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The
way Jackson groomed his own children into superstars
is the stuff of legend _ and according to his some of
his children, of enduring nightmares.
The
former musician-turned-steel mill worker from Gary,
Ind., had nine children with his wife, Katherine. He
drove a young Michael, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon
through long rehearsals, countless amateur contests,
nightclub gigs and concert dates until they landed a
deal with Motown and became bubblegum superstar sensations
The Jackson 5. He also managed the solo careers of his
children, including Michael's and Janet's.
Instead
of ``Dad,'' his children called him ``Joe,'' and he
developed a reputation as a brooding, intimidating figure
who dominated his family. Michael has long talked about
beatings he suffered at the hands of his father, and
how it scarred him emotionally.
But
in person, Joe Jackson's charismatic, genial demeanor
belies his image. During an interview at the Boot Camp
audition, natty in a dark business suit with a small
diamond hoop dangling from his ear, he downplayed talk
of physical abuse.
``Katherine
whipped Michael more than I did,'' he says of his wife.
``She had to. I was working, I had two jobs. She was
there with them all the time _ not just Michael, all
the children.''
Yet
he also makes it unapologetically clear that he pushed
his children.
``I
started them early, when they were young. When they
said they didn't want to go I pulled them by the hand
and said we're going _ we're gonna do this,'' he says.
By
the time Michael morphed from superstar to icon in the
1980s with ``Thriller,'' Joe Jackson was gone from his
son's circle of advisers, dropped as his manager (all
his children eventually cut their professional ties
to him). Soon after that, Michael's image began to change
from that of dazzling entertainer to eccentric oddity.
``I
started watching them or other people around them, I
started getting worried,'' says Joe.
In
1993, Michael was hit with his first child molestation
accusation. LaToya posed for Playboy and accused her
family of abuse (which she later recanted), and family
dissension spilled into the tabloids. Janet was regarded
as the only ``normal'' one _ before her infamous wardrobe
malfunction.
Michael's
career waned even before he was acquitted of another
molestation claim. And last month, Janet denied rumors
of a secret child as a nude video of her sunbathing
circulated on the Internet.
Still,
Joe Jackson, who faithfully attended his son's trial,
dismisses the notion that the family name has been tainted.
``That's
not true,'' he huffs. ``I don't know how they perceive
us. All I know is we put out a record we sell records.
We go to entertainment centers to perform, we sell out.''
Jackson
_ who remains his family's biggest booster _ has no
regrets introducing his family to the business that
has brought them plenty of wealth, but also misery.
``I
wouldn't wish the family wasn't successful. I never
wish that because we worked hard to make that happen,''
he says. ``But what I don't like is when they try and
frame the family in some fashion or way or another to
make money.''
And
it hasn't soured him on the prospect of creating new
superstars. ``We're looking for the best hip-hop artist
in the world!'' Jackson declared at his Boot Camp, sitting
backstage as a Notorious B.I.G. track played in the
background.
``Everybody
is liking hip-hop now. I'm gonna have to clean it up
a little bit _ all that vulgar language out there,''
he said.
``I'm
gonna have to keep that clean, with nice singing in
it, and great music behind it.''
Jackson
is managing three different singers and has helped produce
two movies, including ``Destination: Fame,'' whose cast
includes the singer Mario, former New Kids on the Block
star Jordan Night and ... Joe Jackson himself.
``It
makes me feel good,'' he said of his various endeavors,
``to do something that I like to do.''
___
On
the Net:
http://www.hiphopbootcamp.com
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