Jackson’s legacy is complicated. He famously helped make towering pop stars out of his children, particularly Michael and Janet Jackson, by overseeing their rehearsals, booking shows for the Jackson 5 and even managing Janet for a brief time. But his methods were suspect, to put it mildly. When forming the Jackson 5, he forced his children into long, arduous and physically painful practice sessions. He has been accused of physically and sexually abusing them and of carrying on at least one decades-long affair behind their mother’s back.<doc-sep>Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Piers Morgan, Wendy Williams, and more public figures have taken to Twitter to remember Joe Jackson. The Jackson family patriarch died at age 89 after a battle with cancer. During his life, Joe Jackson was known for managing the Jackson 5 and bringing his children into the spotlight. He became a controversial figure when Michael Jackson accused his father of physical and emotional abuse in 1993. Still, many revere him for bringing his children’s talent to the world’s stage. Sharpton was one of the first to mourn Joe Jackson on Twitter. The reverend alluded to the controversy in his post, expressing his hopes that “history correct his legacy.” “Joe Jackson passed at 89 as the patriarch of the family that has mainstreamed our culture,” Sharpton wrote. “He was never given the credit he deserved. He influenced the world of music with the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and others. May history correct his legacy.” #JoeJackson passed at 89 as the patriarch of a family that has mainstreamed our culture. He was never given the credit he deserved. He influenced the world of music with the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and others. May history correct his legacy. 📷: @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/NAlceUJaqv — Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) June 27, 2018 La Toya Jackson also mourned her father’s death. “I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world,” she tweeted. “I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP Joe Jackson” I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world. I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP Joe Jacksonhttps://t.co/F5UfYjEgYx — La Toya Jackson (@latoyajackson) June 27, 2018 Ken Ehrlich, who produces the Grammys and other TV specials, said in a statement that Jackson “was the patriarch of one of music’s true dynasties.” “I worked with Joe Jackson both on some of our Michael Jackson appearances, and equally with Janet when we brought her to ‘Fame’ to play Cleo in 1984,” Ehrlich said. “With Janet, both he and Katharine spent a great deal of time on the ‘Fame’ set with us and what struck me was the love and pride they had in all of their kids, but particularly Michael and Janet. Joe was always pretty clear on what he wanted, and what he wanted wasn’t always easy to deliver, but certainly appreciated his directness, and learned a lot from him.” Others, like British television personality Morgan, coupled their condolences with continued skepticism. Morgan, who is known for making controversial statements, acknowledged Joe Jackson’s contributions as well as his scandals. “RIP Joe Jackson. A tough, uncompromising, charming and complex man who drove his children from the mean, poor streets of Gary, Indiana to global stardom,” Morgan’s comments began before adding, “But at what cost? He made no apologies when I interviewed him in 2013: ‘I did what I had to do to give them a better life. '” RIP Joe Jackson. A tough, uncompromising, charming & complex man who drove his children from the mean, poor streets of Gary, Indiana to global stardom. But at what cost? He made no apologies when I interviewed him in 2013: ‘I did what I had to do to give them a better life.’ pic.twitter.com/WCz4mXHjYM — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 27, 2018 Williams, another TV host, also joined in commemorating Joe Jackson’s legacy on Twitter. “THE MAN…THE FAMILY…THE LEGEND!” Williams wrote. “RIP JOE JACKSON and thank you for giving us the many gifts of talent from your family, not just to our community as a whole…but to the ENTIRE WORLD!” THE MAN…THE FAMILY …THE LEGEND! RIP JOE JACKSON and thank you for giving us the many gifts of talent from your family, not just to our community on a whole…but to the ENTIRE WORLD!!! #RIP pic.twitter.com/uOfKXQV4mP — Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) June 27, 2018 The estate of Michael Jackson confirmed Joe Jackson’s death Wednesday morning with a statement. “We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson’s passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family,” said co-executors of the estate John Branca and John McClain. “We had developed a warm relationship with Joe in recent years and will miss him tremendously.” Randy Jackson’s son also took to social media to mourn his late grandfather. “RIP to the king that made everything possible,” Randy Jackson Jr. said. “I love you grandpa.” RIP to the king that made everything possible!!! I love you grandpa 🖤🖤 pic.twitter.com/SI1C7lUuG6 — Randy Jackson (@randyjacksonjr) June 27, 2018 See more reactions below. https://twitter.com/rkelly/status/1012017680612671488 https://twitter.com/akaworldwide/status/1012020318423212032 Joe Jackson, brother beloved, patriarch & creator of one of the most talented American musical dynasties. We will remember