Joe Jackson, Father to Michael and Janet, Dies of Cancer at 89

His health recently took a turn for the worse.

Joe Jackson, father and manager of Michael, Janet and the rest of the star-studded Jackson family, died Wednesday after a battle with terminal cancer, according to multiple reports. He was 89.

Jackson was hospitalized earlier this month after his health took a turn for the worse, TMZ reported. 

His son, Jermaine, spoke out in his final days, tweeting, "For however long he has left, my mother, siblings, and relatives want to be with him, without hindrance."

Several family members, including his wife, Katherine, his children and grandchildren reportedly made visits to his hospital bed in the days ahead of his passing.

The father of 11 has been battling various health conditions in recent years, sources said, including dementia, stroke and heart attack. He was also involved in a car accident last year.

Jackson was born in Arkansas and raised his family in Indiana before settling in Las Vegas.

He was most famous for forming the Jackson 5 – a pop musical group that involved his sons Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael.

Michael, the youngest of the band members, later went on to become the King of Pop and the solo act behind hits like "Thriller," "Beat It" and "Billie Jean."

He also kicked off his daughter Janet's solo career, helping her become a recording artist at just 16 years old.

But his reputation as a father to his children was widely criticized, as many family members later spoke out about grueling rehearsals some described as abusive. Michael had been open in the past about beatings at the hands of his father.

Jackson was fired as Michael's manager in 1979 and left out of Michael's will when he died in 2009 at age 50.

Jackson’s most recent public appearance was at the BET Awards in 2015. He was attending with his daughter Janet, who received the Ultimate Icon Award.

Jackson also posted a video to Twitter on June 6 from a Jamba Juice location, as a Michael Jackson song played in the background.

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