Jermaine Jackson | th

Jermaine Jackson (now a.k.a. Muhammad Abdul-Aziz, born December 11, 1954 in Gary, Indiana) is an African-American singer-songwriter and bass guitarist. Formerly of The Jackson 5/The Jacksons and brother to Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, he's known for emotive love songs such as "Daddy's Home" and "Let's Get Serious". Born Jermaine Lajuane Jackson to parents Joseph and Katherine along with the rest of the Jackson clan, he served as the original lead singer of a precursor The Jackson 5 until 1967, when younger brother Michael took over the lead vocals.

Yet Jermaine would co-lead with Michael for many years, and his singing was a key part of the group's success. Jermaine and his brothers signed with Motown Records in March 1969, and their debut album, titled 'Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5' came out in December of that year. A bevy of hits featuring a spirited rnb sound known as 'bubblegum soul' followed such as "ABC", "I Want You Back", and "Mama's Pearl", among others, with the Jackson clan being the first black male group to achieve four consecutive number ones on the pop charts. The gang even got their own animated cartoon show. Motown head Berry Gordy viewed them as one of the most influential soul groups of the time, especially given their appeal to white audiences. .