dream' : ANGELA BASSETT SAYS PLAYING THE MOTHER OF THE JACKSONS WAS EMOTIONAL AND UPLIFTING|date=November 15, 1992|website=Los Angeles Times}} In the miniseries, Katherine was shown confronting Joe instead of the woman about the alleged incident. During the late 1980s, she began experiencing an estrangement from her daughter La Toya after being managed by husband Jack Gordon. In her 1991 memoir La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family, La Toya alleged that her mother was emotionally abusive, charges Jackson denied and blamed La Toya's husband for "brainwashing" her. In 1997, La Toya and her mother reconciled after she filed for divorce from Gordon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/latoya-jackson_n_3150042|title=WATCH: La Toya Jackson Details Ex's Abuse|date=April 24, 2013|website=HuffPost}}

Tributes

Michael dedicated his 1982 album Thriller to Katherine. Janet did the same following the release of her 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814. In 1985, acknowledging the positive impact on her children's successful music careers, national urban magazine Essence honored her as "Mother of the Year".

In a 2010 interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, she acknowledged that her husband had admitted to having physically disciplined their children.{{cite web |title=Michael Jackson's Kids, Parents Join Oprah: Talk Plastic Surgery, Beatings and...French Toast?|date=November 8, 2010|author=Gina Serpe|website=eonline.com|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/210010/michael-jackson-s-kids-parents-join-oprah-talk-plastic-surgery-beatings-and-french-toast}}

Later life

File:Michael Jackson Star.JPG

On June 25, 2009, Katherine's son Michael died from an overdose of propofol administered by his personal physician, Conrad Murray. In July 2009, Katherine and Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael's two oldest children, reached a settlement pertaining to the care of Rowe's children, Prince and Paris. The agreement provided that the children would be raised by Katherine, and Rowe would have visitation rights and would continue to receive the yearly payments to which Michael had agreed.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/jackson-ex-wife-rowe-could-receive-over-3-mn-to-settle-children-custody/articleshow/4777551.cms?from=mdr|title=Jackson ex-wife Rowe could receive over $3 mn to settle children custody|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=July 14, 2009 }} On August 3, 2009, a judge named Jackson as the children's permanent guardian.{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2009/08/03/judge-names-katherine-jackson-permanent-guardian-of-michaels-children/|title=CityNews|website=toronto.citynews.ca|date=August 3, 2009 }}

As of 2011, Katherine resided at her home in Calabasas, California, with her grandson, TJ Jackson, son of Tito Jackson, and his family, having moved out of her Hayvenhurst home in Encino, California due to house renovations.{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/michael-jacksons-estate-buys-in-calabasas-for-10-75-million-1403036338|title=Michael Jackson's Estate Buys in Calabasas for $10.75 Million|first=Candace|last=Taylor|date=June 20, 2014|access-date=October 24, 2016|newspaper=Wall Street Journal}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2011/dirt/real-estalker/kathryn-jackson-takes-her-grandbabies-to-calabasas-1201231331/|title=Kathryn Jackson Takes Her Grandbabies to Calabasas|first=Mark|last=David|date=March 27, 2011|work=Variety|access-date=October 24, 2016}} On July 25, 2012, Jackson's guardianship of the children was suspended by the court amid allegations that several Jackson family members might have held her against her will as a result of a financial dispute they had against Michael's estate.{{cite news|date=July 26, 2012|title=Katherine Jackson loses custody of MJ's kids|publisher=Firstpost.com|url=http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/katherine-jackson-loses-custody-of-mjs-kids-391956.html|access-date=June 20, 2015}} Guardianship of the children was temporarily given to Michael's nephew, TJ Jackson.{{cite news|date=July 25, 2012|title=Judge suspends Katherine Jackson as guardian of Michael Jackson's children|work=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/25/showbiz/jackson-family-dispute/index.html?hpt=hp_c1|access-date=July 25, 2012}} Jackson's guardianship later resumed, with TJ Jackson added as a co-guardian.{{cite news|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=August 2, 2012|title=Katherine Jackson resumes guardianship of Michael Jackson's children|work=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/showbiz/jackson-custody-decision/index.html|access-date=October 3, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Autopsy Report for Michael Jackson|url=http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/Celebs/jackson,%20michael_report.pdf|access-date=June 20, 2015|publisher=Autopsyfiles.org}}

On November 1, 2017, Jackson resigned co-guardianship of Michael's youngest son, Bigi. She stated her reasons included her own advanced age, the fact that Michael's oldest children Prince and Paris Jackson were now adults, and Bigi being 15 years old. TJ Jackson was, without objection, awarded sole custody.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/gma/katherine-jackson-resigns-blanket-jacksons-co-guardian-231604217--abc-news-celebrities.html|title=Katherine Jackson resigns as Blanket Jackson's co-guardian|website=www.yahoo.com|access-date=November 1, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830150322/https://www.yahoo.com/gma/katherine-jackson-resigns-blanket-jacksons-co-guardian-231604217--abc-news-celebrities.html|url-status=dead}}

Portrayals

Katherine has been portrayed by:

Angela Bassett (1992) The Jacksons: An American Dream (mini-series){{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104541/|title=The Jacksons: An American Dream|date=January 1, 2000|access-date=October 24, 2016|via=IMDb}}
Patricia Idlette (2004) Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story (VH1 biopic){{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411377/|title=Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story|date=August 6, 2004|access-date=October 24, 2016|via=IMDb}}
Nia Long (2025) Michael (film biopic){{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/colman-domingo-michael-jackson-movie-joe-jackson-1235804826/ | title=Colman Domingo to Play Patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate & Universal's Michael Jackson Biopic 'Michael' | date=January 25, 2024 }}