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CNN Larry King Live
Interview with The Jackson Brothers
Aired December 08, 2009 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, a prime time exclusive with the Jacksons -- Jermaine, Marlon, Jackie and Tito -- they're all here.
(MUSIC)
KING: They'll tell us how the family dynasty is doing since Michael's death, now five months ago, what his kids are up to and how they're moving on in the face of tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARLON JACKSON: They're doing as best as you can expect when you lose a parent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Next on LARRY KING LIVE.
Good evening.
We welcome Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon Jackson. The brother's new reality series, "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty," premieres on A&E this Sunday night, December 13th.
The only member of the Jackson 5 not here is brother Michael.
Five months. It's hard to believe it's so quick -- five months since he died.
Where, first, Jermaine, where's Randy?
JERMAINE JACKSON, JACKSON 5: Randy is probably in Monaco, where we should be right now.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Did he not want to be -- what -- is there any reason why he isn't a part of this reality show?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Well, he's -- he's still taking care of things with -- with the estate and he's still just being Randy. He's -- he's welcome any time.
MARLON JACKSON, JACKSON 5: He had...
JERMAINE JACKSON: We love him.
MARLON JACKSON: He elected not to participate and so we respect his decision. But he's still our brother and there's still...
KING: Might Tito -- he make an appearance down the line?
TITO JACKSON, JACKSON 5: I'm hoping he will make an appearance. You know, he's -- he's with us on the music and the records and all those things.
MARLON JACKSON: What he said...
TITO JACKSON: But he's just -- he's a little shy about the camera thing and so it's like...
MARLON JACKSON: He said he's going to make some personal appearances, but we're waiting for that to happen.
KING: All right. How -- how are you all doing?
It's five months.
Does it seem like five months, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: No, it doesn't seem like five months. And the thing about it is that I don't -- I think, for myself -- and I can only speak for myself -- I'm learning to deal with my brother's passing. And every day I say to myself, I can't believe that my brother is not here.
KING: Where were you when he died?
MARLON JACKSON: I actually was in Georgia when he had passed.
KING: And they had phoned you?
MARLON JACKSON: Actually, no. Actually, I got a phone call from a friend of mine who said, is your brother all right?
I said, what are you talking about?
He was rushed to the hospital.
As I was calling my brothers, calling my mom, my daughter down stairs said, dad, Uncle Michael is dead.
KING: That had to be unbelievable, right?
MARLON JACKSON: That was unbelievable.
KING: Where were you, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: Actually, I was at home doing some work. And one of my sons had called me and asked me was it true what we're hearing about Uncle Michael?
So I said, what is it that you're hearing?
He said that they just rushed him to the hospital. So I immediately tried to tune into CNN Headline News and had learned that -- on my way -- I called my mom and she said, you guys better get down there.
So on the way there, Janet had called me and said, Tito, are you driving?
I said, yes I am. She said pull over. And when she said that, I knew something was drastically wrong. And I pulled over and she broke the bad news to me.
KING: Jackie, how did you learn?
JACKIE JACKSON, JACKSON 5: Well, I was at the Venetian Hotel with Jermaine's two kids shopping. And I was just looking at a monitor where Michael shops and buys all his luggage and things like that and souvenirs. And we were just looking at it. And all of a sudden, someone passing said, Michael Jackson died. Someone passing -- saying that passed me. And I said, no way.
So I walked outside and I got a phone call from my mom. She told me that it was true.
KING: And, Jermaine, I know we've asked you before, but just for the benefit for those who didn't see it, where were you?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Well, my first -- I was on the other side of Pasadena. My first phone call was -- was you guys. And I...
KING: You found out from CNN?
JERMAINE JACKSON: I found out from CNN. And I just said, I'm going to call my mother right -- right away. So I called my mother. She said she was on her way to the hospital. Within 45 minutes, past, Janet -- I spoke to Janet and I spoke to our attorney, Joel Katz. And the next thing I knew, I called my mother back and she -- just to hear her voice. She was at the hospital. She said, he's dead. And there was just a horrible tone in her voice.
KING: Where you all very close, Jackie?
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes, we were very close, yes. Despite Michael travels a lot and he does his own thing, but we were all close, very close.
KING: And despite his fame, Tito, there was no jealousy or anything?
TITO JACKSON: None whatsoever, because we are all brother and we all reared this together and that's what...
JERMAINE JACKSON: It was the Jackson 5 platform that launched all of the individual careers -- Michael's, Janet's, ours. It was the Jackson 5.
MARLON JACKSON: I think what people don't understand, the camaraderie amongst the brothers began back in the early '60s when we began to -- before we became -- came to Motown -- our traveling to the Apollo, New York in the Volkswagen van or the Ford truck with our equipment. And there was a bond that was born...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
MARLON JACKSON: ...amongst the brothers at that time, because we were all trying to make it, you know, striving, trying to make things happen.
KING: All right. We'll ask about the reality series in a moment.
But as any fan of the Jackson 5 knows, the group left Motown for CBS. And that was in 1976. Except for Jermaine -- he stayed at Motown.
