Michael Jackson father, Joe Jackson, has died at age 89.
The Jackson musical family patriarch died on Wednesday at approximately 3:30 AM, TMZ reported. Joe Jackson was hospitalized for terminal cancer just before his death, and all of his living children and grandkids flocked to his bedside ever since. His wife Katherine Jackson was also reportedly by his bedside despite their separation.
Joe has been battling frail health for the last few years. He overcame three heart attacks back in 2015 when doctors implanted a pacemaker inside his body. He was also hospitalized in 2016 for a lingering fever but quickly bounced back.
Joe Jackson is the mastermind behind the Jackson family musical legacy which includes a hugely successful career for Michael Jackson, who is widely seen as one of the greatest singers of all time. Janet Jackson also went on to have a hugely successful solo career in pop music.
Despite his success of managing his talented kids, Joe Jackson was a bit of a controversial figure. He came under fire from his kids for beating them while they were growing up. He admitted to it but was unapologetic, saying that his method made his kids successful stars.
“We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson’s passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family,” a rep for Michael Jackson’s estate said in a statement. “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.”
