All About Michael Jackson’s Mom, Katherine Jackson

Katherine Jackson is the mother of ten children with her late husband Joe Jackson, including musicians Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and members of The Jackson 5.

In his autobiography from 1988 Moon walk, Michael opened up about how his mother made him and each of his siblings feel special. According to the late singer, Katherine kept a close eye on their interests and found ways to encourage their ambitions.

“Every child thinks their mother is the best mother in the world, but we Jacksons never lost that feeling,” he wrote. – Because of Katherine’s tenderness, warmth and attention, I can’t imagine what it’s like to grow up without a mother’s love.

Michael continued, “The lessons she taught us were invaluable. Kindness, love and consideration for other people were at the top of her list.”

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Shortly after the “Bad” singer died on June 25, 2009 from acute propofol intoxication, his mother was granted custody of his three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. (known as Prince), Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II. (formerly known as Blanket, now Bigi).

“Of all the people in Michael’s life, I think Michael adored his children more than anything else. And they adored him,” Katherine said Date line in 2010

So who is Michael Jackson’s mother? Here’s everything you need to know about Katherine Jackson, from her youth to her rise to musical superstardom.

She grew up in Indiana

Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine Jackson at an event.

Katherine was born Kattie B. Screws on May 4, 1930 in Clayton, Alabama to parents Prince Albert and Martha Screws. As a child, she suffered from polio, which caused her to walk with a limp for the rest of her life.

When she was 4 years old, her father changed her last name from Screws to Scruse and renamed her daughter Katherine Esther Scruse. Her family moved to East Chicago, Indiana, where she attended Washington High School and was a member of the school band.

She met Joe in 1947

Joseph and Katherine Jackson on March 20, 1993 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

Katherine met Joseph “Joe” Jackson, her future husband and fellow resident of East Chicago, Indiana, at a party, according to The New York Times. He reportedly filed for an annulment from his first marriage and the couple began dating, marrying on November 5, 1949.

After their wedding, they bought a small house in Gary, Indiana, at 2300 Jackson Street, about 15 minutes from East Chicago. Although the couple remained married until Joe’s death in 2018, their union had its ups and downs.

She filed for divorce in March 1973, but the petition was rejected. During their marriage, Joe reportedly had a 25-year affair with a woman named Cheryl Terrell and she gave birth to their daughter, Joh’Vonnie Jackson, in August 1974.

A few years later, Katherine filed for divorce again in 1982, but withdrew the documents.

Despite rumors of an estrangement during the later years of their marriage, Katherine and Joe remained married until his death on June 27, 2018, from terminal pancreatic cancer.

“We want to thank you all for the support you have shown us as we mourn the loss of the patriarch of our family. We mourn the loss of our father and celebrate the life of a man who sacrificed so much to give us the life and success we have today. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this time,” the family said in a joint statement.

She is the mother of 10 children

Michael Jackson with his mother Katherine, sisters Janet and La Toya and brother Randy at the wedding of his older brother Jermaine Jackson on December 15, 1973.

Michael Ochs/Getty Archive

Katherine and Joe had three daughters and seven sons together between 1950 and 1966.

A year after they were married, Katherine gave birth to their first child on May 29, 1950, a daughter named Maureen Reillette “Rebbie”. The couple’s first son, Sigmund Esco “Jackie”, was then born on May 4, 1951. Katherine and Joe expanded their family again with the addition of another son, Torian Adaryl “Tita”, who arrived on October 15, 1953.

Not long after, the couple celebrated the birth of their son Jermaine La Jaune on December 11, 1954, and less than two years later, their daughter LaToya Yvonne joined the family on May 29, 1956.

Twins Marlon David and Brandon David arrived two months premature on March 12, 1957, although Brandon sadly died shortly after he was born. The following year, on August 29, Michael Joseph was born.

Steven Randall “Randy” arrived on October 29, 1961 and is the only brother in the family who was not a founding member of The Jackson 5. Katherine and Joe’s tenth child is a daughter, Janet Damita Jo, born May 16, 1966.

Joe was known to be strict with his children, which some of them spoke about publicly, including LaToya in her 1991 memoir and Michael in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

In a rare interview with Winfrey in 2010 after Michael’s death, Joe answered questions about how he disciplined their children. Although he disagreed with the word “beat”, he said he “whipped” them.

“You might as well admit it, that’s the way black people raised their kids,” Katherine told her husband before adding, “He used a belt.”

