Tito Jackson died at the age of 70 on Sunday. Tito is the third oldest Jackson child in the famous Jackson family, which spawned global icons Michael and Janet Jackson. Tito and his younger brother Michael were part of the legendary Motown R&B group the Jackson 5, which included in addition to them fellow brothers Jermaine, Marlon, and Jackie Jackson.
Longtime family friend and former Jackson family manager Steve Manning revealed to Entertainment Tonight that he died on September 15. An official cause of death has yet to be determined. However, Steve thinks that Tito had a heart attack while he was driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma.
The beloved music sensation's death comes shortly after he revealed that Michael's death in 2009 continued to haunt him 15 years later. Tito was able to feel the King of Pop's presence whenever he hits a stage, and he could see Michael's smile in the faces of his children, TJ, Taj, and Taryll Jackson. One of the eldest Jackson siblings also continued to fight for Michael's legacy.
In August Tito returned to the UK and stayed just a few miles from the O2 where the Man In The Mirror crooner was supposed to play his fateful This Is It residency. Upon his return, he opened up about what was irking him. "The world was not kind to Michael at all.
I don't know why. I would always say if we didn't have him, we sure would miss him," Tito told The Mirror last month. "His death was such a major tragedy.
The world definitely missed out on a lot of goodness .