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Watch Tito Jackson, the Jacksons’ Secret Musical Weapon, Play the Blues in 1975

Watch Tito Jackson, the Jacksons' secret musical weapon, play the blues in 1975

When the Jacksons wound up their 1975 tour with a show in Mexico City, the group delivered everything anyone would have expected: the hits (from “I Want You Back” and “ABC” through Michael’s “Ben”), newer material like “Dancing Machine,” and ace choreography. Encouraged by their domineering father, who was impressed with seven-year-old Tito’s early chops and gave him a new guitar, Jackson became a serious student, immersing himself in records by the Temptations and the Isley Brothers. After the other band members took their turns, the action returns to Tito, who closes out the segment with a flurry of sharp, stinging notes that showed off his chops and his own roots.

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