Here's a clip from "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty." It's going to premiere next -- this Sunday -- about that breakup.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE JACKSONS: A FAMILY DYNASTY," COURTESY A&E)
JERMAINE JACKSON: The reason I stayed...
(CRYING)
JERMAINE JACKSON: This -- this really hurts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry about it, Jermaine.
JERMAINE JACKSON: The reason why I stayed at Motown was because Motown introduced us to the world as the Jackson 5. And to tell -- to be told that you're -- that you're going to go to CBS and we're going to make you like The Beatles, because we're the Jackson 5 and that's all I wanted. And so the fact that we started there, it was a sense of anointing -- just be anointed to where -- to where we started.
TITO JACKSON: When you came back to the group, it was one of the best favorable memories of my life, you know.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Really?
TITO JACKSON: Yes.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Oh. (INAUDIBLE) love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: You seem -- you're still bitter over that, huh, Jermaine -- or sad?
JERMAINE JACKSON: It was sad because being alone and not knowing where they were and not having that connection. And then the fans were like treating me a bit different by saying, well, you left the group and we -- we don't want your autograph and that kind of stuff. But the love that I've had for them and they've had for me has never changed.
KING: How did the brothers -- how did this whole thing come about, Jackie, this reality show?
JACKIE JACKSON: Well...
KING: Whose idea was this?
Who put it together?
JACKIE JACKSON: Well, Jermaine came to us and said there's a -- a reality show on the table for us. And -- and we didn't know whether we wanted to do it or not, you know, because it was a reality show. We've never done a reality show and...
JERMAINE JACKSON: Jackie was very tough to sell.
JACKIE JACKSON: Well...
KING: He didn't want to do it?
JERMAINE JACKSON: He's always tough to sell.
JACKIE JACKSON: No, I didn't want to do it, but -- but Jermaine said this is something we must do. You know, give a chance for the world to see what we do at home and...
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes.
JACKIE JACKSON: ...as (INAUDIBLE).
KING: So what do they do to you?
Do they follow you around as a group or individually?
TITO JACKSON: Yes, they do a little bit of both, a little bit of both. And I told them it was all fine, though, as long as they don't catch me coming in and out of the shower.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You glad you did it, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes. I'm -- I'm glad. But, as you know, I'm a little bit apprehensive about doing something of this nature because there's a private side of your life that I...
KING: Sure.
MARLON JACKSON: ... Strongly feel that the -- that the public is not entitled to. And that's not just with our family, that's with any family. So you let them inside your life, but there's a private, private side that you never... KING: Do you have control of the edit?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes.
MARLON JACKSON: Absolutely.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes, absolutely.
KING: Well, we'll take a break and come back. Lots to talk about.
And don't forget, this show will premiere on Sunday night, December 13th on A&E. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE JACKSONS: A FAMILY DYNASTY," COURTESY A&E)
JERMAINE JACKSON: Happy birthday, Janet. (INAUDIBLE).
JANET JACKSON: Oh, I just got a dog for my birthday. I got a -- a French bulldog, you know. So I'm...
JERMAINE JACKSON: You did?
Talk, talking.
JANET JACKSON: Yes. And I'm getting ready to go to the -- the movies with Austin (ph).
JERMAINE JACKSON: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
JERMAINE JACKSON: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, happy birthday.
JERMAINE JACKSON: You did?
JANET JACKSON: Yes. And I'm getting ready to go the movies with Austin.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Oh, OK. Well, happy birthday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don't you (INAUDIBLE) said happy birthday.
JERMAINE JACKSON: We love you. Happy birthday.
JANET JACKSON: Thank you, guys.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Take care.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy birthday, Janet. JANET JACKSON: I love you.
JERMAINE JACKSON: We love you, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you, too.
Bye-bye.
TITO JACKSON: Good bye.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Good bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Who were you talking to?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Janet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was Janet.
KING: Little Janet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our baby sister.
By the way -- I've got to check on this, how are Michael's three kids doing, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: They're doing great. They're doing fine. They're doing as best as you can expect when you lose a parent. You know, that's with any family. You know, you deal with it. But now they're with all the nieces and nephews around there. They're all -- they're doing fine.
KING: Do you see them a lot?
TITO JACKSON: Oh, yeah. Every time we go to mom's house, they're there having fun with the other kids and the family.
KING: How is your mom, Jermaine, dealing with all that?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Well...
KING: I mean, she's not the youngest person in the world to have three little ones around.
JERMAINE JACKSON: No, but she's -- she loves the children being around, because it's -- all the kids are -- are there. We're all there all the time. And -- and my kids are there and the rest of this generation, they come by. She loves the noise from -- it kind of reminds her of when we were young. So she loves it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And there's some help there, too. They have lots of help.
KING: Do they go to school without being bothered, Jackie?
JACKIE JACKSON: Well, they have home studies at home. They are...
KING: They do?
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes. And school is wonderful there. They've got great teachers and they learn a lot there so...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
JACKIE JACKSON: They're having a good time, you know. It's good.
