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 4 : Martin Luther King Is fatally shot by James Earl Ray at 6:01 p.m. In Moonwalk, Michael recalls that day: “I remember the day [Martin Luther King] died. Everyone was devastated. We didn’t rehearse that night. I went to church with Mom and the others. People were crying as if they had lost a family member. Even the men, who are usually less emotional, couldn’t control their feelings. I was too young to grasp the tragic nature of the situation, but when I think about it today, I feel like crying—for Dr. King, his family, and all of us.”
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). Michael meets Etta James backstage.
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. During this series of shows, three people notice the group’s talent and they talk with Joe about Motown : Gladys Knight, Weldon Arthur McDougal III, a Motown executive and Bobby Taylor.
Mid July : The Jackson 5 are the opening act for Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers at Chicago’s High Chaparral Club. After seeing the group perform, Bobby Taylor telephones Ralph Seltzer, head of Motown creative department to suggest that the group be allowed to audition for Motown. He also introduces Joe & the boys to Suzanne DePasse, a young creative assistant working at Motown. Suzanne tells Berry Gordy about the Jackson 5. At first reluctant, the founder of Motown agrees to have them audition for Motown. At the same time, 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!
July 23 : Joseph and family friend Jack Richardson take the Jackson 5 from Chricago to Detroit in the family’s Volkswagen minibus. Upon arriving to Motown’s headquarters Hittsville Studio, they are greeted by Suzanne De Passe, creative assistant to Berry Gordy and Ralph Seltzer. The Jackson 5 perform “Ain’t Too Poud To Beg” and “I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations, James’ Brown’s “I Got the Feeling” ,”Tobacco Road” and “Who’s Loving You”. The group’s audition is taped and the videotape is sent to Berry Gordy who is in Los Angeles.
July 26 : Ralph Setzer meets Joseph into his Motown office for a meeting and presents him with Motown standart nine-page contract. Joseph and the Jackson 5 sign the contract.
August 10 + 11 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Central Park Theater in Chicago, IL with Jerry Butler headlining; (shows at 2:00, 6:00 and 10:00 pm).
August 11 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Guys and Gals Club in Chicago (show at 11.30 pm).
August 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 + 26 + 27 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Regal Theater in Chicago.
September : The Jackson 5 start recording songs at Motown studios in Detroit under the direction of Bobby Taylor. They sleep on the floor of Taylor’s appartment!
September 27 : Motown Records book the Jackson 5 to perform at a benefit concert at Gilroy Stadium in Gary. The purpose of which is to defray the costs of Richard Hatcher’s mayoral campaign. The J5 open the show which features Gladys Knight and the Pips, Shorty Long and Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers.
October 6 + 13 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Guys and Gals Club in Chicago.
November 1 : The Jackson 5 perform at the High Chaparral Lounge in Chicago (Marshall and the Chi-Lites headlining).
November 17 : The Jackson 5 perform at the American Legion Hall, Hammond.
November 30 : While the Jackson 5 perform at the Regal Theater in Chicago, their sister Rebbie gets married to Nathaniel Brown at the Kingdom Hall of Gary. One month later they move to Kentucky.
December 21 + 22 + 23 : The Jackson 5 perform at the High Chaparral Lounge in Chicago.
December 24/25 : Berry Gordy invites the Jackson 5 to perform at his house in Detroit. They meet Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and the Four Tops!
December 29 + 30 + 31 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Apollo Theater in New York City (Sam & Dave headlining).
Jackson Dynasty 