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"Associated Press" Interview

Date confirmed in Shawn Hennig’s “Michael Jackson: The Book the Media Doesn't Want You To Read” (“newspaper clipping dated July 22 1972”)

Free Lance–Star / Associated Press (July 22, 1972)

We went to interview the Jackson 5 one morning and found six.

In addition to Jackie (whose name is Sigmund), Tito (whose name is Toriano), Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, who range in age from 21 to 13, there also was Randy, age 10, a player of bongo drums and sometimes background singer.

Michael was wearing a tee shirt with "love" written on it. Jermaine says, "He wears them on every tour. It's his traveling shirt."

Michael has a solo album out on Motown "Got to Be There". A single from it. "I Wanna Be Where You Are", was a hit.

We ask him about singing love songs at his youngish age, and he says, "It's not odd for me to sing love songs because I know what I'm singing about." This brings laughs and snickers from his brothers. Jackie says, teasingly, He gets really deeply involved." Michael defends himself, "There is no age limit to love."

...As the group talks, an adviser says, I never saw you guys so quiet." They explain that they have just flown to New York and are still geared to Los Angeles time.

About Rany, Jackie says, "He has been dying to get in. He finally passed the test. He had to get his thing together first before he could join. He is okay now." He adds that the name of the group still is the Jackson 5.

Tito and Jermaine play guitar. Michael mostly and also Jermaine are lead singers. A couple of cousins play organ and drums.

Asked if they ever compare themselves with the Osmond Brothers, Michael says, "There is room for everybody." Jermaine says, "We just compare ourselves with ourselves. We just keep trying--" [article cuts off]

Jackie says, "There's only one way to go and that is up. We don't think about going down. Right, fellas? Right."

There are also three sisters in the family, Maureen, La Toya, and Janet. Tito says, "Our baby sister wants in show business." "But no girls in the act", quickly adds Jermaine. "We'll give her a little boost some other way."

The group got its start in Gary, Ind., where the family lived until moving to California three years ago. Jackie says, "We were amateurs. Everybody had groups competing against each other. We won a talent show. The mayor of Gary had Diana Ross for a guest at a benefit show and he invited us to sing. She told us she'd take us to Motown.

"We sang the latest songs that were out, by the Temptations, the Miracles, the Supremes; whoever had a big tune on the charts, we'd sing it. We sang in Berry Gordy's office at Motown.

Marlon says, "When we were amateurs we played at the Apollo Theater a lot. We used to do five or six shows a day. We have spent Christmas at the Apollo", Jermaine says.

"Back then, that was what we wanted to do", Jackie says, "We were just getting started so we were quite anxious. Back in '64 or '65 we started as amateurs."

Michael is only the first of the brothers to come out with a solo album. He says, "Jermaine is doing his thing. He's going to have a solo album. Everybody is going to have a solo album."