KUALA LUMPUR: Jermaine Jackson, a member of The Jacksons, and the elder sibling of king of pop Michael Jackson, was in town recently and talked briefly to Bernama on the group’s performance here and their future endeavour.
The 70s Motown star has been to Malaysia before and was very much excited and thrilled to see the country again and spoke highly of the hospitality extended to him.
“I have been coming to Malaysia since the 1980s. We come here because we love the hospitality,” he said with a gleaming smile.
The welcome was elevated when the group gave an mesmerising performance at the annual Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix Gala 2015.
Sepang International Circuit had flown in the legendary American singers The Jacksons and fashion gurus George Kotsiopoulos and Cameron Silver for the gala dinner to celebrate the Grand Prix event.
The Jacksons performance here during the grand prix was an extension of the 2012-2013 Unity Tour following Michael’s death in 2009. The group’s performance here was in aid of Bidara, a not-for-profit charitable body run by the wives of Kedah Barisan Nasional elected representatives.
THE JACKSONS’ MAGIC IS STILL ALIVE
At the gala dinner, Jermaine performed with his three other siblings Tito, Jackie and Marlon who were also the founding members of the group that was initially known as the The Jackson Brothers, later The Jackson Five and now The Jacksons.
The legendary group delivered what they could do best, keep the audience on their feet with their electrifying performance.
The audience got up, started singing and dancing on the floor. Though the American popular group was here in December 2012, it appears that their fans here still want to hear more from the group.
“It went well. We hoped that they would dance because if they did not that means we did not do our job. I have to say, we had a great time on the stage,” said the sixty-year old soul singer to Bernama.
Their old hit songs like I Want You Back, ABC, Never Can Say Goodbye, Rockin’ Robin, Sugar Daddy, I’ll Be There, Maybe Tomorrow and The Love You Save kept the audience spellbound.
And Jermaine is familiar with Malaysia’s towering figures. During the interview Datuk Jimmy Choo, the iconic shoemaker, appeared and Jermaine requested a picture with Choo, whom he addressed as his good friend.
THE JACKSONS’ MUSICAL JOURNEY CONTINUES
After a along hiatus, the Jacksons are ready to come back with a new album and hits. Their new album can be expected to be out this year.
“We are going to the studio. Absolutely, we gonna come up with new music by this year. We have already started and are trying to find ways to finish it now,” explained Jermaine.
The Jacksons are an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana. The group was formed in 1964 and in January 1970 their hit, “I Want You Back“, topped the Billboard Hot 100. Led by The Corporation, that produced many of their records, The Jackson Five released two more number-one singles, “ABC” and “The Love You Save.”
The Jackson brothers stole the show, partly thanks to the late Michael’s spectacular talent in music.
“We still feel emotional about his death, all of us do,” said Jermaine, when asked on the King of Pop’s death.
THE JACKSONS’ UPS AND DOWNS
The Jacksons had their fare share of ups and downs including the lost of members when Michael and Jermaine set out on solo careers and the group’s records plummeted from the charts since the 1970s.
His brother Michael, who joined the Jackson Five in 1964, left the group in 1971 at the age of 17 to pursue what was to become a highly successful and unprecedented solo career of epic proportions.
Jermaine himself enjoyed a fruitful solo career throughout the late 70s and early 80s and now is back with The Jacksons.
His 1980 album, ‘Let’s Get Serious’ was nominated for a Grammy Award, and songs such as ‘Daddy’s Home’, ‘Feel the Fire’ and ‘Let’s Get Serious’ made it to the top of Billboard Hot 100.
“There are always going to be people saying oh, you should have stayed, you shouldn’t have gone,” he said on his musical journey with the group.
JERMAINE ON ZAYN MALIK
Meanwhile, members leaving successful music groups are nothing new with the latest being Zayn Malik’s departure from the world’s top boy band One Direction that broke the hearts of millions of teenage girls around the world.
Based on his own experience Jermaine says it was the right thing to do for Zayn.
“If Zayn wants to go solo, then he should be given the freedom and space to carve out a solo career. Like all the other break-ups in music history, the fate of the band could go a number of ways, but having one leave the group to move on to bigger things is a norm.
“But if he stays true to what he knows how to do, then he’ll be fine,” said Jermaine.
One Direction is an English-Irish pop boy band, which comprised Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn.
They produced four world record-breaking albums namely Up All Night, Take Me Home, Midnight Treasures and Four, which topped charts in major markets and generated hit singles like What Makes You Beautiful, Live While We’re Young, Story Of My Life and Steal My Girl. --BERNAMA