Jacksons Unity Tour pumps up musical energy
• Remaining brothers reunite with a tribute to Michael
It has been nearly a half-century since five young brothers from Gary, Ind., began to make music together that would rock a generation, and more.
Forty-eight years, in fact, since Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson began the Jackson 5 act that left a gigantic imprint on the music industry from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.
Michael, of course, left the group to accomplish some big things on his own. When he died in 2009 at age 51, his legacy as a cultural icon — and oddity — was secure.
Now the remaining four brothers are touring together for the first time since 1984. “The Jacksons Unity Tour” makes its only Oregon stop 7 p.m. July 28 at Lincoln City’s Chinook Winds Casino.
It is the penultimate concert on a 16-show tour through North America that began June 20 at Toronto and ends July 29 at Snoqualmie, Wash.
Among the venues already covered is the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City, the site where the Jackson 5 won an amateur night contest in 1967 — when Michael was 9 — to firmly launch the group’s career.
The Jacksons are entering their golden years. Jackie is 61, Tito 58, Jermaine 57, Marlon 55. Michael would have been 54 on Aug. 29.
Marlon spoke by telephone with the Portland Tribune from Atlanta, where the Jacksons were preparing for a show:
Tribune: What has it been like, being with the brothers and performing again for the first time in so many years?
Marlon: It’s exciting. We have fun. We have a party up there on stage. We enjoy ourselves, for sure, and the audience is right there with us. It’s been great.
Tribune: What has been the crowd reaction?
Marlon: Unbelievable. They’ve been having a party right there with us. It’s been incredible. People come out for the opportunity to see us and enjoy themselves, and that’s what they’ve been doing.
Tribune: Reports say you are the one most responsible for getting the brothers together and doing the “Unity Tour.”
Marlon: Not really. It’s the fans who are responsible. They sent in a lot of requests for us to do this, so the brothers decided we would do it.
Tribune: You host the show, and reviews say you do much of the dancing on stage.
Marlon: We all participate equally. I do what I do. Jermaine does what he does; Jackie and Tito do the same. Together, that’s the chosen path that the Jackson 5 stemmed from. We all do our all to entertain our fans. We all hold our own weight. People have been telling us it’s an exciting show, and we thank them for that.
Tribune: Is there any kind of tribute to Michael?
Marlon: There is something. It’s hard not to address that issue. We cover some of it. But you have to come to the show to find out (laughs). I’m not going to give away all the good stuff.
Tribune: June 25 was the third anniversary of Michael’s death. When you look back at what happened with his life, what are your thoughts?
Marlon: First, it’s devastating for anyone to lose a loved one, whether it’s someone of celebrity status or the person next door. You learn to live with it. Each day it’s gotten better, but you never forget about it. Michael lived a great life. He lived the life he always wanted to live. Not many people get to travel the world and play music.
God blessed each of us with a beautiful gift. It was more than just music. He had other things in store for us that we didn’t realize when we were young kids. That was traveling the globe and unifying people together in harmony and peace. That’s what our music did and we did. That was the real message.
Tribune: You were the closest in age to Michael — 17 months older than he was. Were the two of you particularly close?
Marlon: Michael and I were the youngest of the Jackson 5. We did everything together. Everything. I miss him. We all do. But his spirit is with us. We feel like he’s up there (on stage) with us.
Tribune: Are you playing the old hits? Are you mixing in any new material?
Marlon: No new material. We are trying to play all the hits we had during our years together. The show is 90 minutes long. We fit within that time frame as many as we can without chopping them up.
Tribune: Any plans to release an album of new music?
Marlon: We’ve been getting requests to do that. I don’t think so, but the other brothers might give you a totally different answer. Never say never.
Tribune: You left the music industry for a while. Reports were that you sold real estate. Were you successful?
Marlon: I went to real estate school for a while, to get my arms around the business and understand it. I never sold real estate, but I’m into development. I’m doing a development in Nigeria. I want to develop hotels, to do something I think would help people. The project I’ve taken on in Nigeria is about preserving African history and building a resort for that region of the world.
Tribune: What else are you doing with your life?
Marlon: I am coming out with a fashion line called “Study Peace.” We’ll start with T-shirts, hats and denim pants, then move on to shoes and other brands. Music and fashion are a universal language. I want our world to start gravitating toward a more peaceful environment. Our kids can learn from that.
We’re going to have a Study Peace Foundation. I want to build playgrounds around the world for kids. In many countries outside the United States, the kids have no suitable places to play. I want to give everyone the opportunity. You never know — one of these kids might have the cure for a fatal disease some day.
Tribune: You have three children and now four grandchildren. Do they like the Jacksons and their music?
Marlon: Yes they do. I don’t play our stuff around the house, but they do like it. They came to one of our shows recently. My grandson will be 6 in August.
Tribune: Chinook Winds will be the next-to-last stop on the tour — will you have any energy left?
Marlon: (Laughs) Energy is not a problem. No problem at all. Age is just a number. That’s all it is. I don’t pay attention to any of that stuff. I enjoy performing. I do what I do on stage. I don’t get tired. All of us take care of ourselves, make sure we get our rest. I’m in good shape. I’ve been stretching since I was a little kid. I’ve never stopped.
Tribune: Thanks for your time, Marlon.
Marlon: Can I add one more thing, please? I want to thank our fans for supporting us through the years — not just the Jackson 5, but our entire family. Without the fans, we wouldn’t be where we are. We want them to know we really do appreciate that.