Tito Jackson’s three sons are remembering their father after his death at age 70.
Paying an emotional tribute to their dad, who was a member of the famous family band The Jackson 5 and brother to Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, Taj, TJ and Taryll shared that they are “shocked, saddened and heartbroken.”
Siggy Jackson, Tito’s nephew, previously confirmed Tito’s death to PEOPLE. According to Entertainment Tonight (who was first to report the news), Tito died on Sunday, Sept. 15 after suffering an apparent heart attack.
In a joint post with their band 3T’s Instagram account, Taj, TJ and Taryll wrote, “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken.”
“Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being," they continued. "Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as 'Coach Tito' or some know him as 'Poppa T.' Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be 'Tito Time' for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is 'Love One Another.' We love you Pops.”
The brothers signed off the note “Your boys,” and added the hashtags, “#titojackson #titotime #loveoneanother.”
Tito managed his sons’ band 3T and all three of them featured in the 2015 reality series The Jacksons: Next Generation. The Lifetime show followed the brothers as th -
ey tried to balance their music careers with family life and the pressures of being a Jackson.
The words in the Instagram post accompanied a carousel of images, including throwback photos of Tito with Taj, TJ and Taryll when they were children and the early beginnings of 3T.
Other photos showed Tito as part of The Jackson 5 — which comprised Michael, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and Marlon Jackson (and, later, Randy Jackson) — and Taj, TJ and Taryll performing on stage with their father, along with a final image of Tito’s signature bowler hat and shades.
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The first picture from the carousel was also shared on the 3T account’s Instagram Stories with the caption, “We love you @poppat ❤️.”
Tito shared his sons with his late ex-wife Dee-Dee Martes-Jackson.
In the months leading up to his death, Tito had been performing with brothers Jackie and Marlon as The Jacksons. The group performed as recently as Sept. 8 in Surrey, England, at the Boogietown Festival, and they were due to perform on Oct. 25 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Nov. 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
As a trio, the band performed a number of The Jackson 5's hit songs including "I Want You Back," along with brother Michael's tracks like "Rock with You."
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