People often say a tour is the last one, but this truly seemed like the Jackson’s farewell run. When Michael Jackson revealed he would leave the Jacksons after the victory tour, attention immediately shifted to what it meant for his future. As the world’s biggest star, Michael was entering what many consider the most pivotal phase of his career.
Yet, the story of the brothers he left behind received far less attention. For almost two decades, Jackie, Tito, Germaine, Maron, and Randy Jackson had shaped their lives and identities around one of music’s most successful groups. Overnight, they faced the challenge of discovering who they were beyond that legacy.
Some pursued solo careers on their own. Meanwhile, others worked to keep the Jacksons alive. The years brought hit singles, disappointing albums, family conflicts, divorces, arrests, and ambitious comeback plans. One brother became convinced he could achieve major solo stardom.
Another sought to reinvent himself from the ground up. One watched his greatest opportunity disappear through injury and personal struggles. Meanwhile, another brother largely withdrew from public view. The period following the victory tour became one of the most compelling and overlooked chapters in Jackson family history.
Although Michael’s exit signaled the start of a new era for him, it forced each of his brothers to confront the same difficult question. Who were they once they were no longer standing beside Michael Jackson? Here’s what happened. Germaine Jackson. Well before Michael announced his departure from the Jacksons, Germaine possessed advantages none of his brothers could claim.
He had already spent nearly a decade building a solo career. As the Jackson 5’s second lead singer, he stayed with Mottown when the others moved to Epic in 1975 and became the first brother determined to establish himself independently. At his disposal were the Jackson name, a distinctive voice, Mottown support, and years of experience as one of America’s most recognizable young performers.
Even so, the solo career that followed never matched the success his brothers later achieved at Epic. He enjoyed respectable hits and occasional momentum, but he never became the breakout star Mottown may have envisioned. As the early 1980s arrived and Michael’s solo career evolved from successful to historic, Germaine was still searching for a defining identity of his own.
By 1982, he had left Mottown and started rebuilding ties with his brothers. His appearance at Mottown 23 represented more than a nostalgic reunion. For Germaine, it created a chance to reconnect with the family brand while preserving his ambitions as a solo artist. On the Victory album, his contribution was limited, providing lead vocals on Torture alongside Michael and Jackie.
Even then, neither Michael nor Germaine appeared in the music video, leaving promotion disconnected from the voices at the song’s center. Instead, his attention was firmly fixed on his own solo project. Germaine later explained that his album came together faster because, in his words, I was my own boss. That remark revealed a great deal about his mindset in 1984.
While he welcomed the exposure of the Jackson’s reunion, he was less interested in the creative restrictions that came with being one of six brothers, he wasn’t merely rejoining the Jacksons. Rather, he viewed the reunion as a platform to elevate his own career. The Victory Tour provided him with his largest stage in years.
Since Michael avoided most interviews, Germaine frequently stepped into the role of public spokesman, effectively becoming the group’s number two figure. Throughout the tour, headlines followed wherever the Jacksons went. Germaine took every opportunity to benefit from that visibility. Each night, he performed solo material before massive stadium audiences, using the Jackson’s platform to reintroduce himself as an individual artist.
Once Michael announced at the final Los Angeles show that he was leaving the group, the victory era came to an abrupt end. Germaine shifted his attention back to his solo ambitions, hoping to carry that momentum into his own music. For a time, the strategy paid off. Among his strongest solo successes was Do What You Do, boosted by a stylish Bob Geraldi directed video featuring supermodel Iman as his love interest.
Even greater international success came with When the Rain Begins to Fall, a duet with Pia Zadora that became a major hit across Europe. Supported by a cinematic video and dramatic pop production, the song presented Germaine less as a legacy Mottown act and more as an MTV era pop star.
That momentum, however, proved difficult to sustain. Once the excitement surrounding the victory era disappeared, his 1986 album Precious Moments failed to generate the same level of interest. Without Michael, without the tour controversy, and without the full Jackson machine behind him, his solo momentum faded.
The reality became even clearer during his first solo tour. The gap between the image he hoped to project and the audience he could attract became impossible to ignore. Rather than stadiums packed with screaming fans, he found himself presenting elaborate 75-minute productions to modest crowds and partially filled auditoriums.
