Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine remained the sole member of the Jackson family affiliated with Motown after his brothers departed for CBS/Epic, a period that coincided with his marriage to Berry Gordy’s daughter Hazel. His output at the label throughout the 1970s reflected an uneven creative trajectory, interrupted only by sporadic successes such as the 1972 remake of “Daddy’s Home” and “Let’s Be Young Tonight” from 1975. A decisive lift arrived via Stevie Wonder, who composed and helmed the Top Ten pop and soul dance single “Let’s Get Serious” just as Michael’s solo profile was surging. Two years later Jermaine logged another Top 20 pop entry with the buoyant “Let Me Tickle Your Fancy,” prompting his 1983 switch to Arista Records. That move yielded a pair of 1984 successes—“Do What You Do” and the vibrant dance track “Dynamite”—before he rejoined his brothers for their troubled Victory tour later the same year. Subsequent releases appeared only intermittently, until 1991, when the leaked track “Word to the Badd,” widely interpreted as a pointed critique of Michael, stirred debate after reaching urban radio outlets.