the jackson legacy
Joe Jackson dies at 89
Joe Jackson, music producer and patriarch of the famous Jackson family, has died at 89, TMZ first reported.
Jackson was reportedly battling pancreatic cancer before his death, per People. His son Jermaine corrected rumors of his death last week but confirmed his declining health.
As the head of the family, Jackson launched his sons' stint as the Jackson 5, as well as son Michael and daughter Janet's solo careers. But Jackson's emotional and physical abuse against his 10 children left him estranged from Michael, People says. Michael fired his father as his manager in 1983 and left him out of his will, though at the Radio Disney Music Awards on June 22, Janet said her father was "incredible" and that he "drove me to be the best," per Billboard.
Jackson dealt with a slew of health problems over the past few years, People says. He is survived by his wife Katherine and nine of their children, after Michael died in 2009.