him as long as his family’s music plays. Offering prayers and condolences to the Jackson family. #RIP #NeverCanSayGoodbye #JoeJackson pic.twitter.com/ws7vFmeRxi — Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) June 27, 2018 RIP Joe Jackson — Anneliese van derPol (@anneliesevdp) June 27, 2018<doc-sep>Joe Jackson, the iron-fisted patriarch and manager of an American musical dynasty that included the hit-making Motown Records group the Jackson 5 (later the Jacksons), its megastar lead singer Michael Jackson and soloist sister Janet Jackson, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 89. The estate of Michael Jackson confirmed Joe Jackson’s death. “We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson’s passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family,” co-executors of the estate John Branca and John McClain said in a statement. “We had developed a warm relationship with Joe in recent years and will miss him tremendously.” TMZ was first to report the news of Joe Jackson’s death. In late June, several news outlets reported that Jackson was suffering from terminal cancer. Jackson was a former Golden Gloves boxer, semi-pro musician and steelworker when he began coaching his pre-teen sons in a family band, initially known as the Jackson Brothers and later as the Jackson 5, in the early ‘60s. In his drive to push his sons to the top of the American music business, Joe Jackson — who demanded that his children refer to him as “Joseph,” and not as “Father” or “Dad” — was a stern and allegedly abusive taskmaster. He became a controversial and often reviled figure in his famous family’s very public lore. After attaining his glittering solo success, Michael Jackson — who was only six when he joined the family act — accused his father of physical and emotional abuse. “He was very strict,” he told Oprah Winfrey in a sensational 1993 interview. “He was very hard. Just a look would scare you…There’s been times when he’d come to see me, and I would get sick. I’d start to regurgitate.” Joe Jackson publicly attempted to defuse the accusations of harsh behavior, often maladroitly. In a 2003 BBC interview that attracted widespread attention, he said, “I whipped [Michael] with a switch and a belt…[but] I never beat him. You beat someone with a stick.” By the mid-‘60s, the quintet of Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson was a popular local attraction in their hometown of Gary, IN. After a pair of releases on the local Steeltown label, the Detroit-based indie pop/R&B superpower Motown — which had initially passed on the act — signed the Jackson 5 to a contract in 1968. Beginning with their debut hit “I Want You Back” in 1969-70, the Jackson 5 scored six No. 1 R&B singles, three of which topped the pop charts; during the same period, Michael Jackson reaped six top-five R&B singles, while Jermaine Jackson reached No. 3 on the R&B list with “Daddy’s Home” in 1972. The Jackson 5’s relationship with Motown had deteriorated by the mid-‘70s, and in 1975 Joe Jackson negotiated a lucrative new contract for the group — minus Jermaine, who remained at Motown, and with brother Randy — with Epic Records, an imprint of industry giant CBS Records, as the Jacksons. Michael was simultaneously inked to a new Epic solo pact. In 1982, Joe launched the musical career of his teen daughter Janet — by then a seasoned veteran of TV sitcoms — by financing the demo that secured a deal for her at A&M Records. (Sisters Rebbie and La Toya also had minor solo careers, with Columbia and Polydor respectively, in the ‘80s.) In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the Jacksons, Michael and Janet all enjoyed stratospheric success within the industry, but they repudiated their father’s professional control. By the time his 1982 album “Thriller” made Michael pop music’s biggest star, Joe’s management control was contracting. The Jacksons severed ties with him in 1983. Janet similarly removed herself from her family’s influence, issuing the album and single “Control” as a statement of personal and professional independence in 1986. Joe Jackson served as the largely estranged paterfamilias of his clan in later years, headquartered in a mansion known as “the Jackson compound” in the San Fernando Valley community of Encino. He and wife Katherine filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in 1999. He re-entered the news after Michael’s sudden death in June 2009. He stunned attendees at the BET Awards days later by announcing the formation of a new record label, creating an outcry among the singer’s fans with his self-promotional appearance. In a protracted wrangle over Michael’s estate, Joe was ultimately cut out of executorship and any share of his most famous son’s earnings. Joseph Walter Jackson was born July 26, 1928, in Fountain Hill, AR. The eldest of five children, he ultimately settled in East Chicago, IN, with his mother and three siblings, attending Washington High School there. In 1949, after a brief marriage, he wed second wife Katherine Scruse, and the couple settled in Gary. Between 1950 and 1966, the Jacksons had 10 children. One, Brandon, twin brother of fourth son Marlon, died shortly after birth: all the rest all enjoyed immensely successful careers in entertainment. Joe Jackson began driving his children’s musical careers from early in their lives. Jackie, Tito and Jermaine became the founding members of a family act that grew to include Marlon and Michael. While Jermaine claimed that his father rehearsed and worked his sons relentlessly in a 2005 interview with Larry King, he added, “He kept us off the streets.” Following the group’s Motown signing — three years after the company had passed on an unsolicited demo — the Jackson 5 witnessed meteoric fame. The pop and R&B chart-topper “I Want You Back” was quickly succeeded by three more double-barreled crossover No. 1 hits in 1970, “ABC,” “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There.” By the time the disco-era “Dancing Machine” became their last No. 1 R&B single for Motown, the group had racked up eight top-10 pop hits; overall, the label issued 17 top-10 R&B 45s by the act. The group and its lead singer segued to even greater fame after the switch to Epic engineered by their father.