Sources : My personal research, Wikipedia, Michael Jackson: For The Record by Chris Cadman & Craig Halstead, Twitter account of Damien Shields and the amazing archives of the MJCast.
STUDIO ALBUM
NONE
COMPILATIONS/SPECIAL EDITIONS/SOUNDTRACKS
NONE
RECORDING SESSIONS
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.
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’).
January 30, 1968 : 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.
Big Boy aka I Am a Big Boy Now
Boys and Girls We Are The Jackson 5
SINGLES
Big Boy aka I Am a Big Boy Now (January 31, 1968)
TV PERFORMANCES
NONE
SHORT FILMS/COMMERCIALS/MOVIES
NONE
PRESS
NONE
PHOTOSHOOTS
March 1968 : 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.
TV/RADIO INTERVIEWS
NONE
PUBLIC APPEARANCES (EXCEPT CONCERTS)
NONE
PRIVATE/FAMILY EVENTS
August 29, 1958 : Katherine gives birth to Michael Joseph Jackson in Gary Indiana.
1960 : Father Joe begins coaching Jermaine, Tito and Jackie in his spare time and they are soon joined by Marlon and Michal.Joe later recruits drummer Johnny Jackson.
October 29, 1961 : Katherine gives birth to Steven Randall Jackson (Randy).
1962 : Joe finds Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke, and he is impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie later formed their own group and are trained by Joseph.
1963 : Michael, aged 5, joins the group playing congas. Soon after, he takes over from Jermaine as lead vocalist for the group. Marlon joins the group on tambourine.
Katherine is baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in the swimming pool at Roosvelt High in Gary. From then on, she asks that the rest of the family gets dressed in their best clothes every sunday to attend the service at Kingdom Hall.
Late 1965 : Joseph sends Motown founder, Berry Gordy, a tape of The Jackson 5. Three months later, it is returned with no offer.
May 16, 1966 : Katherine gives birth to Janet Damita Jo Jackson in Gary.
July 26, 1968 : 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.
November 30, 1968 : 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.
CONCERTS
1965
August 29 : The brother’s first invitation to perform comes courtesy of a children’s s fashion show in Glen Park. Having until then performed as the Jackson Family and The Jackson Brothers, it is here that the name The Jackson 5 is born, in preference to the Jackson Brothers Five suggested by show organizer Evelyn Leahy. They perform three numbers, one being a current hit by The Larks, ‘Doin’ The Jerk.’
After a suggestion from Joe’s sister-in-law, Bobbie Rose Jackson, The Jackson 5, comprising Michael, Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito, enter and win the Rossevelt High School talent show where they perform “My Girl” and “Barefootin’”.
Two months later, The Jackson 5 win the Annual talent Search at Gilroy Stadium. The Jackson 5 also receive their first ever press in the Gary Post Tribune.
Joseph books The Jackson 5 into Mr. Lucky’s, a nightclub in Gary. They earn $8 a night for five sets, six or sometimes even seven days a week. They prove popular with the customers who show appreciation by throwing money onto the stage, amounting to well above their nightly fee.
1966
August 20 : While spending some days at their grandfather’s in Arizona, the Jackson 5 perform at Winslow’s 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 : 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 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Masonic Hall in Racine, Wisconsin in Racine, WI.
August 13 : 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).
1968
February 14 : The Jackson 5 perform at the Super Dog Finals Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in New York City, NY.
April 1968: 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. Gladys Knight arranges for some Motown excecitives, but not Berry Gordy, to attend the show.
Late 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. 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 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.
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).
LIVE ALBUMS/TV BROADCASTS/COMMERCIAL RELEASE
None of the concerts from this era were filmed professionnely.
No commercial release.
No TV broadcast.
NEXT ERA : Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 (1969)
Jackson Dynasty 