Janet Jackson has spoken about the passing of her brother, Tito Jackson.
“May you rest in eternal peace. I miss you so much,” Janet, 58, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, October 15, sharing a photo of the two of them.
In September, family manager Steve Manning told Entertainment Tonight that Tito likely died of a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma.
Tito’s sons, Taj, 51, Taryll, 49, and TJ, 46, also posted a tribute to their father on Instagram, writing, “With heavy hearts, we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson, is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened, and heartbroken.”
They described Tito as an “incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”
Tito’s sons wrote, “Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito,’ and others as ‘Poppa T.’ No matter what you called him, he will be missed a lot. It will always be ‘Tito Time’ for us. Please remember to follow our father’s advice: ‘Love One Another.’ We love you, Pops.”
Tito and his brothers—Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael (who passed away in 2009 at age 50)—became famous in the 1960s as part of The Jackson 5. The group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, had many hit songs, including “I Want You Back” and “ABC.”
In addition to performing with The Jackson 5, Tito also started his own solo music career, releasing two albums: Tito Time in 2016 and Under Your Spell in 2021.