Friday, Jun. 25, 2010

The Siblings

Rarely seen together since the days of the Jacksons as a recording and touring outfit, Michael Jackson's brothers — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy — joined his three sisters — Rebbie, La Toya and Janet — to say goodbye in front of a packed Staples Center and more than 31 million Americans watching on TV. In the year since, some of the Jackson siblings have returned to previous projects. Janet continues to act and sing and is working on a book about her weight struggles. Tito has been touring with his blues band and, along with brothers Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon, starred in a short-lived A&E reality show, The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty. Randy, the only brother who declined the TV opportunity, keeps a low profile but tweeted often about Dr. Conrad Murray's legal troubles. On June 15, Randy checked himself into a hospital with chest pains and reportedly suffered a mild heart attack. La Toya was the most vocal sibling after Michael's death, alleging that "he was murdered for his catalog and they knew that." Billboard magazine reported that royalties after Michael's death had earned the Jackson estate nearly $1 billion.