August 29, 1958 : Katherine gives birth to Michael Joseph Jackson in Gary Indiana.
October 29, 1961 : Katherine gives birth to Steven Randall Jackson (Randy)
August 29, 1965 : The Jackson Brothers are renamed the Jackson 5 during their first ever public performance at children fashion show “Tiny Tots Jamboree” at Big Top Department Store, Gary, where they perform “Doin The Jerk”.
1966 : The Jackson Five’s first professional shows take place at Mister Lucky’s Laune in Gary.
May 16, 1966 : Katherine gives birth to Janet Damito Jo Jackson in Gary.
August 20, 1966 : While spending some days at their grandfather’s in Arizona, the Jackson 5 perform at Winslow’s Desert Scene Elks Lodge.
1967 : The Jackson 5 win first prize in an amateur talent show at Gary ‘s Memorial Auditorium.
Joe enters the group in the Sunday Night Amateur Talent show at the Regal Theater in Chicago where they become three times winner and also win the Multiple Winners Super Talent show and are placed on the same bill as top R&B act of the year, Gladys Knight & The Pips.
March 22, 1967 : Michael makes his first ever solo public performance during a concert at the James Garnett Elementary School in Gary. He performs “Climb Every Mountain” from The Sound Of Music. Katherine, Joe and Joe’s father Samuel Jackson attend the show.
July 1, 1967 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Masonic Hall in Racine, Wisconsin in Racine, WI.
July 13, 1967 : The Jackson 5 make their first professionnal recording at the George & Ernie Leaner Studio for One-derful Records in Chicago. They record the song “I’m A Big Boy Now” but they do not sign any record deal. This recording session is found 42 years later in 2009 and released in 2014.
August 13, 1967 : The J5 are enter straight into the “Super Dogs” final at Harlem ‘s legendary Apollo Theater in NYC and they win it! They come back as paid performers and Michael, backstage, gets to watch and study his favourite performers James Brown & Jackie Wilson.
New York lawyer, Richard Arons, helps Joe to book gigs in several cities ( Saint Louis , Philadelphia, Kansas City & Washington).
November 21, 1967 : Joe Jackson signs the first Jackson 5 contract with William Adams (aka Gordon Keith), president of Steeltown Records.
Late November/December 1967 : The J5 record a new version of “Big Boy” at the Sunny Sawyer Studio in Chicago. They also record the songsrois autres titres : ‘You’ve Changed’, ‘We Don’t Have To Be Over 21 (To Fall In Love)’, ‘Some Girls Want Me For Their Lover’).
1968
January 30 : The Jackson 5 release their first single ever “Big Boy” which is premiered on a local radio station called WWCA.
Later the group records a second single for Steeltown “You Don’t Have To be 21 (To Fall In Love)/Jam Session which is not released.
February 14 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Super Dog Finals Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in New York City, NY.
March : The Jackson 5 make their first ever commercial photoshoot for Steeltown Records. Steeltown Records sells thousands of copies of “Big Boy” nationally through a distribution deal with Atlantic Records, but it was neither a critical nor commercial success.
April : The J5 perform at a campaign rally for Richard Hatcher in Gary with Bobby Taylor and Diana Ross & The Supremes amoung others.
April 6 + 13 + 27 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Guys & Gals Club in Chicago, IL.
April 26 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Thomas Edison High School, Gary, IN.
May 4 + May 11 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Guys & Gals Club in Chicago, IL.
May 24 + 25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Apollo Theater in New York City (Etta James headlining).
May 31 + June 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Capitol Theater in Chicago
July 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Regal Theater in Chicago, IL as part of the Battle of the Groups. On July 17, they are the opening act for Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers at the Regal Theater in Chicago . The group is invited to perform on the David Frost Show in New York but Joe cancels their TV debut when Bobby Taylor asks them to come to a Detroit studio to make an auditon for Motown!
Jackson Dynasty 