KING: Were the Jackson's always a family that got together, kids with kids and...
MARLON JACKSON: Well, we -- yes. We got together with our -- with my kids, Tito's kids hung out together.
TITO JACKSON: Family day (INAUDIBLE).
MARLON JACKSON: Yes, fam -- and we had family day. And so we -- we're no different than any other family.
KING: Now you had a decision to make about this reality series. And you may have been the most hesitant, Jackie, of giving up your privacy.
(LAUGHTER)
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes.
KING: I think you were the most hesitant to do it.
JACKIE JACKSON: I'm a pretty private person. And...and...
KING: I could tell that.
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes, I'm very private, very quiet. I like it that way. I'm not like -- I don't like to be in the spotlight. You know, I like to be behind the scenes more or less. But...
KING: So?
JACKIE JACKSON: ... Jermaine loves the spotlight.
JERMAINE JACKSON: No, I don't.
JACKIE JACKSON: He can handle it.
JERMAINE JACKSON: No, no, no, no, no.
JACKIE JACKSON: He loves it.
JERMAINE JACKSON: It's not that I like... JACKIE JACKSON: But -- but that's good, no, Larry. That's a good thing.
JERMAINE JACKSON: No. But the light finds me.
KING: We need someone to love it, though.
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes, it's a good thing. He's what he is and I'm what I am.
JERMAINE JACKSON: I don't like the spotlight, Larry. You know that. The light just finds me.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You (INAUDIBLE) refrigerator does 10 minutes.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Tito, do you go get into the swing of it, so that you forget the cameras are there?
TITO JACKSON: Pretty much, you know, after a while. It was a little rough in the beginning knowing there was a camera zooming in on you all the moments of your day. But I'm now pretty used to it, you know, so I just kept...
KING: How long are you committed to it for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry?
KING: How long are you committed to the show?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did the five episodes, the five one-hour episodes.
KING: That's all it's going to be?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's -- right now, that's all it's going to be.
KING: What if they want more?
What if it's a big hit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, then we have to sit down and talk and see what the brothers...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit down and talk to my family...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll have to go back to the drawing board, Larry. KING: Oh, good line.
(LAUGHING)
KING: We've got another clip.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: We've got another clip from "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty." This deals with the aftermath of Michael's death.
Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE JACKSONS: A FAMILY DYNASTY," COURTESY A&E)
JACKIE JACKSON: It was -- it was a great experience to carry my brother, you know. And -- and all the brothers carrying him. If I had to carry him for like 100 miles, I would do it, you know.
TITO JACKSON: Whether you're feeling good or bad, you start thinking about that he's not here. And it just overwhelms you with sorrow.
MARLON JACKSON: I don't think people will ever understand the loss of Michael as a brother for me versus a pop star. Losing a sibling is -- is devastating.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Michael was a bright light that's been shining our whole lives. And we don't feel that the light is turned off. We just feel that the light is brighter, really, because the legacy lives on and his spirit is very much alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: How many children do you guys have?
How many do you have, Jermaine?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Ask Marlon first because...
(LAUGHTER)
MARLON JACKSON: Jermaine -- Jermaine...
(CROSSTALK)
MARLON JACKSON: Jermaine has a nursery.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Marlon, shut up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no, no, no.
KING: How many do you have, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: I have three kids and two grandkids. KING: You're a grandfather?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes, I'm a grandfather.
KING: You look like a kid.
Tito -- you have three.
All right, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: I have three and three grandkids, as well.
KING: Jackie?
JACKIE JACKSON: I have two kids.
KING: Jermaine?
JERMAINE JACKSON: I have three plus four.
KING: Three plus four?
That's seven.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Plus five.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Seven or five?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Seven that he know of.
(LAUGHTER)
JERMAINE JACKSON: Marlon...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: So there's 15 kids.
Do they all get along?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they do.
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes.
MARLON JACKSON: Our kids?
Yes.
KING: Yes.
MARLON JACKSON: And Randy has -- has kids, as well.
KING: And Randy has kids, right?
MARLON JACKSON: Right.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Correct.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
KING: So there's a lot of Jacksons running around?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot of Jacksons.
JERMAINE JACKSON: There's a whole lot of Jacksons.
KING: Do a lot of them have talent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
KING: We'll be -- in other words, we're going to be hearing from the Jacksons forever, right?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Forever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: yes.
MARLON JACKSON: Thank you.
KING: We'll be back in 60 seconds with the Jacksons.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE JACKSONS: A FAMILY DYNASTY," COURTESY A&E)
KING: A 40th anniversary reunion of the Jackson 5 is one of the key themes of the Jackson's new reality series. Efforts to produce a 40th anniversary album -- that don't always go so well.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a good roller skating song.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds all right.
(MUSIC) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll tell you what, let's erase that. Let's erase it.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to start over?