<doc-sep>Maria Puente and Steve Jones USA TODAY Joe Jackson, the man who fathered Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 and deployed an iron will to turn his supremely gifted children into a culture-shifting music powerhouse, died early Wednesday in Las Vegas. He was 89. Tweets from his daughter and his grandsons confirmed his death. Randy Jackson Jr., the son of Randy Jackson, an original member of the Jackson 5, paid tribute. "RIP to the king that made everything possible!!! I love you grandpa," he posted. Daughter La Toya Jackson, 62, also took to Twitter to mourn. "I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world. I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP Joe Jackson," her tweet read. Taj Jackson, 44, the son of Tito Jackson, also expressed love for the grandfather he called "The Hawk." "Thank you Grandpa for the amazing strength, determination and pride you showed this family. The Jackson legacy would not exist without you. I lost a grandfather but heaven gained The Hawk," his tweet said. Granddaughter Paris Jackson, 20, daughter of Michael, posted a lengthy, eloquently loving tribute on her Instagram page, telling him that his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were proud to "share the dynasty you spent your life creating." "i love you grandpa. so so so much that words can’t describe. i have immense gratitude for you, and always will. we all feel that way. thank you for everything. truly. rest in peace and transition. i’ll see you in my dreams very very soon," she wrote. The news of Jackson's death was first reported by TMZ, "Entertainment Tonight" and US Weekly. USA TODAY reached out to multiple Jackson family representatives to confirm his death. Jackson had been ill for some time with an officially undisclosed condition, reported as pancreatic cancer, and had grown increasingly frail. His most recent public appearance was at the BET Awards in 2015, when daughter Janet accepted the Ultimate Icon Award. A statement from the co-executors of Michael Jackson's estate also confirmed Jackson's death and added condolences. “We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson’s passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family," the statement from John Branca and John McClain said. "Joe was a strong man who acknowledged his own imperfections and heroically delivered his sons and daughters from the steel mills of Gary, Indiana, to worldwide pop superstardom. "Mr. Jackson’s contributions to the history of music are enormous. ... We had developed a warm relationship with Joe in recent years and will miss him tremendously.” On June 24, a poetic tweet appeared on Jackson's verified Twitter account featuring a picture of him standing against a sunset and suggesting he was ready to depart. "I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes," the tweet said. Later, Paris Jackson called the tweet "sweet" but questioned whether it reflected her grandfather's sentiments or even if the verified account was actually his. "this is a beautiful tweet. though it upsets me to see whoever is in charge of this account taking advantage of it. my grandfather did not tweet this. i’m not sure if he’s ever used this account," Paris tweeted. It was another sign of the uncertainty that surrounded the sprawling Jackson family when it comes to determining what is true, false or muddled. Still, Jackson, or his assistants, had been using his Twitter account to post news about him since January 2014. Jackson had been healthy enough to be out and about as recently as June 6, when a video appeared on his Twitter page showing him at a Jamba Juice in Las Vegas trying to decide what to drink while Michael's music played in the background. As the patriarch of the "First Family of Music," he had just published in March a picture book recalling his life and 60 years in show business, "Precious Moments," and was enthusiastically promoting it in May, according to his Twitter page. Among other memories, Jackson recalled the good old days when he and his sons strode the music world like colossi. "Precious Moments with my sons. When we were all together, united as one, nothing could stop us," his Twitter page showed in April. Jackson's death evoked a surge of tribute tweets from the entertainment and political worlds, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the Rev. Al Sharpton, R. Kelly, Jimmy Osmond and Juicy J. The historic Apollo Theater in Harlem posted a picture of its marquee honoring him. Still, Jackson's death came attended by the usual tabloid chatter that accompanied anything to do with the Jackson family almost from