The messy story of how the Jackson 5 left Motown
Motown was an interesting record label. It was single-handedly responsible for some of the biggest hits in America and across the world. It became so in tune with the idea of hit-making that getting songs in the charts was no longer a creative process but worked like a well-oiled machine. Hitsville, USA, by name and nature; however, that doesn’t mean the label wasn’t also shrouded in controversy.
Berry Gordy, the label’s founder, has often been criticised for ripping off some of the artists he signed. While many people were just happy to be making music and didn’t inquire too much about how money was split, other artists grew frustrated with Gordy’s techniques and decided to leave the label. This is what happened to the Jackson 5.
The Jackson 5 were the biggest boy band in America. Granted, Michael Jackson was always the star of the show, as his voice, charm, and charisma were positively infectious; however, his brothers also brought a lot to the table. Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlon all came together to make a band that could get people dancing and singing, which was incredibly easy to like.
If you ever doubted the Jackson 5’s popularity, all you had to do was take a look at their record sales. They were dominating the charts, and there was a demand for the group to go up and down the country. Motown was making a lot of money off the band, but the band weren’t seeing any of that money. When they enquired about why, it was simple: the contract they signed meant they only received 2.9% of the profits.
The disparity between what the Jackson 5 were worth and what they were making grew too large, and the band decided it would be best if they went to another record label. Of course, Gordy wasn’t happy with this decision, so he hit back at the band, threatening them with a breach of contract lawsuit if they left. This didn’t deter the Jackson 5, and they made the switch over to Epic Records.
Gordy was true to his word and took the band to court. The lawsuit raged on, and the outcome was that the band had to change their name and were no longer allowed to operate as The Jackson 5. They became The Jacksons, which seemed appropriate as they were no longer the Jackson 5; in the mess of the lawsuit, Jermaine Jackson decided to quit the band.
Throughout his time at Motown, Jermaine Jackson ended up dating and subsequently marrying Berry Gordy’s daughter, Hazel. As the tension between the label and the band grew, Jermaine decided to remove himself from the situation, so he stepped down from the band and stayed on at Motown as a solo artist. He was replaced in the band by the younger Jackson brother, Randy.
The band’s split from Motown made headlines as it wasn’t a record label many people could leave, and the subsequent legal battle was a great example of why people struggled to leave the label.