Is that what you want to do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's erase it and start over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jackie say kill it. (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not saying nothing.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it back to what we did today before lunch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Jackie told me to...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to start a new session and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: we scratched everything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who told you to do what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jackie told me to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You erased it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean you erased everything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, what you mean what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened with the...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask your brother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jackie, why did you tell him that he could erase it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you let him do that, Marlon?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, to be -- to be honest with you all, the track really ain't happening. I'm not even filling the track.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, what I heard, it was great. And, Jermaine, you sound good singing it. But it wasn't a Jackson 5. It sounded like a solo record. It didn't sound like a background that the Jackson -- it didn't have that Jackson 5 magic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Boy, I love this. This is going to be a hit. The show...
(LAUGHTER)
KING: This show starts Sunday night.
We'll be right back with more of the Jacksons. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE JACKSONS: A FAMILY DYNASTY," COURTESY A&E)
(MUSIC)
TITO JACKSON: The energy level is poor.
(SINGING)
TITO JACKSON: Hey, you guys got to listen to me. You ain't going to get it right because I'm hearing what you guys are doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tito's talking, you all.
TITO JACKSON: I'm just telling you.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Go ahead. Go ahead.
TITO JACKSON: You want me to produce you or what?
You weren't even listening.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Tito's a pain in the ass. I'll tell you why. He's so tough. He's tough.
TITO JACKSON: You know, but it sounds bad. (CROSSTALK)
TITO JACKSON: It sounds like The Supremes instead of the Jacksons.
(CROSSTALK)
JERMAINE JACKSON: What? What? What? What?
TITO JACKSON: You guys sound like The Supremes in there.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Shut up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
KING: This show can't miss.
Marlon, does your mother have anything to do with the show?
MARLON JACKSON: No, my mom does not have anything to do with the show. She's going to -- you know, she's going to do an appearance on the show, but...
KING: She will?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes. I (INAUDIBLE)...
KING: We'll actually see Kathleen, who appears nowhere?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes. She made some appearances on the show.
KING: Oh, you taped it already?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes.
JACKIE JACKSON: Yes.
KING: Oh, that's good.
How about your dad?
MARLON JACKSON: The hawk?
No, he -- he...
KING: The hawk?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes, the hawk.
KING: That's what you call him?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes, the hawk.
KING: He does not appear on the show. MARLON JACKSON: No, he does not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not yet.
MARLON JACKSON: Not yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
KING: We have an e-mail question from Sara in Greencastle, Indiana. She asks, "Will the Jackson family reality show feature footage from the family's private services for Michael or will you give us anymore details on what happened at that private service?"
JERMAINE JACKSON: We can give you a couple of more details, but it was basically just a private ceremony for the immediate family. But we're not going to reveal any of that on the reality show, no.
KING: Was it very emotional, Jackie?
JACKIE JACKSON: Very, very emotional to see your brother there in -- in the casket. It was very, very emotional.
KING: Were there any other people there, other than family?
TITO JACKSON: Yes, we had some close friends there. Yes.
KING: Was it hard for you, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: It was hard for me because you never expect to actually, you know, bury your brother. I mean, it's just something that you...
KING: That don't happen.
MARLON JACKSON: No, it doesn't happen.
KING: In an interview last month on ABC, your sister Janet spoke about Michael's problems with drugs and the family's efforts to do something about it.
Watch and we'll get your comment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH ROBIN ROBERTS," COURTESY ABC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was there a time, as a family, that you thought, we need to do something here?
Did you do anything?
JANET JACKSON: Of course. That's what you do. Those are the things that you do when you love someone. You can't just let them continue on that way. And we did, a few times. We weren't very successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Tito, you think you could have done more?
TITO JACKSON: Well, you would always like to think that you could have done more. And we did all we could.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
KING: Did you always know that he had a problem, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: No. Being a -- you know, with the prescription drugs and the doctor that did those things, no, we did not know that.
KING: Were you surprised when you learned it?
JACKIE JACKSON: Very surprised to find that out. We -- right away, we tried to comfort him and tried to support him on that. But it was kind of difficult, in truth.
KING: Any at all, honestly, Jermaine, guilt that -- do you ever say to yourself, we should have done more?
JERMAINE JACKSON: No. There's no guilt. I don't like the word drugs. I -- I think Marlon said it best, that without the drugs. There was prescriptions that weren't good for him. I -- I just don't like the word drugs because that's so vague. That's so broad. And there's all kinds -- types of drugs.
But I'll say that Michael is in safe keepings now. I -- there was nothing that we could do.
KING: Do you have any anger at the doctors, Marlon?
You must have some, I guess. I mean someone had to feed that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, yes.
MARLON JACKSON: Well, there's -- there's an ongoing investigation and...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Marlon...
MARLON JACKSON: An ongoing investigation until they exactly -- know exactly what took place. But yes, because I strongly feel that some of these doctors just do things, you know, for the -- for themselves.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Larry, I'm -- I'll just say this. I'm very upset to hear that this doctor is able to go back and practice medicine.
KING: So far no charges.
JERMAINE JACKSON: No charges and -- and...
KING: So far.
JERMAINE JACKSON: And to take our brother's life and one of the biggest names in the world.
