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!
July 23, 1968 : The J5 give an audition to Motown at the Hittsville Studio in Detroit and the videotape is sent to Berry Gordy. They meet Suzanne De Passe and Ralph Seltzer.
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 27 : The J5 perform at a benefit concert at Gilroy Stadium in Gary.
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 