Germaine publicly described it as part of the journey. Privately, however, the challenges were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. By the closing years of the 1980s, he seemed to realize that blending both approaches offered the strongest path forward. Rather than choosing one direction, he continued building his solo career while reconnecting with the Jacksons whenever it made sense.
After previously implying the group was done for good, his stance eventually became less rigid. While Germaine still pursued his own ambitions, he understood the business power attached to the Jackson name. The mindset would influence the next stage of his career. Around the release of Don’t Take It Personal, the Jacksons were pursuing a comeback of their own with 2300 Jackson Street.
In many respects, Germaine was once again trying to balance two worlds. Part of him remained committed to his solo path, while another part stayed connected to the family legacy. Yet, neither effort managed to restore him or the Jacksons to the top of mainstream pop. Although Don’t Take It Personal produced an R&B success, it failed to reestablish him as a major pop figure.
Meanwhile, 2300 Jackson Street carried the emotional significance of the family name. Without Michael’s full participation, however, it could not recapture the magic of the group’s golden era. Marlon Jackson faced a very different situation. Whereas Germaine entered the post victory period with a proven solo resume and multiple chart hits, Marlin was still trying to define himself.
Throughout much of the Jackson’s history, he occupied a unique place within the group. Unlike Michael, who had become the family’s undeniable centerpiece, or Germaine, who was widely viewed as the second lead vocalist, Marlin never established a clearly recognizable public identity. Audiences admired his dancing, athleticism, and stage presence, but he rarely attracted the same spotlight as his brothers.
As the early 1980s unfolded and Michael’s solo success soared, while tensions increased within the group, Marlin appeared increasingly determined to change that reality. The 1984 Victory album gave him his biggest opportunity so far. During what would become the Jackson’s final major project with Michael, Marlin pushed hard for greater exposure.
Compared with earlier records, he received more vocal showcases and became closely linked to body, one of the group’s final major singles. Beyond singing lead on the song, he also co-wrote it and featured prominently in the music video, giving him the chance to prove himself as both a performer and a creative contributor.
Meanwhile, the victory tour further highlighted one of his greatest strengths, dancing. Even though Michael remained the primary attraction, Marlin stood out more and more through his energy, choreography, and athletic performances. In many respects, victory marked his first serious effort to become more than another Jackson family member.
The aftermath of the tour, however, was filled with conflict and controversy. As Michael moved further away from the group, Maron began searching for opportunities that could raise his own profile. Among the most important was his connection to USA for Africa. In the wake of We Are the World, Maron recognized the significance of being linked to one of the decad’s most influential charitable music projects, even though his role in the recording itself was relatively small.
Through humanitarian work tied to the organization, including visits to Africa, he gained media attention and appeared alongside some of entertainment’s biggest stars. At a period when he was working to step out of his family shadow, those appearances helped redefine his image. Rather than being seen only as Michael Jackson’s brother, he became associated with a respected international cause while remaining visible to the public.
Whereas Germaine used the momentum of the Victory Tour to advance his solo music career, Marlin spent years trying to determine exactly who he wanted to be as an artist. Beyond music, he openly discussed dreams of becoming a movie star and conquering Hollywood. Much like Michael had conquered pop music, at the same time he acknowledged a solo recording career remained one of his goals.
By 1987, the moment had arrived for him to make a clear break from the Jacksons. Speaking publicly, he emphasized leaving the group behind and creating an identity that belonged solely to him. For the first time ever, he was attempting to establish himself as Marlin Jackson rather than simply one of the Jacksons. Unlike Germaine, Maron faced a completely different obstacle.
Whereas Germaine entered the post victory years with an established solo career, Marlin first needed to prove he could stand on his own as a solo performer. Released in the summer of 1987, Baby Tonight arrived during a particularly challenging period. At first glance, the timing looked promising.
Michael Jackson’s Bad Campaign dominated the headlines throughout the year, keeping the Jackson name constantly in the public eye. Yet, that same attention brought unavoidable comparisons. Every review, chart result, and sales number was weighed against Michael’s remarkable achievements. To make matters even harder, Janet Jackson had recently reinvented herself as a superstar with control, creating yet another standard by which Marlin would be measured.
