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Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun (Birth name Jackson; born December 11, 1954) is an American retired singer, songwriter, bass player, and member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael Jackson of the Jackson 5, and played bass guitar. In 1983, he rejoined the group, which had been renamed the Jacksons; he then consistently played in the group's performances and recordings until he left the group again in 2020.
While Jermaine did not usually sing the lead vocal on the Jackson Five's biggest hits, he is featured on "I'll Be There" and "I Want You Back", among others. When four of the brothers left Motown Records for Epic Records in 1976 (having to rename the family act "the Jacksons" in the process), Jermaine, who had just married Motown founder Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel, stayed at Motown. He was replaced in the Jacksons by his youngest brother, Randy. Jermaine had a solo career concurrent with his brother Michael's, including some top-30 hits, until the 1980s. He produced and recorded duets with Whitney Houston on her debut album in 1985, and was a producer for the band Switch. After seven years outside the group he rejoined the Jacksons, and remained until 2020 through various breakups and reunions.
While his father, Joe, worked long hours as a crane operator, Jermaine and his brothers, Tito and Jackie, secretly practiced their own songs using Joe's guitar, and they sang harmonies with their mother Katherine. Jermaine became the original lead singer, and also played the bass in the Jackson Brothers, an earlier incarnation of the Jackson 5 until 1966, when younger brother Michael began singing lead. Father Joe began rehearsing his sons under a strict regimen when he realized their potential, seeing his sons' talent as a way out of Gary. Jermaine would continue to provide some leads over the years. Jermaine graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, in 1973.
Jermaine split from the Jackson Five to start a solo career at Motown, and was replaced by his brother Randy. Unbeknownst to the group, Gordy had trademarked the name Jackson Five and did not allow the group to continue using the name when they left the label. Once signed with Epic, the group became known simply as the Jacksons. In 1983, Gordy asked the group to perform at the television special. After the success of the broadcast, Jermaine finally rejoined the band to record the album Victory which featured all six brothers on the Jackson's album cover. Jermaine also participated in the band's Victory Tour. He stayed with the group for their final album, 2300 Jackson Street, in 1989. Jermaine performed the song "If You'd Only Believe" on March 15, 1993, with his brothers Jackie, Tito and Randy, on the stage of the Grand Théâtre de Genève for the evening of the Nations. He also performed this song alone, on January 14, 1990, in Atlanta, in tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., during King Week 90 '. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Jackson 5. In 2001, he reunited with his brothers to perform for the Michael Jackson .
In 1985, his duet with Pia Zadora, "When the Rain Begins to Fall", topped several singles charts in Europe, including Germany and France; in the United States, the duet only reached number 54 on the Billboard charts. His final chart success, 1989's "Don't Take It Personal", hit number one on the R&B singles chart. Some of Jermaine's finest moments as a singer can be heard in the soulful "Castles of Sand" and the Earth Wind & Fire-inspired "You Need to Be Loved". Jermaine was the executive producer of the Jackson Family Honors concert televised from the MGM Grand on February 22, 1994. On May 19, 2003, he performed "Let's Start Right Now" live on the talk show The View, hosted by Barbara Walters.
Jackson is proficient on the electric guitar and is a talented bass guitar player. At an early age, he performed the parts of legendary bass player James Jamerson and others when the Five performed live. His main instrument was a Gibson EB-3. Jermaine also composed and produced for other artists, such as Switch and he produced and sang duets on Whitney Houston's debut album for Arista Records. Jackson is featured on the Switch track "Tahiti Hut" released in 2019, recorded during the Reaching for Tomorrow sessions.
On November 23, 2007, Jackson appeared on and again talked of a reunion with his brothers on a tour the following year. In 2008, Jackson flew to Australia to be a guest judge and mentor for the top-five Michael Jackson night on Australian Idol. In March 2008, Jackson was the guest of honor at the Muslim Writers Awards in Birmingham. In 2009, following his brother Michael's passing, Jermaine appeared on the A&E television series , documenting what was supposed to be a 40th-anniversary reunion between Jermaine and his brothers. The series lasted one season and Jermaine, along with his three brothers, was listed as an executive producer. In October 2010, Jermaine played a concert at the Planet Hollywood hotel and casino in Las Vegas, naming it "40 Years of Jackson Music" and dedicating the concert to Michael. He wrote the memoir You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother's Eyes (2011). (2026). 9780007435678, HarperCollins. ISBN 9780007435678
In a 2012 interview with Luka Neskovic, for The Huffington Post, Jackson said that his brother planned a reunion with him: "... the plan was to do some shows with the brothers, as well, after he finished his commitment with the This Is It concert, and we probably gonna do some songs with him on the This Is It tour". In October 2012, Jackson released I Wish You Love, his first solo album in 21 years, consisting mostly of jazz covers. The album was arranged and produced by French opera singer David Serero, who recorded a duet on "Autumn Leaves" with Jermaine, and was released by David Serero Productions. They both performed You Are Not Alone: The Musical, written, directed and produced by Serero, in France in January 2013. The following year, You Are Not Alone: The Musical Live was released on video and audio.
Jermaine supported his brother, Michael, during his 2005 trial. He came to Michael's defense on CNN's Larry King Live and appeared with him in court on many occasions. Jermaine announced his brother's death on June 25, 2009, at a press conference at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Jermaine thanked the people that attended Michael Jackson's memorial at the Staples Center, on July 7, 2009. Jermaine and his brothers, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Randy Jackson served as pallbearers wearing a gold necktie, a single white glove and sunglasses.
Jackson, like the rest of his family, was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. In 1989, he converted to Islam after a trip to Bahrain, in which he was impressed by the local children's devotion to their religion.
On December 27, 2023, a lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who alleged Jackson sexually assaulted her after forcing himself into her home in 1988. The woman, identified as Rita Barrett, also alleged Motown Records owner Berry Gordy assisted in covering up the abuse.
| +Film and television |
| Episode: "Starstruck" |
| 7 episodes (season 2) |
| Credited as Jermaine Jacksun |
| Episode: "Daniel Baldwin/Jermaine Jackson" |
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