17 September 2024
Newsdesk
Taj Jackson has admitted that he is "not okay" following the recent death of his father Tito Jackson.
The 51-year-old singer-songwriter took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a touching tribute to his father, who passed away on Sunday.
In the post, Taj also remembered his mother, Delores 'Dee Dee' Martes, who passed away in 1994, and his uncle, music icon Michael Jackson, who died in 2009.
"The truth is I am not okay, and I don't know if I ever will be. My dad and I shared the same name, Tariano Adaryll Jackson, and people often called me his twin. He was the man I've looked up to my entire life - my father, my hero," Taj wrote alongside an old photo of his parents and Michael.
"What I admire most about my dad wasn't his musical talent, it was his genuine humbleness and humility," he continued. "For all the legendary things he accomplished with his brothers, you'd never know it just by talking to him."
Tito was best known as a member of the Jackson 5, alongside his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael.
"Besides performing on stage, my dad loved to coach baseball, fish, and work on vintage cars," Taj shared of his father.
"Everyone loved Tito, and in a way, it brings me comfort to know the world also shares in this sorrow and pain. It's a reminder of how great a loss we've all suffered."
The musician then reflected on the loss of his mum and uncle, writing, "When my mom passed, I had to stay strong for my 2 younger brothers. When my uncle Michael died, I remained strong for my 3 cousins.?I don't know how much emotional strength I have left."
Tito and Delores, who were married from 1972 to 1988, had three sons together, Taj, Taryll, 49, and TJ, 46. The brothers formed a band called T3 in the early 1990s.
