Joe Jackson Dead at 89

Joe Jackson, the iron-fisted Jackson family patriarch and manager, died Wednesday at age 89 from cancer, reports Billboard and TMZ. The father of Michael Jackson, Joe Jackson launched the Jackson 5—which included Michael and brothers Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine, and Tito—in Gary, Ind., in the 1960s. The group went on to sign with Motown Records, and they quickly scored four No. 1 singles with "I Want You Back," "ABC," "I'll Be There," and "The Love You Save." The Jackson 5 sold millions of records, had their own variety show, and would go on to become one of the most successful R&B groups of all time. Jackson later guided the careers of Michael and sister Janet Jackson when they embarked on solo careers.

Over the years, Jackson had a rocky relationship with his wife, Katherine, with whom he had 10 children, according to CNN. They separated several times but never divorced. Katherine described his alleged extramarital affairs in the book My Family, The Jacksons. Jackson was also roundly criticized by his children and others for allegedly abusive parenting, which included physical punishment. He acknowledged that he was a strict disciplinarian but was unapologetic about his behavior. "I'm glad I was tough because look what I came out with," he told CNN in 2013. "I came out with some kids that everybody loved all over the world. And they treated everybody right." (More Joe Jackson stories.)