Instead of enjoying a fresh start, he found himself competing against two of the biggest recording artists on the planet. At 30 years old, Marlin understood the challenge clearly. Throughout promotional interviews, he repeatedly tried to separate his career from Michael’s. Despite his efforts to steer discussions elsewhere, reporters continued to focus on the family connection.
From a musical standpoint, Baby Tonight was a deliberate effort to set himself apart from Michael. Instead of chasing the cinematic pop sound associated with thriller and bad, Marlin leaned heavily toward contemporary dance music and R&B. Many critics observed that his voice sounded more like Prince and occasionally Germaine Jackson than Michael.
According to one reviewer, his breathy vocal style was especially effective on the album’s dancriven tracks. Songs like Don’t Go, Baby Tonight, and When Will You Surrender highlighted an artist working to establish his own identity rather than copy his brother’s formula. Beyond performing, Marlin stressed his creative contributions as a songwriter, musician, and co-producer.
His goal was to be recognized as a complete artist rather than another performer benefiting from the Jackson name. Meanwhile, he also worked to shape a public image that stood in sharp contrast to Michael’s. Where Michael remained one of entertainment’s most mysterious and heavily scrutinized figures, Marlin consistently presented himself as a devoted husband, father, and family man.
Many interviews centered on his wife, children, and everyday home life. That persona felt approachable, relatable, and far more grounded than many people expected. Financially, however, the outcome was uneven. Don’t go achieved respectable success, reaching number two on Billboard’s black singles chart, while the title track generated far less momentum.
Overall, critics responded favorably. One review remarked that Marlin displayed far greater musical substance than casual listeners anticipated. Even so, few believed he had fully developed a distinctive artistic voice capable of separating him from the shadow of his family’s legacy. Tito Jackson.
Among the Jackson brothers, Tito Jackson appeared the least interested in pursuing solo stardom. During both the Jackson 5 and Jackson’s eras, his place within the group was clearly established. As Michael and Germaine handled most of the lead vocals, Tito focused on playing guitar. He served as the dependable musician behind the scenes, seldom competing for lead parts, attracting controversy or seeking personal attention.
During the victory period, Tito openly acknowledged that his lifestyle was vastly different from Michael’s. While Michael relied on bodyguards, security teams, and careful arrangements simply to appear in public, reporters described Tito driving himself to a restaurant in a white van after coaching little league and casually walking in unnoticed.
Rather than feeling frustrated by that difference, he seemed perfectly comfortable with it. His outlook distinguished him from many of his brothers. Unlike Germaine, who pursued solo fame, or Maron, who sought greater recognition, Tito seemed much more interested in preserving a normal life away from the spotlight.
That said, he was far from lacking ambition. During the promotion of victory, he became one of the strongest supporters of the Jacksons as a collective group. As much of the media concentrated almost entirely on Michael, Tito argued that the public had underestimated the abilities of the other brothers. “It’s our turn,” he declared.
“My brothers have been waiting very patiently.” “Those remarks highlight an important aspect of Tito’s mindset. Rather than trying to rival Michael as a solo performer, he focused on earning recognition for the Jacksons as a group. In contrast to Germaine and Maron, he did not pursue a major solo career push in the years right after Michael’s exit.
Instead, his loyalty remained with the family, and he continued taking part in Jackson’s projects, including 2300 Jackson Street in 1989. While several of his brothers spent years building independent careers, Tito appeared content safeguarding the Jackson legacy and continuing his place within it. Now consider Jackie Jackson.
Among the Jackson brothers, Jackie may have faced the most difficult circumstances after Michael departed. At the time, he lacked an active solo career and was not preparing any significant breakout effort of his own. Ironically enough, Jackie had actually been one of the earliest brothers to release a solo record.
Back in 1973, his self-titled album arrived during the Jackson 5 era, but failed to establish him as a major solo act. Throughout the following decade, audiences continued to know him primarily as a member of the Jacksons. In theory, the Victory Tour should have altered that trajectory. Instead, it turned into a personal setback.
During rehearsal sessions, he suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery and kept him from performing much of the tour. Meanwhile, reports circulated suggesting the injury stemmed from a violent confrontation involving his wife, Enid. According to the rumors, she discovered an affair between Jackie and choreographer Paula Abdul and struck him with her car.