And he can go -- who is he going to practice on?
I mean, he's been marked. But I'm just saying that I'm very disappointed and they are, too, because he should not be where he is. He should be charged.
KING: Jackie, how does your mother feel about that?
JACKIE JACKSON: She's very devastated over it. And you can see it in her face constantly, over and over again. She's -- she's torn apart over it, losing her son.
MARLON JACKSON: I don't think any parent would ever, you know, feel that they would live to see one of their siblings pass. I mean, that's
KING: It's not supposed to happen.
MARLON JACKSON: No. It's not supposed to happen. But, as you and I know, tomorrow is not promised for nobody sitting at this table.
KING: We don't get it owed to us.
MARLON JACKSON: Right.
KING: For the record, the attorney for Dr. Murray, who's at the center of the ongoing Michael Jackson investigation, told us that: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we're waiting for concrete facts to come from the LAPD."
We'll be right back with the Jackson's reality series. It premieres Sunday night on A&E.
Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
KING: What goes through you, Jackie, when you see that?
JACKIE JACKSON: It just brings back a lot of great memories, how hard we rehearsed for that, just to do that show. And it was a lot of fun, a lot of hard work. We worked hard every single day. It was hard work.
KING: What does it do when you see it, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: Well, it brings back the same as Jackie -- old memories of all the hard work and effort and our dreams and to have accomplished them today is -- it makes me feel really good.
KING: Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: I -- I think about we were doing -- doing it because we loved doing it. We didn't realize exactly where...
KING: Shows?
MARLON JACKSON: ...it was going to take us. But we enjoyed it. We all enjoyed doing it. You know, there was -- we rehearsed relentlessly, but we enjoyed rehearsing.
KING: Jermaine, did you realize how much talent that little kid had?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes, yes. We realized it when we used to do live shows before this and Michael used to do the splits and just do all kinds of things, just spontaneously, right?
(CROSSTALK)
JACKIE JACKSON: Way back in Indiana. He had --
KING: They've got a museum for him now in Gary, Indiana.
You're father, Joe, has suggested that Michael's death involved foul play. Your sister, La Toya, voiced a similar opinion.
Here's Latoya on "The View" in mid September.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LATOYA JACKSON: -- thought it was homicide, that he had been murdered.
Yes, absolutely. Michael continuously told me, La Toya, if I die, I'm going to be killed. They're going to kill me over my catalog, over my publishing. And he was afraid of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What do you think of that, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: Well, I think every -- each one of us -- if you ask each one of the brothers or the sisters their opinion, you might get a different answer for everybody.
KING: What's yours?
MARLON JACKSON: That's -- my opinion is that I want to sit back and let them do the investigation and let them come out exactly what -- what took place. I don't want to form an opinion. And one of the other brothers might have a totally different view point.
KING: You think La Toya, Tito, made an opinion too soon?
TITO JACKSON: Yes, she may have, yes, yes.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes.
TITO JACKSON: She may have.
KING: If that pretty much the way the family feels too? Well, Joe, too, then spoke too soon.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes.
MARLON JACKSON: Yes, I think he did.
KING: Is there jealousy of Michael?
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Well, it's logical to think that.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: First of all, brothers always fight.
MARLON JACKSON: No, no, no.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Larry, why? Why?
MARLON JACKSON: Let me answer that because a lot of people say that to us all the time. When I see my brother doing that, it makes me so proud of him, being one of the biggest artists in the world. Breaking all kinds of records, the records -- I'm so proud of him for doing that. That's hard to do, Larry. It's hard work. His last name is Jackson, right?
TITO JACKSON: As Jermaine stated earlier in this show, the Jackson 5 was the foundation. We worked relentlessly to build this name, to brand this name internationally. And then Michael branched off and continued to even take it to another level with the last name Jackson, it just continued to brand the name Jackson.
So no, it's like a machine. We're all working together. And in some cases, just excel --
KING: Even when he got, Jermaine, so famous. I mean, he went beyond fame?
JERMAINE JACKSON: That's my brother. We're happy. He was going to go further. We were going to be more proud. He was going to go further, I think.
KING: Another surprising thing -- and we were with you the night of the premiere of the film -- is what that film shows. And anyone who sees it would say this. What a great guy he was. How encouraging he was of other talent. When that girl was kind of unsure of herself -- and he never makes her feel bad.
JERMAINE JACKSON: You hear that. You hear people say (INAUDIBLE), that's what he was. That's all he was.
KING: And also, pretty bright. Marlon, I mean, this was not just a walk in the park.
MARLON JACKSON: Right, no. One of the things that the brothers had mentioned and so like that, my mother and my father, at the time, the things that my father put us through as youngsters, we didn't realize --
KING: He was rough, right?
MARLON JACKSON: He was rough. But you think about it, six boys, you know, in Gary, Indiana, where there's gangs and things of that nature. So he made sure that we stayed busy when he was away. And we never realized what he was doing until we got older. And all those things that took place in Gary, Indiana, as you get older, you draw back on those things, and there's some type of balance in your life.