the time the Jackson 5 exploded in onto the charts in 1969. TMZ, with its typical delicacy, reported Friday that Jackson was hospitalized with "terminal cancer," citing unnamed "doctors." Meanwhile, son Jermaine, 63, told British tabloid The Daily Mail that his father was dying (of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer) but complained that his wife and surviving children were barred from seeing him by his "handlers," including his personal assistant, Charles Coupet. "He's very, very frail, he doesn't have long," Jermaine Jackson told the paper. "The family needs to be by his bedside — that's our only intention in his final days. ... We shouldn't have to beg, plead and argue to see our own father, especially at a time like this. We have been hurting. ... My mother was worried sick." Although The Mail claimed, without citing a source, that Joe Jackson himself had made it clear he didn't want visitors or family members to see him or his medical records, TMZ reported that his wife, Katherine, 88, and daughter Rebbie Jackson, 68, her daughter, Yashi Brown, 40, and another daughter, Joh'Vonnie Jackson, 43, did visit him on Tuesday. Joe Jackson wanted to be a music star but it didn't work out for him. Instead, he made his sons into superstars.<doc-sep>
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 25: Wissam al Mana and Janet Jackson attend the Giorgio Armani fashion show during Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2013/14 on February 25, 2013 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images) CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 19: Joe Jackson attends the Premiere of "Sicario" during the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2015 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images) (CNN) — Joseph “Joe” Jackson, the patriarch who launched the musical Jackson family dynasty, died Wednesday at a Las Vegas hospital, a source close to the family tells CNN. He was 89. Jackson was the father of and at times manager to pop stars Michael and Janet Jackson, along with the sibling singing group, The Jackson 5. No cause of death has been released, but Jackson had reportedly been in ill health. “I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see,” read a tweet posted Sunday from Jackson’s official Twitter account. “The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes.” I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes. pic.twitter.com/PGcmbulzyC — Joseph Jackson (@Joe5Jackson) June 24, 2018 His daughter, La Toya Jackson, tweeted about her father Wednesday. “I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world,” she wrote on her official Twitter account. “I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP Joe Jackson.” I will always love you! You gave us strength, you made us one of the most famous families in the world. I am extremely appreciative of that, I will never forget our moments together and how you told me how much you cared. #RIP Joe Jacksonhttps://t.co/F5UfYjEgYx — La Toya Jackson (@latoyajackson) June 27, 2018 Some of Jackson’s grandchildren also paid tribute on social media, writing that he “made everything possible.” RIP to the king that made everything possible!!! I love you grandpa 🖤🖤 pic.twitter.com/SI1C7lUuG6 — Randy Jackson (@randyjacksonjr) June 27, 2018 Jackson married his wife, Katherine, in 1949. They moved into into a home on Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana, the following year, where they welcomed their first of 10 children, Maureen “Rebbie” Jackson. Rebbie was followed by Sigmund “Jackie” Jackson in 1951, Toriano “Tito” Jackson in 1953, Jermaine Jackson in 1954, La Toya Jackson in 1956, Marlon Jackson in 1957, Michael Jackson in 1958, Steven Randall “Randy” Jackson in 1961 and Janet Jackson in 1966. Marlon’s twin, Brandon, died soon after birth. With a large family to support, Joe Jackson surrendered his dreams of becoming a boxer and secured a job as a crane operator for US Steel. He and his brother Luther formed a band in the mid-1950s called The Falcons, intent on booking gigs for extra money. The band only lasted a few years, but Jackson had developed an ear for music and believed he had found some talent in his children. He formed The Jackson Brothers in 1963 – with sons Tito, Jackie and Jermaine – and began entering them in local talent shows. With the addition of Marlon and Michael, The Jackson 5 was born in 1966. Two years later, they signed with Motown Records. They went on to become one of the most successful R&B groups in history, with their father initially acting as their manager. At the height of their stardom, The Jackson 5 sold millions of records and had their own CBS variety show. “Joseph’s role as manager dwindled however as Motown CEO Berry Gordy began to take more charge on his act, a role that reverted back to Joseph when he began managing the entire family for performances in Las Vegas,” according to Jackson’s official site. “Joseph also helped his sons seal a deal with CBS after leaving Motown.” The success of The Jackson 5 led to Michael Jackson going solo, becoming such a major star that he was later dubbed the King of Pop. Youngest daughter Janet also became a hugely successful recording artist. The elder Jackson managed daughters Rebbie, La Toya and Janet in the early 1980s until they, like their brothers before, struck out on their own. Joe Jackson was criticized at times for being a harsh taskmaster.