Whether accurate or not, the allegations attracted nearly as much attention as the injury itself. Although his participation was limited, Jackie still earned roughly $3 million from the tour. At the same time, however, his marriage unraveled. Divorce proceedings became public and his victory tour earnings reportedly played a major role in the settlement.
Rather than leaving the biggest tour of his career with solo ambitions ahead of him, he emerged injured and entangled in a highly public divorce. Because of these setbacks, he faded largely into the background for several years. Unlike Germaine, who tried to capitalize immediately on Victory’s publicity, Jackie waited until 1989 before making another serious attempt at a solo career.
That year, he released Be the One alongside the Jackson’s Reunion project, 2300 Jackson Street. The reasoning behind the move was clear. If renewed attention on the Jackson family created momentum, perhaps some of that spotlight would carry over to his own album. For the most part, critics responded favorably, praising its polished R&B production, while the single Stay became a modest success.
Commercially, however, the album made little impact, reaching only the lower portion of the R&B chart. Ultimately, timing became Jackie’s biggest obstacle. His debut solo album arrived before listeners were interested in him as an individual artist. By the time the second arrived, Michael and Janet had completely reshaped expectations of success.
Between those two releases, the greatest opportunity of his career was disrupted by injury and personal turmoil. Unlike Germaine’s pursuit of solo stardom, Marlin’s search for identity or Tito’s decision to avoid a solar path, Jackie’s story is defined largely by opportunities that slipped away. Next comes Randy Jackson.
Following the victory tour, Randy occupied an unusual position within the family. As the youngest Jackson brother, he was also the last to officially join the group, replacing Germaine after the family’s move from Mottown to Epic. Because of that timing, he lacked the same Jackson 5 background shared by his older brothers.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, however, he had become a significant creative force. Alongside Michael, he co-wrote Shake Your Body Down to the Ground and contributed as a musician, songwriter, and producer. After Michael’s departure, Randy appeared to be one of the brothers best equipped to guide the group’s musical future.
Compared with some of his older siblings, he was younger, more contemporary, and deeply involved in the creative process. Yet, one major problem remained obvious. Without Michael, the Jacksons were no longer viewed as a dominant force in pop music. Although the family name still carried weight, it no longer guaranteed widespread excitement.
By 1989, Randy had become involved in two separate efforts to define a post Michael identity. One effort centered on reuniting with the Jacksons and producing 2300 Jackson Street. At the same time, however, like Germaine and Jackie, he used that momentum to launch a new project called Randy and the Gypsies.
Rather than presenting it as a traditional solo album, he emphasized the concept of being part of a band. When questioned about whether the Gypsies meant leaving the Jacksons behind, his response was simple. No. That answer reveals quite a bit about his thinking. While attempting to build something separate, he never completely distanced himself from the Jackson identity.
Musically, Randy and the Gypsies showcased influences from funk, R&B, and rock. According to the Los Angeles Times, Randy handled much of the creative workload himself, writing, producing, arranging, singing, and playing multiple instruments. The publication also noted that tracks such as Love Thing and Love You Honey carried funk influences reminiscent of Prince.
Most likely that was the direction Randy hoped to pursue. Instead of Mottown nostalgia and familyoriented ballads, he leaned toward contemporary late 1980s street funk. To a certain extent, the project achieved moderate success on the R&B charts. perpetrators charted while Love You Honey performed even better and became the project’s biggest song.
Even so, it fell short of establishing Randy as a major solo presence. Though it generated some interest, it failed to launch a lasting new phase of his career. In the years that followed, his personal life became increasingly troubled in public view. In 1991, he faced charges in a domestic abuse case involving his wife, Eliza Chaffy, and their infant daughter.
After pleading non-contest, he received probation and later encountered additional legal consequences for failing to meet court-ordered requirements. Randy may have been the brother most naturally positioned to represent the Jackson’s future after Michael’s exit, but when he finally stepped forward, public attention was focused elsewhere.
Audiences were far more interested in Michael’s superstardom, Janet’s ascent, and nostalgia for what the Jacksons once represented than in how the remaining members might reinvent themselves for a new musical era. If you enjoy these in-depth explorations, consider subscribing for