And -- and so I feel that I'm no different than anybody else, and my brothers. And I give my father credit for that.
KING: You ever resentful of your father, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: No. Never.
KING: Mad at the way he --
TITO JACKSON: No, because I think my father, he's not -- he didn't just prepare us for music. He prepared us for manhood, for life, and the things that he had us to do at a child's age, you know? That was only a short period. We're adults the rest of our lives. So he prepared me.
KING: Was he rougher on Michael than the others, Jackie?
JACKIE JACKSON: No, he wasn't. He could never catch Michael. He was kind of --
KING: He was fast.
JERMAINE JACKSON: So fast. Michael would go under the bed and never come out for about 15 minutes. But he would laugh at him.
KING: So even though he was not a "spare the rod, spoil the child" kind of guy, right? You appreciate what he did, then, for you?
JERMAINE JACKSON: That's why we're here today. Absolutely.
MARLON JACKSON: Tough love. That's what it was. A lot of our friends from Gary isn't with us today.
KING: It's a tough town. Well said.
More from the Jacksons after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with the Jacksons. The reality show starts Sunday night. They've done five of them. But from the way it looks to me, this -- we're going to be seeing this for a long time. Going to be renewed for probably more money.
JERMAINE JACKSON: I'd like that.
KING: I just have that feeling. You know, when you get a hit, you have the edge when you only did five. And you're not guaranteed to do more, right?
MARLON JACKSON: No.
KING: More money.
Let's take a look at "The Jacksons." Let's take a look at "The Jackson 5" in action, back in the days when all of us were a lot younger. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Let's look back at memories. This is Memory Lane here for a moment.
What kind of kid, Marlon, was your brother?
MARLON JACKSON: You know, Michael and I are close in age. And we were the two youngest of the group. And we used to hang out all the time. And we used to play practical jokes on -- on everybody. We used to, you know, get in golf carts when our road manager and some others go play golf. We would wreck the golf carts. We just had fun, had so much fun.
Jermaine and Michael used to put ice in people's shoes when they'd leave them out. Back in those days, you would leave your shoes out to get them polished, shined up. They would put ice in them.
KING: Would you say he was a good kid, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: He was an excellent kid. He was full of fun, loved, and very musical. And just -- his whole thing was bringing people together, Giving to the world and trying to change the world, make the world a better place. That's what Michael was.
KING: Did he start to think that when he was young, too? Or do you think --
TITO JACKSON: Even as a young man, even the songs that he'd written as a teenager, young teenager, were all about changing the world and bringing people together.
MARLON JACKSON: He loved the Walt Disney. He studied Walt Disney.
KING: He did? MARLON JACKSON: He loved him. Read all the books about Walt Disney. That's why he had an amusement park in his yard. He said -- he said one day when he was 10 years old, he told me, "I'm going to have a Disneyland in my back yard." He told me that. He did.
KING: Did the Jackson 5 ever work Disneyland?
TITO JACKSON: Yes. We -- we played the -- the park --
JERMAINE JACKSON: We did. Especially with Sandy Duncan on the ship, on the Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes.
KING: That must have been a hoot for him, then, right?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Definitely.
MARLON JACKSON: He's a great dreamer. Michael was a great dreamer.
KING: What's going to happen to Neverland, by the way?
MARLON JACKSON: Well what we're planning on doing is keeping it exactly the way it was and just maybe -- we have other plans for it. But we're going to keep what he did, because that was his Tomorrowland.
KING: You're not going to let it just sit there? Right?
MARLON JACKSON: No, no.
JERMAINE JACKSON: We've got some great ideas.
KING: Beautiful, most beautiful piece of property.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Oh, yes. You saw it.
KING: With you. We did that show there.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Gorgeous, isn't it?
KING: And it -- you can't just let that lie there, Marlon, right?
MARLON JACKSON: No, it's not. I think -- there's some ideas that -- that people have been working on for kind of bringing Neverland back to life.
KING: What was the worst part? Was there any down side of being famous early?
JACKIE JACKSON: I -- for myself, I think one of the things -- and Motown prepared us for this, but everybody wanted a piece of you. Everybody wanted to know your private life. And I think that was part of the worst part for myself, being famous at an early age.
KING: What was for you, Jermaine? Nothing's perfect, so what was the down side?
JERMAINE JACKSON: I -- there wasn't really any down side, because we were prepared. We were taught to -- I mean, Barry Gordy, Susan Depatson (ph), they all did an incredible job.
TITO JACKSON: Just waking us so early in the morning. Preparing yourself. Preparing yourself, packing your luggage and things. And sometimes you'd leave stuff behind. Yes, yes.
KING: Did you tour a lot?
TITO JACKSON: Oh, are you kidding me?
KING: A lot of one-night tours?
JERMAINE JACKSON: All the time.
KING: You ever forget what town you're in?
(CROSS TALK)
TITO JACKSON: That's not -- forget that. Jackie used to be on stage and say, "Hello, Detroit." We'd be in Chicago.