When asked if he regrets his past actions, Joe said: “I don’t. It kept them out of jail and kept them right.”

She encouraged Michael’s love for singing

Michael Jackson and his mother Katherine Jackson arrive at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse for Michael Jackson’s trial on May 17, 2005.

Aaron Lambert-Pool/Getty

While Joe was determined that their family’s talent be recognized, Michael said that Katherine’s own talent inspired him to continue to strive for success. Although she was unable to sing and play instruments for the audience due to a medical condition in the past, Michael wanted to make that dream come true for her.

“My mother knew that her polio was not a curse but a test that God had given her to overcome, and she instilled in me a love for Him that I will always have,” he wrote in his 1988 autobiography. Moon walk. “She taught me that my talent for singing and dancing was as much a work of God as a beautiful sunset or a storm that left snow for children to play in.”

Michael also recounted a brief conversation he had with Ed Sullivan when The Jackson 5 appeared on a late-night show in 1970. According to the late performer, the host told him, “Never forget where your talent came from, that your talent is a gift from God. ”

Although young Michael appreciated his words, Katherine shared a similar sentiment with him throughout his life. “I was grateful for his kindness, but I could tell him that my mother never let me forget,” he added.

In his book, the “Billie Jean” singer also revealed that it was his mom who convinced Joe to let him join the band as a backup singer and bongo player.

She is the author

Michael Jackson’s mom Katherine Jackson poses for a photo. Matt Sayles/AP/Shutterstock

Katherine’s autobiography, My family, the Jacksonswas published in January 1990 and was co-authored by Richard Wiseman.

The book details Katherine’s life, what it was like to raise her family and her story of witnessing the rise to fame of The Jackson 5. The matriarch also delves into stories about Michael’s successful solo career, Janet following in her siblings’ musical footsteps and more .

Her second book, Can’t Say Goodbye: The Katherine Jackson Storyis a coffee book full of photos and personal memories of Michael and her children, published in 2010.

“It brought back a lot of memories and then a lot of tears, but all in all, it was fun to write,” she said. Date line project.

She is a grandmother and great-grandmother

Prince Michael Jackson, Katherine Jackson, Blanket Jackson and Paris Jackson attend the Michael Jackson Immortalization Hand and Footprint Ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on January 26, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Between her nine children who lived to adulthood, Katherine has 26 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, many of whom have gone on to join the music and entertainment industries after the family business.

Of her many grandchildren, the most famous are Michael’s three children: Prince, Paris and Bigi.

Next Thriller singer’s death in 2009, a settlement was reached between Katherine and Debbie Rowe, the mother of Prince and Paris, regarding their care. She was awarded custody of her grandchildren as their permanent guardian, and Rowe was awarded visitation rights and continuing spousal support.

A few years later, Katherine was suspended as the children’s guardian when she went to Arizona on her own without notice, and her family reported her missing in 2012. Soon after, she was found and returned as co-custody with her son, Tito, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Mother and son looked after Prince, Paris and Biggie’s well-being until Katherine resigned as Biggie’s co-guardian in 2017. By that time, Michael’s youngest child was 15 and Tito was named Biggie’s sole guardian.

Earlier that year, he thanked his grandmother and uncle for always looking out for him and his siblings, calling Katherine “amazing,” according to ABC News.

He has a dispute with his grandson Bigi over property

Bigi Jackson attends the annual Halloween party on October 28, 2022 in Encino, California. ; Katherine Jackson arrives at the World Premiere of “Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil” on June 29, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kevin Winter/Getty; Ethan Miller/Getty

In March 2024, Katherine’s grandson Bigi took her to court, asking Michael’s estate not to fund her ongoing legal battle against the executor. According to court filings obtained by PEOPLE, Katherine is involved in a dispute over a “recent transaction,” the details of which have not been disclosed to the public.

Although Katherine and Bigi initially objected to the estate’s proposed transaction — which appears to be an estimated $600 million catalog sale of Michael’s work to Sony — a judge ruled the deal could go ahead last year. Bigi and his siblings accepted the court’s decision, but Katherine appealed.

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Now, Bigi claims her request for the estate to pay her legal bills for the appeal would be “unfair.”

“Obviously, reversal on appeal would be extremely difficult,” lawyers wrote on his behalf. “Given these prospects, Bigi has decided not to waste his resources on participating in the appeal. Regardless, Katherine has decided to appeal to this court. That decision is not in favor of the heirs.”

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