The Greatest Momagers and Dadagers in the Business

Michael Jackson may have been the King of Pop, but he never really stopped answering to his father, Joe. Music’s most famous patriarch ran a very tight ship in Gary, Indiana, and his tendency toward emotional and physical abuse is well-documented. Responsible for the creation of the Jackson 5 – which was comprised of his sons Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael – Joe acted as manager during the early years, though his power dwindled as Motown CEO Barry Gordy assumed more control and, eventually, as his children left his management company (he also represented daughters Janet, La Toya and Rebbie). Though several Jacksons chose to cut personal ties with their father, Michael elected to maintain a relationship with him, honoring him annually with a “Joseph Jackson Day” celebration at Neverland Ranch and publicly forgiving him for his abuse – which he blamed, in part, on Joe’s difficult childhood.

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