JERMAINE JACKSON: No. No. I've been there.
KING: Back with more of the Jacksons. The show premieres Sunday. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back. According to Sony Pictures, the Michael Jackson rehearsal film, "This is It," has raked in more than $250 million in worldwide ticket sales. Here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Was that hard to look at, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: Actually, this is the first I've seen of anything of him. And that wasn't too bad, because it is Michael's music.
KING: Is it hard for you, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: It was hard for me. It was hard for me.
KING: He died soon after.
MARLON JACKSON: Yes, right. You look at it and --
KING: He looked so good.
MARLON JACKSON: I'm sorry?
KING: He looked so good.
MARLON JACKSON: He looked great. He looked great. I mean, you can't believe that he's not here with you any more.
KING: Was it hard for you, Jackie?
JACKIE JACKSON: I -- I enjoyed every bit of it. To see him do his thing --
KING: You, Jermaine?
JERMAINE JACKSON: I was excited about seeing him preparing for what was going to be the most incredible show. And -- and to say he wasn't giving 30 percent. He was just going through the motions and making sure everybody else knew what they were supposed to do.
KING: You mean, we didn't see the best?
JERMAINE JACKSON: No.
MARLON JACKSON: Just going through the motions. When you hit the stage, that's when you get the 2,000 percent.
KING: You know, that's the amazing thing about him, is that he was very shy, except when the light hit him on stage. Nothing shy.
We'll be back with more. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
KING: We're back. We have an e-mail question from Brooke in West Palm Beach, Florida. She asks,"If you could pick one song that you think best defines the Jackson 5 as a group, what would it be and why?" We'll start with Marlon.
MARLON JACKSON: I would pick "2300 Jackson Street." That's what you were going to pick, Jackie?
KING: Why?
MARLON JACKSON: Because it actually speaks -- it tells a whole story, exactly what took place, and the camaraderie among family members and things of that nature.
KING: Tito?
TITO JACKSON: Well, I was going to agree with him. But I'm going to go with "Can You Feel It?" because actually, it speaks about what we're about: love and peace and harmony for the world and all the things.
KING: Jackie? JACKIE JACKSON: Well, Marlon's "2300 Jackson Street," because it had our whole family in the film. But we were all singing on the record, and it shows family harmony.
KING: Ever get back there?
JACKIE JACKSON: I didn't go back there. Jermaine went back.
TITO JACKSON: You guys didn't go.
JERMAINE JACKSON: It was Tito and I who went back to Gary for the --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Jermaine, what's your favorite song?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Probably "Never Can Say Good-Bye." It's -- the lyrical content has nothing to do with -- with what we're speaking about, but it's just during that time when the song was out.
KING: What does "2300 Jackson Street" sound like?
(SINGING)
KING: No. Give me a little. Give me a little.
(CROSS TALK)
(SINGING)
KING: -- guy trying to do -- stop that.
All right. Something happened, Jermaine, in an upcoming episode of "The Jacksons." We've got our spies. It's called "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty." Your commitment to the group's reunion is questioned after you fail to show up for a major photo shoot. What happened?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Well, what happened was I was in Indiana, and I was working so hard on the tribute -- the tribute. And I got just so exhausted that I got -- my eyes were like redder than that band you have to have on your wrist there. And they thought that I wasn't telling the truth. So, of course, the brothers didn't believe me. And so they went out -- they went on and did the session. And --
KING: Photo session?
JERMAINE. JACKSON: Yes.
KING: Without you?
JERMAINE. JACKSON: Yes. And I did mine out here.
KING: Oh, you dubbed it in.
JERMAINE. JACKSON: Yes, yes. KING: Were you mad at him?
MARLON JACKSON: I wasn't mad. But he said he was working hard. He probably was hardly working. But then we finally get it together.
KING: Were you mad, Tito?
TITO JACKSON: No, no. Not mad.
KING: Were you mad?
JACKIE JACKSON: No, I wasn't mad.
KING: Who's the leader of the group?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Me. See, Larry, you don't ask it out in the open. You just say, "Jackie, are you the leader? Tito, you're the leader?"
KING: No, no. Let's say -- let's say a financier comes along, and he has a project. Maybe he wants to build a Jackson Museum in Dubuque. Who does he talk to?
(CROSS TALK)
JERMAINE JACKSON: He'd talk to all of us. Actually, what we'd do, we'd sit down and talk about it amongst ourselves. And if we all agreed to --
KING: What if you vote, and it's two to two?
JERMAINE. JACKSON: No, but -- no, but there's Randy, too. So you're going to have --
KING: That's true.
JERMAINE JACKSON: You're going to have -- that's a clean (ph) vote.
KING: Are Janet and La Toya just as close to you as you are to you?
MARLON JACKSON: Of course. Of course.
KING: So the sisters are close?
MARLON JACKSON: Absolutely.
KING: The tie is strongest to the mom, right? Tell me about Katherine. I keep hearing about Katherine. I spoke to her on the phone once.
JERMAINE JACKSON: She should be the mother of mothers around the world. She -- she's just an incredible human being. And she's so nice. And we get all that niceness from her. Sometimes we hate it, because we -- MARLON JACKSON: We don't speak up for ourselves.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Yes. Jackie, though, but --
MARLON JACKSON: My mother's the type of woman, she -- she can fire a maid.
KING: She can't, yes. How old is she now?
(CROSS TALK)
MARLON JACKSON: No, she's -- she's in her late 70s, I believe. Let's put it that way.
KING: Healthy?
MARLON JACKSON: Healthy.
KING: We'll be back with our remaining moments with the Jacksons after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARLON JACKSON: For me, the gift of music has been a blessing from God. From the time I was a child. So I first of all would like to thank my parents for teaching me that gift.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: One more clip from "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty." It demonstrates that even though Joe Jackson may not be around, his influence is still felt. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be real hard. Just --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- at the same time. I'm always high?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That (INAUDIBLE) --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. People stand in line for this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, this idea. Don't be so hard on us, Joe Jackson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know? Looks like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the Jackson Brothers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just warming up. Make sure you do a good job, OK? Do it just like I taught you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tito, there's no lyrics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Is that your father's impact on all of you?
JERMAINE JACKSON: You just heard the boss speaking.
KING: Uh-huh. Are your parents anxious to see these -- this series? They haven't seen it yet, have they?
MARLON JACKSON: No, they have not.
JERMAINE JACKSON: They're seeing more now.
MARLON JACKSON: This is my first time seeing some of these clips from the show.
KING: It's your first time for everything. Your first time seeing the movie, your first -- where you been, Marlon?
Before we leave you, a lot of emotional moments during the public -- the public ceremony for Michael Jackson on July 7th at the Staples Center. One of the most incredible afternoons of my life, probably the most touching, of course, when Michael's daughter, Paris, spoke about her father. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS JACKSON, MICHAEL'S DAUGHTER: I just want to say ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What did that do to all you?
MARLON JACKSON: It breaks my heart.
JERMAINE. JACKSON: It stabbed me right here.
KING: You didn't know she was going to speak?
TITO JACKSON: No. We didn't. We didn't.
KING: How's she doing?
JERMAINE. JACKSON: She's doing great. She's doing fine. They're holding up.
KING: Who's the boss of the three? Is it --
MARLON JACKSON: Probably Prince.
KING: Prince is. He's the oldest.
MARLON JACKSON: Yes. He loves computers.
KING: What a family bond this is. You -- the four of you ought to feel so -- I don't know how you -- I don't want to put words in your mouth. What are you feeling? Are you excited about this show?
TITO JACKSON: We're very excited. Because we get a chance to sort of show who we are offstage. And they know it's on stage, but -- and we feel that it's a lesson to be shown and for people to see how we really are.
JERMAINE JACKSON: But not only that. With the various projects that the brothers have, it's the most time we've spent together in a long time. You know, I'll tell you, they're not too bad to hang around with.
KING: How about the story that you were going to bring the show to Vegas?
MARLON JACKSON: Well, it's -- there are so many opportunities. There's so many --
KING: You get a lot of offers every day?
MARLON JACKSON: Yes.
KING: Isn't Vegas logical? It's close to where you live. It's good money. It's great attention. You'd pack them in. I mean, what's more logical than Michael Jackson's brothers working Vegas?
JERMAINE JACKSON: Well, Larry, we still want to go out there and hit the road and hurt (ph) them. Right, Marlon?
MARLON JACKSON: We might want to --
JERMAINE. JACKSON: We want to put it on them. We want to --
(CROSSTALK)
JERMAINE JACKSON: Just go out there and just jam. Live band, and see a different setting. Vegas is wonderful, but that's -- I mean, we can always go there. But we still have some touring to do. Right, guys?
TITO JACKSON: That's right.
JERMAINE JACKSON: Jackie lives in Vegas. That's why he's not saying right.
JACKIE JACKSON: For forty years, we've had great, great support from our fans around the world. And there are -- we should give them a great tour around the world.
KING: How far off is this?
TITO JACKSON: Well, I don't know. We -- we, you know -- there's been some talk about some things. There's a lot of work that goes into putting the show -- the type of show that we want to put on.
KING: Are the same people going to put it together that were going to put the Jackson tour to London together?
TITO JACKSON: We haven't decided who's going to -- you know --
KING: You haven't picked a producer?
TITO JACKSON: No, no. There's --
KING: But it is going to happen? The Jackson are going to tour?
TITO JACKSON: We'll bring you with us, Larry.
KING: I've got an idea. I intro you. I'd go around, just come on, intro you. Get along.
TITO JACKSON: And do 15 minutes.
KING: What do you pay opening acts? OK. I'd love to do one -- I'd love to do one swing with you. You know, just make -- one week and do every night. Just to see what it's like.
You go by bus or plane?
TITO JACKSON: Private plane.
KING: OK.
Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon, the Jacksons. Don't forget, Sunday night, "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" on A&E, Sunday night, December 13.
"AC 360" starts right now.
